Humorist Hopes To Motivate Middle, High School Students
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Even after 20 years of talking to kids, Michael Pritchard can still be surprised.
"A remarkable thing happened today" at Lakeview Middle School, he said Wednesday night.
Talking to the Lakeview students Wednesday, Pritchard had dedicated the talk to Jennifer Emelio, a 14-year-old with cystic fibrosis who died Sunday. Her funeral was Wednesday, and several Lakeview students had attended.
"I asked for a moment of silence, and the silence got so deep it was mystical. Mystical. It was reverential. They got it," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "They are powerful messengers."
Pritchard, 48, has been in Warsaw since Monday, talking to students, teachers and parents about such subjects as choices, interpersonal relationships and identity.
A former juvenile probation officer in St. Louis, Mo., Pritchard moved to California in 1978, got involved with comedy clubs, and appeared with Johnny Carson on the "Tonight Show" and later as a character on "Taxi."
Even after he signed a contract with NBC, he said, he continued to work with kids and began filming a PBS series in 1983. He is now best known for that series and for his comedic but down-to-earth talks to kids about issues that affect their lives.
He counts Robin Williams and Jay Leno as friends, a fact that raises his credibility with many teen-agers.
The married father of four, he spends three or four months of each year on the road, talking to teen-agers, elementary school children, parent groups, communities - anywhere he thinks he can help.
He deplores violence on TV and in video games, and worries that violence is now so pervasive that kids have become desensitized.
"The violence now plaguing us is something we've got to take a look at," he said. "We've got to do what they did with the tobacco companies. We've got to start taking the networks on and start suing them."
He urges members of his audience "not to be a witness to cruelty."
"If you see a bully picking on someone, don't just walk away. Do something," he said.
Pritchard talks about spirituality and kids' need to believe in something bigger than themselves.
"We're all in search of soul. It's where we are as a nation - we're all searching," he said.
He also despises empty slogans and encourages kids to "use their own personal will."
"'Just say no to drugs' has done for drug addiction what 'Have a nice day' has done for manic depressives," he said.
Pritchard, who grew up in Missouri, said he loves returning to the Midwest.
"It renews me to come to the Midwest and be with kids who give you more than they take from you," he said.
"These are salt-of-the-earth kids. ... They're blessed to grow up here. ...
"There are cynics, seekers and believers. These kids are believers. When you feel them receive the message - they get it. They know what I'm talking about. There's a sense of community." [[In-content Ad]]
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Even after 20 years of talking to kids, Michael Pritchard can still be surprised.
"A remarkable thing happened today" at Lakeview Middle School, he said Wednesday night.
Talking to the Lakeview students Wednesday, Pritchard had dedicated the talk to Jennifer Emelio, a 14-year-old with cystic fibrosis who died Sunday. Her funeral was Wednesday, and several Lakeview students had attended.
"I asked for a moment of silence, and the silence got so deep it was mystical. Mystical. It was reverential. They got it," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "They are powerful messengers."
Pritchard, 48, has been in Warsaw since Monday, talking to students, teachers and parents about such subjects as choices, interpersonal relationships and identity.
A former juvenile probation officer in St. Louis, Mo., Pritchard moved to California in 1978, got involved with comedy clubs, and appeared with Johnny Carson on the "Tonight Show" and later as a character on "Taxi."
Even after he signed a contract with NBC, he said, he continued to work with kids and began filming a PBS series in 1983. He is now best known for that series and for his comedic but down-to-earth talks to kids about issues that affect their lives.
He counts Robin Williams and Jay Leno as friends, a fact that raises his credibility with many teen-agers.
The married father of four, he spends three or four months of each year on the road, talking to teen-agers, elementary school children, parent groups, communities - anywhere he thinks he can help.
He deplores violence on TV and in video games, and worries that violence is now so pervasive that kids have become desensitized.
"The violence now plaguing us is something we've got to take a look at," he said. "We've got to do what they did with the tobacco companies. We've got to start taking the networks on and start suing them."
He urges members of his audience "not to be a witness to cruelty."
"If you see a bully picking on someone, don't just walk away. Do something," he said.
Pritchard talks about spirituality and kids' need to believe in something bigger than themselves.
"We're all in search of soul. It's where we are as a nation - we're all searching," he said.
He also despises empty slogans and encourages kids to "use their own personal will."
"'Just say no to drugs' has done for drug addiction what 'Have a nice day' has done for manic depressives," he said.
Pritchard, who grew up in Missouri, said he loves returning to the Midwest.
"It renews me to come to the Midwest and be with kids who give you more than they take from you," he said.
"These are salt-of-the-earth kids. ... They're blessed to grow up here. ...
"There are cynics, seekers and believers. These kids are believers. When you feel them receive the message - they get it. They know what I'm talking about. There's a sense of community." [[In-content Ad]]