Welcome and thank you for being here tonight. What a lovely evening for celebrating, for sharing, and for saying many "thank you's." The past few weeks I have been thinking of something to talk about- you know something wonderfully unique and dangerously insightful. I wrote and rewrote and it finally came to me that it was probably most important to stick to the basics and borrow the familiar phrases "thanks" and "keep up the good work."
Obviously, the gratitude needs to be spread out in several layers. First, to the students, thank you for working diligently at your craft in order to produce work that is worth funding. I encourage you to continue in these admirable efforts and to pursue your goals at this university and beyond. As an artist, and as a "liver-er," it is our responsibility to produce the best art we can, and thus, make the discipline better in some way. If we can paint a picture or sew an article of clothing that makes someone stop and think. If we can write a song or a scene that encourages someone to evaluate how he/she treats others. If we can create movement that draws out emotions that words can't explain, then we are making things better.

Moving to the next layer, thanks to the professors. You guide us in the learning process, encourage us to expand our viewpoints, and generally keep us on our toes (no-pun intended to the dance faculty). You are our role models as creators and as people living and working daily in your artistic discipline. What a noble profession- having influence over young minds and spreading knowledge about your craft. Continue to look for new ways to reach and challenge your students-make us hungry to work. Please don't allow us to give you less than what we are capable of. Never give up on us because your support and opinion matter to us more than you know even though we may act as though it doesn't. 

And finally, to the layer without which we could not do what we do, thank you to the Arts Society. Due in large part to your generosity we are able to keep the arts at the forefront of our education and a priority on the campus at large. Without you, many of us students might not be at Radford University.
Unfortunately the art world is often lacking in money and therefore, stability. Parents cringe at the phrase, "Mom, Dad, I think I want to be an actress." During the summer
time I wait tables at a lodge in my hometown in KY. Last summer I was talking with a woman about what I was studying and what I wanted to do with my life. When I told her I wanted to move to NYC to pursue a career in performance arts she looked at me as though she thought I was joking. She said in a very sneakily condescending tone, "That's nice, honey but don't you think you should get your meat and potatoes?" That
kind of statement is not very inspiring but what is inspiring is your effort to support the work being done in our college.
It is because of the financial support of you donors that we are able to take the risk
of pursuing careers that may be a little out of the ordinary. In my opinion, an artist is simply one who makes art available to others. By that definition, you too are artists. Art supports life, free thinking, passion, creativity, and exploration. In light of the struggles our country and the world at large are facing, we need qualities like this to cling to and to work toward. Please continue to support the arts and the students at Radford University.
On Sunday night, as my roommates and I watched the Golden Globes, actor Russell Crowe ended his acceptance speech by talking about the common dream that in our lives, something extraordinary can happen. On behalf of all of us, thank you for allowing extraordinary things to happen in the college of Visual and Performing Arts at Radford University.