What if the Kennedy Center Honored You?

There is one Boxing Day tradition in the United States I enjoy each year, the television broadcast of the annual Kennedy Center Honors in which a handful of people are honored by this nation for their contribution to culture. Spending two hours watching great talent be recognized by peers and protegés is entertaining and frequently moving. CBS should be commended for broadcasting the event each year even though it attracts a small audience. The program elevates television and performs a vital public service.

I always get a kick out of watching the President and his entourage watch the performances. Secretary of State Rice leaned forward in her chair during pianist Jonathan Biss’ performance of Beethoven, in honor of Leon Fleisher. President Clinton used to laugh, and clap and bop along to the performances while the current President and Vice President often appear as though the execution is taking too long and they have lots of shredding to do back at the office.

I could not help, but wonder who I would select to honor me if I was a recipient of a Kennedy Center (or Schmemedy Center) Honor.

Who would you select? Name one narrator and four performers (may be a group) for your tribute. All of the people must be living.

Narrator:
Performer 1:
Performer 2:
Performer 3:
Performer 4:

If anyone responds, I’ll post my list as well.

Happy New Years and congratulations on behalf of a grateful nation!

Gary Stager

Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer – Forward 50, co-author of Invent To Learn — Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, and the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. He led professional development in the world’s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about Gary here.