EGELSTON USES FUN AND MAGIC TO CONVEY ANTI-DRUGS MESSAGE

ORAN -- About 500 students saw magician Chris Egelston put three colored scarves into a bag and pulled out one emblazoned with a skull and crossbones.

The message, also the title of his show, was clear: "The Magic is in You ... Not in Drugs."

As part of the Oran schools Safe and Drug-Free program, Egelston presented a magic show to students from Oran Elementary, Guardian Angel Catholic and Scott County Central schools.

The show talks about drug awareness and lets the kids have fun at the same time, Egelston said.

To avoid the temptation of using drugs, he suggests other activities.

"People who use drugs have a lot of extra time on their hands," he said. "It's easier to say no if you get involved in sports, clubs or find a hobby."

Egelston found a hobby in magic when he was 6 years old. As a professional magician, he performs more than 300 shows a year, most of them at schools.

"It just fascinated me when I was little," Egelston said. "I saw it on TV and then asked my parents for a magic set and went from there."

There's a lot of practice and hard work in achieving your dream, but setting a goal is important, Egelston told the students.

As a child, he wanted to become a great magician like Houdini but one day got frustrated with a magic trick.

"I took the picture out of the frame and tore it into pieces," he said. "My dad saw the picture was gone and said it was going to be hard to achieve my goal when I was ready to give up, that I had to try even harder."

Egelston didn't give up his goal -- he's performed tricks in public since age 15. "I still have a torn-up picture on my dresser to remind me of working toward a goal," he said.

Egelston gave the students some tips on how to have a complete life:

-- No drugs.

-- Be responsible.

-- Read.

-- Work hard.

-- Have fun.

-- Never give up.

The assembly was an effort to make the drug-free message accessible to as many students as possible, said Lana Arnzen, program coordinator.

"It's expensive for small schools and this way we get more for less," she said. "And it's good for them to be together for something non-competitive and non-threatening."

The school also held an assembly with entertainer Ron Cole last fall. High school students from Oran, Scott Central and Bell City attended.