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We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. Your essay may air on WHYY-FM. Learn more and submit your story »
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Welcome to WHYY's This I Believe, a weekly series of radio essays by some of Philadelphia's most influential leaders in politics, the arts, business, civic involvement and even public gardening. Audio essays will air on All Things Considered every Friday at 5:44 p.m. and on Weekend Edition every Sunday at 9:34 a.m. This Week's Essay  Robert Rodini November 20, 2009 Robert Rodini is literally immersed in mathematics. He not only studies it, he lives it. So, although he's quite respected as a problem solving software engineer, he's now returned to university, 40 years after getting his bachelor's degree in math. He's looking at a second career as a mathematician and is particularly passionate about number theory and abstract algebra. While most people, with many exceptions, struggle with math, Rodini says he agrees with Karl Gauss, the 19th century German mathematician, who said that "number theory is the queen of mathematics." Of course! Previously Pulitzer Prize writer James Michener's 1950's essay for the original This I Believe November 12, 2009 The original This I Believe series was born in Philadelphia in the 1950's. It was as a series of personal statemens about life, work, family and country. We continue in that tradition, but today we've decided to bring back some of the local and regional essays from that era. We start with a This I Believe essay by writer and Doylestown native James Michener as introduced by Edward R. Murrow. Michener was born in 1907 and died in Austin, Texas in 1997. In this essay, he tells how the people he met during World War II gave him a belief in the brotherhood of mankind. Michener says tolerance and kindness can overcome differences in race, culture and language. For James Michener's text and more on the 1950's This I Believe essays go to www.thisibelieve.org  Helen Cunningham October 16, 2009 At first glance, Helen Cunningham is — in essence — an educator. A second look reveals her commitment to teach and listen, to serve a community, to mediate conflict and to encourage individual and collective creativity. As the recipient of the 2009 Philadelphia Human Rights Award and as head of the Fels Fund, Cunnigham casts a wide philanthropic footprint in the region. It's all rooted, she says, in her universe of family and friends.  Carmen Febo San Miguel October 9, 2009 Healer is the word that best describes Carmen Febo San Miguel. As a physician, she concentrated for years in serving predominantly poor Puerto Rican and African American families in Philadelphia. As a cultural healer, she has put her knowledge and energy in creating a place where Puerto Rican and Latino cultures thrive. Febo started volunteering at the Taller Puertorriqueno in the late Seventies, eventually becoming its Executive Director. Her commitment to the city and its people, Febo says, is rooted in the cultural and social activism she learned at home. View the WHYY's This I Believe Essay Archive » |
About
Courtesy: The Estate of Edward R. Murrow This I Believe is a national media project that invites people from all walks of life to write and speak aloud brief essays describing the core values that guide their lives. It's programming that resonates with the core values of public radio, presenting civil discourse that's honest and respectful, authentic and intimate. It shares with listeners the uniquely human voices of American citizens exploring our hopes and ideals. These short statements of belief, have been airing regularly on WHYY and other NPR stations for more than 4 years. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow. ArchiveView the full WHYY's This I Believe Essay Archive » 
Jay Allison Jan. 2, 2009 Today we start a weekly series of This I Believe essays by some of the city's most influential leaders in politics, the arts, business, social involvement and even public gardening. Elisabeth Perez Luna, editor and producer of WHYY's This I Believe spoke with independent producer Jay Alison who recaptured the spirit of the original series, but with stories that speak of our times. |
