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"This I Believe" Essay Contest Deadline Is Jan. 29

WUIS is looking forward to a new set of entries for this year’s WUIS “This I Believe” Essay Contest.  As in the past, ten winners – current area high school seniors - will be selected from among the entries.  The deadline for submissions is Thursday, January 29th, just a week away!  Ten winners will be welcomed here at the WUIS studios to read their essays for broadcast in February.  Each winner will also receive a a modest scholarship from the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise.  Submissions at WUIS.org.

You might be thinking, just what is “This I Believe” anyway?  Well, it began as the brainchild of the famous journalist and broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, back in 1951.  For about four years, Murrow talked to hundreds of people for a five-minute-long segment each week on CBS Radio.  The series of segments aired until 1955, and there were several books published compiling the best of the essays.

From 2005 until 2009, NPR took up the torch with its own “This I Believe” series, this round produced by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison, who produced hundreds of radio essays from mostly everyday people, featured on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Since then, WUIS and the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise have been carrying on the tradition each year with the “WUIS This I Believe Essay Contest”.  So, high school seniors...we hope you’ll send us your essays and you thoughts.  Each should run three to five minutes when read aloud and express your over-riding philosophy of life, or a certain specific principle that you try to keep uppermost in your mind each day.  Something we can perhaps all learn from.  Share your values with us, and we’ll share them with all our listeners in Central and Western Illinois.

The essay contest is open to area high school seniors and the winners will read their essays for broadcast on public radio next month.  The deadline in Thursday night, January 29th.  Information at WUIS .org.

Bob Meyer was production coordinator at NPR Illinois, and also served as an on-air host. Bob worked at the station February of 2000 through February 2021.
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