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HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
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This is Doug Johnson. On our program today,
We answer a listener’s question about the American eagle …
Play music by KEM …
And report about a natural disaster in New England.
The Old Man Of The Mountain
HOST:
The people in the American state of New Hampshire are mourningthe loss of a state treasure. A famous rock formation called the OldMan of the Mountain suddenly crashed to the ground early this month.For years, the rock formation was said to represent New Hampshireand its people. Shep O’Neal has more about this natural wonder.
ANNCR:
The Old Man of the Mountain represented New Hampshire for twocenturies. However, the rock formation was a lot older. Stateofficials say it was created by a series of natural events thanbegan about two-hundred-million years ago.
The Old Man of the Mountain wasmade of five separate areas of granite rock. The rock formation wason the side of a mountain, three-hundred-sixty-five meters above alake. When seen from far away, the rocks looked like the face of aman. The face was twelve meters tall, from the top of the head tothe chin.
Many people traveled to the small New Hampshire town of FranconiaNotch to see this natural wonder. The Old Man also was the subjectof a number of stories and poems.
In the nineteenth century, New Hampshire Congressman DanielWebster compared the rocks to a sign that a craftsman used to showthe product he made. He wrote “in the mountains of New Hampshire,God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.”
The people of New Hampshire felt that the Old Man representedtheir firmness and independence. New Hampshire officials put imagesof the rock formation on the state’s road signs and vehicle licenseplates. The United States Treasury Department even put the image onpieces of money.
In recent years, New Hampshire officials found that water and icewere breaking the rocks. Workers used metal wires and stickymaterials to hold the Old Man together. Yet its sudden disappearanceshocked many people. Crowds gathered at Franconia Notch to look atwhat remains of the mountain.
Some people have attempted to sell pieces of rock said to be fromthe Old Man of the Mountain. New Hampshire officials said such salesare illegal and that the rocks belong to the government. The statenow is asking for suggestions about the future of the Old Man. A fewpeople have suggested a campaign to rebuild the famous rockformation.
The American Eagle
HOST:
Our VOA listener question this week comes from Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia. A listener asks why the eagle is the symbol of the UnitedStates.
The men who founded the UnitedStates of America decided in seventeen-eighty-two that the baldeagle would represent the country. They chose the eagle because ofits long life, great strength, good looks and because it wasbelieved to exist only in North America. The eagle was also seen asa symbol of freedom and bravery.
The eagle became the national symbol of the country when theAmerican leaders approved the design of the Great Seal of the UnitedStates. The picture in the center of the Great Seal is a bald eagle.This is the story.
After the thirteen British colonies in North America voted todeclare their independence, their leaders decided they needed anofficial drawing, or seal. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and ThomasJefferson formed a committee to design one. The only part of theirwork accepted by the American Congress was the statement in Latin of”E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “From many, one.”
It was not until six years later, in seventeen-eighty-two, thatCongress approved a drawing for the seal by artist Charles Thomson.It showed an eagle carrying symbols representing the power of peaceand war. And it was not until seventeen-eighty-seven that theAmerican bald eagle was officially approved as the symbol of theUnited States.
It took so long to decide because many people did not agree thatthe eagle should represent the new country. Benjamin Franklin wasdisappointed in the choice. He called the eagle a dishonest animalthat steals food from other birds. Mister Franklin supported theturkey as the national bird because he said it was a true native ofthe country.
Most Americans today agree with President John Kennedy’s commentsabout the national symbol. He said that the beauty and independenceof the eagle correctly represents the strength and freedom of theUnited States.
Kem
HOST:
Last year, a singer called Kem independently released his firstalbum. It sold more than ten-thousand copies before he signed anagreement with a major record company. Steve Ember tells us moreabout Kem.
ANNCR:
Kem is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born inNashville, Tennessee and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He taughthimself to play the piano when he was five years old. His firstalbum is called Kemistry. He no longer has to sell it on his own.The major record company Motown Records recently released the album.Here is Kem singing “Love Calls.”
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Music critics and fans praise Kem for his soulful songs. Theylike the meaningful words he writes. And they like the way he singsthose words with feeling. Listen as Kem sings “I’m Missin’ YourLove.”
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Kem sings with the choir in the church he attends. He saysstaying spiritually connected has helped him to be successful. Weleave you now with the song “Brotha Man” by Kem from his albumKemistry.
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HOST:
This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. Writeus with your questions about American life. We will try to answerthem on future programs. Listeners whose questions are chosen willreceive a gift.
Write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C.two-zero-two-three-seven, USA. Or send e-mail to mosaic at v-o-anews dot com. Please include your name and mailing address.
Our program was written by Lawan Davis, George Grow and NancySteinbach. Our studio engineer was Wayne Shorter. And our producerwas Paul Thompson.
Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’s radiomagazine in Special English.