Our Speaker Today: Fred Rogers (Marquette, 2001)

Fred Rogers has entertained multiple generations of children. He’s known for a simple way of speaking and delivering wisdom to young people so it certainly makes sense that he would be an invited to speak to a graduating class where he could speak simply and deliver wisdom to young people.

Hear Mr. Rogers deliver the 2001 commencement address at Marquette University where he talked of people in his neighborhood, the slender threads of life and the power of compassion…

Wednesday Trivia Question

How did Martha gain her power to speak on the PBS Kids series MARTHA SPEAKS?

MARTHA SPEAKS is an animated PBS Kids series that originally aired from 2008 to 2014, continuing in repeats until 2021. Based on the children’s book series by Susan Meddaugh, MARTHA SPEAKS was designed to teach vocabulary to children from four to seven. And what better way to do that than a lovable talking canine!

The titular Martha was a Labrador mix taken in by the Lorraine family. Martha can understand and speak English and some other animal languages. Interestingly enough, Martha was not born with this amazing ability. And so Martha has a unique origin! Was she bitten by a radioactive dictionary? No, that’s silly. Was she sent to Earth from the planet Lexicon? Nope, that’s WordGirl! Martha’s means of human speech came about by accident but one that completely suits the fantastical premise of a talking dog.

So what was it? How did Martha achieve her power to speak in MARTHA SPEAKS?

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