William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2012-08-01 / 8. szám
Did you know they're Hungarian? In keeping with theme of adaptation through the use of new technology, did you know that the man who oversaw Microsoft’s development of such widely used programs as WORD and EXCEL is Hungarian? Charles (Károly) Simonyi, was born in Budapest in 1948, the son of an electrical engineer. While in high school, he worked for a Soviet-run computer lab. By age 18, he left Hungary and worked for a short time as a computer programmer for a firm in Denmark. He then moved to America and was quickly hired by Xerox. While working, he attended Stanford and earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in engineering. In 1981, Simonyi was handpicked by Bill Gates to lead the development of new software programs and applications, creating Microsoft’s Office suite of applications. In 2002, he abruptly left Microsoft to form his own computer software development company, Intentional Software. Simonyi lives in Seattle with his wife of four years, Lisa, and their daughter, Lillian. Prior to getting married in 2008, Simonyi dated Martha Stewart for 15 years. He is a generous philanthropist and helps several causes in Hungary. He has twice flown on Soyuz missions to the International Space Station. □ Béla IV, proposed a somewhat radical idea. While the WKTL Booster Club has limited funds and almost no legal protections, my father recognized an opportunity for continued growth. He told his fellow hosts that the club should take its current funds and use them to enable ethnic programming to continue using internet radio. Apparently, that idea went over like a lead balloon. The other hosts cited numerous reasons for their objections, but the strongest one was their inability to make the internet relevant to their audiences. As a result, my father and I are conducting research and making preparations, much like Béla IV. The future of our radio program lies not in the past, but in the future. Sadly, our fellow radio hosts, whether they be German or Slovak or Ukrainian, will doom their programs to the waste bin of history. Normally, I cannot stand it when Hungarian-Americans fail to adapt to ensure the success of our diasporic community. In this circumstance, I find it intolerable that the fate of our community, our history and our heritage is threatened and the response to that threat is being decided by a group of individuals who are not even Hungarian. This month's Take serves as a distress call. The Souvenirs of Hungary Radio Program services three states. It brings the news, culture and events of the American-Hungarian communities of Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to the Mahoning Valley-Shenango River region. I envision a day when people will listen to the Souvenirs of Hungary on their computers or smart phones. Strong communications hubs enable a geographically unconcentrated community like ours to work and plan together. We Hungarian Americans do not need ethnic enclaves as long as we can communicate with each other simply by sending an email or text or downloading a podcast. I believe that there is enough of an American-Hungar-Tibor's Take ian community left to fill seven days of programming, and to be able to broadcast it, via the internet, across the U.S., to Canada and to Europe. Such a future can be realized, but only if those who lead possess the vision to do so. I, Tibor, call on the American-Hungarian community, its people, its clubs, and its organizations to aid the Youngstown community of American-Hungarians and the staff of the Souvenirs of Hungary Radio Program in attempting to remain on the air. For my family, the loss of the Souvenirs of Hungary would be devastating. Our show has just celebrated 33 years of consistent, stalwart broadcasting. While making the journey to Struthers has not always been easy, it is a journey that my family has made dutifully. The show has spanned three generations of my family, but now, it will probably not see a fourth. This is especially disheartening to my father, who has spent all of these years building and maintaining a hub of communication for the Hungarian community. I know that the reason for this radio program's longevity is the iron will of my father and grandfather. This sort of will has made this radio program more than 90 minutes of music; it is an institution. Our Steady Listener Archive (a list of dedicated listeners that we drafted years ago) has swelled and shrank. Many names come off the list due to death, but it is interesting to see how families grow and shrink within the community. The names of grandchildren are added now, as are wives, husbands and girlfriends. Our list of steady listeners is not as long as it once was, and maybe that is a sign of the times. My father laments the graying of the community and the probable loss of the studio. I see this as the chance for growth. I angrily told him during one of our talks that it is now time for the Hungarian community to move past nostalgia. Whether that statement is true depends upon all of us. For my family, these new developments bring us into the digital age. It is time that the Hungarian community starts to do the same. Éljen a Magyar! Tibor II Tibor Check Jr. is a member of Branch 28 Youngstown, Ohio, and a student at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He serves as a host of the “Souvenirs of Hungary” weekly radio show broadcast on WKTL-90.7 FM in Struthers, Ohio. Let's hear your take Let me know how you enjoy my thoughts and views on growing up Hungarian Style. If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@yahoo.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. William Penn Life 0 August 2012 0 7
