[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE STUDENTS OF COLD SPRING HARBOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 5, 1998

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and congratulate Rachel 
Friedstein, Jessica Berenblum, Lauren Schulz, and Raina Tripp who 
placed second in their quest for the Bayer/National Science Foundation 
(NSF) Award for Community Innovation. Each of these students has 
received a $3,000 savings bond and will be honored at a Capitol Hill 
Ceremony. We should also recognize the outstanding work of their coach, 
Mr. Jim Frank, whose leadership and guidance was instrumental to the 
students' success.
  These Cold Spring Harbor Junior High School students conducted a 
comprehensive study of the long term damage caused by wearing backpacks 
that were excessively heavy. They concluded that 25-33 percent of 
adolescents already experience lower back pain and that overweight 
backpacks can exacerbate these problems leading to even more serious 
back conditions later in life. The students worked with physicians and 
chiropractors to identify risk factors and prevention methods.
  In the fall, these four students began a program entitled ``Light is 
Right'' which seeks to inform their peers about the dangers associated 
with backpack misuse and strategies to avoid this problem. They will 
hold an assembly for new junior high school students and distribute 
brochures and stickers describing the problem. Moreover, they will work 
to create an Internet survey to conduct further research.
  The creativity and ingenuity of these students should serve as a 
model to all of our schools and communities. It also shows that 
students can really make a difference in the lives of their peers by 
working with their school and the private sector. The award program, 
which is jointly run by the National Science Foundation and the Bayer 
Corporation, has adhered to this model of public-private 
interdependence. It is my hope that other schools throughout the New 
York area will look to this example and create similar programs. Most 
importantly, their work will enable other teenagers to lead healthier 
lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues join me in rising to honor 
these extraordinary students and their coach.

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