[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 44 (Friday, March 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3024-S3025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate a group 
of young Indiana students who have shown great educative achievement. I 
would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues the winners of 
the 1998-99 Eighth Grade Youth Essay Contest which I sponsored in 
association with the Indiana Farm Bureau and Bank One of Indiana. These 
students have displayed strong writing abilities and have proven 
themselves to be outstanding young Hoosier scholars. I submit their 
names for the Congressional Record because they demonstrate the 
capabilities of today's students and are fine representatives of our 
Nation.
  This year, Hoosier students wrote on the theme, ``Hoosier Farmers--
Global Impact.'' Considering the importance of our expanding global 
market-place, students were asked to select a country or region of the 
world that buys products from Hoosier farmers and then creatively 
describe the value of this relationship to both trading partners. I 
would like to submit for the Record the winning essays of Wyatt James 
Roth of Pulaski County and Jennifer Tarr of Orange County. As state 
winners of the Youth Essay Contest, these two outstanding students are 
being recognized on Friday, March 19, 1999 during a visit to our 
Nation's Capitol.
  The essays are as follows:

                       Corn's Ticket to Thailand

                   (By Jennifer Tarr, Orange County)

       This little kernel of Indiana's corn is going places. It 
     will travel halfway around the world to the Southeast Asian 
     country of Thailand. Come along with me . . .


                       FIRST STOP: INDIANA FIELD

       I grew up in a field in Indiana. Less government subsidies 
     make farmers rely more on international trade for income. 
     Indiana farms had $5.39 billion in sales receipts for all 
     commodities ranking it 14th in U.S. sales. Indiana had 3.2% 
     of all U.S. exports ranking it 9th. That's why I'm on my 
     trip.


                         SECOND STOP: GRAIN BIN

       Corn prices are only $1.80 per bushel. With 9.7 billion 
     bushels harvested in 1997, about 1.4 billion bushels are 
     being stored in these bins. We're here partly because exports 
     are down due to the strong American dollar and declining 
     values of foreign currency. In Thailand, the baht is off 58%. 
     U.S. economic sanctions also hurt exports because it takes 
     trade away from Indiana farmers.


                        THIRD STOP: GRAIN BARGE

       I'm on my way! Part of Thailand's trade was cut back due to 
     trade with Russia who is exporting crops for the first time 
     since the Soviet breakup. This takes income from Indiana 
     farmers.


                      FOURTH STOP: THAILAND TABLE

       I'm at this table as supper, but my friends may be used for 
     everything from food to gasoline. Farmers here will use us to 
     feed poultry, their main farm product. Because 96% of 
     the world lives outside of the U.S., we need to export 
     Indiana goods to those markets to prosper. Trade with 
     other countries is critical to being competitive in 
     today's world.
       It's been a wonderful trip! Everyone gained something. 
     Thailand gained with food that they couldn't have grown and 
     Indiana farmers gained with income in an unsteady market.
                                  ____


                     Hoosier Farmers--Global Impact

                 (By Wyatt James Roth, Pulaski County)

       ``Good morning, class,'' exclaimed social studies teacher, 
     Mr. Beach. ``Today's lesson should prove both interesting and 
     educational for you. We have with us today, Mr. Toshitomo 
     Kobiyashi, from Japan. He and I will be talking to you about 
     agricultural products that we sell to Japan and how they help 
     not only his country, but ours as well. First of all, let me 
     explain that when we sell products to Japan or any other 
     country, the process of a product leaving our country and 
     going to another place is called exportation. Indiana farmers 
     depend on the export of their farm products such as corn, 
     soybeans, and wheat, along with beef and pork, for their 
     livelihood.''
       ``Yes, Mr. Beach, and we in Japan are very thankful for 
     these products. My people used to rely on rice as a major 
     source of food. This is still there, but we have also 
     developed other tastes, one of which is the taste for red 
     meat. We buy breeding stock from Indiana farmers, which is 
     the reason I am in Indiana. I was sent here to buy hogs for 
     breeding so that we can supply our people with pork.''
       ``Mr. Kobiyashi, why doesn't your country raise all of 
     these products in Japan so that you don't have to buy them 
     from us?''
       ``Good question, young man! Japan is too small and too 
     heavily populated to grow everything in its own country. That 
     is why we depend on the United States so much for these 
     products.''
       ``Yes, class,'' added Mr. Beach, ``Indiana farmers and 
     Japanese consumers both benefit from our agricultural trade. 
     Our farmers sell their products for cash and Japan buys them 
     for consumption. This is called supply and demand.''
       ``Ah, yes, Mr. Beach. It is a good trade. Thank you for 
     having me and thanks to the Indiana farmers for the products 
     that they grow. As we say in Japanese, Sianara!''
                                  ____


                     1998-99 District Essay Winners

       District 1: Wyatt Roth, Katie Jaskowiak.
       District 2: Peter Rummel, Sarah Showalter.
       District 3: Brian Blume, Ashley Sizemore.
       District 4: Kurt Biehl, Ashley Height.
       District 5: Cody Porter, Annie Morgan.
       District 6: Drew Relssaus, Katherine Delph.
       District 7: Anjelica Dortch.
       District 8: Nicholas Reding, Katie Kugele.
       District 9: Joey Smith, Jennifer Tarr.
       District 10: Josh Robinson, Karla Roberts.


                          counties represented

       Allen: Rashon Thomas.
       Cass: Brian Blume, Allison Henry.
       Decatur: Nicholas Reding.
       Dubois: Roger Lueken, Laura Begle.
       Elkhart: Peter Rummel.
       Franklin: Zachary Grubbs, Katie Kugele.
       Hamilton: Drew Reissaus, Lisa Denning.
       Howard: Matt Bell.
       Jasper: Ryan Anderson, Ashley Sizemore.
       Jay: Davis Bowen, Joanna Knipp.
       Lake: Danny Pace.
       Lawrence: Wendy McDonald.
       Madison: Aaron Justison, Carey Justison.
       Marion: Christopher Patton, Katherine Delph.
       Monroe: Anjelica Dortch.
       Newton: Brian Tatum, Kassie Koselke.
       Noble: Joshua Butler, Sarah Showalter.
       Ohio: Karla Roberts.
       Orange: Jennifer Tarr.
       Pulaski: Wyatt Roth, Julie Sehstedt.
       Starke: Karl Hall, Amy Pflugshaupt.

[[Page S3025]]

       St. Joseph: Joshua Lichtenbarger, Katie Jaskowiak.
       Vermillion: Cody Porter, Annie Morgan.
       Wabash: Kurt Biehl, Ashley Height.
       Warrick: Joey Smith, Maggie Springstun.
       Washington: Josh Robinson, Jennifer Goering.
       Wayne: James McGuire, Victoria Rommer.

                          ____________________