[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                TRIBUTE TO HOOSIER ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

 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 2000-2001 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, ``Eating Around the 
World From Hoosier Farms.'' I would like to submit for the Record the 
winning essays of John Leer of Hamilton County, and Michelle Kennedy of 
Jasper County. As State winners of the Youth Essay Contest, these two 
outstanding students are being recognized on Friday, March 16, 2001 
during a visit to our Nation's Capitol.
  The essays are as follows:

               Eating Around the World From Hoosier Farms

                    (By John Leer, Hamilton County)

       Jean woke up on a crisp, Canadian morning to the smell of 
     moist hot cakes baking on the skillet; to accent the hot 
     cakes, Jean's mother had prepared apple compote with sweet 
     brown sugar. Fresh sausage patties were succulently sizzling 
     in their own oils and grease. On this particular morning, 
     Jean thought to himself of the rich Canadian culture this 
     meal represented. To his own dismay, however, his mother told 
     him most of the ingredients used had come from the farms of 
     Indiana.
       After looking deeper into the issue, Jean too realized that 
     most of his food had originated in the Midwest and especially 
     in Indiana. If something were to happen to the farms of 
     Indiana, he would be devastated. He would miss the grain used 
     in the bread, all of the pork and beef, and even the chilled 
     glass of milk used to wash down a chocolate chip cookie.
       Then, Jean went outside to accomplish his daily, morning 
     chores of feeding the oxen and cleaning their stalls; he 
     noticed that in bold letters the sack said the feed was made 
     in Indiana. The idea that his entire daily routine depended 
     on a successful yield from Hoosier farms scared him; if a 
     long drought began or a downfall of water occurred, he would 
     not be eating hot cakes or drinking milk very much longer. 
     The Hoosier farmer was invaluable to him.
       Throughout the day he noticed more foods of his daily diet 
     grown in Indiana: melons, tomatoes, pumpkins, corn, and more. 
     During geography class, Jean learned that Indiana is a 
     leading importer to Canada and that Canada depends on the 
     Hoosier fields. After getting off the school bus, he raced 
     towards the television only to turn on the weather station; 
     he had finally realized that Indiana food and weather played 
     a critical role in his daily life.
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               Eating Around the World From Hoosier Farms

                  (By Michelle Kennedy, Jasper County)

       As an eighth grade student from the country of Japan, I 
     enjoy many American products. My day starts early in the 
     morning. As I prepare for my school day I usually have 
     breakfast which might include eggs and sausage from Indiana 
     farms. Grains from Indiana farms are imported so we might 
     enjoy cereals, breads, and pastries.
       Japan does not have the space available for farmground or 
     livestock operations. What we have are very small farms. 
     Indiana grains and livestock products are very important to 
     us. We grow much rice but, other products such as pork, beef, 
     and poultry are needed to compliment our rice industry.
       After a day of school I might stroll through the open 
     markets in our city. These market places have fruits and 
     vegetables from the Hoosier farms. In Japan we are always 
     studying new technology. We are very interested in by-
     products of Indiana farmers.
       Many things I use at school are by-products of American 
     farms. Soy ink and soy crayons are by-products of Indiana 
     soybeans. It is important for countries in the world to be 
     able to trade with one another. We are all dependant upon 
     each other.
       Japan buys 8.9 billion dollars of United States Agriculture 
     products each year. Indiana agriculture plays a big part in 
     this.
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                    2000-2001 District Essay Winners

       District 1: Christoper Wacnik (Lake County) and Megan 
     Spillman (St. Joseph County).
       District 2: Andrew Pasquali (Noble County) and Natalie 
     Rummel (Elkhart County).
       District 3: Mitchell Swan (Jasper County) and Michelle 
     Kennedy (Jasper County).
       District 4: Jacob Little (Jay County) and Janna Rines (Jay 
     County).
       District 5: Tyler Smith (Hendricks County) and Laura Trust 
     (Morgan County).
       District 6: John Leer (Hamilton County) and Jeri Boone 
     (Hamilton County).
       District 7: Kegan Knust (Clay County) and Nicole Dike (Knox 
     County).
       District 8: Carson Ritz (Franklin County) and Erin Rauch 
     (Franklin County).
       District 9: John Michel (Warrick County) and Michelle 
     Jochim (Gibson County).
       District 10: Max Muhoray (Jefferson County) and Jennifer 
     Prickel (Ripley County).

                     2000-2001 County Essay Winners

       Benton: Jesse Becker and Carolyn Jenkinson; Cass: John 
     Workman and Julie Richardson; Clay: Kegan Knust and Nicole 
     Hayes; Delaware: Cais Hasan and Aleisha Fetters; Elkhart: 
     Natalie Rummel; Fayette: Sarah King; Franklin: Carson Ritz 
     and Erin Rauch; Fulton: Thomas Landis and Alicia Long; 
     Gibson: Michelle Jochim; Greene: Alex Weathers and Jessica 
     Chaney; Hamilton: John Leer and Jeri Boone.
       Hendricks: Tyler Smith; Jackson: Kim Meier; Jasper: 
     Mitchell Swan and Michelle Kennedy; Jay: Jacob Little and 
     Janna Rines; Jefferson: Max Muhoray and Amanda Simmons; 
     Jennings: Wayne Carmickle and Andrea Webster; Knox: Josh 
     Anthis and Nicole Dike; Lake: Christopher Wacnik and Aubrette 
     Marie Biegel; Marion: Ben Campbell and Fatima Patino; Martin: 
     Nicole Lengacher; Morgan: Laura Trusty.
       Noble: Andrew Pasquali; Posey: Tracie Johnson; Ripley: 
     Jennifer Prickel and Jeremy Borgman; St. Joseph: Daniel Seitz 
     and Megan Spillman; Starke: John Gibson and Sonya Crouch; 
     Vanderburgh: Mark Turpin; Vermillion: Marvin Woolwine and 
     Kelli Knight; Wabash: Matt Street and Mandy Renbarger; 
     Warrick: John Michel and Erika Downey; Washington: Ryan 
     Satterfield and Ashley Ingram; Wayne: Nick Kerschner and Anne 
     Hamilton.

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