[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO COLORADO EDUCATOR MRS. BARB VOGEL

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                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2002

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark a sad development in 
my district. I recently learned that one of Colorado's great educators 
will be retiring at the end of the current school year. Mrs. Barb Vogel 
will soon be leaving her post at Highline Community Elementary School 
in Aurora, Colorado. Barb is an outstanding teacher in all respects, 
but her passion to end slavery around the world, Mr. Speaker, has given 
me great strength during my short time here in Congress.
  Mrs. Vogel and her class of fourth and fifth graders learned of the 
slave trade in Southern Sudan in 1998 after reading an article about 
it. Her students, outraged at the realization that slavery still exists 
in the world today, began to raise money to free Sudanese slaves by 
manning lemonade stands and collecting change in a jar. In remarkably 
little time, Mrs. Vogel's ``little abolitionists'' had raised enough 
money to free one thousand slaves. The class formed the ``Slavery That 
Oppresses People (STOP)'' campaign to help educate students around the 
world about the horror of slavery as it still exists in Sudan and 
elsewhere.
  When I first came to this body, determined to try to do something 
about the horrific war in Sudan, remarkably few of my colleagues knew 
the details of the conflict or the extent of the suffering taking place 
there. The STOP group has helped immeasurably in the fight against that 
lack of awareness, with two trips to Washington, including one to give 
testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and one to meet 
with senior administration officials.
  I cannot help but wonder, Mr. Speaker, whether the efforts of Barb 
Vogel and the STOP campaign have done more to free Sudan from slavery 
and oppression than have three years of legislative and diplomatic 
wrangling. In the process of doing so, Barb succeeded in teaching 
scores of her students that a determined few who are willing to work 
hard can change the hearts and minds of millions. It is no small feat 
that she helped her students to prove to the world that one need not be 
rich or powerful or even grown-up to take a stand against evil.
  I have no doubt that the work of the STOP Campaign, led by Mrs. 
Vogel, will continue after she leaves the classroom in June, and for 
that, Mr. Speaker, we should all be grateful. I wish Mrs. Vogel the 
happiest of retirement, for she has certainly earned it.

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