[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF CLYDE MANN'S EFFORTS TO CREATE A NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 26, 2011

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my esteemed colleague, 
Congressman Mike Honda, to recognize Clyde Mann and celebrate his 
efforts to establish a National Science Day in the United States. Mr. 
Mann is a science instructor at Warm Springs Elementary School in 
Fremont, California. Recently he organized, almost single-handedly, a 
Science Alliance Day at the school.
  During the Science Alliance Day a team of 40 Silicon Valley 
executives visited and made presentations to the 846 students at Warm 
Springs Elementary School. During this day-long, school-wide 
extravaganza students were able to get excited about science and learn 
about the ways that science shapes our future.
  Mr. Mann recognizes the growing need for a trained workforce that is 
knowledgeable about science and technology and his goal is to establish 
a National Science Day throughout the country. If this goal is 
accomplished Mr. Mann is sure that our country's students will develop 
a passion for science by participating in science activities during 
National Science Day celebrations at their schools. Recently he said, 
``you're going to have a whole generation of kids across the country 
that are going to be very interested and engaged in science and to want 
to pursue science in the future. This is the Apollo moment acted 
upon.''
  The start of Warm Spring's science day was spectacular. There were 
demonstrations featuring robots, dry ice, DNA models, Maglev 
demonstrations, Mars rover facsimiles, and exploding balloons, and 
geysers of Coke powered by Mentos, not to mention the scientists and 
technology executives attending the event. To make sure that the 
students were not distracted by hunger there were even science themed 
snacks. According to an excited fourth-grader, ``we made edible DNA 
with toothpaste and marshmallows and twisters''. This sort of 
excitement is exactly what Clyde Mann envisions in his efforts to 
create a National Science Day.
  Congressman Honda and I applaud Clyde Mann for his accomplishments, 
commitment, and vision for a National Science Day. If established, 
National Science Day will excite students about science as well as 
provide them with a knowledge base to prepare for the future.

                          ____________________