[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8297-H8298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING MICHELLE BAUER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last week, I congratulated
St. Marys Area High School student Michelle Bauer on winning first
place in the 34th annual Pennsylvania Municipal League high school
essay contest.
Participants were asked to reflect on the theme ``Civics and You'' by
writing about opportunities in their community that allow for civic
engagement and encourage citizens to volunteer to help with local
challenges.
Today, I would like to share a portion of Michelle's essay:
``When I hear the word `civic,' I think of governmental duties. I
understand my duty as an American citizen to vote, obey laws, pay
taxes, and serve on juries. These activities all involve one person:
yourself. In reality, our civic engagement as Americans expands beyond
a single individual and encompasses entire communities. The definition
of a civic engagement is an activity that includes both paid and unpaid
forms of political activism, environmentalism, and service. As I look
at my community, it is apparent that we have a lot of civic
engagements.
``As with most towns, mine has a city council that holds meetings and
elections for positions on the council. These elections are open to
every member of the city and are an excellent way for citizens to have
a say in the politics of the town. Just as the elections are open to
all citizens so are the weekly meetings. A unique feature about my
town's council meetings is that they are televised on a local channel.
For individuals who are unable to physically be present at the meeting
or have commitments that require attention, this televised version
provides a perfect solution to keep abreast of the issues affecting our
citizens.
``Along with a local city council, it is also a civic duty of
individuals in my community to vote and participate in elections and
meetings at the school district level. Anyone is able to run for a
position on the school board as well as attend the meetings. For me,
our school board is a great way of civic involvement because the board
is interested in new opportunities that can be incorporated into the
education of our youth. Just recently, I attended a board meeting where
the topic of robots was discussed. As a member of a small competition
group, we were able to present our success and the benefit of
curriculum that includes new technology. One month later, it was
announced that a robotics class will be offered in the upcoming school
year. This will allow even more students to enhance their education and
perhaps encourage new career choices.
``In my community, the civic engagements do not stop on the political
level. One of the most prominent forms of civic engagement I see in my
community that is not related to politics is the placing of wreaths on
the gravestones of fallen soldiers for Memorial Day. Citizens from all
over town come together the weekend before Memorial Day and walk
through the entire cemetery adorning and honoring the heroes of our
country. This event is not for publicity or money but instead is for
respecting our veterans. Additionally, it is for the betterment of our
community by presenting a beautiful scene to those passing by.''
Michelle goes on to write:
``Onlookers can also be mesmerized by the beauty of the mountainous
rural area. Unfortunately, garbage and litter on the side of roads and
highways is so commonplace that most individuals do not even do a
double-take when they see it. The highway through my town is an area
where individuals think it is acceptable to throw garbage out of their
vehicles or litter the sides of the road with cigarette butts and
wrappers. For the past 7 years, I have been a part of the National
Honor Society highway cleanup. Every spring and fall, the society walks
the sides of the roads picking up trash and making our town look
beautiful.''
Mr. Speaker, this is just a portion of Michelle's essay, and I
include in the Record the full essay.
[[Page H8298]]
34th Annual Pennsylvania Municipal League High School Essay Contest
Winner
1st Place High School Essay Winner: Michelle Bauer--St. Marys Area High
School
When I hear the word civic, I think of governmental duties.
I understand my duty as an American citizen to vote, obey
laws, pay taxes, and serve on juries. These activities all
involve one person: yourself. In reality, our civic
engagement as Americans expands beyond a single individual
and encompasses entire communities. The definition of a civic
engagement is an activity that includes both paid and unpaid
forms of political activism, environmentalism, and service.
As I look at my community, it is apparent that we have a lot
of civic engagements.
As with most towns, mine has a city council that holds
meetings and elections for positions on the council. These
elections are open to every member of the city and are an
excellent way for citizens to have a say in the politics of
the town. Just as the elections are open to all citizens so
are the weekly meetings. A unique feature about my town's
council meetings is that they are televised on a local
channel. For individuals who are unable to physically be
present at the meeting or have commitments that require
attention, this televised version provides a perfect solution
to keep abreast of the issues affecting our citizens.
Along with a local city council, it is also a civic duty of
individuals in my community to vote and participate in
elections and meetings at the school district level. Anyone
is able to run for a position on the school board as well as
attend the meetings. For me, our school board is a great way
for civic involvement because the board is interested in new
opportunities that can be incorporated into the education of
our youth. Just recently, I attended a board meeting where
the topic of robots was discussed. As a member of a small
competition group, we were able to present our success and
the benefit of curriculum that includes new technology. One
month later, it was announced that a robotics class will be
offered in the upcoming school year. This will allow even
more students to enhance their education and perhaps
encourage new career choices.
In my community, the civic engagements do not stop on the
political level. One of the most prominent forms of civic
engagement I see in my community that is not related to
politics is the placing of wreaths on the gravestones of
fallen soldiers for Memorial Day. Citizens from all over town
come together the weekend before Memorial Day and walk
through the entire cemetery adorning and honoring the heroes
of our country. This event is not for publicity or money but
instead is for respecting our veterans. Additionally, it is
for the betterment of our community by presenting a beautiful
scene to those passing by.
Onlookers can also be mesmerized by the beauty of the
mountainous rural area. Unfortunately, garbage and litter on
the side of roads and highways is so commonplace that most
individuals do not even do a double-take when they see it.
The highway through my town is an area where individuals
think it is acceptable to throw garbage out of their vehicles
or litter the sides of the road with cigarette butts and
wrappers. For the past seven years, I have been a part of the
National Honor Society highway cleanup. Every spring and
fall, the society walks the sides of the roads picking up
trash and making our town look beautiful.
Volunteering to pick up the litter is not the only way to
carry out civic responsibility. Everybody has either
witnessed or directly experienced an accident or fire that
required the assistance of a fire department. The fire
department is a critical part of a city keeping fires at bay
and lending a hand wherever needed. In my community, these
people work tirelessly day in and day out for the good of the
community. Much of their assistance is not what would be
depicted as heroic but rather, responding to flooding issues,
weather related emergencies, traffic control, helicopter
landing zones, and searching for missing hunters in addition
to the rescue and fire calls. They are all volunteers that
give up their precious time as a civic duty to their
community without expecting recognition. We, the rest of the
community, have a duty to help support these people. One of
the best ways to do this is to attend their pancake
breakfasts that are used as a fundraiser. I am not a huge fan
of pancakes and sausage so instead of helping the
firefighters out by purchasing a meal, I volunteer to serve
the meals to customers. It is the civic duty of individuals
in my city to attend this pancake breakfast and show support
to the members of this department who tirelessly serve and
assist us.
Reporting for standby at a yearly event in July is another
aspect of service that our firefighters join their community
for. There are loud BOOMS echoing across the city and
suddenly bright orbs of colorful lights bursting in the sky.
This grand spectacle entrances onlookers for half an hour
with its bright lights and fun designs. A Fourth of July
fireworks display like this costs money. Every year, our city
struggles to come up with the funds needed to purchase
fireworks. Businesses around the town make it their civic
duty to help by setting out donation cans in their
businesses. The local Dairy Queen even has a day where 30% of
the profits from every blizzard purchased go to the city
fireworks fund. As citizens in the community, it is our duty
to go to Dairy Queen on this day and purchase a blizzard as
well as make donations in the cans set up at local
businesses. Eating ice cream is certainly an enjoyable way to
carry out a civic duty. The July show has been an important
part of our community for many years thanks to the numerous
supporters.
We have many such events traced back in our records. Local
history is like the heart of the human body. It shapes us,
powers our being, and makes us unique. Without history,
individuals would not even be alive. A great example would be
the Forty-Second Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment (Bucktails)
who were part of the Civil War. These rugged woodsmen were
skilled marksmen and ideally suited to the challenges of
battle. Stories say that this group was so influential in
fighting the war at Gettysburg that the entire outcome could
have been different without them. The grit and determination
of our local ancestors remains in current day lineage within
our community. By knowing local history, members of the
community have a sense of pride and can even feel at ease
understanding that future generations will uphold the same
virtues. My town has a Historical Society that is free to
enter and accepts donations of local artifacts and history.
As a member of the community, it is my civic engagement to
donate any pieces of history I have so that others may
benefit from it as well. It is also the duty of our community
to visit the Historical Society and learn about our heritage
and how we can use the skills of our people to better our
society just like the Bucktails did in the Civil War.
Civic engagements are abundant in our community. From the
local fireman's pancake breakfast to the city council
meetings, civic activities are occurring all around us. It is
the obligation of the citizens to engage in these activities
to assist with local challenges and create a better community
for all of its members.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I will close with her
final paragraph:
``Civic engagements are abundant in our community. From the local
fireman's pancake breakfast to the city council meetings, civic
activities are occurring all around us. It is the obligation of the
citizens to engage in these activities to assist with local challenges
and create a better community for all of its members.''
Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more.
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