[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 143 (Monday, September 9, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF EMALEE FLATNESS

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                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2019

  Mr. LONG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments 
and talent of Emalee Flatness.
  Emalee, a graduate of Willard High School in southwest, Missouri, 
recently competed in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge. The 
challenge is a national contest, sponsored by the National Endowment 
for the Arts, that allows high school students to submit songs they 
have written that could one day be in a Broadway show. Out of 500 
submissions, six were chosen, and Emalee was one of those six.
  Emalee's journey started when she was just 14 years old. It was then 
that she started writing lyrics dedicated to her great-great-great-
great-grandfather, Arnoldus Zweerink, who was drafted by the Union Army 
in the Civil War and died nine days before General Lee's surrender at 
Appomattox Courthouse. She has continued working on the song, finally 
submitting to this year's contest. She named her song ``Bring Him Back 
to Carolina.'' The song chronicles not only the feelings of Arnoldus 
but also his wife Elizabeth, who was unaware of his death at the time 
of the surrender.
  Emalee is now working with two New York City-based musical theater 
artists to put the finishing touches on the song before the final 
recording. She is also preparing to attend Missouri State University, 
in Springfield, to study history, and continue her passion for 
songwriting.
  Madam Speaker, it is evident that Emalee is an immensely talented 
woman with a strong passion for music and history. It is with great 
honor that I rise to recognize her award-winning song, and wish her 
luck in her future endeavors.

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