[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 83 (Thursday, May 13, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING EMILY LANG, KRISTOPHER ROLLINS, LEAH WAUGHTAL-MAGIERA, AND 
                 JALESHA JOHNSON AS IOWANS OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 2021

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Emily Lang and 
Kristopher Rollins, the cofounders of RunDSM, as well as Leah Waughtal-
Magiera and Jalesha Johnson as Iowans of the Week. April is National 
Poetry Month, and Emily and Kristopher have given students in the Des 
Moines Public Schools system an opportunity to express and better 
themselves through poetry, spoken word, and open mic through their 
programs at RunDSM.
  RunDSM provides marginalized students access to a culturally 
conscious curriculum, urban art forms, and opportunities for student-
centered community activism through the different programs they offer 
such as ``Movement 515,'' ``Urban Leadership Summit,'' and ``Minorities 
on the Move.'' Through Emily and Kristopher's leadership, they have 
been able to create a representative, culturally conscious climate 
within Des Moines Public Schools.
  When Emily and Kristopher first came to the Des Moines Public Schools 
system, they had no idea what their experience would evolve into. Ten 
years later they have built a coalition of hundreds of students who 
have been impacted by RunDSM. The program was so inspiring for Leah and 
Jalesha they decided to come back and help run the program and turn it 
into what it is today. Students say that RunDSM has been a medium to 
discover and express their voices.
  National Poetry Month is a great opportunity to highlight some of the 
incredibly talented and creative minds in Iowa. Emily, Kristopher, 
Leah, Jalesha, and everyone at RunDSM truly inspire students to find 
their voices and show them how powerful it can be. I will continue to 
fight in Congress for programs like RunDSM and advocates like Emily and 
Kristopher who invest in our students and make them better people 
through poetry. It is my honor to recognize them as Iowans of the Week.

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