[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           IN RECOGNITION OF STUDENTS' VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 9, 1999

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two individuals 
from my district who attended the Voices Against Violence Congressional 
Teen Conference. Sadly, teen violence has dominated the headlines of 
our newspapers around the country.
  Marilyn Coto, a senior at Malibu High and Lana Borkin, a sophomore at 
Valley Alternative Magnet School in Van Nuys, have proven themselves 
leaders in our community in promoting a peaceful learning environment 
for all students. They were instrumental in working with lawmakers, to 
draft legislation during the conference and offered idea on how to 
combat this problem of violence in our schools. I would also like to 
commend the alternates chosen by the Committee: Monica Crooms and Jorge 
Lobos. Honorable Mention was awarded to Nicole Yates and Juliana 
Hermano. These teens are the future of our nation and it is imperative 
that their ideas and voices be heard in this national debate concerning 
youth violence.
  I would also like to acknowledge the Youth Violence Advisory 
Committee, brought together to choose the attendees of the conference. 
These distinguished individuals were selected to serve on the panel 
based on their commitment to not only raising awareness of violence, 
but also their efforts with children and others toward developing 
solutions. They will continue to work with students in the coming 
months to implement the ideas discussed at the conference.
  The Committee includes: Committee Chair, Ralph Myers, crime victims 
advocate, Advisory Board member for the Nicole Parker Foundation and 
Justice for Homicide Victims; Larry Horn, a Professor of Sociology at 
Pierce and Mission Colleges; Carlos Morales, co-leader of Parents of 
Murdered Children, Inc. San Gabriel Valley Chapter; and LAPD Detective 
Joel Price from the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) 
Unit, and member of the Board of Directors of the Nicole Parker 
Foundation.
  We must support our teens and encourage them to express their ideas, 
especially on this national issue of youth violence. They are directly 
affected by the things we only read about in the paper. As such, they 
have the experience to aid our legislators in establishing a safe 
environment for our students. Their leadership and contributions will 
make a significant impact on our country and ensure safety and peace 
for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring Ms. 
Coto and Ms.Borkin, all of the students who applied and participated in the 
Conference, and the members of the Youth Violence Advisory Committee. 
Their dedication to ending youth violence serves as an inspiration and 
model to us all.

                          ____________________