[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25810]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM

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                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 10, 2005

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Flower Mound 
High School speech and debate team for being recognized as 13th out of 
the top 50 speech and debate teams in the country.
  The ranking was announced by the National Forensic League on Oct. 22, 
2005. The National Forensic League is comprised of 103 districts that 
govern the affiliate and charter schools in all 50 states. The purpose 
of the National Forensic League is to promote interscholastic debate, 
oratory, public speaking, and interpretation of literature by 
encouraging a spirit of fellowship and by conferring upon deserving 
candidates a worthy badge of distinction. The National Forensic League 
works to accomplish this mission by promoting debate and speech through 
a nation-wide network of competitive tournaments and by honoring 
students for their achievements. The culmination of the year is a 
National Speech and Debate Tournament in the month of June. This year's 
topic will be whether or not the U.S. government should reduce its 
authority to detain without charges or search without probable cause.
  The Flower Mound High School speech and debate team has 25 students 
traveling during weekends from speech to debate tournaments. At Flower 
Mound High School, each member of the speech and debate team is 
guaranteed to compete in at least five rounds per year. If a student 
performs well, he or she can enter additional tournaments. Students are 
awarded a degree of merit for each round they compete in, which then 
gets accumulated by the team. Flower Mound was the 13th team nationwide 
with the most accumulated degrees of merit.
  Today I congratulate the Flower Mound High School speech and debate 
team and Head Debate Coach, Eric Mears, on ranking 13th out of the top 
50 speech and debate teams in the country. Their dedication and hard 
work in perpetuating intellectual debate, oratory and public speaking 
deserves the highest recognition and praise.

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