[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24492-24493]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING

  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed 
to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 310, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 310) expressing support for the 
     designation of October 20, 2009, as the National Day on 
     Writing.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BEGICH. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related 
to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 310) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 310

       Whereas people in the 21st  century are writing 
     more than ever before for personal, professional, and civic 
     purposes;
       Whereas the social nature of writing invites people of 
     every age, profession, and

[[Page 24493]]

     walk of life to create meaning through composing;
       Whereas more and more people in every occupation deem 
     writing as essential and influential in their work;
       Whereas writers continue to learn how to write for 
     different purposes, audiences, and occasions throughout their 
     lifetimes;
       Whereas developing digital technologies expand the 
     possibilities for composing in multiple media at a faster 
     pace than ever before;
       Whereas young people are leading the way in developing new 
     forms of composing by using different forms of digital media;
       Whereas effective communication contributes to building a 
     global economy and a global community;
       Whereas the National Council of Teachers of English, in 
     conjunction with its many national and local partners, honors 
     and celebrates the importance of writing through the National 
     Day on Writing;
       Whereas the National Day on Writing celebrates the 
     foundational place of writing in the personal, professional, 
     and civic lives of Americans;
       Whereas the National Day on Writing provides an opportunity 
     for individuals across the United States to share and exhibit 
     their written works through the National Gallery of Writing;
       Whereas the National Day on Writing highlights the 
     importance of writing instruction and practice at every 
     educational level and in every subject area;
       Whereas the National Day on Writing emphasizes the lifelong 
     process of learning to write and compose for different 
     audiences, purposes, and occasions;
       Whereas the National Day on Writing honors the use of the 
     full range of media for composing, from traditional tools 
     like print, audio, and video, to Web 2.0 tools like blogs, 
     wikis, and podcasts; and
       Whereas the National Day on Writing encourages all 
     Americans to write, as well as to enjoy and learn from the 
     writing of others: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of October 20, 2009, as the 
     National Day on Writing;
       (2) strongly affirms the purposes of the National Day on 
     Writing and encourages participation in the National Gallery 
     of Writing, which serves as an exemplary living archive of 
     the centrality of writing in the lives of Americans; and
       (3) encourages educational institutions, businesses, 
     community and civic associations, and other organizations to 
     promote awareness of the National Day on Writing and 
     celebrate the writing of their members through individual 
     submissions to the National Gallery of Writing.

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