E1852 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 25, 1997 TRIBUTE TO COURT STREET ing the Microsoft of the higher education com- aged the purchase of war bonds. Returning to SCHOOL munity, at least that was the opinion of one peacetime, the auxiliary focused on fund rais- senior Department of Education official at a ing efforts to assist local fire companies. HON. MICHAEL PAPPAS hearing before Mr. MCKEON's subcommittee. Throughout their years of service, tired fire- OF NEW JERSEY It's time to stop talking about delivery sys- fighters have come to rely on the meals and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tem improvements and system integration and beverages served by the auxiliary during fires to start doing something about it. Last year, and emergencies. When the gavel falls to Thursday, September 25, 1997 students and parents suffered through horren- open the 60th annual meeting in Rehoboth Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to dous processing delays when the Federal stu- Beach, it is fitting that Mrs. Barbara Lewis, the call attention to an open house celebration for dent aid application processing system failed. current president will preside. President Lewis the Court Street School Education Community Earlier this year, students wishing to consoli- is also from the Five Points Fire Co., the Center, Inc. [CSSECC] in Freehold, NJ. date their student loans submitted applications home of the Mrs. Nan Woods. The Court Street School was established in only to encounter lengthy delays in process- I offer my congratulations not only as a 1915 for the sole purpose of educating the Af- ing. Now students wishing to consolidate their Member of the House of Representatives but rican-American children in the area. The student loans are told not to bother applying, as a former Governor who appreciates the school remained open until 1974. In April since the Department has shut down the en- leadership, teamwork and commitment of this 1990, the CSSECC began the planning and tire processing system. And just last week, our association in their service to the people of renovation of the school. Now, the CSSECC is colleague, Representative HORN, chairman of Delaware. I wish them many more years of ready to open the doors of this historical land- the Subcommittee on Government Manage- success in their endeavors as they continue to mark for the entire Freehold community to ment, Information and Technology, gave the assist volunteer fire and emergency services see. This new community center will provide Department a failing grade for its efforts to ad- throughout Delaware. needed programs and support to area youth dress the year 2000 computer changes need- f and their families. ed to keep the financial aid systems running TRIBUTE TO ‘‘THE BIG HELP’’ Community centers, like the one in Free- after the Office of Management and Budget in- NICKELODEON PROGRAM hold, are important infrastructures that help fa- cluded the Education Department on its list of cilitate a stronger, compassionate community. troubled agencies. Less than 2 months ago, in It is in this spirit that the CSSECC has stated testimony at our system modernization hear- HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN its mission: ``To inspire hope in our children ing, a Department official stated ``I would prob- OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES with a team of parents, teachers, volunteers, ably disagree if you say there are major bugs and CSSECC support staff, singularly dedi- or problems because we have been able to Thursday, September 25, 1997 cated to instill in each child the belief that he continue to keep the trains running.'' Well, the Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, this year, the or she is a unique gift of perfect love.'' train just stopped and it's the students who Presidents' Summit for America's Future Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to announce the suffer as a result of the poor system manage- brought well-deserved attention to volunteers Open House Celebration for the new Court ment structure currently in place at the Depart- and volunteer programs throughout the coun- Street School Education Community Center on ment. try. Saturday, September 27, 1997. It's clear to me and the others here with us Six months later, a number of news organi- f today that it is time to try a new approach. zations are reviewing the results the summit The bill that Mr. MCKEON has put together brought about in corporate America. One vol- SUPPORT OF THE 21ST CENTURY gets things moving in the rights direction. I sin- unteer initiative that is especially interesting to STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SYS- cerely hope that the Department of Education me is Nickelodeon's ``The Big Help.'' This is a TEM IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997 sees this effort as a positive step forward volunteer program that began 4 years ago and which will benefit students, parents, and insti- focuses on motivating and inspiring kids aged HON. WILLIAM F. GOODLING tutions of higher education across the country. 6 to 14 to volunteer. OF PENNSYLVANIA f ``The Big Help'' distinguishes itself because IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES it involves not only Nickelodeon's corporate SIXTY YEARS OF SERVICE: THE Thursday, September 25, 1997 pledge to the summit, but also young Nickel- LADIES’ AUXILIARY OF THE odeon watchers' pledges to volunteer annu- Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in DELAWARE VOLUNTEER FIRE- ally. This program is effective because it strong support of the leadership efforts of Mr. MEN’S ASSOCIATION teaches children at an early age the value of MCKEON in moving the Department's manage- giving back to their communities. ment of the student aid delivery system into HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE As part of its public responsibility, Nickel- the 21st century. After 18 hearings on the up- OF DELAWARE odeon created ``The Big Help''; in 1994 after coming authorization of the Higher Education IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES their research discovered that kids wanted to Act, it is safe to say that there is a clear con- help make the world a better place, they just Thursday, September 25, 1997 sensus on the need for improved management didn't know how. Combining on-air messaging, of the student aid delivery system, except in Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute school and community outreach, and partner- the minds of the people currently managing and pay tribute to an outstanding and caring ships with 23 national volunteer organizations, those systems. volunteer association in the State of Delaware. ``The Big Help'' provides kids with tools to ac- Currently, the Department of Education has The Ladies Auxiliary of the Delaware Volun- tively volunteer and participate in real helping a dozen or so computer systems and con- teer Firemen's Association. activities. tracts which aid in the delivery of more than This weekend, the ladies auxiliary will cele- This Sunday, September 28, Nickelodeon is $40 billion in student financial aid every year. brate its 60th year of service to the citizens of inviting Members of Congress and their fami- Timely delivery of these funds are vital to en- the First State. Their history of volunteerism lies to a celebration of kid volunteerism and suring that every American has the ability to began on September 9, 1937, when the first ``The Big Help.'' This event will also showcase pursue a postsecondary education. We all rec- president, Nan Laws Woods of the Five Points Nick, Jr., Nickelodeon's award-winning pre- ognize that this is no small task. However, the Fire Co. Ladies Auxiliary, struck the first gavel school programming block, and its new online concerns that the Department's computer sys- establishing the ladies' auxiliary of the Dela- offerings including ``nick.com'' and ``teach- tems are out of date, vulnerable to fraud and ware Volunteer Firemen's Association. The ers.nick.com,'' the Internet component to Nick- abuse, and inordinately expensive to run can- auxiliary encompassed many of the fire com- elodeon's ``Cable-in-the-Classroom'' programs. not be ignored. The General Accounting Of- panies in Delaware and pledged their com- In addition to dedicating 10 percent of its fice, the Department's inspector general, the bined efforts to help the firemen of Delaware airtime to ``The Big Help,'' Nickelodeon also Advisory Committee on Student Financial As- as well as those whose homes had been dam- provides substantial off-channel resources for sistance, and a majority of the higher edu- aged by fire. Organized efforts included con- outreach, including curriculum for elementary cation community have all called for a fun- tributions to burn centers, food, and clothing to and middle schools and volunteer planning damental restructuring of the way the Depart- burn victims as well as financial support. kits. In 1996, during the third annual ``Big ment manages the current student aid delivery During the war years, the auxiliary assisted Help-a-Thon,'' over 8.5 million kids called in system. Yet incredulously, the Department the Red Cross by sending Christmas pack- and pledged over 92 million hours to making seems to think that it is on the road to becom- ages to soldiers. The members also encour- a difference in their communities.