March 13, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E347 The SMSU Lady Bears squad has one more removed from poetry he persevered to eventu- ‘‘yeshiva presents a picture of a school com- conference game and perhaps as many as ally win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1958 pletely focused on helping students achieve three tournament games left in their season for his first ‘‘Selected Poems’’. high academic standards while developing a that will allow Stiles to raise the new bar even For a writer whose working life spans thir- strong sense and knowledge base on their higher. teen Presidents, Kunitz’s commitment is all the Jewish heritage’’. The accomplishments of Jackie Stiles have more amazing. Stanley Kunitz is realistic and Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me been noticed by fans, other players and simple, the furthest from extravagant, which at in congratulating Merkaz Bnos High School on coaches who typically have guarded her with the time when he wrote was rare. This is evi- its Blue Ribbon Award and wishing the entire two and sometimes three defenders. She is dent in his opposition to the long epic poem, school community—students, teachers, staff the first player in the history of the Missouri which was popular in American Poetry during members and parents—continued success Valley Conference to earn back-to-back ‘‘Play- the first half of the twentieth century. What and many great simchas in the future. er of the Year’’ honors and the first sopho- Kunitz’s work lacks in glamour it compensates f more to earn that title. She has made the first for in serious and influential purpose. team All-Missouri Valley Conference in each The popularity of Stanley Kunitz’s work is A SALUTE TO THE BRONCOS of her first three years on the court at SMSU. evident in his many awards and accomplish- Jackie Stiles grew up playing basketball in ments. In addition to his Pulitzer Prize he re- HON. MIKE McINTYRE Claflin, Kansas where she was highly recruited ceived the Bollingen Prize, a Ford Foundation OF NORTH CAROLINA by colleges and universities nationwide as a grant, the Levinson Prize, and the Shelley Me- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES perimeter shooting guard. Today, her 58 per- morial Award to name a few. In 2000 he was Tuesday, March 13, 2001 cent field goal percentage ranks among the 20 named United States Poet Laureate. Stanley Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to best in the nation. Kunitz is the founder of the Fine Arts Center Jackie Stiles is an All American both on the in Provincetown, Massachusetts and Poets honor the Fayetteville State University wom- court and off. She is as good a student as an House in New York City. Stanley Kunitz has en’s basketball team for their tremendous ac- athlete. Majoring in physical education, Stiles also worked as a translator, creating English complishment this week. Their spirit and deter- has maintained a sparkling 3.45 grade point versions of Russian Poems. mination throughout the season has been an average into her senior year and has been Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Mr. inspiration to us all. On Saturday, March 3, the FSU Broncos named to the Missouri Valley Conference Kunitz for his enthusiasm and commitment to defeated North Carolina Central University 63– Scholar-Athlete first team every year in her ca- his poetry and society. He truly exemplifies 59 to win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic reer. that ability is never ending. Association Tournament for the first time in Stiles has become an icon on the basketball f court in Springfield, Missouri. She is a role twenty-two years. This is truly an amazing model for younger women who would like to COMMENDING MERKAZ BNOS HIGH achievement for Coach Eric Tucker and the follow the good-student, good-athlete trail she SCHOOL ON ITS SELECTION AS A entire Bronco team. The Broncos will now em- is blazing. She is a key reason that while BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL BY THE bark on a new journey, playing in the NCAA some women’s basketball games around the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT Division II tournament for the first time since country draw crowds numbered in the hun- OF EDUCATION 1997. Throughout the year, the women Broncos dreds, the Lady Bears’ games often draw larg- have represented the students and faculty of er crowds than the men at Southwest Missouri HON. JERROLD NADLER FSU well by sticking together and dem- State University. Thursday night’s game at OF NEW YORK onstrating good sportsmanship. Coach Tucker Hammons Student Center at SMSU drew the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES has instilled in his players the ethic of dedica- second biggest crowd in school history with Tuesday, March 13, 2001 tion, sacrifice, and teamwork in the pursuit of more than 9,100 fans there to witness history. excellence, and instilled in the rest of us a re- Fans in Southwest Missouri believe Jackie Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay trib- newed appreciation of what it means to win Stiles stands a lot taller than her 5 foot, 8 inch ute to Merkaz Bnos High School, in Brooklyn, with dignity and integrity. I am sure that the frame. NY on its selection as a Blue Ribbon School Broncos will demonstrate these important I’d like to wish Jackie Stiles and her team- by the United States Department of Education. characteristics on the national stage during the mates continued good shooting in their pursuit Merkaz Bnos High School is an all-girls aca- NCAA tournament. of a crown in the Missouri Valley Conference demic institution comprising grades nine My fellow colleagues, please join me in con- and in the women’s NCAA tournament later through twelve. Its current director, Rabbi gratulating this extraordinary group of women this month. Chaim A. Waldman, founded the yeshiva in and their coaches, parents and classmates f 1990 under the guiding principle of giving ‘‘every girl the chance to maximize her poten- who cheered them on and made this year’s TRIBUTE TO POET LAUREATE tial within a nurturing and supportive environ- CIAA tournament one to remember. Congratu- STANLEY KUNITZ ment.’’ In awarding the Blue Ribbon, the De- lations, Broncos! We will be watching you in partment of Education recognizes that the Ye- the NCAA tournament, and we wish you the HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN shiva has succeeded tremendously in carrying very best. OF MASSACHUSETTS out its mission. f IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Blue Ribbon School Program was es- ADDRESS BY DR. JOHN DUKE AN- tablished in 1982 by the U.S. Secretary of Tuesday, March 13, 2001 THONY ON VIOLENCE IN AMER- Education with three goals in mind. To identify ICA AND KUWAIT Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, it is with and recognize outstanding public and private great pride that I rise today to pay special trib- school across the United States, to offer a ute to Stanley Kunitz, who was born in my comprehensive framework of key criteria for HON. JOHN D. DINGELL hometown in Worcester, Massachusetts. Stan- school effectiveness, and to facilitate the shar- OF MICHIGAN ley Kunitz is an outstanding poet who began ing of best practices among schools. Schools IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES his career in 1930 when he wrote his first selected for recognition have conducted a Tuesday, March 13, 2001 book of poems titled ‘‘Intellectual Things’’. thorough self-evaluation, involving administra- Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I submit the fol- Prior to this book, Stanley Kunitz studied at tors, teachers, students, parents and commu- lowing for the RECORD. Harvard College where he received his BA in nity representatives in the completion of their 1926 and his MA in 1927. It was after his nomination forms. This process included as- ON VIOLENCE IN AMERICA AND KUWAIT: THE KUWAIT-AMERICA FOUNDATION years of study that he began writing his first sessing their strengths and weaknesses and book of poems. Unfortunately his first book developing strategic plans for the future. (By John Duke Anthony) was barely recognized and he did not publish Merkaz Bnos High School is one of only This past week’s tragic incident in Cali- fornia in which yet another student at an his second book, ‘‘Passport to War’’, for an- seventeen private schools selected nationally American school killed his classmates was as other fourteen years. The Second World War and the only Yeshiva to be honored with the senseless as all the similar acts that went interrupted his career, and after returning from Blue Ribbon Award, one of the most pres- before. It is no less tragic for the likelihood the war he joined the faculty of Bennington tigious awards in the country. In awarding this that, short of effective remedies, the phe- College. Although Stanley Kunitz was years honor the Department of Education stated the nomenon is destined to recur in the future. VerDate 11<MAY>2000 05:30 Mar 14, 2001 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13MR8.027 pfrm08 PsN: E13PT1 E348 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 13, 2001 As with the earlier school killings, there off to Baghdad by Iraqi forces a decade ago from Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, will be much wringing of hands and soul are hardly faceless statistics. No Kuwaiti of Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC searching among pundits and politicians in this writer’s acquaintance knows fewer than were among the cities represented. search of ways to cope with this ongoing four who disappeared without, to date, there In the aftermath of the reversal of Iraq’s blight on a significant segment of American being a trace of what happened to them.