HR0423 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0423 LRB094 12217 HSS 45784 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Southeastern Illinois College forensics squad decisively won the 2005 Phi Rho Pi division I overall cumulative national championship; and

WHEREAS, The 12-member team amassed 260 points, a team record, to defeat 72 other schools in one of the most competitive tournaments in the recent history of Phi Rho Pi, the national forensics organization; this is the third national championship in individual events competition won by the Southeastern squad; it is only the second time the school has won the overall championship; the first time was in 1986; and

WHEREAS, Division I overall championship is the cumulative team score that includes points in three categories, including individual events, reader's theater, and debate; Southeastern participates only in individual events, but surpassed the other teams which had entered in all three categories; and

WHEREAS, The team broke many other school records covering the 32-year history of the program; there were 34 events that made it into semi-final rounds, and the old record was 31 in 1996; the conversion of semi-final breaks into finals was 19 for 56% resulting in a conversion to 17 gold medals, and the old record was 13 gold medals in 1997; every team member advanced into finals and brought home a gold medal; that has never happened in the history of the program; and

WHEREAS, The coaches of the team are Paul Cummins and Johan Rice; Emily Rollman is the assistant coach; team members include Amie Naas, Bethany Wilson, Amy Oglesby, Katie Richey, Krista Farmer, Jessica Brasier, Ethan Fife, Travis Boots, Josh McCluskey, Dug Hall, Michael Steudeman, and Stephanie Youroukous; and

WHEREAS, Krista Farmer won second most valuable speaker in the nation, bringing home 35 points, including three gold medals and one bronze; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Southeastern Illinois College forensics squad on winning the Phi Rho Pi division I overall cumulative national championship; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Southeastern Illinois College forensics squad as an expression of our esteem.