[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13] [Senate] [Pages 17131-17132] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]WALKER-HACKENSACK-AKELEY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S SPEECH TEAM, WALKER, MINNESOTA Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Walker-Hackensack- Akeley School District's speech team, in Walker, MN, which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. [[Page 17132]] The Walker-Hackensack-Akeley speech team is truly a model of educational success. The team has demonstrated that when a school establishes a reputation in a specific area, this promotes high expectations, community involvement and support, and an atmosphere encouraging further success. The competitive speech program at Walker- Hackensack-Akeley High School truly sets this school apart from most others in the State. The program is primarily for senior high school, but exceptionally gifted seventh- and eighth-graders can also participate. The speech program focuses on the Minnesota State High School Speech Competition and the National Forensic League. Both areas of concentration have brought numerous awards and recognition to Walker- Hackensack-Akeley communities. More important, the program has helped develop students' skills and led them, in some cases, to world-class opportunities. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley's speech program has produced more State champions and medal winners at State-level competition than any school its size, and the high school consistently ranks among the top schools throughout Minnesota. Many students have gone on to compete in the prestigious National Forensic League, and 10 former students have achieved National Forensic League Academic All-American status. Many have also pursued distinguished careers in law, medicine, and business. The Walker-Hackensack-Akeley speech program has a 40-year record of success, during which participants earned 163 State speech medals, including 31 individual State championships. Participants of the program have competed 21 times at the national level and have won dozens of invitational, subsection, and sectional titles. Last year, the high school's graduating class of 61 students received in excess of $650,000 in merit-based scholarships from universities and colleges across the country. Much of the credit for the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley's speech team's success belongs to its coach, Chuck Cravens. The students and staff at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Schools understand that in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Schools should be very proud of the accomplishments of its speech team. I congratulate the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School District's speech team in Walker for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota. ____________________