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A Resolution to Eliminate the Assignment of Homework in American Public Schools
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WHEREAS: Compared to other factors like quality of instruction, individual motivation,
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and rigorous coursework, the impact of homework on a student’s learning is not
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significant.
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WHEREAS: Research reveals that homework holds no value before value 5th grade and
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loses its value in the upper grades if homework volumes are greater than one hour for
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middle school students and two hours for high school students.
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WHEREAS: 40% of American high school students require remedial classes when they
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get to college.
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WHEREAS: Family life is impacted when students receive large amounts of homework
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to complete each night, as homework leaves little time is left for family activities. Thus,
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parents feel the stress of either helping children complete the work or policing them to
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make sure they do it on their own.
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WHEREAS: Children have lost 12 hours of free time each week while homework time
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has increased by 50%.
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WHEREAS: Rates of stress-related illness, weight gain, depression, anxiety, and burnout
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are on the rise. Academic-performance-enhancing drugs, such as the drug Adderall to
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enhance energy and focus and beta blockers to reduce anxiety, are standard operating
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procedure (SOP) on high-school campuses.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that American schools should eliminate the
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assignment of homework in public schools.
Respectfully submitted,
Knoch High School
2
A Resolution to Use Llamas as a New Method of Urban Transportation in U.S. Cities
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WHEREAS: Llamas provide urban cities with a new and renewable source of green
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transportation.
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WHEREAS: When using a pack, llamas can carry about 25% to 30% of their body
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weight for 5–8 miles, making them efficient light transportation resources in cities with
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little geographic sprawl.
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WHEREAS: Because llamas are picky eaters and prefer to eat only hay, grass, minerals
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and grain, their feeding costs are approximately equal to that of a large dog.
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WHEREAS: Because llamas are so stoic animals with high pain thresholds, they seldom
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complain when they are hurt or sick, making their work consistent and reliable. If llamas
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don't have health problems, they can live for decades.
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WHEREAS: Llamas have a low-key disposition, are predictable, and easily handled by
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novices. WHEREAS: In New York City, idling cars, buses, and trucks spew out 130,000
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tons of carbon dioxide, 940 tons of nitrogen oxide, 24 tons of soot particles and 6,400
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tons of carbon monoxide each year.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that llamas should be used as a new method of urban
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transportation in U.S. cities.
Respectfully submitted,
Knoch High School
3
A Resolution to Ban Genetically Modified Foods
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WHEREAS integrating Genetically Modified crops with non-modified products impedes
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labeling attempts
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WHEREAS there runs the risk of unintentional contamination by genetically modified
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foods
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WHEREAS GMO’s are banned in Algeria, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan,
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Philippines, The European Union, Norway, Austria, Germany, The United Kingdom,
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Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Brazil, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia,
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American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall
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Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
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Australia, and New Zealand
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WHEREAS GMO’s could have major environmental consequences, including:
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unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other
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organisms (e.g., soil microbes), and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity
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WHEREAS foreign exploitation of natural resources such as bio piracy may occur in
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conjunction with the usage of GMO’s
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED that
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Genetically Modified foods are to be banned within the United States.
Respectfully submitted,
North Allegheny High School
4
A Resolution to End the Cuban Embargo
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WHEREAS a full embargo has been in effect against Cuba since 1962
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WHEREAS the embargo was established because Cuba was aligned with the Soviet
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Union, this affiliation no longer exists
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WHEREAS no other country still has an embargo against Cuba, rendering it ineffective
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WHEREAS the embargo costs the Unites States economy an estimated $1.2 billion
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annually in lost sales and exports, yet only costs the Cuban economy $685 million
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WHEREAS the embargo has restricted necessary food, clean water, and medical supplies
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to Cuba which has been linked to medical crises, heightened levels of infectious disease,
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and neurological disorders derived from malnutrition
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WHEREAS the United Nations has passed twenty-one resolutions in twenty years urging
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the United States to end the embargo
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WHEREAS Fidel Castro is no longer in power, and the democratically elected Raúl
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Castro has brought positive economic reforms to Cuba
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED that the
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Cuban Embargo will be ended immediately
Respectfully submitted,
North Allegheny High School
5
A Resolution Implement Year-Round Schooling
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WHEREAS long school breaks have shown to decrease the retention rate of the
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information learned in the previous school year.
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WHEREAS multiple elongated breaks have the potential to decrease harmful activities
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done throughout one long break, such as drug use, gang membership, and other criminal
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activities.
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WHEREAS several studies have shown that year-round elementary schools have overall
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increased standardized test score increases, in comparison to test score improvements in
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schools with typical school schedules.
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WHEREAS several countries around the world such as Japan, Germany, Britain, New
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Zealand, Australia, and Canada all have year-round schooling are ranked higher in the
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subjects of math, science and reading.
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WHEREAS schools with year round schools tend to have lower drop-out rates: 3% of the
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student population in California’s year round schools versus 5% of the student population
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in California’s normal schools.
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WHEREAS the current school system has become obsolete with the introduction of air
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conditioners and the industrial revolution. In prior times, a large amount of the American
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population, was agrarian, but now the majority of the people and students do not farm;
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now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE
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ASSEMBLED that year-round school be implemented with multiple elongated breaks, in
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the place of the traditional schooling calendar.
Respectfully submitted,
North Allegheny High School
6
A Bill to Allow U.S. Citizens to Buy Healthcare across State Lines
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Be it enacted by the Student Congress assembled that
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Section 1. Healthcare should be available for purchase across state lines, so that
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the citizens of the United States of America have the option to buy healthcare that they
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can afford and are not bound to their state. According to forbes.com, in states such as
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New York, younger people are forced to buy more expensive insurance and often go
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uninsured to save money.
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Section 2. To prevent the repetition of Georgia’s attempt to have interstate insurance, this
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bill will be put into effect across the nation at once.
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A. Insurance companies will also be required to be approved by each state that they wish
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to have clients in.
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Section 3. This bill should be in effect by January 1st, 2014. The same time the provisions
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for the Affordable Care Act will take effect.
Respectfully submitted,
Shady Side Academy
7
A Bill to Provide Jobs and an Economic Boost in America
BE IT ENACTED BY THIS STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED THAT:
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Whereas: In the 2000's 3 out of 4 jobs created by major corporations were overseas.
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Whereas: In the 2000's large corporations cut 2.9 million jobs in America and added 2.4
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million jobs overseas.
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Whereas: In the past 30 years 51,000 manufacturing plants in America have been
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shut down in order to create jobs and slow outsourcing we move to lower the
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minimum wage to $5.85 per hour. We will institute a 5 year period in which all large
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corporations must move 50% of overseas jobs back to the United States. Over the
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following 20 years major corporations will move an additional 40% of overseas jobs back
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to the United States. All major corporations will only be allowed to have 10% of their
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workforce overseas. All major corporations that do not comply will have heavy sanctions
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placed upon them.
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Lastly the minimum wage will be returned to normal. If properly implemented this bill
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will create millions of jobs and boost the economy while also making America more self-
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sufficient. Taxes will also go to the government allowing it to have more capabilities and
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increase in strength without cutting other programs.
Respectfully Submitted,
Upper St. Clair High School
8
A Resolution to Install a Later Start Time for High School Students
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WHEREAS: School performance is consistently dropping due to student sleepiness.
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WHEREAS: Only one in five adolescents get an optimal nine hours of sleep on school nights,
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and over the course of a week, high school seniors miss nearly 12 hours of needed sleep.
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WHEREAS: More and more information is showing insufficient sleep affects cognitive ability,
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and emotional and physical well-being.
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WHEREAS: Giving teens 30 extra minutes to start their school day leads to more alertness in
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class, better moods, less tardiness, and even healthier breakfasts.
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WHEREAS: Teens who get less than eight hours of sleep a night may be more likely to drink,
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use drugs, indulge in inappropriate sexual behavior, be depressed and lead an unhealthy,
10 sedentary lifestyle.
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WHEREAS: Poor sleep leads to poor cognition, reduced memory skills, an increased chance of
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hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT school should start later for high school students.
Respectfully submitted,
Knoch High School
9
A Resolution to Eliminate the Gender Wage Gap
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WHEREAS, there is a considerable gender wage gap in the workforce; and
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WHEREAS, women make up almost half of the United States workforce; and
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WHEREAS, women often get paid less than men employed in similar positions,
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though equally qualified; and
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WHEREAS, jobs done mainly by women have a lower average salary than those
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done mainly by men; and
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WHEREAS, women can perform their jobs with the same skill level as their male
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counterparts; now, therefore, be it
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RESOLVED, By the Congress here assembled that workplaces should determine a
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worker’s salary based solely on professional performance and not on a worker’s
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gender.
Introduced by,
Oakland Catholic High School
10
A Resolution to End the Celebration of Groundhog Day
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WHEREAS, Groundhog Day creates false pretenses as to the end of winter and arrival of spring
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WHEREAS, with Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy rate fluctuating between 33% to 39%, even the
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most renowned weather-predicting groundhogs have not been scientifically proven to be
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effective or accurate determiners of the weather.
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WHEREAS, groundhogs are not natural inhabitants of all 50 U.S. states, therefore preventing
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citizens of all states from acquiring equal opportunities to participate in the festivities.
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WHEREAS, the first official day of spring in most Western nations is approximately seven
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weeks following Groundhog Day, therefore negating the need for an additional predictor.
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WHEREAS, the National Climatic Data Center has determined that the groundhogs’ prediction
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are, "on average, inaccurate" and has further stated that "The groundhog has shown no talent for
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predicting the arrival of spring, especially in recent years."
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WHEREAS groundhogs are naturally shy animals who can become scared and aggressive when
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exposed to loud noises, large crowds, and human handling and that prodding groundhogs out of
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their hibernation periods can disrupt their natural mating and breeding seasons.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE STUDENT CONGRESS HERE ASSEMBLED that the
celebration of Groundhog Day should cease.
Respectfully submitted,
Knoch High School
11
A Bill Requiring all American Students to Receive Vaccinations
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Be it resolved by the student congress here assembled that all American students should be
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required to receive vaccinations on the CDC recommended schedule prior to entrance to school
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regardless of public or private status.
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WHEREAS vaccines save 2.5 children’s lives worldwide each year.
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WHEREAS only 1 in 1 million have severe or fatal reactions after receiving the MMR or
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hepatitis vaccines.
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WHEREAS vaccines effectively control the spread of fatal or debilitating illnesses like pertussis
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(whooping cough), hepatitis B, meningitis, and polio.
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WHEREAS, although for those who rely on the vaccination of others to be protection against
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disease- a concept called “herd immunity,” in which enough people have been vaccinated that
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the spread of disease is unlikely, health officials still say that, in some regions, herd immunity
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could be dangerously weakened by the anti-vaccine trend.
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WHEREAS because vaccines are critical to the safety and survival of children and adults alike,
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THEREFORE vaccines should be mandatory for entrance into all American public and private
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schools.
Respectfully submitted,
Knoch High School