PRINTER'S NO. 1364
No. 239 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY WATERS, BISHOP, OLIVER, PARKER, JAMES, BELFANTI,
BEYER, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, DERMODY,
DONATUCCI, FRANKEL, GALLOWAY, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HANNA,
HERSHEY, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, KULA, LONGIETTI, MANN, MUNDY,
M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PAYNE, QUINN, READSHAW, REICHLEY,
ROEBUCK, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SHAPIRO, STABACK,
J. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WALKO, FREEMAN AND PHILLIPS,
APRIL 23, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 23, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Honoring the members of Rutgers University Scarlet Knights
2 Women's Basketball Team, National Collegiate Athletic
3 Association, Division I runners-up for their strength and
4 dignity in the face of adversity and slander.
5 WHEREAS, The Rutgers University Scarlet Knights Women's
6 Basketball Team finished the 2006-2007 season by playing in its
7 first-ever National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
8 Championship Game; and
9 WHEREAS, Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer, a native of
10 Fayette County, Pennsylvania, stands out as an example for women
11 everywhere, having molded an entire generation of young
12 basketball players into productive and admired women; and
13 WHEREAS, Sophomore center Kia Vaughn was named the All-Met
14 Division I Women's College Basketball Player of the Year by the
15 National Invitation Tournament and the Met Basketball Writers
1 Association; and
2 WHEREAS, The team members, Katie Adams, Matee Ajavon, Essense
3 Carson, Dee Dee Jernigan, Rashidat Junaid, Myia McCurdy,
4 Epiphanny Prince, Judith Brittany Ray, Kia Vaughn and Heather
5 Zurich, together with their coaches and training staff, worked
6 together to form a cohesive unit; and
7 WHEREAS, Aside from their obvious athletic talents, the
8 Rutgers Women's Basketball Team has within its ranks several
9 Academic All-Stars, a musical prodigy and several persons with
10 aspirations to study law and medicine; and
11 WHEREAS, In the midst of what should have stood out as a
12 shining moment of celebration for the Rutgers community, in the
13 aftermath of their participation in the NCAA Championship game,
14 a radio disk jockey, who did not know a single member of the
15 team, chose to dampen this exciting time by insulting the
16 members of the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team and women and
17 minorities everywhere with his blatantly racist and sexist
18 remarks; and
19 WHEREAS, In the wake of these derogatory remarks, these women
20 not only held their heads high, but chose to meet with the
21 individual who tried to diminish their winning spirit; and
22 WHEREAS, In what many commentators have called the best
23 example of true sportsmanship and class in the history of
24 collegiate athletics, these women took a stand not only for
25 themselves, but for future generations; and
26 WHEREAS, These women embodied the true spirit of justice and
27 forgave those who oppressed them; and
28 WHEREAS, These women, now reluctant celebrities, chose to use
29 this atrocious experience as a chance to open a dialogue which
30 forces us to look within ourselves, examine the words we use and
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1 be mindful that words which are hurtful and harmful have no
2 place in our society; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
4 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania congratulate the fine young women
5 of the Rutgers University Women's Basketball Team and their
6 coaches and support staff in recognition of their tremendous
7 accomplishments; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor these women
9 for taking a stand against bigotry with a grace and dignity far
10 beyond their young years and offer them best wishes for success
11 in all future endeavors.
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