Darlene Hooley: “I rise today supporting Resolution 515, congratulating the Oregon State University Beavers baseball team for winning the…”

“I rise today supporting Resolution 515, congratulating the Oregon State University Beavers baseball team for winning the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College World Series. As a representative of Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, the home of Oregon State University, it is my privilege to offer this resolution on behalf of my constituents. As a graduate of Oregon State University, it is with personal pride that I now speak on its behalf. Ours is an institution set in a small town far removed from the national stage. Yet for those who have ventured there, OSU has always been a source of inspiration. We do not have the tradition of championships upon which the better-known programs of the Pacific-10 Conference have built their reputations. What we do have is a sense of self and determination. Titles have come rarely to our school. Prior to 2006 only once had a Beaver team claimed a crown, nearly 50 years having passed since then. Our inspiration has come from the character and determination of our student athletes.”