SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 424
	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to 
recognize the German exchange students from Gymnasium 
Oberhaching, a high school located near Munich, Germany, and
to welcome them to the State Capitol on April 8, 2003; and
	WHEREAS, The exchange students will be in Austin for a 
three-week stay to visit Bowie High School students who are 
studying German; the Bowie High School students will then have 
the pleasure of staying with their German visitors for three 
weeks in June; the exchanges have been sponsored since 1989 by 
Bowie High School German teacher Miriam "Mimi" Parris; and
	WHEREAS, The student exchanges are arranged through the 
German-American Partnership Program, which is affiliated with 
the Goethe Institute, an international organization that 
promotes the teaching of German and German culture; over 720 
partnerships presently exist between American and German high 
schools, and more than 160,000 students have visited one another 
since 1982; and
	WHEREAS, Since its creation in 1977, the German-American 
Partnership Program has greatly helped to promote German 
language instruction in our nation's high schools and has 
deepened the participants' understanding of the host country's 
culture and way of life; and
	WHEREAS, Gymnasium Oberhaching students have demonstrated 
a keen interest in our country and in the unique experience that 
is Texas; the exchange students this year are Alena Pistele, 
Claudia Gernegross, Franziska Zehndbauer, Sarah Gunther,


Sonja Lenzer, Barbara Niedermeier, Tanja Niedernhuber,
Raina Willi, Josephine Wittkowski, Michael Balszun,
Alexander Schroth, Roland Ettinger, Richard Hochster, and 
Mathias Marschner; and
	WHEREAS, Teacher sponsors Babette Rupp and Ludwig Pichler 
have helped their students to prepare for their visit; and
	WHEREAS, The exchange program is a rewarding experience 
for all who participate in it, and students from both high 
schools will undoubtedly benefit from the cultural education 
they receive; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
78th Legislature, hereby join Bowie High School in welcoming the 
Gymnasium Oberhaching students and teachers to Austin and extend 
best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to our State 
Capitol; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for 
our German visitors as an expression of esteem from the
Texas Senate.
                                                                      Barrientos




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on March 24, 2003.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate