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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Joe Kuban inspired countless students during |
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more than three decades of service as a science teacher at Nolan |
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Catholic High School in Fort Worth before his retirement in 2008; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A 1968 graduate of Nolan, Dr. Kuban returned to his |
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alma mater as a teacher in 1973, and the following year he founded |
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what is thought to be the longest-running high school ecology |
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studies program in the country; he soon became known for his lively |
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teaching style and passionate commitment to the environment, and |
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his compelling example ignited the curiosity and interest of |
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generations of students; and |
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WHEREAS, In a classroom distinguished by a display of globes, |
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fieldwork tools, and finds from his excursions, Dr. Kuban taught |
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students not only to identify flora and fauna but also to genuinely |
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appreciate the natural world; together, they often ventured |
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outdoors to engage with the environment firsthand, and each year he |
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led field trips to some of his favorite places, including Big Bend |
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National Park and the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas, as |
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well as Costa Rica and the Cayman Islands; he pointed out and |
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described trees, rocks, birds, flowers, fish, and coral reefs with |
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equal enthusiasm, and he encouraged students to become stewards of |
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the land; in fact, more than a few of them have taken that message to |
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heart and gone on to pursue careers in science and environmental |
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work; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Kuban's delight in nature is rivaled only by his |
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love of music, and he found an outlet for this pursuit early on at |
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Nolan, when he wrote a song dedicated to the senior class; it marked |
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the beginning of a cherished tradition that graduating students |
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came to anticipate; moreover, in his leisure time, he composed |
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ballads about the beauty of Texas and recorded two albums as Joe |
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Kuban and the Lost Chizo Band; and |
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WHEREAS, After receiving a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral |
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sclerosis in the fall of 2006, Dr. Kuban continued to carry out his |
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teaching responsibilities with the same dedication he had always |
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demonstrated; he persevered for more than a year in a motorized |
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scooter that students decorated and equipped with a horn, and in the |
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end, rather than leaving his post to chance, he personally selected |
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and trained a local graduate student to take his place; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed educator, who grew up near Lake Worth, |
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holds two degrees from The University of Texas at Arlington and a |
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doctorate from Syracuse University; in 1995, he received a Goodall |
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ecology award, which earned him and his class a visit from renowned |
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anthropologist Jane Goodall herself, and his teaching, music, and |
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conservation legacy is honored in a plaque at Nolan; by his side is |
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his loving wife, DeLane Kuban, with whom he has enjoyed more than a |
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decade of marriage; and |
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WHEREAS, Though it is impossible to gauge the full effect of a |
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man's life, some individuals leave their unmistakable mark on the |
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world as they move through it, and Joe Kuban's contributions to |
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Nolan Catholic High School have made a profound difference that |
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will continue to resonate for years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Dr. Joe Kuban for his exceptional service |
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as a longtime science teacher at Nolan Catholic High School and |
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extend to him sincere gratitude for his outstanding efforts in |
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behalf of young Texans; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Kuban as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |