SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 520 WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to recognize the participants in the 2008-2009 Chronicle Classroom for their commitment to the principles of journalism; and WHEREAS, Created in 2006 by Houston Chronicle editor and vice president Jeff Cohen, the Chronicle Classroom is a practical training and mentoring program for young journalists; and WHEREAS, Each year, a group of Houston high school students is chosen to participate in the program, for which they report to the offices of the Houston Chronicle every day for a half day of instruction in the basics of journalism and mass communication; and WHEREAS, The classes focus on the fundamentals of daily journalism while also introducing students to a range of news media careers and offering practical experiences; and WHEREAS, Chronicle Classroom students get the opportunity to work on stories that will be published in the Houston Chronicle, a noteworthy achievement for student journalists, and they plan and publish a student newspaper, Insight; and WHEREAS, A well-informed citizenry is vital to the functioning of democracy, and the news media play a critical role in ensuring that people have the information they need to make educated decisions; the Chronicle Classroom is truly deserving of recognition for its role in training the journalists of tomorrow; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st Legislature, hereby commend the Chronicle Classroom on its mission to further the training of young journalists and extend to the student participants best wishes for continued success in this important field; and, be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for these students as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate. Ellis ________________________________ President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 25, 2009. ________________________________ Secretary of the Senate ________________________________ Member, Texas Senate