MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Jolly, Barnett, Carmichael, Dawkins, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), McMahan, Seymour, Stone, Younger
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE HOUSTON "SUNDANCER" SOLAR CAR RACE TEAM FOR ITS SUCCESS AS THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL VEHICLE TO COMPLETE AND WIN THE WORLD SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE ADVENTURE CLASS IN ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA, FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROGRAMS.
WHEREAS, the Houston Vocational Center in Houston, Mississippi, surprised the nation. The Houston "Sundancer" Solar Race Car Team competed in and won the "Super Bowl" of world solar car racing. The Houston Solar Car Team crossed the finish line of the 1,800-mile World Solar Car Challenge in Aelaide, Australia, at 4:10 p.m. Australian time, 2:10 a.m. Houston time, Saturday, October 24, 2015, and had the most solar car miles of any vehicle in the Adventure Class. Solar miles are the miles raced under solar power; and
WHEREAS, Sundancer is the first high school solar-powered vehicle to complete and win the grueling World Solar Car Challenge Adventure Class. Sundancer finished the race with 2,795 solar car kilometers, or 1,736 miles, racing all but 227 kilometers of the 3,022 kilometer race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia. Sundancer's nearest competitor, Liberty Christian School of Fort Worth, finished with 2,472 solar kilometers; and
WHEREAS, Sundancer set a World Solar Challenge record for most miles raced by a high school team in a single day when she rolled 407 kilometers, 252 miles, between the Coober Pedy and Port Augusta. The team, with its solar miles under its belt, then trailered the car, drove to Adelaide and drove on to Victory Square; and
WHEREAS, with a nod to the Indianapolis 500, the Houston Solar Car High School Team celebrated their victory with glasses of chocolate milk. "It's magical," said Keith Reese, who has been Advisor to the Houston Solar Car for 14 years. "This is big. So big. Words cannot describe how proud I am of this team." There were teams with more technology, more experience and more dollars, and a lot of them did not beat Sundancer; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the privately sponsored international race and the purpose of the Houston Solar Race Car Team is to encourage student interest in science, engineering and solar technology; and
WHEREAS, previously the Houston Solar Car Race Team had won the Dell-Winston National Solar Car Challenge for several years. They were the first Mississippi high school team to compete in an International Competition held in Australia in October 2003. They overcame the huge challenge in the Outback of Australia by completing the race as one of the few high school teams competing with college teams from around the world; and
WHEREAS, the Houston Solar Car Team and all race class winners were recognized at an awards banquet, the team then packed up Sundancer, spent two days in Sydney and made the 30-plus hour flight back to Memphis; and
WHEREAS, members of the 2015 Houston Solar Car Team are: Team Captain Allyson Taylor, Lakyn Adams, Summer Carner, Palmer Earnest, Greg Hollingsworth, Matthew Hood, James Ingram, Malik Lawrence, Hunter Moore, Ajay Patel, Hayden Powell, Cody Voyles, Layla Westmoreland and Jackson Whitt, along with Advisor Keith Reese; and
WHEREAS, during the energy crisis, President George Bush urged state governments to work on projects to become less dependent on foreign oil, and members of the Legislature have advocated using Mississippi's natural resources to accomplish the goal of energy independence; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the unique accomplishments of these students whose interest in solar technology has brought honor to their school, their community and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Houston Vocational Center "Sundancer" Solar Race Car Team for its success as the first high school solar vehicle to complete and win the World Solar Car Challenge Adventure Class in Adelaide, Australia, for bringing attention to alternative energy programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the Houston Solar Race Car Team and their sponsors, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.