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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Northern Illinois University's (NIU) live mascot, | ||||||
| 3 | Mission, is an essential member of the NIU community; he
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| 4 | assumed the role of the school's official mascot in 2013, and | ||||||
| 5 | since then, he has embodied the spirit of
the school; he has a | ||||||
| 6 | multitude of accomplishments, ranging from being a best in show
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| 7 | winner to his duties at NIU; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Mission has a variety of titles and achievements | ||||||
| 9 | outside of being a mascot, which
is a testament to his breed | ||||||
| 10 | and training; his titles include Canine Good Citizen and
Rally | ||||||
| 11 | Novice by the American Kennel Club, and he successfully passed | ||||||
| 12 | the Socialized Pet Obedience Test offered by the United Kennel | ||||||
| 13 | Club; he is a three-time Best in Show winner, and comments on
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| 14 | his performances note that he is a breath of fresh air, mainly | ||||||
| 15 | because he defies the
stereotype of stubbornness that is | ||||||
| 16 | associated with his breed; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, Mission is a certified support animal, a therapy | ||||||
| 18 | dog, and a member of Helping
Paws at Kishwaukee Hospital; he | ||||||
| 19 | also makes visits to nursing homes; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Along with many significant accomplishments | ||||||
| 21 | outside of NIU, Mission has
many accomplishments with NIU; | ||||||
| 22 | every Monday,
he visits various buildings and colleges around | ||||||
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| 1 | campus while connecting with the students,
faculty, and staff; | ||||||
| 2 | he has helped NIU's marching band by attending their Red & | ||||||
| 3 | Black Fall
Classic and other events; he supports the NIU | ||||||
| 4 | athletic
community and attends many sporting events and travels | ||||||
| 5 | with
the NIU football team; he has been to both Nashville and | ||||||
| 6 | the MAC Championships; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Mission continues to break new barriers at NIU; | ||||||
| 8 | other animals do not have access to specific buildings at NIU, | ||||||
| 9 | but Mission does because he is well-behaved; he has even been | ||||||
| 10 | able to have access to NIU's Pick Museum of Anthropology; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Mission plays a vital role in NIU's ROTC program; | ||||||
| 12 | a program called
"Mission Support" allows cadets to accompany | ||||||
| 13 | him to his appearances and show
huskie pride around the school; | ||||||
| 14 | within this program, Mission is decorated with the rank of
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| 15 | colonel; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Mission is a significant part of NIU's identity | ||||||
| 17 | and an iconic
representation of the school and its values; | ||||||
| 18 | therefore, be it
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| 19 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 20 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 21 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge that Mission be | ||||||
| 22 | recognized as
an honorary service animal by the Secretary of | ||||||
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| 1 | State and be eligible for entrance into the Illinois Capitol | ||||||
| 2 | Building on Northern
Illinois University's annual Advocacy | ||||||
| 3 | Day; and be it further
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| 4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 5 | delivered to the Secretary of State.
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