A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from indiana. Mr. Young mr. President , i ask consent to use a prop during my remarks. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Young mr. President , you might be surprised by the guest book of a museum in a small town in indiana. Inside it are names of visitors from all 50 states and from much further away, other countries, other continents, places like italy, france, japan, new zealand. Theyve made their way to myland, indiana, and theyve done so because here is where the heart of hoosier his staira lives. His stair hisstera lives. It is the greatest basketball story that has ever taken place. March 20, 1954, the field house on the campus of Butler University in indianapolis, the finals of the Indiana High School basketball tournament. The indians of milan high versus the bear cats in roman 1660. 15,000 fans are in the bleachers with thousands more hoosiers listening over the radio. Its the fourth quarter, the game is tied at 3030, 18 seconds on the clock. Milan inbounds, senior bobby plump gets the ball, fakes left, dribbles right, and knocks down a 14foot jump shot just as the clock expires. The nets come down, the celebration starts, and the next morning the new state champions headed home. Theyre in a fleet of cadillacs along indianas county roads. There was no interstate or highway connecting indianapolis to cincinnati. The closest city to milan. Hoosiers were waiting along the way in greensburg and shelbyville, holding signs, waving. State road 101, which led back home, was lined with cars and cheering fans for 13 miles. 40,000 people were waiting in little milan, indiana, even though at the time the town had only 1100 residents. This is hoosier his stthis is wt the people of indiana are so excited about every march, and that year in 1954, as the players from milan rolled into town, two members of the team, ray kraft and kenny medelman, the procession is at milan high. The next morning, the crowd was gone. The small town was its quiet had gradually returned and in the days that followed, members of the team graduated, they went off to college, pursued careers, they drifted apart. Coach marvin wood took a job up in newcastle, passage of time brought other changes, not all of them welcomed of course. Little milan, light so many towns across the country, it faced some challenges, and the single basketball tournament system that gave small Basketball Teams like milan a shot is no more. Some of the schools that played in the 1954 tournament are gone. Milan, it hasnt won another championship, though. It must be said they made it to the semistate back in 1973. Despite this or possibly because of it, the milan miracle is as inspiring as ever. Yes, its the tale of the little guy, the underdog, david versus gol goliath. Muncie centrals average height was 6 foot 4, milan was 6 foot 11. This is so much bigger than basketball or even indiana. Milans players always note that their championship run in 1954 wasnt a Lightning Strike or even a stroke of good luck. No, the indians made it to the final four the previous year, most of the players had known and practiced with each other since grade school. They played tough, they were coached well. Perhaps most important they had faith in their teammates, faith in each other and faith in that community that they represented, faith that merit and hard work would be rewarded, faith that just maybe their dreams would be satisfied. Bobby plums last shot still talked about around the country really but certainly back home in indiana, thats the moment we remember. But it was the culmination of a lot of hard work, dedication and teamwork. And it happened because of the support of families, friends, neighbors. Milan was a place where when a student needed a winter coat, locals, they took up a collection at the drug store, they bought that coat. Its a place where the kids who didnt have a lot of money could eat for free at rosies. The one from nearby pierceville, who often had to walk to school, they could count on rides from friends. And in a different era when the world seemed so much smaller, the local Basketball Team was at least for the month of march the world. The world. Every one of these teams, the celebration of your togetherness, your community, your opportunity to show your stuff. Even a water shortage in the spring of 1954 didnt dampen milans xiement for the excitement for theians. They said water or no water, then wanted milans to bring home the crown. Apart from what happened on the hardwood at the fieldhouse, the memory of milan remains because it is what keeps all of our communities together, what lifts our hopes and fuels our dreams even when it feels like hopes and dreams are all we have. That trophy that i mentioned, that trophy and the newly refurbished lobby in milan highs gymnasium today is a symbol of more than just a state championship. Oh, its so much more. You see, its proof how much we all can achieve when we Work Together towards a common goal and resolve to hold our own, no matter the odds. No matter how insignificant others might say we are or think we are. Its an inspiration still across small towns and struggling places, waiting on their own miracle where the Basketball Team brings people together and makes them feel proud of the places they call home. This this is why we still celebrate little milan beating mighty muncie central several years on, its why i believe we will for the next 70 years too. For those who havent already figured it out, this is the story that inspired hoosiers, a beloved movie written and directed by a pair of hoosiers. You see visitors, they they regularly come to indiana in search of the movies fictional hickory, hoping to find the small town epicenter of hoosier, but what theyre searching for is right there in ripley county. Its an actual town with a real history. And a tradition to be proud of and dare i say replicated. Theyll recognize it by the basketball goals in driveways, the back boards on barns, the black water tower with white lettering prominently reading, state champs, 1954. Its still there. Ive seen it many times. The Historical Marker commemorating the mile miracle and that museum that celebrates it right there in the center of town. As the newspaper declared back in 1954, in basketball little milan is the new capital of indiana. I think thats about right. Well, 70 years later, its still the capital and the indians will always be champions. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Diana carlin is a professor emerita of communication at Saint Louis University and a retired faculty member, an