CRUSADER SEWARD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE/AREA TECHNICAL SCHOOL
Year 40, No. 9
Dramatic move
March 12, 2009
No nationals
Chel si Val dez Editor
regarding the status and implementation of the merger. “I think he is very compassionate about students,” dean of student services Celeste Donovon said. “He has a strong passion for technical education.” After June 30, Poley will be done with his five-year stint as director of the technical school and someone else will take over the duties. When the position is filled it will have a new title, division chair of industrial technologies. Poley will spend his free time doing things he is passionate about. One of those things still includes the college. Poley would like to help get a Placement Center added to the college.
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The Saintsations dance team recently completed their second season as a team. —Page 4
Poley
College plans Challenge Morgan Al l aman News editor
Xtreme nail painting. Xtreme murder solving. Xtreme prizes. Xtreme high school students. Xtreme Challenge. Xtreme Challenge, a contest for area high school students, is a good way to recruit new students and for high school students to get a good feel for Seward County and the degrees the college offers, according to Sherry Farrell, SCCC/ ATS health information management and business instructor. The fourth annual Xtreme Challenge will take place from 8:30 a.m. until the awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m. March 25 at Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School. • See Xtreme page 3
Chel si Val dez Editor
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• If 787 billion $1 bills were put end to end, they would go to the moon and back, from core to core, approximately 159 times.
• If Jesus spent $1 million every day from the day he was born until now, he would still have a few more years to spend what Congress has spent in the last month.
• $787 billion would buy... - 4.6 million homes in the United States at the most recent median price of $170,300. - Four full months of a tax holiday in the United States. - 27.7 million cars at the average price of an automobile sold last year in the United States. - A check for $2,623 to every man, woman and child in the United States. - 7.7 million four year scholarships to the average private university in the United States at the current tuition rates. - 30 million full four year scholarships to the nation’s public universities. Facts from The Gartman Letter, The Bakersfield Californian and The New York Times
Crusader illustration/ James McElvania
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Stimulus hits trillion mark
$ $$ $ • If every household in Kansas gave every cent of its income to pay back the stimulus, it would take over almost six full years to reach $787 billion (and that doesn’t include interest).
One last dance
bers struggling with education when he was younger. Now, he greatly enjoys what he does and knows that he has had a successful career. “I love the challenge of education,” Poley said. “Teaching is a great career.” He will also miss the staff of SCCC/ ATS. Poley feels as if the staff and faculty are dedicated to their jobs and helping the students reach their potential. “Mergers are not always easy,” Poley said. “I am grateful for ours because it’s what is most important for the college and the technical school.”
President Barack Obama recently signed a $787 billion dollar stimulus package into law. This is such a large number, and very close to one trillion, that it is difficult for the average American to comprehend.
Breaking down the billions
Actor Anton Arnhold watches and learns as he prepares for a career in the movie industry. —Page 5
Another thing that Poley will spend some time on is helping soldiers who are returning from war. He remembers returning home from the Vietnam War and the experiences he lived through. He wants other young soldiers to know that they are not alone and there are people who will listen to them and help them through a difficult time in their lives. Poley will also spend time doing things such as gardening, golfing and spending time with his grandchildren. After Poley leaves SCCC/ ATS, he knows he will miss the students and his job helping to prepare them for careers. He can relate to his students because he remem-
timulating onversation
The SCCC/ ATS Lady Saints basketball team finished their season with a two point loss to Hutchinson in the Regional Championship game. —Page 1B
Student of life
Liberal, Kansas
Poley retires after completion of merger Technical school director Ed Poley can finally relax and retire from Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School. The merger between the college and the technical school was finally completed in the last month. “I’ve been here through all of the negotiations,” Poley said. “We had finally done all that we could do.” The college and the technical school merged last June. A visit from a Higher Learning Commission representative, last month, went well and the college is expecting a positive report
Frank Challis has been a Drama and Speech instructor at SCCC/ ATS for 33 years. He will be entering retirement after this semester. —Page 6
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Liberal, KS Permit NO.114
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President Barack Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on Feb. 17. With interest the stimulus reaches over $1 trillion, according to many sources. Although the government is showing where the money goes, they are not explaining what a trillion really is. Many bloggers and interest groups are taking it upon themselves to show the American people exactly what that money adds up to. According to Luke Dowell, math, science and HPERD division chair, if a person got $1 every second it would take more than 31,000 years to reach just a trillion. Another way to look at it is if you laid a trillion one dollar bills end to end, they would wrap around the Earth, at the equator, more than 10,000 times. The $787 billion could do a lot for the American people. If it was divided up, every man, woman and child in the United States would get $2,623. That $787 billion could also be used to fund 30 million full four year scholarships to public universities or 7.7 million full four year scholarships to private universities in America. The money is being used in many different places, for many different things and there is a plethora of people with opinions about whether the stimulus is a good or bad idea. The stimulus is an “effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century,” according to recovery.gov. Recovery.gov is a Web site designed by the government to explain to people what the stimulus is and where it will be used. A complete timeline is on the Web site, that explains when certain things did or will happen. Also, there is a special symbol to go along with the money. This symbol will be used on anything that the money goes to.
Tech school receives bonds Jessi ca Lul f Editor
A total of $1.26 million in interest free bonds are pending approval by the Board of Trustees at the April Board meeting. Seward County Community College/ Area Technical School received approval from the Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas Finance authority in February. Tommy Williams, dean of administration is positive about the outcome of the bonds and the approval from the board. “I know administratively we have always tried to take care of the buildings. It is nice to work for a Board of Trustees that likes to maintain the buildings,” said Williams. The turn around rate compared to what is submitted to Kansas Board of Regents and the Kansas Finance Authority to what is approved is very good for the college. All the money that was applied for this year was approved and last year 97 percent of what was applied for was approved. All community colleges in Kansas are eligible to apply for the bond money. If the BOT approves the bonds, the college will have eight years to repay the interest free bonds. Construction could start immediately if they decide to go into the $1.26 million debt, however the money will not be dispersed July 1. Projects include a greenhouse addition to the ag building, replacing the entrance doors to the technical campus, redoing the east parking lot by the technical school, updating the fire alarm system at the technical school campus, replacing or installing emergency and exit lighting at the technical campus, installing an exhaust system in the welding shop and updating the restrooms on the technical campus. Last year $1.3 million was applied for in bonds.The $1.26 million is is just less than the $1.3 million that was applied for last year.