Thursday, March 19, 2009
YOU SPEAK, WE LISTEN
Radnor, Pa.
CABRINI COLLEGE
Pacemaker Winner Vol L, Issue 20
www.theloquitur.com
Stimulus bill to benefit SEPTA
Bill to relieve student costs molly kearney
asst. sports editor
mwk723@cabrini.edu
Chris blake/news editor
Passengers board a SEPTA bus at 56th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pa. SEPTA will receive $193 million this spring to repair rails and create over 5,000 jobs in the Philadelphia area. andy stettler
asst. news editor
ads725@cabrini.edu
As a result of the $787 billion stimulus package recently signed by the federal government, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, SEPTA, will receive $193 million this spring. The money will be used
to repair rails from the ‘30s while creating over 5,000 jobs. The stimulus bill entitled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was slightly smaller than what President Obama had originally proposed, will give $631 million to the Greater Philadelphia Region. From that total amount, $120 million will go toward New Jer-
sey state and local highway authorities, $318 million will go to Pennsylvania state and local highway authorities and $193 million will go to SEPTA. The transit authority will use that money for projects like fixing four R5 Lansdale line bridges that were built between 1905 and 1930. This project is receiving $5.3 million. Another proj-
ect will receive $36.7 million to revive the Broad Street Line’s Spring Garden and Girard stations which have been in use for over 75 years. However, General Manager of SEPTA Joseph M. Casey says the stimulus will create 5,590 jobs
SEPTA, page 3
Federal aid to increase work study diana trasatti copy editor
dlt722@cabrini.edu
The economic stimulus bill passed by President Obama will not only aid in the creation of jobs for the average working class American, but more college students will reap the benefits of work-study positions. Federal work-study aid of $200 million will be given to colleges and will affect an estimated 130,000 students. It is still uncertain whether this bill will affect Cabrini, but all money received will go directly to the work-study program. “Our office can only assume that we will receive a portion of the increase in funding much like any other college or university. Every year we are allocated funds by the federal government and we have consistently spent all these funds in the past few years on student wages,” Victoria Stozek, associate director of financial aid, said. There are currently 180 stu-
WORK STUDY, page 3
With the economy in collapse, the time has come to save higher education. If the educational system is not fixed, how do we expect the leaders of tomorrow to lead the economy in the future? Currently, a stimulus bill working its way through Congress that would help thousands of students pay for college and could give colleges money to fix their crumbling campuses. But the great debate is not education, rather how would money towards education save the current economy? During recent debates, Arne Duncan, secretary of education, said, “The best thing we can do is educate our way to a better economy.” This new bill is expected to make college more affordable and give both short-term and long-term economic benefits by improving national and local economies and moving more Americans into the middle class. College presidents across the country say a Pell increase would help college students who are struggling financially, while easing growing budget problems. Many colleges have increased institutional aid in the economic recession but say they cannot do so forever. At the same time, the long term effects must be looked at. The stimulus package could triple the Education Department’s budget, which would allow for many more students to attend college. The federal government’s role in colleges would also become greater. The increase of budget would also intensify the federal deficit and what would happen when the country’s short-term money runs out? Kate Schmidt, junior marking major, feels the stimulus bill would be good for education and lead to better paying jobs. Schmidt said, “With more
EDUCATION, page 3