ECTC participates in Safe Schools

The Street
April 7, 2014
Volume 32, Issue 2
State
budget
diverts
millions
from
student aid
By MATTY SHEEHY
Staff Writer
RACHEL WITTEN/The Street
ECTC faculty and staff attempt to disarm Kentucky State Police Trooper Pete Binkley posing as an active shooter during training on March 19.
ECTC participates in Safe Schools
By RACHEL WITTEN
Staff Writer
As the first college to participate in the Kentucky State
Police (KSP) Safe Schools initiative, ECTC has begun to spread
awareness of the identifiers and
warning signs of school shooters and prepare for those hazards.
“We were certainly aware of
those incidents that happened…
We’re not so naïve to say that
it’d never happen here, but we
hope to get more training and
confidence if something ever
does,” said Dr. Thelma White,
president of ECTC.
The faculty and staff training
took place on March 19 in the
J. S. Owens building. The event
included a lecture given by the
KSP and an active shooter drill.
“Fifteen years ago, when I
started here, I never thought
we’d be doing something like
this. We do thank the Kentucky
State Police for doing this, but
it’s sad that we have to do this,”
said Keith Johnson. Johnson is
the Chief Operations Officer at
ECTC.
Safe Schools is a program developed by the KSP that includes
reviewing a school’s current plan
of action, conducting a lockdown drill, assessing strengths
and weaknesses of the campus,
and training the faculty and staff.
“[ECTC] reached out to us
and requested that we do the
training. It’s a four-phase program. We reviewed the plan. We
have not done a lockdown drill,
which we do at high schools.
Then we walk through the
school and make suggestions.
Phase 4 is the training. It’s strictly giving the teachers an idea of
what they’re going to do,” said
KSP Sergeant Kevin Warrell.
During the drill, the faculty
and staff members were split
into groups and guided through
four different scenarios. The first
taught them to recognize the
sound of gunshots in a building
while the second taught them
how to barricade doors; the third
taught them how to lead students
to hide in classrooms, and the
fourth scenario taught them how
to distract and fight off an active shooter. In each scenario,
the groups were encouraged to
recognize classroom objects as
potential weapons; to run, hide,
or fight; and to have the will to
See SAFETY, page 5
Kentucky lawmakers have
diverted more than $100 million
in lottery proceeds away from
state financial aid programs for
college students since 2009, and
now there’s the possibility of
taking an additional $76 million
over the next two years.
“That’s a good number
of students who don’t get the
award, because we don’t get the
money,” said Carl Rollins, executive director of the Kentucky
Higher Education Assistance Authority. “It does certainly affect
the students who have the most
need. They don’t receive the full
funding that they should.”
Students began applying
for aid after January 1, and the
money typically runs out by February. Unfortunately, this affects
community college students the
most since they often decide to
go to school later in the year.
“We are a community college
and people choose to go here
because it is much more affordable, closer to home, has a better
professor to student ratio and so
on,” said ECTC student Mike
Guerrieri, president of the Student Government Association.
“Community colleges do not
need to compete with universities at any level. Let community
college be what it was originally
intended for: the best interest of
the students.”
See BUDGET, page 5
April 7, 2014
News Page 2
Calendar of events
April
SGA Spring Fling Week, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., April
7-11, outside (weather permitting), ECTC Clubs
invited to set up information tables. For more
information, Contact SGA President Michael
Guerrieri at [email protected].
SGA Talent Show, 4:30 p.m., April 8,
Science Auditorium. Free. $100 gift card for
first prize. For entry rules and more information
Contact SGA President Michael Guerrieri at
[email protected].
2014 Earth Fair, noon, April 10, inside
and outside (weather permitting) the Regional
Postsecondary Center (RPC). Sponsored by ECTC
and Hardin County Earthcare Collaborative.
Earth Fair’s mission is to create a community/
college event to present “earth friendly”
products, services, technologies and practices
and to encourage their adoption and use. Booths by community organizations and a panel
discussion on Sustainable Energy featuring
Sam Avery, certified solar installer; Jim Fugitte,
CEO at Wind Energy Corporation; Bob Wade, Jr.,
farmer and Hardin county business man; and
Robert Bean Kentucky Chief Forester, Central
Region. Booths are set up and manned from
noon until panel discussion. Panel discussion is
at 6:30 p.m. in RPC 212.
Financial Planning for your Future, noon,
April 15, RPC 108. Part of the Money Talks
Financial Liteary series. Featuring Kevin Ryan,
financial consultant. POC: Michael Barlow.
SGA Game Day, noon-3 p.m., April
16,Student Center. For more information,
contact SGA President Michael Guerrieri at
[email protected].
Child Abuse Vigil, April 17, Student Center.
Sponsored by the Phoenix Club. Display boards
set up all day informing the public about
child abuse and other related issues. Boards
prepared by Tracy Bratcher’s PSY185 class.
EleCTriC performs at 4 p.m. Light snacks from
5-5:30 p.m. Vigil from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Fun and Fit 5K, April 19. Location
undetermined. Registration begins at 8 a.m.;
race begins at 9 a.m. Sponsored by the
Biology Club to promote physical fitness and
environmental friendliness. Open to the public,
fitness, health, environment and science lovers
welcome. For environment lovers, cleaning
of the 5k area is before and after the event.
Volunteers appreciated. Look for updates on
location choice via campus email and flyers.
POC: Dr. Cindy Dixon.
“Bigger Than Life,” 10:30 a.m. April 22,
Science Auditorium. Presented by the Toy Box
Theatre, Free student performance. A play for
children featuring heroes of the American West.
SGA Elections, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., April 23 and
24. Vote in ATB lobby. For more information,
contact [email protected].
Gay Straight Alliance Drag Show, 7 p.m.,
April 25, Science Auditorium. Tips encouraged.
All tips donated to charity.
“Bigger Than Life,” 7 p.m. April 29, Science
Auditorium. Presented by the Toy Box Theatre,
$2. A play for children featuring heroes of the
American West.
Contact Professor Katrina Eicher via email
with any questions.
Earth Day Concert, ECTC Guitar Club,
noon, April 22, between the Science and JSO
Buildings. POC: Gary Stearns, ECTC Guitar Club
Advisor.
Veterans Affairs Briefing. 10 a.m. and 2
p.m., April 25, RPC 108. Only need to attend
one session. Not required, but recommended.
POC: Tabbi Stutzenberger, 270-706-8815 or
[email protected].
Cap and gown measurement days, 9 a.m.-3
p.m. April 28-May 1, ECTC Bookstore.
May
ECTC Choristers Spring Concert, 8 p.m., May
1, Science Auditorium. Free. POC: Camille Hill.
Cap and gown pick up, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Monday-Thursday, May 5-10, ECTC Bookstore.
Buyback and rental returns week, Hours
vary, May 5-10, ECTC Bookstore. See bookstore
website for more information.
Last day to return rental books, May 12,
ECTC Bookstore. Club schedule and events
ECTC Guitar Club, 1-2 p.m., Fridays, JSO 121.
Rainbow Revolution (Gay-Straight Alliance),
4:30 p.m., Tuesdays, JSO 112. Informal
meetings, Fridays, 3 p.m. Go to its Facebook
page for more information on Friday meetings.
Student Government Association meeting,
5 p.m., Thursdays, SGA office in the student
center.
Have an event you want included in the calendar?
Does your group, club or organization have an event coming up in
November or December? Email the information about the event, including
event’s title, day, time, location and point of contact to gclear0001@kctcs.
edu. Feel free to include any other information for the listing.
Financial
Aid Tip of
the Month
If you are receiving any
kind of financial aid from
outside sources, you must
report the scholarship to
the financial aid office.
Career center helps students
discover career paths
By SARAH CASTILLO
Staff Writer
Graduating from college
is a major accomplishment
for students. While a degree
doesn’t always guarantee a
job, the Career Counseling
Center can help students
get started. The Center is
located in room 106 in the
RPC building.
Students need more
than just a degree to obtain
a job. Most places require
resumes and interviews.
Plus, students also have to
know where to look when
searching for a job. The
Center can help with each
of these, because they offer workshops and career
counseling.
Professor Charles P.
Spataro specializes in career counseling and job
placement. “I help students
choose career paths and
also provide support in job
search strategies, resumes,
and how to be successful in
job interviews,” said Spataro.
This Center does more
than just help students find
jobs and prepare for interviews. It also helps current
students discover what field
of study best suits them.
The Center hosts job fairs
with over 30 local employers. It also provides job
listings for ECTC students.
Four job fairs, two in the
fall and two in the spring,
are offered during the
school year.
In Spataro’s office, room
129 in the RPC building,
individual appointments
and group workshops are
offered on topics like choosing a college major, finding
The Street is the
student-supported official
publication of Elizabethtown
Community and Technical
College. Although The
Street serves all members
of the college community,
the opinions expressed are
those of the individual writer
and not the faculty or the
administration.
The Street is published monthly throughout the
academic year and is free on campus to all students,
faculty and staff.
The Street does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sex or
handicap in any of its activities (Title IX, VI Section 504).
The Street is printed on 100% recycled paper using
soy inks.
a part/full time job, writing
a job winning resume, preparing for a job interview,
and being a success at a job
fair.
Students who would like
assistance from the Center
can sign up for any of the
offered services by logging
onto the ECTC webpage
http://goo.gl/5mbk4.
Sarah Castillo can be reached
at [email protected].
The Street
Staff Writers
Sarah Castillo
Matty Sheehy
Rachel Witten
Contact The Street through
its adviser Gina Clear at
[email protected]
Special recognition to Amy Fox,
instructor of English.
To join The Street’s staff, attend staff meetings on Mondays at 6 p.m.
in the Student Center, room 102 (Student Government Office).
April 7, 2014
News Page 3
Students, faculty participate in SkillsUSA
By MATTY SHEEHY
Staff Writer
Submitted photo
ECTC electrical student Heidi Hasty bends conduit for SkillsUSA.
About 188 students from area
high schools and ECTC competed in the annual Regional
SkillsUSA Competition on Friday,
March 14. Local high schools
included Breckinridge, Grayson,
Meade, Nelson, Bullitt, Oldham
and Shelby.
SkillsUSA is an organization
with 13,000 school chapters in 54
state and territorial associations.
They serve more than 300,000
students and instructors annually.
More than 14,500 instructors and
administrators are professional
members of SkillsUSA.
This organization helps prepare people for career, technical,
service, and health occupations.
Their goal is to empower its
members to become world class
workers, leaders, and responsible
American citizens.
SkillsUSA holds competitions
every year at local, regional, and
state levels. Members of SkillsUSA provide leadership and
employability skills that apply to
the real world. In other words,
it’s essentially investing into their
futures.
Since the program began in
1965, more than 10 million members have served in the program.
During competitions and meetings, strangers become friends
and share special bonds. Peer
pressure becomes peer support.
In 2013, more than 16,000
teachers and school administrators served as professional SkillsUSA members and advisors.
This program has had a long
tradition of developing leaders in
career and technical education,
as well as finding new friends
and forming strong bonds with
the new members. And those
friendships form something much
stronger; they form a brand new
family. And in that family, they
demonstrate the motto: “Preparing Leadership in the World of
Work”.
Matty Sheehy can be reached at
[email protected].
Faculty, staff earn New Horizon honor
By RACHEL WITTEN
Staff Writer
Since 2003, faculty and staff at
each KCTCS college have been
selected to receive the New Horizons Award of Excellence, an
award that recognizes exceptional
service, leadership, and success.
This year, the recipients from
ECTC are Mrs. Hope Irwin, Mrs.
Alfreda Weedman, and Ms. Linda
Howard.
“They pick one staff member,
one administrative staff member,
and one faculty from each of the
16 schools. …They just pick one
person from each category that
has done something they think
needs to be recognized,” said
Irwin.
To receive an award, a potential recipient must be nominated
and the nomination must be approved by the president of the
college.
Each recipient performs an
important task for the college.
Submitted photo
New Horizon award was awarded to Linda Howard, Alfreda Weedman,
and Hope Irwin.
Weedman, a workforce liaison
in the Workforce Solutions Department, said, “We work with
businesses and industries of all
types in our service area to provide customized training to meet
the needs of the specific companies. We serve eleven counties,
and I work with Hardin, Grayson,
and Breckinridge. Our training
covers a broad range of topics,
including leadership development,
team building, computer applications, and technical training.”
Howard, a professor of mathematics at ECTC for 33 years,
said, “When I was in college and
trying to decide what I wanted
to do, I knew I did not want to
be a teacher! Luckily, one of my
college professors convinced me
otherwise. … I cannot imagine
having another career other than
teaching. It has been good to me
and I hope I make a difference in
someone’s life as my college professor made in mine.”
“I work in the records office
and my main responsibility is
graduation,” said Irwin. “I’m the
one who reaches out to students
and tells them to apply… I send
out what all the deadlines are, get
the information in spreadsheets,
keep up with it all year and send
it to the registrar. The only thing
I don’t do is make sure that everyone has met the requirements.”
Recipients, said Weedman,
must have “commitment, integrity, [and] dependability.”
Irwin said, “I found out when
someone who nominated me
gave me a copy of the letter he
used, and I was very touched. It
meant a lot to me that he noticed
that the work I was doing makes
a difference. I don’t look for the
recognition, but when you get
it unexpectedly, it really means
something, and I was pleasantly
surprised that Dr. White okayed
[the nomination].”
“My supervisor told me, and
I was pleasantly surprised and
honored. It’s all about getting the
job done, and this is a nice fringe
benefit!” said Weedman.
“I received a letter from Dr.
White stating I had been selected
as this year’s Faculty Horizon
Award from ECTC. Of course,
I felt honored and very happy
about being chosen,” Howard
said.
Weedman, Howard and Irwin
will attend a conference in Owensboro during the week of May
19, where they will be recognized
by the college president and the
president of KCTCS.
Rachel Witten can be reached
[email protected].
April 7, 2014
News Page 4
Students, faculty support
charity in Bowl For Kids Sake
By MATTY SHEEHY
Staff Writer
Bowl For Kids’ Sake is a
bowling party that features
rock & roll, fun, food, soft
drinks, prizes, and a commemorative t-shirt. It’s the
Big Brothers/Big Sisters’
largest annual fundraiser,
which supports 25 percent
of the annual operating
budget. This year, ECTC’s
“The Bowling Stones”
consisted of ECTC staff
and faculty members and
two students.
“The student support
is amazing and we all had
such a great time trying
to avoid the gutters and
dance in the lanes. It is
a great feeling to actively
give back to our community in a combined effort for
a great cause as a TEAM,”
student Tammy Conahan
said.
This event enhances
teamwork and builds morale as well as providing a
Submitted photo
The Bowling Stones, consisting of ECTC faculty, staff,
students and their families, pose for a shot at Bowl For Kids
Sake.
memorable experience to
all who participate. Every
dollar raised stays local
and is utilized to match local children with carefullyscreened Big Brothers/Big
Sister volunteers. Approximately $1,200 per year is
required to create and support one match.
“It is a good feeling
knowing that I am helping kids in our area while
having fun doing helping
them,” said Melanie Lowe,
a college staff member.
“We had a couple of
students on our team and
it was fun to bowl with
them,” said Sheila Fonda,
a faculty member. “It’s
nice to know that they took
the time to raise donations
and bowl on a Sunday afternoon when I know they
had a lot of other things
they could have been doing.”
Over the years, it has
shown that this event has
really helped the students
who attend it. Ninety
percent reported their
Big Brother/Sister helped
them make better choices
while 77percent say that
they’re doing better in
school because of their
Big Brother/Sister, and 65
percent agreed that their
Big Brother/Sister helped
them reach a higher level
of education.
“I’m very proud of all
of our faculty, staff and
students who bowl and
those who support the
event through their donations,” said Mary Jo King,
Public Relations Director.
“It’s easy to just give a few
dollars to a charity and call
it a day. But the Bowl 4
Kids’ Sake really energizes
people around the cause
by investing some time and
energy, along with our donations.”
The Bowling Stones
raised about $900 for the
organization.
Matty Sheehy can be
reached at
[email protected].
Submitted photo
Student Ambassadors
represent ECTC
In March’s edition of The Street, a story about the Student
Ambassadors did not contain the picture. The picture is being
printed here. Pictured as part of the Student Ambassadors
are in front row Mrs. Janice Nemes, Amber Smith, Dr. Thelma
White, and Steven Thompson; second row: Tamara Kiper,
Stephanie Johnson, and Kelly Levay; third row: Wesley Kiper,
Michaela Crutcher, Aaron Pennington; and Devid Cruz and top
row: Laura Hawkins and Michael Beasley.
ECTC offers study abroad opportunities
By BRIDGETTE CHLEBOWSKI
Guest Writer
Last summer, ECTC student
Mary Langley went to her environmental health class on the
porch of her teacher’s home
in Costa Rica. She rode horses
through the rainforest and saw the
Arenal Volcano.
For three years now, Elizabethtown Community and Technical
College has participated in the
Kentucky Institute for International Study (KIIS). The program
allows students studying and
learning experiences in foreign
environments and cultures.
Art professor Dr. Jim Murley
has coordinated the program
since it was made available here.
To be a part of the study
abroad program, he said students
must first either have a passport
or apply for one and then apply to
the KIIS program. Students must
have a recommendation from
Murley to participate and also
have a letter of support from a
faculty member whenever enrolling for their study abroad trip. He
added that students can apply for
the Peden Scholarship and other
scholarships to help with the cost
of their study abroad trip and can
also apply most financial aid towards it as well.
Since teaching in the study
abroad program, Murley said
his passion for what he teaches
has grown stronger. He thinks of
himself as similar to the Greek
mythology character Odysseus or
similar to a pilgrim. Murley said
he is very passionate about studying abroad and also about helping
students be part of this program.
“I found that in my own experience living and studying abroad
is where I’ve learned the most,”
Murley said. At one point he
hitchhiked around Europe. Murley said, “It is important to travel
earlier in your career. Life gets
more complicated later.”
Murley suggested students ask
family and friends for money during the holidays to contribute to
their cost and send back pictures
of meals they bought with the
money they were given. This is a
way to show family and friends
how they contributed to the trip.
Langley said she first heard
about the KIIS study abroad
program when she attended a
presentation by Murley. Langley
said she never thought she could
study abroad because she assumed
the program was for wealthier
students. During his presentation,
Murley assured the audience that
was not so. She said Murley gave
her hope and helped her through
the application process.
From her experience in Costa
Rica, Langley said she realized
“you could do more than you ever
thought you’d do.” She said she
has also learned “not to be afraid
... don’t ever let things stand in
your way. You can overcome
that.” She also said studying
abroad has helped her become a
stronger student. She transferred
to Eastern Kentucky University
this spring.
Langley said that she formed
lifetime bonds with both of her
host families and fellow students.
Also during summer 2013,
ECTC student Aaron Pennington
studied international business and
international management in Austria. Pennington said he learned
a great deal about sustainability
including the differences between
how the U.S. and other countries
practices it.
Pennington took an extended
visit, three months total, and
visited nine countries during his
time abroad: Hungary, Slovakia,
the Czech Republic, Switzerland,
Austria, Germany, Netherlands,
Italy, and France. Pennington said
he stayed with a host family during his visit in Austria and studied
in classrooms similar to those at
ECTC.
“I loved going to class because
my teacher loved what she was
teaching,” Pennington said.
Murley said studying abroad
is a great experience that all students are encouraged to do while
they have the chance. A variety of
scholarships and financial aid can
be placed towards the cost of a
study abroad trip. Murley said he
is great at assisting students pick
which program would best suit
their needs, helping students start
the process to study abroad, and
encouraging students that they
can be a part of this program if
they really work towards it.
In the summer of 2014, Murley will be teaching in Italy and
going on his fourth year of study
abroad with ECTC.
Bridgette Chlebowski both are
students is Suzanne
Darland’s journalism course.
April 7, 2014
News Page 5
SAFETY
BUDGET
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
survive.
“You just have to have a
need to protect yourself and
others… Something’s going
to kick in whether you want it
to or not,” said Trooper Mike
Garyantes. “You’re going to
push yourself beyond what
you think you’re capable of.”
Many faculty and staff
members believe that this initiative has been beneficial to
ECTC.
“I thought the different
scenarios were really good. I
think we got a little exposure
to the possibilities,” said Professor Mike Hazzard, chair of
the Occupational/Technical
division. “We still have a long
way to go, but I feel a little
more comfortable now.”
Traci Clemons, campus
security officer, said, “I think
it’s been great. We’ve needed
it for a long time. I think this
will become something that
will be regular, at least once
a year. I think it should be
required.”
For Clemons and Hazzard
recognizing the sound of an
active shooter is important as
well as awareness of possible
scenarios. “Recognizing that sound
[of gunfire] will be a big help
to me in the future,” Clemons
said.
The KSP also expect posi-
In 2013, nearly 46 percent of merit aid
went to students who are from families that
make more than $75,000 a year. Overall,
average Kentucky students debt spiked to
about 40 percent between 2008-2012, from
$15,951-$22,384, according to state higher
education officials.
“This is a problem for our Legislature
that is now being passed on to the students,”
Guerrieri said. “It appears that the easiest
route here for our state leaders is to put the
burden of debt upon the students.”
On another note, financial struggles impact graduation rates and low-income students, primarily adult students. The College
Assistance Program (CAP) helps low-come
students, and the Kentucky Tuition Grant
(KTG) helps pay for private colleges. In contrast, the CAP fund for low-income students
requested $83.6 million in 2015, but Governor Steve Beshears proposed budget recommends just $59 million.
“If everything was running smoothly, why
would the students have increases in their
college education when they never had them
before, more specifically at the community
college level?” Guerrieri said. “We cannot
compare a university to a community college
when referring to cost. A university dwarfs a
community college in every aspect possible.”
According to the state law, need-based aid
is allocated to receive 55 percent of lottery
revenue. In 2014, it received nearly 47 percent. Beshear’s budget recommends restoring
$284 million to K-12 after five years of flat
funding, but state universities would see a 2.5
percent cut to their operating budgets.
RACHEL WITTEN/The Street
ECTC faculty and staff attempt to disarm Kentucky State Police Trooper Pete Binkley during an active
shooter drill March 19 at the campus.
tive results from their work at
ECTC.
“We’ve had nothing but
positive feedback on this
training,” said Trooper James
Martin. “It’s something that
you can use everywhere…
Someone who’s not trained
will panic and not act correctly. Someone who is trained
will think more clearly.”
“I thought it was a real
eye-opener. The staff was very
interactive during the scenario. It gave the staff a real-life
experience in a training environment,” said KSP Detective
Chris Berry.
“Results can vary, but
the idea is are you better
prepared? If something happened tomorrow, would you
be better prepared than you
are today? We live in an
uncertain world with very
uncertain people. I’d urge any
college, from community college on up, to do something
to protect their students,” said
Garyantes.
Berry said, “I think that
we encourage anyone to participate and highly encourage
anyone who’d like to have this
[program] in their schools…
The whole thing is a great
learning experience.”
Rachel Witten can be reached at
[email protected].
Matty Sheehy can be reached at
[email protected].
COMMENTARY
Proposed fees should fund local projects
By MAKAYLA BALLMAN &
ANDREW CRITCHELOW
Staff Writer
In mid-March, the
Kentucky House of Representatives affirmed Gov.
Steve Beshear’s budget that
among other things allows
KCTCS to assess an $8-percredit-hour student fee to
pay for building projects.
On March 25, the Senate approved a variation
that keeps that fee but with
a twist. A conference committee is working on a com-
promise budget to make
both houses happy.
The Senate budget fee
won’t be easy for KCTCS
students, but right now it is
the best option available.
The distinction between
the two budgets is absolutely critical, because it will
designate which funds go to
which projects.
The House plan calls
for these fees to go into one
pool that will pay for all the
renovations. The Senate’s
plan will allow each school
to keep its fees to pay for
its own renovations or new
buildings.
In other words, if the
House budget is ultimately
accepted, ECTC students
will in effect pay for a $22
million classroom building
in eastern Kentucky they’ll
never set foot in. If the Senate budget is ultimately approved, money from ECTC
students will go only to
ECTC renovations.
This distinction is even
more critical when considering the disparity among
the projects for each campus. For example, renovating ECTC’s James S. Owen
building is the lowest cost
of the projects at $1 million, whereas Maysville
Community and Technical
College has a $28 million
postsecondary education
center planned. Why should
ECTC students have to pay
for renovations or building
projects at other KCTCS
campuses when our renovation will cost the least?
The answer is simple:
let ECTC students pay for
ECTC renovations and
MCTC students pay for
MCTC renovations.
A campus forum about
the fee sponsored by the
Student Government Association and the American
Federation of Teachers
Union March 13 bore that
theme out.
Some students and faculty said there should not
be any fee at all. They said
ECTC students already
have budgets stretched to
the max, and an average
$96-a-semester fee could
keep them from attending
college.
Many said there should
only be a fee if the money
they pay is going to be used
on the campus they attend,
and, when that money is
raised, the fee should end.
Other students said that
if a fee has to be enacted,
then it should be used to
upgrade the equipment on
campus. They suggested
purchasing better desks and
chairs or faster computers and Internet speeds for
those with laptops.
Makayla Ballman and
Andrew Critchelow both are
students is Suzanne
Darland’s journalism course.
News Page 6
April 7, 2014
April 7, 2014
News Page 7
Students, faculty share common background
Students and teachers that moved to the U.S. face different difficulties during their transition to the American culture
Students overcome language
barriers to obtain college degrees
By SARAH CASTILLO
Moreno uses life
experiences to teach
Spanish courses
Staff Writer
By SARAH CASTILLO
Students overcome language
barriers to obtain college degrees
Students face many challenges in
college classes. Foreign students face
even more obstacles when English
is their second language.
Elizabethtown Community
and Technical College is home to
many students, including foreign
students. Haydee Amulong moved
to America from the Phillippines
in 1994. Her native language is
Tagalog. “After being here almost
20 years my accent remains. I don’t
know if it’s because we speak Tagalog in our house more than English
or not. Going to school in the U.S.
makes it more difficult for me,” said
Amulong. When first moving here,
Amulog referred to the bathroom
as a “comfort room” because of
the direct translation. “It is hard
to be in a different country, but it
takes courage and perseverance
to achieve success,” said Amulog,
“Thanks to most of my professors
and classmates I got a lot of help to
achieve my goals.”
Inna Bezhenar is a native of
Staff Writer
SARAH CASTILLO/The Street
Inna Bezhenar and Haydee Amulong work on some Spanish homework
before their Spanish 101 class.
Ukraine. Her native languages are
Ukranian and Russian. She moved
to the United States with her family
in 2009. Bezhenar began learning
basic English in 2006, but focused
more on learning it in 2008. “College is by far the most challenging
part of my experience as a foreign
student,” said Bezhenar, “If it is
difficult for a native speaker, I can
guarantee it is much harder for
non-natives.”
Both students continue to master
the English language while also taking Spanish 101 at ECTC.
Sarah Castillo can be reached at
[email protected].
Some areas of study require a foreign language class.
Alberto Moreno, Associate
Professor of Spanish, helps
students learn his native language.
Originally from Managua,
Nicaragua, Moreno first came
to the United States in 1995.
He attended the University
of Louisville on a Fulbright
scholarship-a prestigious, competitive scholarship that for
foreign students allows them
to study in the U.S. After
finishing a bachelor’s degree
in 1997, Moreno went home
to Nicaragua. In 1999 he returned to the U.S. to complete
his Master’s degree. After
graduating from U of L in
2001 Moreno decided to stay
in the U.S.
Leaving his home country
to stay in the U.S and become
a citizen was not easy, but
Moreno decided it was best
for him. “For first generation
immigrants it’s really hard. I
have no family here. My son
is growing up without any extended family,” said Moreno.
Moreno applied to ECTC
in 2001 after he graduated.
He not only wanted to help
students learn the Spanish
language, but grasp an understanding of the culture as well.
“Spanish isn’t going anywhere.
You will have more and more
Latinos becoming U.S. citizens,” said Moreno.
Teaching a foreign language
requires adapting and meeting students where they are.
ECTC has traditional and
non-traditional students,
so some students may have
recently taken a foreign language in high school or have
been out of high school for
years and are learning a new
language for the first time.
With Moreno’s Spanish classes, no two are alike. “You have
to be flexible,” said Moreno,
“and know your audience.”
Sarah Castillo can be reached at
[email protected].
Learn on Demand helps busy students succeed
By MATTY SHEEHY
Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: The
story is being reprinted
in its entirty, excluding a
quote from Ramona Barrow, because the story in
the March 3 edition of The
Street contained factual
errors.
Learn on Demand
(LOD) is a program that
can help students build
reading, writing, or math
skills. It can also help
build skills for success in
college level classes.
Even if students al-
ready have a good job,
LOD supplies the crucial
workforce training to
build on current skills or
promote new skills. It can
improve skills, jumpstart
a career, and earn a degree.
LOD is a fast, affordable way to train
for high-demand and
on-demand positions,
such as an accountant
or an educator. It is also
a semester-based online
program in which students could be receiving
an Associates of Arts, Associates of Applied Science, degrees, diplomas,
and certificates. It lets
them choose topics where
students need training,
and allows students to
learn where and when
they want to learn, so it’s
accessible and applicable
to the students’ goals.
The program provides
three to four credits each
for the classes as well.
LOD can help students choose classes to fit
around their busy day.
The full-time courses or
modules are chunked
into bite-sized classes that
focus on a single job skill
or academic topic which
can be completed within
three to eight weeks.
Students can be a
part of courses ranging
from Business Studies to
Computers and fromt
Business Administration
to Nursing.
There are six Learn
On Demand programs in
the Kentucky Community and Technical College
System. Each college
has a field of study focus.
ECTC’s focus is Business
Administration.
Students interested in
the ECTC business administration courses offered through the Learn
on Demand program
should contact business
studies coordinator, Ramona Barrow.
Matty Sheehy can be
reached at msheehy0003@
kctcs.edu.
Dive deeper into Arts
and Humanities at ECTC.
facebook.com/
ectcartsand
humanities.com
News Page 8
April 7, 2014
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