![The sophomores were recognized on the field instead of walking across the stage during their doubleheader. They received their diplomas and a picture of themselves playing during their career at Seward. [Pictured left to right are Dylan Day, Reed Thomas, Jase Schneider, Mason Martinez, Gannon Hardin, Brody Boisvert, and Zach Walker]](https://crusadernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/WEBDSC_0275-900x454.jpg)
![Marcos Montoya takes a break from working on his personal health from working at the gym. He says “That’s [the gym] my second home, basically. I’m there more than I am at my own house.”](https://crusadernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/web1UpCloseMarcos1-1200x800.jpg)
2020-21 staff three-peats All-Kansas award, places second in nation
Crusader News celebrates winning an All-Kansas award for the third year in a row.
For three years running, Crusader has won the All-Kansas two-year college news award given by the Kansas Collegiate Media association. The staff also won 30+ individual awards at the state contest.
The staff also won second place in the 2021 national Pinnacle Best Two-Year Website contest. Maria Coronado was named a national finalist in the Two-Year Reporter of the Year contest, coming home with an honorable mention. Lois Magner also claimed two honorable mentions in the national Photo Slideshow and Photo Essay contests.
The year was filled with firsts and unexpected twists. Crusader staff learned how to interview and do videos from a “social distance.” Classes were hybrid – half of the class on zoom and half in person…but if everyone is honest, it was really every on zoom. Zoom was the new way to skip class.
The abnormal year had everyone wearing masks and very few trips were taken by clubs. All of the athletic teams competed in the spring semester with condensed seasons. Despite all of this, Crusader managed to tell the stories of Seward County Community College and make some memories of their own along the way.
Click on the photos to view the full gallery from 2020-21:
Crusader News celebrates winning an All-Kansas award for the third year in a row.
Krisi Anderson interviews a nursing student for a story about vaccinations. The freshman from Liberal tried a lot of different styles of media during the year - column and news writing, podcasting and video.
Crusader staff took time out from a news coverage to participate in the event - a roller skating rink in the student union. The staff rolled around, falling and laughing, until they found the perfect interviews for their stories.
Maria Coronado celebrates her birthday during a Crusader club meeting. Students grow close throughout the semester/year on staff.
To learn how to write a review, Crusader News visited a new business in town, Nutrition Cave, to review the teas and shakes. Krisi Anderson pours out smaller portions so everyone has a chance to taste and compare.
William Swanson participates in a coach's interview with the local radio station, KSCB. Due to COVID social distancing, Swanson had to piggyback his interview.
Mary Ramirez studies her cards during a game of "Man bites dog." Students learn to write headlines in the highly competitive game.
Destiny Vasquez and Krisi Anderson hold each other up while skating in the student union. The freshmen from Liberal fell quite a bit but by the end of the party, they were wheeling around on steady feet. The roller skating event was hosted by the student government association.
Crusader staff, Destiny Vasquez and Raven Staten, lay out their cards in the game, "man bites dog." The activity helps students learn how to write headlines for stories.
Logan Scruggs and Maria Coronado direct traffic into the Saints Care event. Crusader staff spent time in the community volunteering. This event was hosted by the college and students handed out care packages.
Mary Ramirez and Destiny Vasquez construct a headline that meets a search engine key word component. The duo won the annual Crusader staff headline writing contest.
Anthony Nieto, Ulysses freshman, interviews a goblin at a Halloween event for Crusader News.
Maria Coronado tip-toes her way up to the lane in Crusaders' end of the year bowling party. It was the first "official" outing of the year as COVID restrictions began to lessen. The party was part of the Crusader final.
Jaylon Essix, freshman computer information science major, holds up his entry in the cookie decorating contest. The Crusader staff decorated cookies as part of the 2020 fall final.
Crusader staff decorate cookies as part of the 2020 fall semester final. This final is traditionally the last of the semester and a time to relax. Staff members reflect on stories from the last few months as part of the activity.
Krisi Anderson, freshman history major, shows off her ugly sweater cookie. As part of the Crusader final, staff members decorated cookies. This was Anderson's first semester on Crusader.
Crusader staff concentrate hard on decorating cookies for the 2020 fall final. Students frosted cookies and then ate their creations.
Anthony Nieto, freshman graphic design major, tries to make the "ugliest" cookie possible to win the ugly sweater contest. The activity was part of the Crusader News fall 2020 final.
A cookie decorating party quickly breaks out in a food fight among Crusader News staff. Krisi Anderson defends against Mary Ramirez depositing a glob of white gloop on her face.
Mary Ramirez hosts the Crusader News show on Instagram and Facebook. The first guest was the new SCCC president, Brad Bennett.
Crusader staff took the Trail of Terror together. Screaming together brings a team closer during the Halloween season.
Working on team projects looks a little different this semester due to social distancing. This news team project has staff spread out all over the class instead of clumped together. A shared drive and document make social distancing so much easier.
Taking one "for the team," Josh Swanson gobbles down jalapeños as part of the annual pepper eating contest. Swanson was the entrant for Crusader. He said the burning sensation was something he'd never forget.
Logan Scruggs holds a white board with question prompts for Mary Ramirez as she interviews the new Seward County Community College president. Crusader staff produced their first live news show on Facebook and Instagram.
Staff stand behind the "camera" for a live news show. Each had a job as part of the show.
Krisi Anderson, a freshman majoring in history, eats freshly made cotton candy during Crusader class.
Maria Coronado, Liberal freshman, hosted a video on the grand re-opening of the EBoutique by the PBL club. It was Coronado's first time as the talent on camera.
Mary Ramirez, sophomore reporter, completes a story structure activity during Crusader class. Teams learned to "story board" using pictures to tell a story.
Crusader Staffers photograph the process of making cotton candy. Closely after this photo was taken, the rest of the staff had the opportunity to try their favorite flavor.
The Crusader News crew made cotton candy during their class. It was part of a lesson on photography. Students learned to take photos of an activity and write cutlines.
Logan Scruggs and Krisi Anderson, Crusader staff, practice elements of putting a story in order. Their team came up with a memorable story using the inverted pyramid writing. style.
The new Crusader staff is ready to start the semester. They are "masked up" and learning to social distance as journalists. Picked are Anthony Nieto, Brooklynn Bauer, Mary Ramirez, Krisi Anderson and Jaylon Essix
The production team for a video on the grand re-opening of the college's E-Boutique make some adjustments to their plan.
Seeing a story can be hard. Crusader staff, Anthony Nieto, Brooklynn Bauer and Mary Ramirez, work as a team to put a story in order and win the class challenge.
One Crusader tradition is to make a funny video to wish everyone a "Merry Christmas" and a happy finals week. Josh Swanson, Anthony Nieto and Jaylon Essix showed off their dancing skills as they paraded around possible grades.
Mary Ramirez was a constant on the Crusader News' live broadcast stories. She normally filled the "anchor" spot. This facebook live story was about Saints Care Day.
Raven Staten and Maria Coronado taste a peanut butter cup protein shake as part of a Crusader News assignment. Neither liked the shake. They said it had too much peanut butter and protein powder.
Mary Ramirez leans in to get a close up of Krisi Anderson pouring samples of the shake into smaller cups. Crusader took a field trip to learn how to do food reviews.
Destiny Vasquez and Krisi Anderson work hard to solve the mystery from an "escape room" game in a box. They swear the clues were worthless. While everyone else in the class gave up, these two couldn't stop until the puzzle was solved.
Maria Coronado, Destiny Vasquez and Krisi Anderson solve a puzzle as part of a Crusader game night. Since the Kansas Collegiate Media conference was virtual this year, Crusader hosted a game night after the zoom meeting in an effort to recreate some of the fun normally had on the annual trip to Wichita.
Crusader staff thumb through some old LIFE magazines that someone donated. The magazines are from the landing on the moon and when JFK was shot.
Krisi Anderson, the resident history buff, got excited about some donated newspapers. These oldies captured historic events but were the news of the day when it was originally printed.
Joshn Swanson celebrates his birthday with a cupcake and a birthday hat. Crusader used anything as an excuse to have cupcakes and wear party hats this year - even "unbirthdays."
Raven Staten helps Destiny Vasquez edit a video in the Crusader lab. The two teamed up for a lot of projects together in the spring semester.
Raven Staten volunteers at the Saints Care event. Crusader staff helped the college hand out care packages to the community to show their support during a "COVID-crazy" kind of school year.
Destiny Vasquez and Mary Ramirez are normally behind the camera - video and still. The two are in the Crusader lab working most afternoons.
What's a party without food? Crusader staff dives in to pizza and wings at the bowling alley as part of their end of the year celebration.
Raven Staten picks out a bowling ball at the Crusader final's party. Staff didn't bowl all the games like normal ... they made up rules as they went, often bowling with their opposite hand or while dancing down the lane.
Brooklynn Bauer is always up to something when she gives that sly smile, even if she tries to cover it up with a thumbs up sign. Bauer spent the year shooting pictures for Crusader.
Crusader won the 2021 All-Kansas award for two year colleges. This is the third year in a row for Seward to win the honor. On the spring staff include Maria Coronado, Krisi Anderson, Destiny Vasquez, Logan Scruggs, Mary Ramirez, Brooklynn Bauer and Raven Staten. Not pictured is Josh Swanson.
