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April 2012
Rocking the vote By: Kaylinn Taggart Editor in Chief
The upcoming 2012 Presidential Election is in November. Before that happens, Republicans need to choose their candidate. The Democrats already have their candidate with incumbent President Barack Obama. The Democrats, as well as the Republicans, will need to pay attention to the Republican Primary so that they will also know who will be running against Obama, and what issues are at hand. This pertains to every student in Thomas Jefferson High School, even if they cannot vote. Students can still learn about the candidates and what their viewpoints are for future reference. They can also use this knowledge to inform other people of candidates views and/or motives. “People who don’t vote get left out of the political process. The government pays attention to people who are older because they pay attention. People who
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Basketball coach Nicole Vetter resigns
By: Brooklyn Holder Reporter
After 16 years of coaching the Thomas Jefferson’s girls basketball team, head coach Nicole Vetter is resigning. “I had wanted to spend more time with my kids during the summer. I have a cabin in Okoboji that I want to visit when I want to. It’s hard to do what you want, when you want, when basketball requires all your time and attention,” explained Vetter. The announcement came during the Winter Sports Banquet and Awards night. Her team is devastated about her resignation. “It is upsetting to see her go, but we all understand. We know she had a hard time making this decision. Her family needs her. She spent a lot of days away from them, and she decided that enough was enough,” said sophomore Alicia Beckman. Everyone seems nervous about finding a new coach for the girls’ basketball team. They are hoping things go smoothly.
Students place in writing contest
By: Allie Townsend Reporter Thomas Jefferson High School we had two students senior, Angel McGuire and junior, Kaylinn Taggart submit short stories and poems to the Midlands of Iowa Reading Association. Only on His Strength Can you Overcome was a poem that Taggart won first place; and she also received second for her creative writing piece, De’j’a vu. She placed with two of the three pieces she submitted in the 11th grade division. Only on His Strength Can You Overcome is about how when people are in need, they turn to God. Taggart’s piece, De’j’a vu, is about a teen named Ashley Smilt who was in a car accident causing her to have fatal memory loss. She goes home for the holidays, and forgets where she is, ending up in trouble. “I was sitting in my car and opened the letter. I started scream-
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ing and was jumping around,” Taggart explained about when she found out about the contest. McGuire also submitted a poem, Daddy’s Love. She placed first in the 12th grade division for the work. “This is her third year in a row winning [poetry],” Gillespie explained. These two students both “were judged on grammar, punctuation, and spelling as well as their content,” said, reading teacher, Mrs. Patricia Gillespie. “Both Kaylinn and Angel will be honored at the Midlands of Iowa Reading Council’s writing celebration on May 1st at West Elementary School in Glenwood,” said Gillespie. McGuire won at the state level, therefore she has the opportunity to attend a state conference in Ames, Iowa on June 27th. There will be well-known authors at this celebration as well. McGuire could not be reached for an interview about her short story.
New bleachers for CB stadium By: Dylan Heyer Reporter
Photo of Coach Vetter and senior Alison Arnold. Photo by Aaron Mefferd.
“I am a little worried about finding a new coach. Changing the routine is always difficult and adjusting to a new coach is always tricky,” explained fellow sophomore Samantha Arnold. Vetter shares her concern, “I want them to find someone who cares about them, not as a team, but individually, and not just the game. It is more than just winning and losing.” Being surprised by Vetter’s decision, the girls know she will still be there to cheer them on. “Of course I will still be
there for the games. How do you do something for so long and then just quit?” said Vetter. She told the girls to never quit or give up, and that she loved their effort throughout the season. They agreed that Vetter would always be apart of girls basketball. “We love you Vetter and you will always be apart of our team,” said Arnold. T.J. assistant coach, and teacher, Mrs. Kelly Duffek is also stepping down from coaching at the end of this year. She, also wants to spend more time with her family.
The School Board has decided to renovate the Council Bluffs Stadium’s bleachers. This was needed because the bleachers were hazardous for the fans sitting in them. The overall cost is $686,000 that will come from a fund just for building and construction. The new bleachers are expected to have 2000 seats and be handicapped accessible. The renovations should begin soon and should be completed by next fall. This is the start of several rounds of renovations. “These renovations are way overdue. It’s great we are moving forward.” Thomas Jefferson High School Principal, Mrs. Lisa Dale said. With new bleachers for the CB Stadium it should be a great football season for the fans next fall.
Supreme Court Justice speaks at T.J. By: Kara Bussing Contributor David S. Wiggins took the time to come to Thomas Jefferson High School on Thursday March 8th and tell a few students about his job as a Supreme Court Justice. Wiggins had been a lawyer for 27 years before being elected as a Justice. As most, he had not planned to go into law, but after graduating from University of Illinois in Chicago he made the choice to go to Drake University in Des Moines for law. “You cannot always plan your life, because there is always ‘Ys’ in the road,” Wiggins pointed out to the juniors and seniors that attended. “They always say that making laws in the legislature is like making sausage. You don’t want to see how it’s made, but it the end it is very good,” Wiggins said. The legislative branch and executive branch make laws in which the judiciary branch abides by in the court system. The judiciary branch is the only branch that there is no election to determine who is a part of the branch. When there is a spot open, lawyers apply to the merits, which then send three names to the Governor who has thirty days to make a choice or the head merits makes the decision. Luckily, there is a possibil-
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Photo of Supreme Court Justics, David S. Wiggins speaking in front of T.J. students. Taken by Kara Bussing
ity of a retention election, where there is a judge who is not capable of his duties. “Iowa has the fourth best judicial system for having fair and impartial judges,” Wiggins explained. Senior Kyle McGlade’s pointed out that, “Legislatures make the law, but the justices interpret them.” The job of the Supreme Court is to follow these laws, no matter how badly one would like to let their opinions interfere with the decision. Their jobs are to protect the minorities against the majority, whether that is gender, race, age, or class. Also, the Supreme Court Justices make sure that the legislature does not pass a law that will go against the Constitution. One of the issues that Wiggins talked about was gay marriage and the difference between a religious
marriage and a civil marriage. Basically, when it is legalized that gay couples can be married; it is a committed relationship with the same benefits as marriage. This happens when not allowing gay couples to be married is determined unconstitutional. “Once no same sex marriage is unconstitutional, you cannot change the law back,” Wiggins said about the issue of same sex marriage in the court. Justice Wiggins helped the students at Thomas Jefferson understand the Supreme Court a little more in depth than you could ever really talk about in a classroom. Hearing someone in a profession is very interesting and Wiggins came to answer student and faculty questions as best as he could in order for them to understand the Supreme Court more.