Jan. 2015
Volume 90
Issue 5
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Kermoade Conquers Injury Megan Carroll Reporter
“I was not going to play in the game, but I did not want to let down my team. So the trainer took me into the locker room and taped me up, and I warmed up and went into playing the second quarter.”
With the many adjustments that senior year brings, Devon Kermoade has encountered one of the most drastic changes involving his recent sport injury. Looking back during the football season, Kermoade experienced his incident during a pre-game practice. At one point throughout their drills, Kermoade’s foot was planted just as his former teammate, Isaac Hansen, made contact with his leg. A few plays into the game, Kermoade attempted to block an opposing player, Devon Kermoade where again he planted his foot, which caused his leg to twist and tear his Devon’s incident was an ACL, MCL, LCL, PCL, and accident and has occurred meniscus is his right knee. fairly often with other
Council Bluffs athletes. About eight other people between TJ, Abraham Lincoln, Lewis Central, and Saint Albert have also torn their ACL. Due to Kermoade’s injury, not only did it affect his football season, but other various activities as well. “It has affected me and my sports because I was not allowed to finish my football season, wrestle, cheer, or do show choir,” said Kermoade. With his huge involvement at TJ, the school experiences the loss of a committed player. Not only does his injury have a physical recovery time, but also a mental and emotional one.
Devon Kermoade photo. Courtesy of Thomas Jefferson Yearbook
With physical therapy three times a week, Devon recently has been through a meniscus reconstruction surgery. Kermoade is conquering his injury by participating in show choir and
TJ senior wins full-ride scholarship Derrick Johnson Editor-in-Chief Kyla Kern just received one of the biggest wishes a high school senior could ever have: a full-ride scholarship to Waldorf College that will eventually help her fulfill her goals in biomechanical engineering. “It’s important to apply to as many scholarships as possible,” said Kern.
“Our city is filled with a bunch of blue collar workers, and trying to put your kids through college is a hard job.” Kyla Kern
It all started when Kyla came across a flyer in the mail for the Chantell Cooley Leadership Scholarship for Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and decided to apply for it. Little did she know that it would be a life changing decision. Waldorf is a “for-profit” school which means the institution makes money from the students they enroll. Because of this, the fact that Kyla was given $80,000 by them is even more rare and special. Out of the large amount that applied, only a total of 12 girls, all from the midwest region, received the Chantell Cooley Scholarship. On January 13th, the 12 girls got to go to Waldorf to meet Chantell Cooley as well as tour the campus in Forest City, IA. “They’re [the school] is
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cheer, and hopefully the upcoming track season. With camps and other football activities on the horizon, Kermoade is focusing on recovery and planning to walk on to Iowa State University football.
Snoball Masquerade theme
Photo provided byWaldorf College,.Third from the left: Kyla Kern
incredibly small, you can get to know your professor on a personal level,” said Kern. “They’re much like our school.” Kyla seemed to really enjoy the college’s atmosphere and the environment that it offered. “When I was there, I bought a pair of Waldorf sweatpants that have “Waldorf College” on the leg, but since I’m short, all it says is ‘Waldorf Colleg.’” Because of her leadership potential and interest in the STEM field, Waldorf seems
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like it will be a great college choice for Kyla. Now, TJ will be able to add a Waldorf banner to the scholarship wall in the commons. This just goes to show that dedication and persistence can bring great fortune your way. Kyla’s $80,000 scholarship adds to the already growing number of $1.5 million TJ students have earned in scholarships this year.
WhoTJ students; unless previously signed up WhereTJ Commons WhenSaturday, Feb. 7th 7pm-10pm Cost$5 @ main office $8 @ the door
ENTERTAINMENT
Words of wisdom teeth Hannah-Grace Northam Reporter On December 17th, I went through the easy and painless experience of getting my wisdom teeth cut out. Earlier that day, before I went in, I was terrified. I had the irrational fear that the anesthesia would not work and that I would be aware and feel everything, while not being able to tell the doctors that I was in pain. Thankfully, that did not happen. When I arrived at Jenny Edmundson Hospital and walked into the oral surgeon’s office, I was brought into the back to take an x-ray and then told to wait in the waiting room.
After waiting for about ten minutes, my name was called and I was brought into the actual room where I would have the extraction done. They had me take off my jacket, and put a blanket over me. I’m still not sure as to why I needed a blanket, but there it was. They stuck an oxygen tube in my nose and an I.V. in my arm where they injected the anesthesia into it. I’ve heard from friends that they tell you to count backwards from 100 but, they didn’t do that with me. They just basically stood around me and waited. The weirdest thing that happened during the surgery was when I was waiting for the anesthesia to
Movie review: Mockingjay Part 1 Alejandro Vieyra Reporter
The highly anticipated blockbuster film, Mockingjay, movie three of The Hunger Games, is now here. With all the people that desperately wanted to see this movie, I finally got the chance. The movie is based off the third and final book of The Hunger Games series written by Suzanne Collins. After Katniss Everdeen escaped from the 75th annual Hunger Games she is now hiding out in District 13, which was
assumed to be vacant. Katniss has set many priorities for herself, one being to get back her pretend boyfriend, Peeta Mellark, who was kidnapped by the evil ruler, President Snow. Her other big priority is to spark the uprising in the districts to try and overtake the powerhouse of Panem, known as “The Capitol.” Jennifer Lawrence who plays Katniss, gave an amazing performance in this role; keeping Katniss’ persona of quiet and caring on the outside but a warrior
kick in. I was staring at the machine that monitored my vitals and heart rate and I’m pretty sure that I fell asleep with my eyes open. I have never done that before in my entire life. Once I woke up, my face and lips were numb and I had gauze in my mouth. My jacket was back on and the blanket and I.V. were gone. The doctor and nurses told me that the surgery only took about half an hour and that I was lucky because I had it easy because since my wisdom teeth were right at the surface, they didn’t have to cut deep. Also, the anesthesia wore off about an hour later and I didn’t even feel tired or have any of the usual side effects. Throughout the day, I at heart. There was not much of Josh Hutcherson who played Peeta. There was only a select group of scenes with him not lasting more than a few minutes. There was a new actor I did not recognize Mahershala Ali, who played Boggs was a very important character that plays a big role in the book. The character acted as Katniss’ personal bodyguard. Ali did a very believable job as this role With their A-list cast, there was few things that did bother me about this movie. One is a character, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) who was seen throughout the whole movie. This was not the case in the book, she did not play a part until towards the end of the book. Another flaw I noticed in the first 10-15 minutes of the movie may have helped the audience understand the past. But what bothered me was that those first minutes did not take place in the book. Although I was highly excited for this movie and enjoyed it, I would only give it 3 out of 5 Buzzes. The movie was actionpacked and exciting, but I felt this movie was worse than the other two movies. I will be attending the second part of Mockingjay, but I am hoping for a better recreation of the book.
Mockingjay Part 1 poster
Hannah-Grace post surgery. Photo by HannahGrace Northam
laid in bed and watched Netflix. I was prescribed an antibiotic that I was supposed to take four times daily and Ultram for pain, which I was supposed to take anywhere from 4-6 hours as needed. I did not have much pain actually, my bottom jaw was the only part of my mouth that was sore and it was not even that bad. I kept gauze in all day and all night, but other
than that it wasn’t such a bad experience after all. My face was not swollen and I could eat soft foods and drink water without a problem. Honestly, I just freaked myself out when it was not necessary. If you ever have your wisdom teeth out, my advice would be to not freak yourself out because you are probably going to make it seem worse than it actually is.
Game Review: CN Anything Angela Gardner Paginator
At the end of last year, a new game called Cartoon Network Anything came out, and it really is just anything Cartoon Network. I believe this game will be very popular as it explores the world of CN and goes in depth with the characters, even having games where you match characters to the houses they live in. This game is mini game after mini game about almost every show currently on CN. You get goals and one word instructions for a game, then about 20 seconds to complete it. Hopefully you fulfill the request or your
favorite characters get sad. It also has clips, called “watch” that sometimes mix characters from all the shows. These clips are made from the writers putting them in specific scenes. All the mini games include, vote, surf, find, shoot, reveal, toss, deflect, break, drop, match, quiz, “lol,” and watch. This game can keep you busy for hours, as it seems like every mini game is just a bit different. I would give this game 4 out of five buzzes. If you want to know more, you can download this game in the Apple or Android markets for no cost at all.
Screenshots of the CN Anything game
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NEWS
From left to right- Ashlee McDowell, Megan Burgess, Claudia Hernandez.
Behaving differently Ana Aguilar Reporter As teenagers, people have different ways they behave in front of their family, friends, and teachers. These changes could be perceived as being fake, even though it might simply be human nature. Behaving in front of family is something that people are already
comfortable doing due to the fact that teenagers have known their family all their lives. People have already grown used to their family and tend to do things people would not do with other people. With friends, teenagers tend to do more fun and exciting things. When having fun, teens are more
comfortable and talk more freely and casually. Their guard is usually let down. Being in school with someone eight hours a day makes a person feel a lot more comfortable around them. “I’m more relaxed and comfortable talking with my friends than with anybody else,” said Megan
Basketball Games Burgess, a junior at TJ. At school, teenagers may talk more formally around teachers. They may try to be as polite as they can and act mature around them to set an example of good behavior. In no way does that make them fake. However there are teenagers that are not comfortable around or talking with their teachers at all. To Burgess, it “depends” because she does feel uncomfortable with teachers she is not close to. Behaving differently with certain people may seem as a bad thing to do because of people thinking that they are not being their true self to everyone. However, It just shows that people learn to manipulate their behaviour according to the situation. Humans want to impress people whether it is personally or professionally and sometimes that means appearing to be someone else. But remember that being yourself is always the best choice.
Varsity Boys Basketball Jan. 9th-10th @ Nebraska City Lourdes Jan. 13th vs. Sioux City North Jan. 16th vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton Jan. 19th @ Lewis Central Jan. 23rd vs. Abraham Lincoln Jan. 24th @ Sioux City North Jan. 27th vs. Sioux City West Varsity Girls Basketball Jan. 9th-10th @ Nebraska City Lourdes Jan. 13th vs. Sioux City North Jan. 16th vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton Jan. 19th @ Lewis Central Jan. 23rd vs. Abraham Lincoln Jan. 24th @ Sioux City North Jan. 27th vs. Sioux City West Jan. 29th vs. Underwood
THE SIGNAL
February ACT
Copy Editors Alejandro Vieyra
Even though the registration deadline just passed, if you are planning on taking the February ACT, here are a few tips that can help you get a good score:
Editor-in-Chief Derrick Johnson
Paginator Angela Gardner
-Take timed practice tests. It’s nice to be ready for the time restraints when they come on test day.
Web Content Hannah-Grace Northam Staff Ana Aguilar Morgan Barth Megan Carroll Michael Hiers Dylan Montgomery Kaylinn Skillit Taylor Stanfill Morgan Wooton Adviser Rob Lindquist Phone: 712-328-6493 Facebook: CBJacketJournalism Twitter:@TJHSJournalism Web: cbjacketjournalism.com
The Signal is a school-sponsored publication of Thomas Jefferson High School 2501 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501. The Signal’s office is located in room C128. The Signal is printed by OH-K FASTPRINT in Omaha, NE. The Signal is a school-sponsored-publication and therefore recognizes its responsibility to stay within the boundaries that the school administrator sets. The Signal will therefore inform its readers using a high standard of morals and ethics. The Signal encourages readers to respond in the form of letters to the editor, which can be sent to room C128. The Signal’s editorial staff reserves the right to edit the letters for grammatical errors and to remove any profanity. The editors also reserve the right to exclude letters that are false in their statements or accusations. The Signal will not accept advertisements that promote activities illegal to minors. Advertising rates are available upon request.
-Eat a good breakfast. One that will keep you full, but without a lot of sugar. -Visit websites such as actstudent.org and also take a look a John Baylor’s Test Prep. Graphic by Jamie Watts
-Expect to be exhausted from the test. It’s a lot more difficult than many believe it to be.
One side or another Morgan Barth Reporter In many situations somebody would have to listen to both sides of a story before stating their opinion; this is called being objective. There have been many fights that have occurred at TJ. Either an administrator, teacher, or officer has had to listen to both sides. This could even include listening to witnesses before making
-Sleep. It’s important to get a good night’s rest
a conclusion. “I believe in innocent until proven guilty,” Dr. Plourde said. He even says that he is objective outside of school. It does not matter where you go you always end up being in a situation where you are either being objective or subjective. Sometimes teachers, administrators, and principals do not know where to turn, so they use
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their resources. If they can not tell who is lying or telling the truth, they go further into the situation. “We always have resources that we can rely on before making a decision. Listening to facts and witnesses, we watch what the camera had caught, and watch for patterns.” Dr. Plourde also reminded us that he does not pay attention to the
emotion when he is stuck in a situation that is two sided. “Being in the administrating job for 10 years with thousands of interviews and problems, you learn to trust your gut.” When being objective people have to keep an open mind, and when making your decision, it is inevitable that you are either going to help or hurt one or the other.
Hello
Taylor Stanfill Reporter
2015!
2014 was filled with all types of newsworthy events, from world epidemics, to pop culture crazes. Now that 2015 is officially underway, it’s time for everyone to look back and reminisce all of the important things that happened last year. 2014 was a huge year in the media market. Movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent, Frozen and Transformers: Age of Extinction all premiered and brought in the big bucks with their ticket sales. Musicians Ed Sheeran, Pharrell Williams, and Taylor Swift not only made some catchy hits, but millions of dollars for their bank accounts. Also last year we faced our fair share of crazy world events. The Ebola virus caused a huge scare along with the
Full Metal Jackets doing it big Derrick Johnson Editor-in-Chief
Even though it has only been around for two years, TJ’s Robotics Club is quickly making a name for itself. On December 13th, the club won their competition in Omaha North and recieved the “Tournament Champions” award. The Jackets went up against 80 other teams to win the trophy. “I enjoyed winning the competition,” said junior Seth Arthur. “I enjoyed being able to support my school.” Mrs. Denise Hoag, the Co-Coach of the team is really proud of the way the team is growing. “This is only our second
year and we’ve already qualified for Nationals, and I think that’s incredible,” said Hoag. “We would love to see it grow. We are looking for more funding and more room.” Also, the Full Metal Jackets brought home first and second places from their Mason City competition on January 9th.
Islamic terrorist group, ISIS and the Ferguson riots. On the other hand, there were positive things such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge which raised tons of money for awareness. Social media also had a lot of new hits in 2014. Vine became a very well known and popular website that has millions of people on it. Twitter, as well, has become even bigger when things like “the starter pack” and “Alex from target” were introduced. “My favorite thing of
TECH In the club, members get to build, code and control robots. Junior Ernie Rodriguez really recommends joining because “it’s more intense than people think it is, and it takes a lot of thinking, strategy, and execution”. Robotics not only teaches students extended engineering and programming abilities, but gives them a fun and competitive way to showcase those abilities.
Fake photo of Iggy Azalea became a viral hit
2014 was the picture of Iggy Azalea flying across the cafeteria even though it was a trash can,” said junior Morgan Wooton.
Just like January, the new year brings new opportunites. 2015 should be amazing.
Just some guys Make sure to check out TJ’s new podcast, Some Guys and Some Topics, where Tyler Hawkins and Dylan Montgomery give their point of view of some of the wackiest news stories. Find their podcasts on iTunes (someguysandsometopics) or Podbean (someguysandtopics.podbean.com.) today and continue to look for more as they are released. Follow them on twitter @guysandtopics
Tyler Hawkins and Dylan Montgomery Photo by Derrick Johnson
TJ Robotics team holding their trophies. Photo Courtesy by Christy Arthur
Winter sports Varsity Bowling Jan. 15th @ Rush Lanes Jan. 16th @ Lightning Bowl Jan. 22nd @ Thunderbowl Jan. 26th @ Shenandoah Jan. 31st @ Sweet 16 Lanes/Le Mars
3505 Metro Drive, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 (712) 256-7701
Varsity Boys Swimming Jan. 10th @ Johnston Summit Pool Jan. 17th @ Ralston High Jan. 20th @ Kirn Jr. High Swimming Pool Jan. 24th @ Lewis Central Pool Jan. 27th @ Lewis Central Pool Varsity Wrestling Jan. 10th @ Winterset Jan. 17th @ Underwood Jan. 20th @ Thomas Jefferson Jan. 24th @ Urbandale Jan. 29th @ Sioux City West
2700 College Road, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 (712) 325-3200 Page 4