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May, 2012
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Come check out more of our stories and ‘like’ our Facebook page at bit.ly/TJSignal Volume 87, Issue 9
T.J. students win Infotec contests By: Kaylinn Taggart Editor in Chief Three students from Thomas Jefferson High School won the AIM Institute Youth at Infotec contest. Sophomores Hannah Reed and Josie Malone won the video contest and sophomore Anthony Rea won the app contest. “These students worked hard and were determined to do their best,” business/technology teacher, Mrs. Denise Hoag, said. “I am very proud of them and all the hours of hard work that went into these projects.” The video competition requirements had to be a minute or less in length and include technology use in students’ everyday lives. It had to have a beginning, middle, and end and submitted by uploading the video onto Youtube.
By: Allie Townsend Reporter Which would you rather? A PC or a Macintosh? I, personally, go for a PC. A PC is a computer that is anything other than an Apple based product such as the Macbooks or the Mac’s themselves. Here at Thomas Jefferson High School, we use PCs (or personal computers). Take a look around, in the library there is a computer lab set up just for the students. In the English and Social Studies classrooms they all have their own set of PC’s, specifically the Chromebooks. On a Macintosh or a Macbook, you can do different sorts of editing for the art and music industries. Apple provides the software such as Photoshop, iMovie, Bridge, Photobooth, and Garage Band. On a regular HP laptop, they generally supply you with Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel, Powerpoint, and
“I learned a lot of different skills that I didn’t know how to do before like sound and editing,” Malone said. Malone and Reed both won an Ipod Touch and Rea won a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. These students were new to the Infotec experience and had different things they enjoyed about the process. “I liked learning how to make a video,” Reed said. “I was also excited about the competition.” Rea, who was in a different category of the competition, had different things to learn. “I learned that there was a lot more to do for things on Android programming,” he said. The app was required to be developed using an Android OS, Apple iOS 4, or a HTML5. The
Photo of Infotec winners, Hannah Reed (left), Josie Malone (middle), and Anthony Rea (right). Photo by Allie Townsend.
app needed to be able to help people search and find information about colleges and universities in Nebraska and Iowa. “The most memorable about it was the day before it was
PC vs. Mac
Access. These programs can help you with business related work. If you happened to be using a Chromebook or a Netbook, though, you are using an internet based laptop. This means that it only really can be used when internet is provided. On a Chromebook, once you sign in, you have the option to go to your Google Documents, Sites, Mail and Groups. On top of that idea, you have other Google Applications that you can use such as Scratch Pad, Box.Net, or even Offisync. This is important because it makes using a PCs more accessible and easier for consumers. Using the Scratch Pad, you are able to write down any kind of notes that you need.
By: Kaylinn Taggart Editor in Chief
The original Macintosh computers have been available in stores since the 1980’s. Since then, the Apple company has made great strides in creating more efficient products for commercial use. Mac software is becoming lighter and easier to travel with and they have an indistinct look that sets them apart from other computer makers. It has also is easy for people to sort through files, categorize pictures or even share photos on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. “I really like the look of the Mac computers as well as all apple products because
they all have a very sleek look to them, but over all, the Mac computers are capable of so many things, and I really like how they are user friendly,” senior Kayli Christina said. For instance, the laptops are designed to have a long life, and a battery charge lasts up to seven hours long; something that other products cannot. “The long life of a Mac can help students in high school and in college because the Mac is a pretty new product. So it has a lot of potential with new developments and the Mac products will continue to get better and better,” Christina said. Not only that, but Macs are easy to use in the classroom setting. Students are able to use many different apps to help create different projects. “For schools, I believe the Mac environment is more appropriate to allow students to create because of the ease of use of programs like iMovie and Garage Band,” Technology Coach, Mr. Devin Schoening said. To finish reading the rest of story on bit.ly/TJSignal
Things to do in the summer
Who am I?
By: Kaylinn Taggart Editor in Chief
A) I am a freshman involved in girls basketball, track, colorguard, and orchestra. I love sports and have three siblings.
due, the deadline was to have one hundred-twenty colleges and universities done. I had six hours left to finish it and ended up actually having one hundredfifty three,” Rea explained.
B) I am a senior involved in rugby and football. I am an only child and work on wind turbines. In my free time I like to ride dirt bikes. Answers on Page 2.
School’s out for summer! -Well, not quite. The end of the year is winding down to its final days, and many students are anxiously waiting for when that final bell rings. There are some things to keep in mind though, summer is not just about sitting on the couch playing video games or watching television shows. It is a time to get out of the house, hang out with friends,
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and go other places that the school year usually limits. “I think it is important for students to stay active during the summer because it keeps both your mind and body fit and you get in less trouble,” junior Katie Adams said. Many school-related activities are available throughout the summer. Some of these are summer sports, marching band, lift-
To finish reading story see Summer activities on page 2.
A teacher who gives his all
By: Allie Townsend Reporter At the beginning of the Thomas Jefferson High School school year, we said hello to a few new teachers, but as the year comes to a sudden stop, we have a couple teachers who are leaving our school. Before Mr. Al Hudek came into the teaching field, he wanted to become a farmer. When Hudek was in junior high school, his father took him aside, and told him: “School is pretty easy for you, so you can’t stay on the farm, you have to go to college.” Of course, this upset Hudek, he thought ever since he was little that he was going to take care of the farm one day, and the thought of actually studying was not fun at all. In high school, Hudek was quite the athlete. He was on varsity football, baseball, track, and basketball. “I loved doing sports so much, I never really discovered girls until I went into college,” Hudek explained. His grades were pretty good as a student, he managed to maintain an A/B average. When Hudek finally went off to college, he attended Iowa State University for his B.S. in Math, University of Colorado for his M.S. in Math,and University of South Dakota for his Ed. D.. For his Talented and Gifted (TAG) training, he attended University of Connecticut, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa. “Even though I’m old, I’ve been going to school my whole life,” joked Hudek after he explained all of the Universities he has attended. 54 years later, he fell in love with helping students become more than what they showed to be. Hudek has been teaching here at TJHS for the past 29 years. “My passion is to help kids get the kind of training that they need to be happy and earn a living. A high school education will not do,” explained Hudek. After Hudek retires, he plans on flying when the prices are low to where his children live and visit them for a while. As the year comes to an end, and Hudek’s leave comes closer, he will never actually leave TJHS. He will always be a fan of the sports and academics that go on inside the building. “It will be hard to adjust to life away from the wonderful students and the great teachers and administrators at T.J.,” said Hudek. Mrs. Trudy Stevens and Mrs. Sharon Jaznowski are also retiring this year. We were not able to get an interview with them, but be sure that if you see them in the hallways to wish them a good send off.