Nov. 2015
Volume 91
Issue 2
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Iowa Superintendent of the Year
Or follow us on twitter @TJHSJournalism
Adriana Ibarra Reporter
After being superintendent for over eight years, Martha Bruckner was named Iowa Superintendent of the Year. On October 29th, there was a reception at TJ honoring Bruckner and her accomplishment. “It is the consistent work of so many people who are working very hard to make our school district and our community the best it can be,” said Bruckner. “I love the chance to represent all those people and to let others in Iowa know about our great work.” Dr. Bruckner has a double major in English and Speech. After she graduated with her majors, she returned to UNO to receive her master’s degree. “I have been in education for over 40 years, having the opportunity to work as a high school teacher, assistant principal, principal, school board member, university professor, associate superintendent, and now a superintendent. It seems that they all might have prepared me for this wonderful job I now have in Council Bluffs Schools.” When Bruckner went into her first meeting, she was told that there was not much she could do as a superintendent,
Superintendent Dr. Martha Bruckner talking with sophomore Scott Foote in a classroom. Photo by Elise Willits.
because students enrollments were being declined. Brucker felt the need to do something about the situation. Being a leader, Bruckner knew she could not give up, that is why she approached the problem with her “yes we can” catch phrase. “I have had great mentors including professors and colleagues, who have helped me realize that education is a wonderful way to have an impact on the world we live in,” said Bruckner. Affecting students lives is what made Bruckner come into the teaching business. She cares for the students so much that she feels accomplished and happy every time that they learn something that has come from her.
“I have enjoyed working with students and working to support students. That’s really the reason most educators get into the business. I have had a great opportunity to work with lots of other adults who also care very much for students. We get our “kicks” whenever we get a sense that we’re helping students - whether individually or in groups.” Bruckner’s yes-we-can statement has led to more enrollments in the Council Bluffs School District since 2007. Throughout these years, the school administrators of Iowa organization has seen Dr. Bruckner’s work and were very impressed, thus being the reason she was named 2015-16 superintendent of the year.
Didn’t see the signs Morgan Barth Reporter
CBCSD Chief Technology Officer David Fringer with Wilson students. Photo by Derrick Johnson.
Derrick Johnson Editor-in-Chief
After many months, BLink is officially out to the public. The Council Bluffs Area Wi-Fi Consortium announced their plan to implement the first phase of Bluffs Community Wi-Fi on Thursday, October 15th. “The goal of BLink is to bring as much free Wi-Fi to the public as possible,” said Council Bluffs Community Schools Chief Technology Officer Dave Fringer. “This is not the first Wi-Fi plan
in Council Bluffs, but it’s going to be the biggest. The whole community is our classroom.” The community was really committed to getting the project underway. Some of the biggest supporters were Pete Tulipana and the Iowa West Foundation, as well as Google and the Charles E. Lakin Family Foundation. Their donations were some of the largest contributors toward the grand total which happened to be around $3,000,000.
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Thomas Jefferson is the only school in Council Bluffs to have not school zone signs, and this is a safety issue, because drivers would be able to drive dangerously without increased punishment. At most schools, there is a 15 or 25 mph speed limit sign that usually sits on corners, or somewhere in front of the school. The yellow lights on the sign flash during school hours, so drivers are fully aware that school is in session. Those who are caught speeding will be given a fine that holds $250 for each traffic violation and an additional $500 for each offense. “If there is no “School Zone” sign designated, then it would just be a regular speeding ticket,” said Wilson Middle School Student Resource Officer (SRO) Chris Hite.
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Graphic made by Michael Hiers.
Thomas Jefferson sits on Broadway, one of the busiest streets in the city. The red light cameras on Broadway are suppose to reduce speeding and accidents, by reminding drivers that they would face a ticket if they run a red light. But even with the cameras officers aren’t able to catch everyone who speeds around the school. “For it to be an official zone, it must be marked
as such,” said Officer Hite. “Unfortunately, no sign, no higher fine.” Before any renovations had occurred at TJ, there was a crosswalk that would safely let students and pedestrians walk across the street. “I believe that the cross walk was eliminated because students were walking across the street, at or near the crosswalk without waiting for a green Continued on page 3
Rowdy Ronda Morgan Barth Reporter Undefeated UFC bantamweight, Ronda Rousey, is starring as the new security guard in a Patrick Swayze reboot film, Roadhouse. MGM will be meeting with writers for the script, and it should be decided by 2016. Rousey didn’t want to come off rude and take over one of her ‘favorite actor’s’ roles. Especially a movie that many people loved, and praised. She turned to Patrick Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, to ask for her blessing in playing the role, which Niemi kindly gave. On twitter Rousey had
posted“It is a great honor to play a part in celebrating the life of a man that inspired so many, I couldn’t be more grateful to have this opportunity to play the respect to the beloved Patrick Swayze. I promise to work incessantly to make sure this project is a tribute his family and fans would be proud of.” As some may know, Patrick Swayze had passed away September 14, 2009 at age 57 from Pancreatic cancer, and people were not too fond that Ronda Rousey was going to recreate Swayze’s role. Even though Rousey said so herself that will be the thing that she is
Books Disappear Ana Aguilar Copy Editor
Nowadays, technology can be found all around the school, especially with students. Which is why anytime they have free time while in class the first thing they do is take out their phones, and that is why books are forgotten. Before, when technology was not as popular and evolved as today, students with free time would always have a book by their side to read as entertainment. However, today it is not as common for students to read books as a hobby anymore but instead use their phone whenever they can.
Also, now many books are going digital which is contributing to the death of the library. One of the things that students reply back to when asked why they do not read anymore is because of not having enough time during the day. However (as Cheyanne Kuiper a senior in TJ) there are people that do like to read paperback books for entertainment. Taking time to read during the day can affect people’s lives positively, according to a study done at Oxford University found that reading enhances the likelihood that a teen will go on to study for a degree at university. The school has also found a link between
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Ronda Rousey in her appearance in the movie “Entourage”. Image provided by ufc.com.
not going to do, instead she will be bringing something new to the table. Some are not sure about how this movie will play out, considering Rousey is a fighter not an actor. This wouldn’t be the first movie that Rousey has starred in, she has made appearances in “The Athena Project” with Warner Bros.
and starred in “Mile 22” a STX film. Let’s not forget “Fast and The Furious 7,” the “Entourage,” and “The Expandables.” The role that Ronda Rousey is playing will be the same as Dalton’s (Patrick Swayze), a bouncer. Yet there is more to Ronda Rousey’s Roadhouse then the original. Actors just will
not tell the audience, they just want them to watch. UFC fans around the world know Ronda Rousey is a undefeated bantamweight fighter, and can not wait to see her in action in the reboot of Roadhouse. Rousey has told fans she’s excited for the movie even though she has had negative feedback, but she had told those who had tried to bring her down‘I break arms and hearts honey, that’s what I do.’ Ronda Rousey’s mom AnnMarie De Mars had her own career in Judo and was the first U.S citizen to win female or male to win a World Judo championship in 1984. Ronda Rousey had dropped out in school but Continued on cbjacketjournalism.com
reading and career success. Furthermore, it is not only about people going to the library but one of the negative outcomes is that people’s reading levels are decreasing. This is due to people not taking time to practice and improve their reading skills. Students also have stopped challenging themselves with reading difficult books and losing their comprehensive skills and learning new vocabulary. Even though many people have stopped reading paperback books and replacing them with ebooks, there will always be those that rather pick up a book and feel the pages on their hands.
Did you know that nearly 100 million people use snapchat daily. Almost 8,796 snapchats are sent out per second in the United States? Well now TJHS Journalism has contributed to the trend. A Jacket Journalism snapchat has been made to show you all what journalists really do. In the snapchat stories we showcase many things from us working hard to us, having a laugh, or brainstorming for ideas. If you are interested and would like to see what it’s all about, check it out and add our snapchat!
No students are in the library, probably on their phones somewhere. Photo by Ana Aguilar.
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Right now, BLink will stretch west of 14th street, east of 25th street, north of Broadway, and south of the interstate. Although everyone within the parameters will have access to the Wi-Fi, BLink is a low bandwidth community WiFi that is not intended for entertainment purposes such as Netflix and online gaming. Since TJ is a 1:1 school, meaning each kid has a laptop offered to them, BLink will be very beneficial for educational aspects. Teachers use the Chromebooks almost everyday for their lessons. Sometimes students such as senior Thomas Olsen are not able to follow up with their teachings at home because they do not have Wi-Fi. “It’s hard to get homework done because most of our homework is done on computers and
Signs...
Pete Tulipana explaining the Iowa West Foundation’s role in BLink. Photo taken by Drew Cameron.
wifi, I can’t do it,” said Olsen. “I sometimes have to rush in order to get it done at school.” Superintendent Martha Bruckner is extremely excited for BLink and hopes CB schools can take learning to another level with it and can be connected to the classroom at all times. “Those students who have conductivity at home use it at home,” said Bruckner. “But we have a lot of children that come from homes where they can’t afford that, so
it for those kids it’s really wonderful that they now have connection at home.” At the moment, BLink is only on phase one, but by next fall it will have reached phase two and will include TJ in its boundaries. According to Fringer, there will be a total of 10 phases that are expected to be in finished in around five years. To find out more about BLink’s future expansion plans and how to use it, as well as a map of current coverage, visit BLinkwifi. org.
‘walk’ light,” Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh states. Officer Hite had said that it would be a great idea to put one back up. He also said that it would also help increase safety at school. The lack of signs have also caused problems for students, for example not being able to walk across the street safely. Jordyn Poole, a TJ junior, has explained that she does not like the way the rules of the
Morkchop
BLink wifi...
CONTINUED
Editor-in-Chief Derrick Johnson
Public shaming affects everybody. Here Jennefer Valle Lopez demonstrates the hardships.
Copy Editor Ana Aguilar Paginator Angela Gardner
Photo taken by Drew Cameron.
Web Content Michael Hiers
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 schoolsponsored-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.
NSPA Member Publication
Comic by Morgan Barth.
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THE SIGNAL
Staff Morgan Barth Megan Carroll Adriana Ibarra Tiana Larsen Jade Shields Courtney Jones Cami Wagaman Morgan Wooton
roads around the school are held. “I don’t feel safe when I walk across the street when there are speeding drivers,” says Poole. “There needs to be a sign.” Until signs are put up, drivers would be able to drive recklessly and ignorantly without any possible punishment, and students will continue walking across the street with a high risk of being hit.
Price of public shaming Ana Aguilar Copy Editor Posting on social media is something that people do every day, and most of them do not realize the consequences that could lead from them doing so. After saying something rude or inappropriate on the internet, people fail to think of the negative possibilities which are usually the outcomes. Social media contributes a lot to people internet shaming. Websites like Facebook and Twitter make it easier to spread opinions and hate about the people they know.
Sometimes, people take extreme measures and learn personal information like addresses and phone numbers in order to make people’s home and work lives even worse. Sometimes people do not realize if what they are posting is bad can accidentally cause a problem. What happens is that people think what they are posting something positive, but people end up taking it in a more negative way. For example, on August 1st, 2012, Adam Smith posted a video online of him arguing with a Chickfil-A employee because of
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their executive’s statement about gay marriage. Even after apologizing when realizing the mistake he made, his social media accounts and email were filled with hate comments and threats. Due to his personal information being released he had to move to a different city and start from scratch. Trying to forget and bury his past to stop it from haunting him for the rest of his life because of one simple mistake. For many teens using social media, this could easily happen to them. The saying “You should always think twice before posting
something online” is very wise, especially for those that post so carelessly. “What I do to avoid posting offensive things online, is not post anything that people might get mad at. “ said senior Marbella Avalos. She recommends that people start doing the same in order to avoid getting in trouble. Next time people see a bullying status or post rather than sharing it with their friends and making a big deal about, the most responsible thing to do it report it to end it there and possibly help someone’s life by simply making a few clicks.
Equality for all Cami Wagaman Reporter On June 25th, 2015 the Supreme Court of the United States made gay marriage legal nationwide, which set a lot of things in motion. Gay Rights have entered the spotlight, and now it is becoming a larger deal than it has been in the past few years. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer(LGBTQ) community
have made big headlines multiple times throughout this year, especially since former athlete and reality star Bruce Jenner began identifying himself as a female. He legally changed his name to Caitlyn Jenner and now has her very own reality TV show called I Am Cait on E! network. Ever since the transition, Caitlyn has been the center of attention for LGBTQ topics and has been spreading her opinion on
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gay marriage even though it is a controversial one. “I agree with that (samesex marriage) in some case. when the whole issue of gay marriage came up, at first, I was not for it, I’m a traditionalist. I like tradition, and it’s always been a man and a woman. I don’t ever want to come between someone and their happiness. That’s not my job. If that word -marriage- is really that important to you, I think go for it,” stated Jenner, during her appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show,
on September 9th, when DeGeneres had pointed out that most conservatives, like Jenner, are against gay rights. “Marriage is marriage and equality is equality,” DeGeneres had replied to Jenner. Although today’s society is way more accepting than it was about 20 years ago, it can still be really discouraging. Lesbian, gay, transgender and queer teens all have a higher rate of encountering violence than any other American, and are up to four times
more likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual teens. Kim Davis is also another name that might sound familiar. Kim Davis is a county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, and made international headlines after she had been jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Her reasoning for not issuing marriage is that she is under god’s authority. Continued on cbjacketjournalism.com
Getting involved Tiana Larsen Reporter
Now that the new year has started, it is time to take advantage of what TJ has to offer. TJ gives their students a variety of opportunities to get involved in things like athletics, band, fine arts, and other interesting clubs. These clubs and organizations are trying to help students come together and have fun while showing TJ pride. ASTRA ASTRA is the high school version of Altrusa International, which is a club that was started during WWII to organize charity work. ASTRA is dedicated to serving the Council Bluffs and Metro community through service projects. They do volunteer work for all kinds of organizations, such as serve meals to the homeless once a month at MOHM’S Place, or make necessary materials for those who are in need of help. If you are interested in being involved in ASTRA, email Mrs.Grachek at egrachek@ cbcsd.org or Mrs. Straub at cstraub@cbcsd. org. Another way is to go by room C125 around 3:00 to 3:30 on Wednesdays.
QUIZ BOWL Another activity to get involved in is Quiz Bowl. Quiz Bowl is a team competition that tests academic abilities of students. Practices will be held once a week and will teach students facts in various subjects in order to be prepared for competitions. To get involved or to ask any more questions, you can email Mr. Brewer at cbrewer@cbsd.org or visit B117.
Senior Photo Requirements
• Photos must be from the waist up or close up. No full body shots. • Photos must be colored. • Frame needs to be vertical. • Photos can not be selfies. • No words or year number on the • photos. • Photos may be cropped if they do not meet the space requirements • You may drop them off to Mr. Lindquist’s in room C128, or email them to rlindquist@cbcsd. org. (JPEG format works the best) • Deadline December 18th
BAND/COLOR GUARD/DRUMLINE If you want to be involved in the musical arts at TJ join the Band/Color Guard/Drumline. In these programs there is a diverse group of students. The band’s motto is “You’ll never walk alone.” You will never have to do anything without help, whenever something is needed to be done everyone does. You compete in competitions. Band is a class that you are graded in, it’s just known as an extracurricular class that is held in first hour. To get involved Mr. Moore will be in the TJAC during START. Or you can email him at smoore1@cbcsd.org.
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