October 2015 Volume 91 Issue 1 Buzzing For More News?

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Adriana IbarraReporter

Page 1

Megan CarrollReporter

To start off a new year, TJ has received a new principal, Todd Barnett, and new SAM(student administration manager), Chuck May.

After being here for two years, former principal, Dr. Plourde, was promoted to Director of Secondary Education and now plays a new role in the district. However, with both May and Barnett having extensive experience in the district, they plan to bring many advantages to TJs staff and build the school like Plourde previously did.

Staff throughout TJ have been positive of the new additions to the administration. High hopes are being held for Mr. Barnett and Mr. May, allowing them to set high

standards for TJ students too.

I think hes [Mr. Barnett] got some great ideas that will help improve the culture here at TJ, said freshman and sophomore principal, Mrs. Windham.

...He is very interested in kids here at TJ, and wants to help all kids be successful, said Mr. Sagert.

Windham also claims that he is making it his priority to set positive programs to let kids know that people care about them.

People would often say that there was something missing, something that needed to be changed. Now that he is here, Barnett hopes the administrators will be able to make the things that TJ started previously, better. Not only this, but he hopes to bring new ideas to the school.

I dont think we needed a change, but at the same time I think this change is going to be positive for TJ. Its a good thing, said the junior and senior principal Mr. Sagert.

With the amount of

Back row: Aalyce Anderson, Cameron Baker, Dean Showers, Vincent Puterbaugh, Parker Raes, Ricky Adams

Front row: Raylynn Nelson, Ruby Morales, Alicia Mefferd, Megan Carroll, Jenna Kousgaard, Sydney Clark, Bailey Tague

Not pictured: Brad Krug, Seth Arthur, Jorge Cisneros

experience that Barnett has in the district, he will be a great successor to Plourde for guiding TJ. We are all looking forward to a great year, with many more great experiences to follow.

The celebration of homecoming has been one of the biggest events throughout the previous school years. Students can express their creativity with the help of the themes which are set for each day of Spirit week.

The week started on Monday, September 28th with PJ day. Then followed Tie-Dye Tuesday, Generation Day (Teachers-90s, Seniors-80s, Juniors-70s, Sophomores-60s, and Freshman-50s), Charity day, and finally Spirit day.

Other events during Spirit week included Student Councils dodgeball tournament on Thursday, which was later followed with the bonfire. Every year, a pep assembly is held on Friday during fifth hour for Homecoming. Later in the evening a parade for all clubs and activities which begins at TJ and

travels to Woodrow Wilson Middle School. This year the varsity football team faced Southeast Polk High School.

With the help of Student Council and the decorative pride throughout the school, from the cheerleaders, the process

of Homecoming took a lot of hard work and creative ideas. Taking time out of their own lives, StuCo members spend several weeks, even months, trying to bring Homecoming to life.

It takes a lot of teamwork and patience

because not everything goes as planned. We have great sponsors who have great ideas when ours fail, said Student Council President Ruby Morales. Its usually hard work but a blast because after months of planning it comes to life. Always worth it.

Photo of 2015 Homecoming Court. Provided by Micheala Gray.

With almost every student participating in spirit week this year, as well as enjoying the dance and other activities, it is safe to confirm that this years Haunted Homecoming has been a success.

The Midlands Humane Society is accepting donations such as pet food, toys and cleaning supplies. If you have any extra items, bring them to room C125 by October 22nd and help out the communitys animals.

Mr. Barnett working in his office. Photo taken by Derrick Johnson.

#TJHoCo2K15

Page 2

Cami WagamanReporter

ENTERTAINMENT

Tiana LarsenReporter

The American Horror Story (AHS) television series is coming out with another season this October 7th on FX. The other four seasons were Murder House, Asylum, Coven, and Freak Show. With an eerie feeling to each season with the separate locations, the newest creepy complex will be a Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Ryan Murphy has revealed that there is a six story hotel being built to use as the set. Lady Gaga, who has been revealed as part of the casting, has said that the name of the hotel will be Hotel Cortez. Some of the people in the cast includes Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave), Evan Peters (X-Men: Days of the Future Past), Kathy Bates (Fried Green Tomatoes), Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games) and Denis OHare

(True Blood). Jessica Lange (The Vow) however, will not be returning for the fifth season.

Rumors say that in season five, Marcy, played by Christine Estabrook, will reappear. She was the realtor who sold the Harmons Murder House and will return as the realtor for the hotel.

Since the series usually has a creepy and mysterious vibe, we, the viewers are hoping that this season will live up to the previous seasons and be more creepy than its real life inspiration.

The innovation for the new season is said to be from the case of Elisa Lam and the Cecil Hotel. The Cecil Hotel is located in Los Angeles, just like Hotel Cortez will be.

Elisa Lam was a guest at the Cecil Hotel and had a history of Bipolar Disorder, which often caused her to act out. A video had surfaced of Lam disappearing mysteriously after exiting an elevator at the hotel, two weeks later Lams body was found decomposing in the hotels water tank.

As AHS usually twists murder and mystery into the plot, the viewers are not sure what to expect. There will be plenty of scares generating from this show around Halloween, and the viewers are hoping that the writers will not disappoint them.

On September 20th, I saw the sequel to Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials.

The sequel follows up from the first movie The Maze Runner, based on the book written by James Dashner, and takes place right after the gladers escape from the Maze. The characters are presented with new challenges and problems emerge after they are taken into a safe haven and find out everything they were told after they were rescued is a lie.

In contrast to the first movie, the plot revolves on figuring how to survive

outside the Maze. For the first few minutes of the movie it shows the gladers taken to a refugee camp where people who used to be in other mazes take refuge from the outside.

After being in the maze for so long, the Gladers are finally able to feel safe and get privileges they did not have before. However, it does not last for long as Thomas and a newly introduced character, Aris, soon discover that the leaders of the camp are associated with WCKD, the group of people who put them in the maze.

In order to keep WCKD from continuing on their horrible path of capturing

American Horror Story: Hotel

Inspiring Comedian

The Scorch TrialsReview (SPOILERS)

Ana Aguilar Reporter

With many insecure teenagers around the world, Drew Lynch is not one of them. Getting in front of millions on national television with a speech impediment and doing stand up comedy, was what had inspired people to embrace their disorders.

In May, Drew got major props on Americas Got Talent when he received a Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel which got him straight into the finals at Radio City Music Hall.

Comedy usually comes from a dark place, what you did is you looked for the light at the end of the darkness, said Mandel. That light is your comedy, and Im telling you I havent been moved by an act like this up until this moment.

It was kind of cool. I didnt know how good or funny the jokes were really, it worked because the moment was emotionally raw. It felt good because I was so down about everything I had lost Lynch stated.

Drew Lynch wanted to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He had moved to Los Angeles with an aspiration of fully committing to his dream. In 2011, he had landed

a callback for the sitcom How I Met Your Mother but, that was the day before he had an life changing event happen.

Four years ago when Drew went to play baseball with a team from work when he was hit in the head and then once again in the throat. He had went home insisting he was okay and had fallen asleep. When he had woken up he lost his vocal cords which had left him with a speech impediment.

Lynch said, I guess your not suppose to fall asleep with a concussion, but I guess I know that now you live and you learn.

Since the airing on NBC since May 26th Drews audition and back up story had hit more than 2.4 million views on YouTube.

With Drew still inspiring kids all around the world with his incredible talent, he has shown people to not be afraid to go for your dreams even if you have a life lasting illness.

Strength does not come from getting knocked down, said Drew. It is from getting back up, so win or lose I am still a winner.

Movie poster of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.Photo provided by indianexpress.com.

Advertisment for American Horror Story Hotel.Photo provided by ibitimes.com.

every glader, after escaping from the fake refugee camp Thomas and his friends set route to find the Right Arm, a small resistance against WCKD hiding in the mountains and hope to get shelter and protection from them.

As every movie, there were noticeable changes to the plot that the book

did not have. Although the changes are only visible to people who have read the book, thrilling action scenes were added to make up for some lost scenes between the book the and movie.

In comparison to the first movie, The Maze Runner had a much more thrilling plot full of action scenes

and fast pace which could intrigue more diverse audiences to watch the movie. However, something that I did not enjoy was that because of it being a fast pace movie for the new characters they were not able to develop into their role so it left questions about what their purpose was in the movie.

Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 buzzes because it has very entertaining and thrilling action scenes and solid performances by the characters. It had very good scenes where I was on the edge of my seat but because of its fast pace, there were some areas where I was not able to keep up which is why it does not receive the perfect score.

Page 3

SPORTSMorgan Wooton

Reporter

The Wick has arrived

As the 2015-2016 school year starts, the students in the Council Bluffs Community School District have something different to celebrate. The new and improved Gale Wickersham stadium will now be TJ and ALs athletic complex.

An Omaha businessman and AL graduate, Gale Wickersham, donated $1.25 million to the school districts new athletic complex, being the single largest donation ever given to Council Bluffs schools.

I am proud and excited to be part of such a wonderful athletic complex, said Wickersham. I am hopeful Judys [Wickershams wife] and Is commitment to this project will help inspire others to help Council Bluffs children in anyway they can.

With this new stadium, the hope is to give a more

positive message to our communitys athletes, and improve the value of properties around the complex. They also hope to get middle school students more involved in athletics, since the stadium sits right outside of Woodrow Wilson Middle School.

This complex is exciting to both incoming freshman that will have 4 years to leave their mark, and seniors that get to enjoy their last year with a new surrounding, many students have had a lot to say about the stadium.

Its going to be so exciting when track season

comes to have my first home meet, and well actually get to enjoy a senior night, said senior Megan Corey.

An economic advance may come also; with such big improvements made in the stadium, it could possibly bring the area more visitors. Also, home teams have the opportunity to host city conferences, regionals, and state championship events.

As future sports come into action, this new complex is ready to be used to its fullest potential by both TJ and AL.

Jerrick DohnsonEditor-in-Chief

Apple Event Summer 2015

On September 9th, Apple decided to unveil their new line of products and partnerships at the Fall 2015 Apple Event. The new gadgets include an all new iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil, the iPad Mini Pro, the new Apple TV with Siri voice control, the Apple Watch x Hermes, and the very anticipated iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

The new iPad Pro, which will be cheapest at $799 with 32GB will now have a larger, clearer display and 10 hours of battery life.

The iPad also comes with accessories such as a smart qwerty keyboard ($169) and the Apple Pencil ($99).

The Apple Pencil is a stylus that works with the device and can be used to access certain features on the Apple Tablet.

The iPad mini 4 was also announced, going for $399, and will just be an updated version of the one thats already out.

Also, Apple teamed with the watchmaking company Hermes and created all new fashionable watches with leather straps and a new watch face. The watch will

Sports Schedules

Varsity FootballOct. 2nd vs. Southeast Polk (Homecoming) Oct. 9th @ Des MoinesOct. 16th @ AnkenyOct. 23rd vs. Ames

Varsity VolleyballOct. 3rd Varsity Tournament in TJACOct. 13th Varsity Quad in TJACOct. 15th Varsity Triangular in TJACOct. 17th @ West Monona Oct. 19th @ Omaha DuchesneOct. 22nd Varsity Tournament @ Sioux City West

Varsity Cross CountryOct. 1st @ ShenandoahOct. 8th @ Atlantic Golf and Country ClubOct. 15th @ Abraham Lincoln

Boys Varsity GolfOct. 1st Conference Meet @ Two Rivers Golf CourseOct. 6th @ Indianola

TECHEditor-in-ChiefDerrick Johnson

Copy EditorAna AguilarPaginator

Angela GardnerWeb ContentMichael Hiers

StaffMorgan BarthMegan CarrollAdriana IbarraTiana LarsenJade Shields

Courtney Jones Cami Wagaman

Morgan WootonAdviser

Rob LindquistPhone: 712-328-6493

Facebook: CBJacketJournalismTwitter:@TJHSJournalism

Web: cbjacketjournalism.com

THE SIGNAL

The Signal is a school-sponsored publication of Thomas Jefferson High School 2501 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501. The Signals 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 Signals 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 advertise-ments that promote activities illegal to minors. Advertising rates are available upon request.

NSPA Member Publication

go for $349 and come in gold, and rose gold, and have fall inspired bands.

The Apple Watch is helping our users live a better day, said Apple CEO Tim Cook. Senior Vice President Jeff Williams explained that the watch now can use up to 1,000 apps and has a new time travel feature.

Another one of Apples big announcements was the new and improved Apple TV. The Apple TV device can plug into any HD monitor and provide a large variety of apps. It will also come with a new remote that has a touch pad and Siri voice control capabilities.

The remote can act as a controller for the games downloaded in the device and will last three months per charge. It will cost $149 for 32GB of storage and

$199 for 64GB.Finally, Apples new

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were announced to come out on September 25th and will include tons of new features, one being the new 3D Touch design. With Apples most innovative technology yet, users are able to access different menus just by changing the pressure of their touch. Also announced, were other improvements like the camera, hardware, and design, it is no surprise that thousands of people have already preordered the phone.Once again, Apple took over the world with their announcements. With the positive reviews already pouring out, it is only a matter of time before every-one is emptying their wal-lets to get the latest Apple tech.

BUY A YEARBOOK!Visit jostensyearbooks.com

email Mr. Lindquist at rlindquist@cbcsd.org

Apple CEO Tim Cook explaining Apple Watch features. Image provided by abc7news.com.

Photo of Gale Wickersham Stadium. Taken by Rob Lindquist.

Page 4

Jade ShieldsReporter

New year, New rules

This school year, administration is cracking down on the rules. In order to ensure that TJ is a safe, appropriate learning environment for all of the students attending, they have created new more strict regulations for TJ students.

Last year, depending on the teachers consent, food and drinks were okay

to have in the classroom. With the new rules in place this year, students are not allowed to have any outside food or drink in the classrooms.

The only outside item that is allowed in the school is water kept in a closed container. If an administrator sees food not provided by the school, they may tell students to throw it away, or sometimes even confiscate it.

The main reason for this

new rule is to keep students on campus for lunch, and to make sure no one leaves during the day for snacks.

Sophomore, Lilly Stevenson, is one student who has felt the enforcement of these new rules on food and drinks.

I left early in the day to go to a doctors appointment. I brought McDonalds back for lunch, and I got it taken away, said Stevenson. The office told me that I couldnt have any of the food in here, and last year I used to get McDonalds for lunch a lot.

Stevenson feels like they should not have taken her food that she paid for herself. She does not agree with many of the new changes at TJ.

Another new change that has come to TJ this year is a more strict tardy policy. Once students get up to five tardies in one class, they receive a thirty minute detention automatically.

Last year, there was no school wide tardy policy. The teachers decided what they would do about tardies and absences separately. One thing that stayed the same is if a student reaches

ten absences in a single class then they will go to a pass or fail grade. Although it is nothing new or unheard of, it is being more enforced this year.

Dani Garcia, another sophomore, feels that the tardy policy isnt fair. She thinks that the rules are too harsh.

Its a big school, sometimes you just cant get there in time. Especially with all of the traffic in the hallway.said Garcia. I dont think a thirty minute detention is fair for a one, maybe two minute tardy.

No Jacket fights aloneAngela Gardner

Paginator

NEWS

On July 13th, Autumn was out to dinner with her family while her brother(who is in the army) was home on a visit. During this dinner, Autumn passed out and was rushed to Mercy Hospital. Tests were showing critical blood levels, and she was immediately transferred to Childrens Hospital for further tests.

Later that day, she was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). She has went through two rounds of chemotherapy and many who are close to her, like her best friend Shiane Keller, are trying

there are bigger plans to help Autumn out.

My mom set up a GoFundMe page for Autumn two nights ago. Weve already raised 1,000 dollars. explained Daisy.

She went on to say NZ Tante was going to try and sell shirts, and have a concert to donate the funds to Autumn.

very hard to stay optimistic for Autumn.

Shes been really good considering the circumstance, said Shiane. She tries to make everyone smile before herself, I love being up there.

She is usually allowed to have visitors, but at the moment her floor level is on isolation so only close friends and family can see her.

TJ is doing many fundraisers for Autumn. All proceeds from the Orange-Out game, Homecoming week, and the money ROTC is saving by cleaning the stadium will be donated to her. TJ graduate and Autumns sister, Daisy Sullivan says

Many in the community and TJ are coming together to help out this amazing girl. Autumn doesnt let the negativity of cancer get to her, when she needs encouragement she turns to a quote that lifts her up.

You never know how strong you are til being strong is the only choice you have.

As Autumn fights through this situation, it is important to support her. No Jacket fights alone.strong is the only choice you have.

As Autumn fights through this situation, it is important to support her. No Jacket fights alone.

Poster for Autumn Sullivan. Made by TJ Student Council.

Jerrick DohnsonEditor-in-Chief

Freshmen MVPs

This year, TJ took a page out of Sioux City Wests book and introduced the new Freshmen Mentoring Program.

In this program, sophomores, juniors, and seniors became Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVPs), and offer advice and leadership to the incoming freshmen classes. They also make it a big deal to give the freshmen someone to confide in for personal issues including both those at home and at school.

Over the past seven years, fights and absences have dropped significantly

over at Sioux City West, which is why Mrs. Windham was intrigued by the idea. While using this new program, TJ hopes to bring the positive affects West received, to the student body here.

The project is in collaboration with the Phoenix House, led by advisors Mrs. Dunlap and Mrs. Rice.

Before the program started, there were four to five fights a day [at Sioux CIty West], said Mrs. Dunlap. Since the program, there is approximately one every three weeks.

There is also a newfound positivity among all classes at West, which has made

the school a better learning environment.

Ms. Rice was also a big supporter of starting the program, and is ready to see how it turns out this year along with future years to come.

Im super excited, we want to do things like this all the time, said Rice. Its

that little piece everyday that somebody can give you that makes that lasting change.

Dunlap and Rice made sure to pick mentors with promising qualities as well as those who have impressive extracurricular resumes. Junior Ruby Morales accepted the role

as mentor and hopes to make a difference in the future of TJ students while she is here.

I like being a mentor, I feel like its a good way to get the freshmen ready for...

Continued on cbjacketjournalism.com

Mrs. Dunlap talking to mentors. Photo taken by Derrick Johnson.