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Playoff Woes for the Lady Spartans

TJ girls' basketball isn't able to continue win streak against Fossil Ridge.

By Keenan Moore

The girls basketball team played their first playoff game, and they were not able to pull out a win as they lost to a powerful team from Fossil Ridge, 64-37.
     The Spartans seemed to be gaining off their momentous uprising at the end of the season where they won 4 out of their last 5 games. During this streak, they outscored, outrebounded, and outstole their opponents on a more then a two to one ratio. It seemed like they were able to finally come together as a team as the season came to an end, and they hoped to keep their momentum heading into the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, it seemed like this would not be the case, as the woes for the girls started early in the game.
     The Spartans got out to a fast start, as they took the early lead on the Sabercats 6-0. It seemed like this would be another great occasion in which the ladies would be able to beat the odds and pull out another win. However, the first few minutes was only a bright spot for the Spartans, as their game soon after this point seemed to take  Read more

Mr. TJ 2008, Rescheduled For April 3

Date postponed so every contestant can participate.
by Julia Harrington

    Each high school is defined by its traditions and character. Thomas Jefferson High School seniors combine both for their annual Mr. TJ competition, which has been rescheduled for April 3, 2008.
     Mr. TJ is a pageant showcasing the talents and humor of 22 of the class of 08’s senior boys. The show was originally scheduled to be on February 29. Due to scheduling conflicts with the TJ Boys' Basketball Squad's playoff schedule, who has a game at the same time that night in which two of the contestants are involved, the show has been rescheduled. "The new date springs from scheduling conflicts, and that we wanted each person to be able to participate in as many activities as they can, to show our Spartan pride," said Principal Sandra Just.
    The new date, April 3rd, works for all the contestants involved. The Mr. TJ participants this year are: Seniors, Ryan Allen, Nelson Barry, Kellen Brewer, Adam Colean, Devon Fitzgerald, Cooper Hearne, Kelvin Henry, Marc Houghton, Kian Jost, Joe Langlee, Jonathan Lobato, Matthew Mankoff, Michael Mankoff, Brett Nathan, Darian Savage, DJ Short, Dylan Smith, Ian Frank-Squier, Justin Tara, Tyler Phan Thorton, Brian Walsh, and Krubiel Workie.
    The new date provides an opportunity for the boys to have an extra month to perfect their moves and make their performances seamless. "I'm looking forward to the talents of our young men shining through," said Just. This is one fundraiser that each person in the TJ community should be looking forward to.

 

 

Episode 1: Friday February 28

This is the first episode of Baseball Coach's Corner, hosted by Justin Tara and Marc Houghton.  Justin and Marc are joined in the studio today by Head Coach Tory Humphey and Senior Brett Nathan.

Inventors with Ingenuity

From peanut butter to the player piano, these black Americans from history have made a difference.
by Christina Danek

    In celebration of Black History Month, here is a look at some of the black Americans from history whose ideas, discoveries and inventions impact our everyday lives.
    Those who enjoy the convenience of air conditioning on scorching summer days, and the comfort of a heated home on chilly winter evenings, can thank David Crosthwait. An expert on heat transfer, air ventilation and central air conditioning, this black American holds 39 U.S. patents and 80 international patents for various temperature-regulating devices.
    All of the music appreciators out there should check out Joseph Hunter Dickinson. Around the turn of the 19th century, he invented improvements to a number of musical instruments including the reed organ and player piano. He also devised volume-regulating means for mechanical musical instruments.
    Although of no relation to our first president, George Washington Carver played in integral role in our society through his work in agricultural chemistry. He found over 200 uses for the peanut. Paper, ink, shampoo, shaving cream, caramel, cocoa and instant coffee are just a few items that are now made with peanut products, thanks to Carver. Read more

Where are the Seniors Going?

Over 100 Spartans have applied to colleges and for scholarships so far this year.
by Morgan Dorn

    The Thomas Jefferson High School Class of 2008 is less than four months away from graduation, and many seniors have plans to attend a community, junior, or a four-year college or university in the fall.

    Over 100 out of 230 senior students have applied to either a two-year or four-year colleges, and many of those students applied to several different institutions, leaving roughly 100 students who have yet to apply to college.  Future Center Coordinator Cynthia Castillo said, “Doing something more meaningful than just getting a job after graduation is very important for a successful future, whether it’s going to a two-year or four-year college or learning a specific trade in a non-traditional college setting.”  The good news is that many seniors do plan on applying to these kinds of institutions, which have later deadlines than four-year colleges, so a lot more students have been going into the Future Center to complete applications.

       With all of these applications sent out, students have applied to a cornucopia of colleges, which range from Colorado community colleges to Ivy League schools, including the Community College of Denver, University of Oregon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, and the Art Institute of Chicago, just to name a few. Read more

Teacher JeLynn Crane Will be Greatly Missed by TJ Community

Crane will start new adventure in North Carolina.
by Julia Harrington

    For eleven years, Special Education Teacher JeLynn Crane has been an inspirational figure in the TJ community, and she will leave behind a legacy of caring as she embarks on a new adventure in North Carolina. 

    Crane started working at TJ during the 1996-1997 school year. “I don’t feel like I chose to work here, I feel like this place chose me. It just kind of happened; this was my calling,” said Crane, who has not only taught special education, but she has also coached volleyball at each level. She has also supervised Student Council. “I have really enjoyed knowing JeLynn as a teacher and friend. She will be greatly missed by me and all of the students that know her,” said Senior Amanda Weaver, who has been an assist in Crane’s classroom since freshman year.

    “TJ has introduced me to an amazing population of students,” said Crane. Some defining moments of her career are when Unified Sports, a gym class with special education students mixed with regular education students, was featured on a 9news Cool School Edition. “We came early and they filmed us for the morning news. It was a very proud moment for me,” said Crane. Another memorable moment in her career was when a former student Adela Rice, was awarded a letter jacket. “Seeing our kids at things like prom makes me feel as though they are really accepted in the TJ community,” emphasized Crane. She takes great pride in her students and their triumphs, and enjoys seeing them as a part of the TJ community. Read more

Season Finale Extraordinaire

The Lady Spartans devastate the North Vikings.

By Keenan Moore

The Lady Spartans ended their season on a high note as they defeated the North Vikings  in a blowout, by a score of 74-17.
    The Ladies devastated the Vikings in almost every category, from points to steals. The girls used the defeat that they sustained from the Montbello Warriors in their last game as a powerful motivator in this matchup. The Spartans came out ready to play, as they quickly put up 12 points on the Vikings before they could answer with a point of their own. It seemed as if the Spartans were always one step ahead of the Vikings and that they always knew where the ball was going. TJ had a record 18 steals and converted many of these opportunities into points of their own. The girls also scored 74 points, which beats their previous single game score by 25 points. Lastly, their defense seemed to be impenetrable, for the Vikings were only able to manage 17 points in the whole game.  The Spartans ended their regular season with a bang, which can only mean that bright things are in store for this team next season.
    The were able to get out of their early season slide by going 4 for 5 in their last 5 games. It took some time for the Lady Spartans to bond together as a team, but as the season progressed, you could see that they were slowly starting to improve in almost every aspect of their game. Towards the end of the season, there was nothing that could stop the Spartans, as both their defense and offense had a sudden explosion of talent. This game ends what turned out to be a successful season, and with their young talent and more experience the program looks to have even more success in the next few years.
 

Spartans Dominate the Vikings

TJ Basketball gets an easy win against Denver North, 76-42.

By Phillip Karlberg

The Thomas Jefferson Boys' Basketball team performed impressively in their game against North on Friday night, beating the Vikings 76-42.
The first quarter was the most damaging blow to North as TJ started out with a strong offense scoring an impressive 22 points, while North was held to a meager four points. Eight minutes in and TJ already had a 18 point lead. In the second quarter, North finally got some offense going but still could not lock down the Spartans charge. In the second quarter TJ went 23 to North's 11, bring the score at half-time to 45-15. Ahead by thirty points, the Spartans were pretty confident going into the second half. North made it's most successful attempt at turning the game around in the third quarter, but they still came up two points short, scoring 16 to TJ's 18. Read more

On Why Genetic Engineering is Bad

EDITORIAL: Look to the Zombie Movies!
by Asia Dorsey
    Genetic engineering: the vision of the 21^st Century. I can see how any forward thinking individual could view this as the new wave of the future, but I urge precaution and patience and debate before we move so quickly on a whim and find ourselves unable to navigate our way back to what we wish could be a “simpler time.”

    My position is: yes, genetic engineering has the potential to create wonders, but time and discretion are needed before public passion takes the reins of an animal over which it has no control. The general public should be warned and wary of a future where children are designed piece by piece like machines and packaged to order. Lawmakers should enact legislation that seeks to remedy the passions of overzealous scientists who wish to push the ethical envelope, and the scientists themselves should work at predicting the “unforeseen” consequences of tampering with nature.

    Giving parents the means of hand-picking the characteristics of their offspring could eventually lead to a ‘superior’ breed of children, not based on races or ethnicity, but on their socioeconomic status. It is the upper class that would have the economic means to access such technologies, not the common, everyday couple. Not only would the children with greater wealth have better education, health-care, and other advantages that currently come with money, they could be modified to be healthier, smarter, and better looking than your natural unmodified child. Read more

Spartans Send Seven to State

Thomas Jefferson Wrestling takes 3rd place at Regional Tournament.
By Matthew Mankoff

    The Thomas Jefferson Spartan wrestling team traveled to Cherokee Trail High School to take 3rd place in the Regional Tournament this past weekend. Having already accomplished their goal of winning the Denver Prep League Championship, the Spartans focused their efforts on qualifying as many people as possible for the State Tournament. In order to qualify for the State Championships, wrestlers must finish in the top four in their weight class at the regional competition.

    After going undefeated in league matches for the first time in school history, expectations were high for the Spartans, and they did not disappoint. TJ took third place out of the seventeen teams that competed in the tournament, behind only Broomfield and Thompson Valley. The Spartans were also able to qualify seven wrestlers to compete in the State Tournament. The wrestlers who qualified were 2nd place finishers Evan Duran, Matt Francis, Boris Tubic, and Michael Hawkins, along with 3rd place finishers Alec Groditski, Matt Nordlander, and Chris Salazar.  Read more

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