TJ students jump for joy as they leave school and begin their well-earned summer celebrations. Photo by Anna Becker

For 50 years, Thomas Jefferson High School has been the model of perseverance, hard work, and achievement, and this year is no exception. Recently, TJ has proposed a plan to achieve excellence throughout the school, which includes a pre-magnet program for 8th graders attending Hamilton Middle School, an AP seminar program, and enabling further community participation for all TJ Spartans.

TJ has also made significant strides in AP participation and achievement, displayed by the 60.7% increase in scores above three on AP tests. In addition, participation in all classes has increased, with the overall school attendance rate being at 88%. This year, TJ also added an ACT preparation course for Juniors, with the goal of increasing the number of students who get a score of at least a 20 by five students.

Principal Sandra Just, finishing her fifth year as the queen of the Spartans, still recognizes TJ’s pride and success. “TJ has a proud history,” said Just. “As we plan our celebration of 50 years in this community, it is important to reflect on how to build and strengthen our core values and priorities.”

TJ Spartans have also continued to achieve in sports, with the Boy’s Varsity Basketball team progressing to the “great eight” in the playoff season, and the Varsity Football team winning City and getting to the first round in the playoff season. In addition, the Varsity Baseball team closed their season with a win on May 7, sending them into this season’s playoffs.

Of course, TJ continued its tradition of the Mr. TJ contest. This year’s senior boys danced, sang, posed, and flexed in front of a panel of judges, and an auditorium filled with roaring Spartans. Senior Billy Sprague won the contest, the crown, and the hearts of countless Spartans.

The Rent Project, a unified effort to spread peace and equality throughout TJ and the community, is a highlight of TJ’s cultural impact this year. Students involved in the Rent Project ran a coat drive for the homeless, advocated peace and acceptance by selling Peace Bracelets as a reminder to be kind and considerate of others, and of course, held the spring musical Rent. This highly successful musical event has been called a, “…reminder of love, friendship, and the importance of living in the moment.”  Other cultural achievements include the inaugural year for TJ’s new M.E.Ch.A. club, the renewal of the Black Student Alliance, and the award-winning Interact Club.

TJ has continued to excel in the Computer Magnet and DECA programs. Five Spartans won the Project of the Year competition after months of vigorous work with Computer Magnet Instructor Stacey Fornstrom’s guidance. Also, two TJ web-designers won the SkillsUSA competition and are going to Nationals. TJ’s DECA program also made vast strides this year, producing six finalists at the State Conference on February 20. The Computer Magnet is also continuing the production of the Spartan Edition, an innovative digital video journalism production class that allows students to produce a 10 minute video announcement program, and the Thomas Jefferson Journal, an award winning online newspaper that can be found at www.tjjournal.com.

While this year has come to an end, here are some important dates to be remembered during the summer:

July 26-30 – 9th Grade Academy

August 3rd – Senior Registration

August 4th – Junior Registration

August 5th – Sophomore Registration

August 6th – Freshmen Registration

August 12th -13 – Walk-in Registration

August 19th – First day of school for freshmen

August 20th – First day of school for all students

Photo by Rebecca Holt

All good heroes have a set of commodities to help them achieve the impossible. Batman has his infamous utility belt. Mary Poppins has her magical bag of marvelous and wonderful tools. James Bond has his series of conglomerate gadgets. And physics teacher Nelson Vore has his room of gizmos, gadgets, and toys that add an element of hands-on learning – and immense fun – to his teaching. “Toys are a lot of fun!” exclaimed Vore, flailing his arms enthusiastically. “Hey, what’s not fun about things sparking, things changing colors, and lightning effects.”

Now in his fourth year at TJ, Vore can still remember when he first inherited his closet full of physics toys (or as it’s called by his students: Santa’s stash). “Most of the stuff I use for my demonstrations I got from Mr. Hanks, who was the physics teacher before I got here,” said Vore. “He was pretty much my guardian angel for my first few years.”

Not only were many of Vore’s toys used by Hanks in demonstrations, but they were also passed down from multiple physics teachers before. “A lot of the equipment I use is really old; some of it even going back to the early 50’s,” said Vore. “You could open up this place as a physics museum.”

Vore’s interest in physics and the intriguing gadgets that come along with it go as far back as when he was a young child. “When I was a kid, I used to love projectiles. I had a sling shot, a bb gun, and a lot of other stuff like that,” laughed Vore. “Anything that could shoot at something far away and totally destroy it was completely awesome. I mean, if one thing could hit another thing 100 meters away and smash it into little pieces, that was enough to keep me entertained for a long time.”

Vore’s closet contains a plethora of physics gadgets and equipment, including diffraction glasses, which allow students to witness the fragmentation of white light, musical beakers, a Doppler football (which displays the Doppler effect with sound waves using a football on a string). Vore even has a piece of samarkskite, which is a highly radioactive complex-oxide rock that releases high amounts of radioactive particles. Some of Vore’s favorite toys are the Tesla coil, the vacuum pump, and of course, the Van De Graaff generator.

The Tesla coil is essentially a small transformer that releases 50 thousand volts, allowing the holder to transmit large amounts of electrical charge onto tables, metal sinks, and – though not preferably – people. This creates what appears to be a minuscule lightning bolt jumping from the Tesla coil to whatever it approaches. The spark of electricity, along with Vore’s demented expression as he wields it, sells this demonstration completely.

The vacuum pump, though only used for AP students, is infamous in all classes. This is essentially a pump that sucks all the air, and atmospheric pressure, out of the container. While the pump may seem relatively docile, its effect on a marshmallow, making it expand to almost three times its usual size, is outstanding. “That’s your head in a vacuum,” says Vore, joyfully watching as the marshmallow swells like a balloon.

The Van De Graaff generator, considered an “instant classic” by Vore, is essentially an aluminum sphere on top of a small pedestal. At first glance, it really just looks like a metal globe that buzzes. However, what is not evident to the naked eye is that, when plugged in, the globe produces over 100 thousand volts of static electricity.

While such an immense magnitude of electricity may seem a tad bit frightening, Vore is quick to assure the students of its safety. “It’s really the power of the static electricity that kills you,” says Vore. “While the Van De Graaff generator has a very high voltage, its current is incredibly low. This decreases the power of the shock, and makes the generator completely harmless.”

The generator produces such vast voltage because of a small belt that is circulating from the bottom of the generator to the top of the globe, carrying hefty amounts of charge with it. After the charge leaks off the belt and onto the globe, the globe becomes covered with a vast amount of charged electrons. When touched, the electrons jump from the globe to the hand of the user, sending millions of frantic electrons all over the person’s body.

Once on the student’s body, the electrons, being of the same charge, try to get as far away from each other as possible. This is because, as Vore states many times throughout the demonstration, “Electrons hate each other. They always want to get away from one another, whether it be through the ground, or through you.”

When touched, the generator makes the student feel oddly energized, along with making hair stand on end, and allowing the student to transfer electrical charge from their finger to a nearby conductor. In other words, if the student reaches his/her hand out to the nearby metal sink, the electrons on the student jump from his/her body to the sink. This creates a large spark similar to that produced by the Tesla coil, along with a bewildered expression on the student’s face.

After years of using physics toys and gadgets in numerous demonstrations, Vore has sparked the enthusiasm and interest of many students. “The toys demonstrate the concept really well,” said Senior Adam Simpson, a student in Vore’s AP Physics class. “They help you visualize it, and gives the lesson a real life application. Plus, they’re just really cool.”

Junior Chuck May, a student in Vore’s Honors Physics class, is also impressed by Vore’s closet of wonders. “It really makes me envy him,” said May, stroking his chin. “He can get away with playing with dangerous toys, and I can’t. It’s not fair.”

But ultimately, the person who gets the most joy from the various knickknacks and trinkets used to demonstrate physics is Vore himself. “Who doesn’t love playing with toys?” said Vore, gleaming as he gazes upon his vast toy collection like a kid on Christmas morning. “These things give me a million dollars, every day.”

Chelsea Skubal and Andrew Scherer acccept their scholarships. Photo courtesy of Stacey Fornstrom

On March 10th, thirteen seniors represented TJ in the Project of the Year competition at the Project Management Institute. On April 16th, two of those seniors took their aspirations even farther by being awarded the High School Project of the Year scholarship. “They are more than deserving,” said Computer Magnet Instructor Stacey Fornstrom.

The Seniors who won this scholarship of $2,500 each are Andrew Scherer and Chelsea Skubal. After winning the Project of the Year competition, Scherer and Skubal attended a luncheon to display their projects. Skubal presented her website and graphic design layout, which included accessories for Girls’ Swimming, along with a “You are here” map of TJ. Scherer set up a station showing off fliers, posters, and a video he had made promoting the JROTC program. “It was really successful,” said Scherer. “It drew a lot of people’s attention because we had everything laid out very nice and neat, so everyone started coming over.”

Skubal reflects on being slightly nervous during her presentation to the judges. “A lot of the judges kind of grilled us,” said Skubal. “There were also a lot of other good competitors, which was scary. But it eased up after a while. It was easy to present something we knew so well.”

In addition to creating a means of advertising the JROTC program, Scherer also applied his project as recruiting materials in various middle schools, such as Hamilton. “I really wanted to reach our feeder schools,” said Scherer. “I wanted to show them what JROTC is really all about.”

Throughout the creation of their projects, both seniors took a great of deal of guidance from Fornstrom, their Pathways instructor. “He guided us through the project, really,” said Skubal. “He helped with planning, gave us ideas, and encouraged us all the way. He was a great leader.”

Both Skubal and Scherer admit to being surprised after winning the scholarship. “They really seemed to like how I had all the stuff I needed,” said Scherer. “It felt really great to win the scholarship.”

After being awarded the scholarship, the two seniors hope to put it towards their college aspirations. Skubal plans to attend CU Denver, and hopes to major in some kind of engineering. Scherer plans to major in mechanical engineering at CSU in Fort Collins.

After an entire semester of vigorous work, Skubal has taken more than just a scholarship from the experience. “At first I didn’t take the project all that seriously,” said Skubal. “But then, I learned to work hard at everything you do, because it pays off in the end.”

For more information on the Project of the Year competition, go to http://www.tjjournal.com/2010/03/16/computer-magnet-excels-in-project-management/

Billy Sprague and Tommy Moehlman are awarded the DPS Retired Teachers Scholarship. Photo by Rebecca Holt

Every year, a group of retired DPS employees choose ten DPS students who display vigor, educational drive, and intelligence to award the Denver Retired Teachers Scholarship. This year, Seniors Billy Sprague and Tommy Moehlman displayed these traits and were granted this prestigious scholarship worth $7,500, which is renewable for four years.

Both Sprague and Moehlman applied for the scholarship in February, and were soon asked to return as semi-finalists for an interview with three former DPS employees. “The interview went pretty well, although I was incredibly worried at first,” said Moehlman. “I was very uncomfortable at first, but the interviewers were really nice. We ended up just having a friendly conversation.”

Sprague, also asked back for a second interview by three retired teachers, had a similar experience. “The interview went well, but I was really nervous,” said Sprague. “They gave me the questions they were going to ask me 30 minutes before the interview, which really shook me up. A lot of them were typical ones, like what college we wanted to go to, what career we expected to pursue, and stuff like that. But there were a few that were harder, like our opinions on current events, and how we could improve our school.”

Sprague became aware of the scholarship through his family. “My brother got it five years ago, so I was already aware of it,” said Sprague.

In contrast, Moehlman was chosen by school counselors to be offered the opportunity. “They chose me based on my GPA and my test scores,” said Moehlman. “I was really excited when I got it. The whole scholarship is a huge help to me.”

Both Moehlman and Sprague were thrilled to be awarded with the scholarship. “I was pumped when I got it,” laughed Sprague, pumping his fist. “I did a little dance, and I think I threw my letter into the air.”

After being awarded such a prominent scholarship, the two honored Spartans have large plans for college. “I plan on going to CU Boulder,” said Moehlman. “I’m thinking of majoring in biochemistry, but I’m not sure. I think I’ll find out when I get there. My only other expectation is to continue playing soccer. Other than that, I just want to try to explore and check out all the possibilities in college.”

In addition to being awarded the Denver Retired Teachers Scholarship, Sprague has also been granted a football scholarship to Colorado School of Mines. “It’ll be great to have both scholarships; I hope it’ll pay for me all the way through,” said Sprague. “I’m definitely going to CSM, and can’t wait to play football. I’m going to major in some sort of engineering, and probably minor in business.”

After being awarded a scholarship worthy of $7,500 per year, both Spartans are ecstatic. “The whole scholarship is a huge help,” said Moehlman. “It makes college seem a lot less threatening.”

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

Upon entering the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s new exhibit, The Story of the Heart, I felt gross.

Grossly intrigued, grossly fascinated, and grossly grossed out.

Needless to say, the exhibit caught my attention immediately, not only because it had detailed explanations on cardiology, anatomy, and how the heart nourishes and regulates the human body, but also because of the exhibit’s artistic displays of human cadavers in action. Plus, the bodies on display are real, adding to the exhibit’s impact on my intellect, and my stomach.

Body Worlds consists primarily of two types of displays: Plastinates and body slices. Plastinates, the processed and poised human bodies, tend to be the main attraction of the exhibit. These anatomically mind-blowing works of art are created through the process of Plastination, a method of hampering decomposition invented in 1977 by anatomist Gunter von Hagens. The process involves the removal of all fluid and fat from the cadaver, and replacing them with rubber-like material called elastomers. This allows the plastinated body to be sculpted into various positions, keeping them in a rigid stance before they are put on display.

The first Plastinate seen on display is titled “Archer”. This simple yet intriguing sculpture portrays a man, kneeling on a platform, wielding a taut bow and arrow. Besides the Plastinate is a brief description of the muscles at work within the display, along with a diagram of the archer, fully labeled with muscles and tendons. While the man was artfully modeled, I found the information that accompanied the art to be just as fully accomplished. The description of the Plastinate included what the sculpture depicted, how anatomy helped the Plastinate achieve this task, and how the task the Plastinate was performing was related to the heart. All this information was brief and concise, while remaining fascinating and complete. This made the entire exhibit seem much more legitimate, instead of simply relying on the shock-value of having human bodies used for art.

The other Plastinates in the exhibit were similar to “Archer” in their in-depth descriptions and artful positioning. There were Plastinates figure skating, multiple Plastinates doing contortion gymnastics, and even Plastinates playing ice hockey. However, easily the most fascinating of these anatomical works of art was a display of two Plastinates, both leaning towards one another with their arms outstretched. The aspect of this sculpture that set it apart from all other displays in exhibit was the fact that the Plastinate’s organs, instead of being kept within the body, were protruding from their backs, forming an elegant heart shape around the two bodies.

This breathtaking exhibition of two human bodies was absorbing, enchanting, and insanely weird. The sight of someone’s organs surrounding the body they came from is – while slightly sickening – very thought provoking. It truly showed what humans are made of, and how complicated one human body is. It was like looking at the Mona Lisa, broken down into a jigsaw puzzle.

Alongside the many Plastinates were numerous display cases containing human organs and body slices, which are translucent cuttings of human organs preserved by Plastination. These display cases, while certainly not the main attraction of the exhibit, were very informative, and ultimately gave a brilliant illustration of the workings of human organs and their relationship with the heart. Probably the most informative and interesting display case was one containing various slices of the heart and its chambers.

Since its first exhibition, Body Worlds has been relatively controversial simply because of its use of deceased human bodies for educational and artistic purposes. However, one segment of the exhibit remains to be the most provocative, and that is the use of deceased fetuses and embryos. This section, separated from the rest of the exhibit by curtains to allow viewer discretion, contains a series of fetuses in different stages of development, along with a detailed description of the prenatal growth process. While there is obvious scientific value to the display, it remains to be slightly sickening. Simply the concept of this exhibition of early human life is enough to get some people queasy. Actually witnessing it is, to be frank, enough to make the viewer sick to the stomach. While I do not condemn this highly controversial section of the exhibit ethically, I do recommend serious consideration and judgment before entering this neck of the woods.

Ultimately, Body Worlds is a mixed encounter. It’s thought provoking, emotionally stimulating, and sometimes simply disgusting. But then again, this makes the exhibit the type of experience that doesn’t leave the attendees as they leave the room. Like the human body, the exhibit is complex, and doesn’t have the intention of being fully comprehended the first time around. Using intricate displays, detailed summaries, and of course, real human bodies, the Story of the Heart effectively captures the mind and the heart of all who attend.

The exhibit is open through July 18, 2010, and is open from 9:00am-5:00pm on Sunday through Wednesday, and 9:00am-9:00pm on Thursday through Saturday. Student tickets cost $16.

Assistant Principal Scott Lessard and Principal Sandra Just discuss the new budget. photo by Rebecca Holt

In response to the recent district and state-wide budget cuts that are now specifically affecting TJ’s budget, Principal Sandra Just stated, “We’re going to need to look at things differently now. We’re still committed to meeting our goals, but it may mean proceeding differently based on our resources.”

Recently, TJ’s monetary resources have changed due to the new budget cuts. In the past year, TJ’s budget has been reduced by nearly 4%. Considering 97% of TJ’s budget is put directly into salaries, this reduction will have the greatest effect on teachers and staff. “Less money means fewer salaries,” said Just. “Sadly, salaries are people.”

Most salary cuts are made based on recommendations from the TJ Collaborative School Committee (CSC). “They decide reductions,” said Just. “If they recommend a reduction in any department, we have to interview everyone in that department.”

Presently, TJ is making reductions in the following departments: Science, English, Art, Special Education, Social Studies, Counseling, and Administration. This means that eight full-time teachers and two part-time teachers will be reduced from these departments at TJ, but – based on past reductions – affected personnel will remain employees of the district.

“Fortunately, DPS matches unemployment with opportunities,” said Just. “Someone may no longer work at TJ, but could possibly get a job at another school within DPS.” This means that after a teacher is identified for reduction, DPS often finds openings at other schools, then provides the teacher with a job opportunity in a familiar department at a different school.

The budget cuts being made are for multiple reasons, but primarily due to Colorado’s economic situation. “The fact that Colorado is suffering economically is the biggest problem,” said Just. “The state is giving less money to school districts, so we have less to spend. Because of the economy, there are still concerns about budget problems going into next year.”

TJ’s budget cuts are also a result of low enrollment, and TJ’s status as a small school. “We’re given money based on the amount of people we have,” said Just. “Unfortunately, TJ is a small school.”

Just assures that TJ’s administration is making progress in allowing the school to retain all that it has to offer. One of the central strides being made is in applying for the School Innovation Grant, which – if accepted – would allow relief in both salaries and programs. The grant, which – if fully funded – is worth a total of 1.8 million dollars over three years, will be used mainly to help fund TJ’s new plan for success and achievement. This will come in the form of additional programs, such as an AP summer academy and a 9th grade foundations course. To see the whole plan, click here.

The grant would also give TJ the possibility of keeping a few more positions out of the various departments being reduced. “Unfortunately, the grant is not meant to replace budget cuts,” said Just. “It’s not a complete fix when you look at eight people, but it is continuing to grow our vision.” TJ applied for the grant on February 12th, and hopes to receive a response in March.

After the reduction of eight staff members and the recent deficit in the budget, Just acknowledges that TJ will have to proceed in a new direction. “We want to still be able to offer the same amount of services,” said Just. “This means we have to look at things differently. As a small school, we need to make sure we continue to offer all that we have to offer.”

TJ Administrators presents proposed changes for 2010-2011 to community.

Photo courtesy of Danny Showers

The Denver School Board believes that individual school performance is a crucial aspect of education in DPS, and therefore it is highly stressed in many areas, with the chief measurement being the  School Performance Framework evaluation (SPF). Presently, TJ remains in the yellow or “on watch” category of the SPF, meaning the school does not meet the district’s expectations in certain areas. On February 11th, TJ faculty, parents, and alumni congregated to discuss why this deficiency exists.

Principal Sandra Just assured the assembly that TJ is a better school than what may be reflected in the SPF, and that her staff has every intention of proving that to the community.  “TJ has a proud history.  As we plan our celebration of 50 years in this community, it is important to reflect on how to build and strengthen our core values and priorities,” she said.

The first issue brought up during the meeting was CSAP, which remains to be TJ’s weakest point on the SPF. More specifically, TJ has an unacceptably high racial gap on the CSAP, meaning the differences in scores between different races are significant. “The gap is a reflection of student grades at TJ,” said Assistant Principal Scott Lessard. “TJ has great cultural diversity and integration. The challenge is getting everybody to excel.”

One way the TJ community hopes to reduce the gap is through CSAP tutoring courses taught by Intervention Teachers Wauneta Vann and Liz Buffington. The courses occur every Wednesday during excel for approximately 45 minutes, and have been taking place since January. “Our hope is that it will help students who are on the edge move up to the next level in CSAP,” said Buffington. “We do a lot of group work, activities, and games covering the central ideas that CSAP assesses.”

The meeting also discussed TJ’s deficient scores on specifically writing and math on the CSAP. In CSAP math, TJ scored 10% lower last year than the year before. Presently, TJ is classified as not meeting expectations in math, and is “approaching” district expectations in writing. Lessard noted that progress is already being made to improve CSAP writing by implementing more vocabulary in all language classes. “Language comes first,” said Lessard. “All English classes are doing more grade-appropriate vocabulary. We strongly believe vocabulary development will improve the scores. We’re putting all our eggs into that basket. So far, it’s been proving to be effective.”

After reviewing TJ’s performance on the CSAP, the group discussed strides being made to improve ACT scores by creating an ACT prep class. Lessard noted that TJ’s present ACT scores are quite good, but still have room for improvement. “I would argue that kids who participate will raise their scores anywhere from 2-5 points,” said Lessard. “Our ultimate goal is to increase the number of students who get at least a 20 on the ACT by five students. The district’s line in the sand is for over half of the school’s students to get at least 20, so we’re hoping to exceed that.”

The ACT prep class is primarily an online course that will be led by Science Teacher Kirk Hammond and Math Teacher Lispin Kuruvilla. The class will be one day per week for seven weeks, and is reserved for Juniors. “The class has 50 slots, and most of them are filled. But there’s still room for anyone who wants to join,” said Lessard. “It seems to be quite popular. People want to do it.”

Community night attendees also commented on the vast improvement TJ is making in AP courses, including an overall increase in attendance, participation, and passing of AP tests. Over the past few years, TJ has made a 60.7% increase in scores above three on AP tests.

In addition to escalating AP participation, TJ is also excelling in overall attendance, with the average being approximately 88%. This is just short of the district expectation of 90%. However, TJ’s attendance rates are presently some of the highest in DPS, and currently exceed all schools except for East High School. “Most high schools don’t meet the district expectation in attendance,” said Lessard. “It’s a tricky category.”

Following the meeting’s discussion regarding the SPF came a short video created by the Computer Magnet concerning TJ’s plan to achieve excellence. The video, presented by a culmination of students and teachers, affirmed that TJ, “…must reaffirm and strengthen our core elements, and deepen areas where we are not meeting our academic expectations.” In order to improve these areas, the video proposed a plan to exemplify TJ’s potential.

The initial aspect of the plan is the creation of a pre-magnet program for 8th graders attending Hamilton Middle School, where they will be taught the 9th grade curriculum. This would allow incoming students from Hamilton to enter the program at a higher level, providing them with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of technology even further. This program is expected to commence this upcoming Fall semester.

The plan also proposed weekly core instruction meetings at TJ, where teachers would meet and develop unified plans that would “…ensure student academic success.” These meetings would use data regarding student success and progress to create plans best suited for student achievement.  Principal Just stated that examining data is something that the TJ staff is steadfastly committed to.  “Looking at data helps us to understand our strengths, and also to identify areas where growth is needed.  It helps us to create a comprehensive plan,” said Just.

The video also mentioned the formation of  “…enrollment courses in partnership with Arapahoe Community College,” and “a two-week AP summer seminar program for students taking an AP course to prepare students with skills for success.”

Along with a plan to improve student achievement, the video also presented academic additions that TJ will be offering. This included a “Career and Technology 21rst Century Foundations of Communication” class that will be taken by all incoming 9th grade students. This class will teach a plethora of communications and technology skills, including web page design, desktop publishing, blogging, and video production. Not only will students enrolled in this course gain “…technology communications skills that will put them head and shoulders above their peers,” but they will also receive three college credits upon completion of the course.

As a community, the video exhibited the intention for TJ to become a “…true center of this community.” In order to do this, TJ will require that all students [beginning with the class of 2014] must carry out at least 80 total hours of community service. This graduation requirement is intended to “create a mutually respected environment” within TJ.

After the video, the meeting came to a close. “Our goal is for our school to excel,” said Lessard. After all, as Lessard stated during the meeting’s closing, “TJ is a great school.”

Click below to watch the video:

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

“This is the plan I’m proposing. It’s a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight – Democrats and Republicans… this is why we cannot fail… there are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot afford coverage,” said President Barrack Obama during his health care speech on September 9, 2009. “That’s great! What is it?” said the millions of Americans watching on the edge of their seats, eager to witness the unveiling of the much-anticipated health care proposal. After all, there was much cause to be in anticipation. Obama’s health care reform was one of his most essential platforms during the 2008 elections.

It would be just as hypocritical of me to judge the health care proposal as it is for the millions of Americans who do the same whilst knowing absolutely nothing about it. Therefore, I shall set forth upon an epic quest to discover the true meaning of Obama’s health care proposal.

… This is going to be hard.

Like most Americans thirsting for knowledge, I started with something effortless, yet generally reliable: Google. Sure, it’s not the greatest resource of a respectable journalist; but then again, most Americans don’t have access to reliable sources. Besides, how unreliable could one of the most used search engines be?

Well, pretty unreliable as it turns out. After googling “Obama’s health care plan,” I found myself submerged in biased blogs, ludicrous commentaries, and articles that had little to no legitimate information on the bill. I actually found an article titled “Five freedoms you’d lose in health care reform” from CNN. That’s right, a page-long rant containing no valid information whatsoever from the self proclaimed “#1 Most Trusted Source of News. “

After wading through a flood of bogus links, I found only a few sites deemed worthy of being called genuine, with the best being FactCheck.org and Whitehouse.gov. And so, without hesitation, I dove in the pool of facts and details, only to find I had forgotten my water wings. I, regrettably, am neither an economist nor a doctor. Nonetheless, using the valuable resources of a dictionary and nearby adults, I was able to work my way through the plethora of information. Without further babble, here is what I discovered about the revised health care bill as it stands.

The summary of the bill from Whitehouse.gov and FactCheck.org separated the main points of the bill into two categories: If you already have health insurance, and if you don’t: If you do have health insurance, the proposal promises to restrict insurance companies from denying and dropping coverage based on sickness, pre-existing conditions, gender, and age. The plan also states that it will prevent out-of-pocket expenses, and prohibit insurance companies from holding back on payments. An out-of-pocket expense is money that patients have to pay, never to be refunded, for expenses that are not covered by their insurance companies, or are covered but must be given before the insurance company acts. The plan also guarantees both constant coverage to senior citizens, who are often dropped by their insurance company, and a 50% discount for prescription drugs given to senior citizens.

Okay, so we got past the bland details of health-care security, and can now proceed to the juicy and the controversial issue of the Public Option. Sharpen your pitchforks.

Ironically, the term ‘Public Option’ is never seen in the bill, and is instead referred to as ‘the exchange’. But it’s the same thing. Basically, Public Option means people who have health insurance and are content can keep their present plan, while those who can’t afford company insurance can move to cheaper, alternative health insurance provided by the government. The Public Option also provides tax-cuts to individuals who still have problems affording the plan, and to small businesses that choose to switch to public care, as well.

Throughout the summary, it is argued that the Public Option will hold insurance companies accountable, and lead to the possible lowering of prices in other companies due to the added competition. The Public Option is intended to become available in 2013, conveniently right after the predicted doomsday during 2012, meaning America can finally be healthy after worldwide destruction ensues.

But seriously, the chances of this proposal making our country socialist is about as likely as the absurd notion that the world will end because of a century-old Mayan prediction. Even with a Public Option, America would be nowhere near socialism, which would consist of health care being run entirely by the government in a completely non-competitive market. That option does not exist in this plan.

But I digress. I do understand the majority concern. Many countries that implement a system of public care have problems with the quality of the health-care being provided, rather than the percentage of uninsured. This includes extended waits and, arguably, less-qualified doctors. However, despite these concerns, countries with similar government-operated health plans such as Sweden, Australia, and even Japan have higher life expectancies, while paying approximately half the money that the United States spends on health care per capita, according to FactCheck.org. So, ultimately, the results show that a Public Option is effective in increasing life expectancy for less money.

However, on the subject of money, it is true that Obama’s plan has an expected federal cost of about $1 trillion. While Obama points out that this is less than the cost of the Iraq War, this is, in fact, not true. So far, the Iraq War has cost $642 billion, and considering that amount’s intense effect on our nation’s economy, fear of sending the United States into even greater debt is a just concern.

An entirely not just concern is that Obama’s health care plan involves death panels, which are fictitious committees who decide whether certain patients are worthy of living. “The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care,” said Sarah Palin on her Facebook page during October, 2009. This rumor, started by Republican front-runners such as Sarah Palin, is a lie. I usually try to avoid such a frank response to a claim that serious, but I have trouble believing that such a bizarre claim that is not even hinted at in the health care bill could be an honest mistake.

All tangents aside, that’s the bill. That’s it.

Wait… that’s it?

oOkay, really? All that hype for this? The bill has its undeniable kinks, I agree. The cost of the plan is slightly out of reach, and the quality of the care that will ensue is still debatable, but… really? I was expecting a tablet that prophesies mankind’s destruction, or at least a statement that advocated malevolent order.

All in all, the bill has some good ideas. It restricts the present insurance companies, while not rendering them useless. It provides an option for those who cannot afford health insurance, while still leaving the power to decide in the hands of the people. It allows competition, and it allows stability. It’s expensive, it’s unpredictable, but it’s definitely coherent and well thought-out.

In addition, the bill – or at least the summary – isn’t all that difficult to understand. Okay, it uses a bit of economic lingo, but there’s really no reason why the general public can’t simply utilize the resources around them and form an educated opinion on the subject. Presently, it’s hard to find anybody who can actually explain the bill; not fully evaluate it or even comprehend it, but just explain its critical points. And I’ll admit, it’s not all the fault of the people, although they are undeniably at some fault. After browsing through countless biased articles and summaries that lack any form of content, I feel confident in saying that news sources such as CNN, CBS, and many others, are avoiding actual coverage of the bill entirely. I’ll give them credit, they do an excellent job covering the opinions of legislators, the voice of the public, and even Obama’s speeches on the proposal. But without a proper understanding of the bill itself, all of that is insignificant.

Obama’s health care proposal is out there. It has its attributes, it has its flaws, and it has its controversies. But ultimately, the power to change our insanely low standard of health care remains in the hands of those who put forth the effort to take part in its reform and its improvement. And so, despite disagreement, it is crucial that this bill be considered, improved, and put into effect. After all, in the words of Barrack Obama: “We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it.”

Students get incentives for CSAP. Artwork by Rebecca Holt

Going up a category on the CSAP: $10.
Going up multiple categories on the CSAP: up to $30.
Restoring TJ Spartan pride: priceless.

From March 1-4, TJ’s underclassmen will partake in the much-anticipated CSAP test, but not without added encouragement from TJ’s community. Teachers, administrators, and TJ’s Alumni are offering cash prizes, gift cards, and even iPods as rewards for students who simply attend CSAP and improve their scores. “We’re funding CSAP incentives in hopes that students will be motivated to do their very best on the tests,” said President of TJ’s Alumni Association, Kendra Black.

This year, TJ’s Alumni Association is offering rewards and prizes to students who move up at least one category – such as from Partially Proficient to Proficient – in each subject. One of the major incentives for the upcoming CSAP is a cash prize of up to $30 just for advancing in categories of multiple subjects. By moving up a category in one subject, a student will be awarded $10. Moving up in two subjects is awarded with $20, and of course, three subjects with $30. “We hope that the rewards will make students want to try harder,” said Black.

But the prizes are not limited to just cash. Students who advance their CSAP scores to Advanced or Proficient will receive a raffle ticket for every subject in which they advance. Students who are already scoring Advanced will also receive raffle tickets, provided that their scores do not go down. In August, at the beginning of next semester, there will be a drawing for a plethora of prizes, ranging from headphones and gift cards to iPods and TV’s. In order to be eligible for the raffle drawing and cash prizes, a student must attend all days of CSAP and display excellent behavior.

With new incentives and rewards approaching, TJ’s Alumni Association hopes that Spartans will recognize the vast importance of CSAP. “The CSAP is a recognized measure of student achievement as well as teacher effectiveness,” said Black. “Poor CSAP scores reflect poorly on TJ. TJ needs to show the school district and the city of Denver that our students are learning and that our teachers are effectively teaching.”

In addition to being crucial to the future of TJ, students are also expected to appreciate the magnitude of CSAP to themselves as individuals. “CSAP scores are permanently placed on every student transcript,” said Black. “College admission officers see every CSAP score. Students don’t want Unsatisfactory or Partially Proficient to appear on their transcripts.”

However, the success of the upcoming CSAP is not solely in the hands of TJ’s Alumni. Spartans can excel in CSAP by being prepared, focused, and alert. “Many students don’t care about CSAP; they don’t understand that their test scores reflect on and affect them personally,” stressed Black. “Students need to attend, be well-rested and well-fed, and try their hardest.”

With such momentous activity from TJ’s Alumni Association, it’s no surprise that their actions strongly depict their confidence in TJ’s grandeur and potential. “Alumni believe in TJ and are proud of the school,” said Black. “We want the district and the city to recognize TJ, and to understand what a great school it truly is – now and in the past.”

Rules:

• Must attend all CSAP days, take the tests and be on best behavior.
• Cash and raffle prizes will not be awarded until the 2010 fall semester. (CSAP scores are not available until August.)
• Must be enrolled at TJ for the 2010-2011 school year and regularly attend on August 31. (give out prizes on the “count day”??)
• Students are eligible for the raffle only if their scores improve. (I.E. A student who goes from “Advanced” to “Proficient” will not get a raffle ticket.)
• Students who are already “Advanced” will be eligible for all cash & prizes as long as their actual scores do not go down.

Watch the Video: