BENSON, NEBRASKA

Omaha Benson High School Magnet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Omaha Benson High School Magnet, Benson High Magnet, or Benson High, is located at 5120 Maple Street in Omaha, Nebraska, in the Benson community of Omaha. The founded in 1904, Benson High is one of the oldest high schools in the state. Its enrollment is approximately 1,500 students. The current principal of Omaha Benson High School is Lisa Dale. The school mascot is the Bunny.[citation needed]

A full renovation of the school was completed in the mid-1990s. Additions included a new science classroom wing, an auditorium for the performing arts, a gymnasium, a student commons area and a track and football field. The football field and track were redone once again during the 2006 summer.[citation needed]

Benson is currently participating in NASA's Student Launch Initiative program.[citation needed]

Omaha Benson High School is also one of the Omaha area schools that participates in the yearly Day of Silence event.

[edit] Benson High changing into a Magnet Center

On the Benson website it announced "Benson High School is a public high school serving as a Magnet Center for special Academic Research and Innovation."

[edit] "The Nigger-Word" controversy

In April 2007, the student newspaper published a four-page special feature entitled "The N-Word" examining the use of the racial epithet "nigger" within the school community. It included factual reporting, editorial content, and a transcript of a round-table discussion on the topic in one of the school's ethics classes. Comedian Michael Richards aka Cosmo Kramer started it all.

Community response was mixed. Many students and parents, and the school's principal, were supportive of the newspaper's coverage, but the school district received many phone calls expressing concern or offense at the content. The school district, Omaha Public Schools, put the principal on temporary administrative leave and denounced the publication. The principal was later reinstated.[1]

[edit] Notable alumni

Notable alumni include actors Nick Nolte, Aaron Fili, Erich Hover, authors Terry Goodkind and Robert Reed, 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick, TV news anchorman Floyd Kalber, Omaha World Herald Reporter Stu Pospisil, Football Players Kenton Keith and Grant Wilson, nationally known Presbyterian minister Rev. Dr. Henry Andersen, and former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub.[citation needed]

[edit] See also

• Omaha Public Schools

[edit] References

1. ^ Lynn Safranek, "OPS condemns Benson student newspaper for 'N-word' articles", Omaha World-Herald. 13 April 2007.

[edit] External links

• Benson High School's Home Page
• Omaha Benson High School Alumni Website
• Benson High School's SLI team Home Page

This Nebraska school-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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Benson, Nebraska

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Benson is a historic neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Now a pocket within North Omaha, Benson Place was originally platted in 1887 but was annexed by Omaha in 1917.

[edit] Currently

Today the Benson High School is in the Omaha Public Schools district, as are Monroe Middle School and Benson West Elementary School. Benson is home to several live music venues the Foundry Cafe, Common Grounds Coffeehouse, Benson GrindThe Waiting Room, Barley Street Tavern ,PS Collective, the Pizza Shoppe as well as Hargiss Stringed Instruments, a luthier shop. Area churches include the St. Paul United Methodist Church, Benson Church of Christ, Benson Presbyterian Church of Omaha, City Church and Benson Baptist Church of Omaha Nebraska. Local artists include Mark Goodall.

[edit] History

Erastus Benson was a land speculator, investor and philanthropist who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Omaha in 1906. He was an early investor in marketing Thomas Edison's inventions, including the phonograph and the Kinetoscope.[1][2] In 1887 he purchased approximately 900 acres (3.6 km2) of farm land from Edward Creighton, an Omaha businessman. On March 4, 1887, Benson platted the land on the Creighton farm and called it Benson Place, later changing it to Benson. The newly platted community was located along Military Avenue, approximately 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Omaha.

On May 25, 1917 the City of Omaha, Nebraska annexed the town of Benson. At that time it was 1.4 mi² and had 5000 residents.[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Robinson, D. (1996) From Peep Show to Palace: The Birth of American Film, Columbia University Press. p. 37.
2. ^ Edison Film and Sound:History of Edison Motion Pictures. Retrieved 8/10/07.
3. ^ History of Nebraska - Chapter 35, retrieved 14dec2006