SPOTLIGHT
BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 86
1200 N. GIRLS SCHOOL RD. ISSUE 3
Covering Wayne Township since 1933
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46214 JANUARY 8, 2021
GIANT
NOTES
Hybrid schedule
returns Jan. 20
(Editor’s note: This schedule
information was accurate
as of January 5, 2021. Update
scheduling informatin will be
communicated via social media
channels and any changes
can be found on bdspotlight.
com.)
When second semester
begins on Wednesday, January
20, students will return to
the hybrid schedule in place
before November 16, 2020.
First semester ends on January
15 and January 18 is Martin
Luther King Day. January
19 is a work day for teachers
before second semester begins
on January 20.
The means students with
last names beginning A-K
will attend school in person
on Mondays and Tuesdays
each week and students with
last names L-Z will attend on
Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Friday will be a remote learning
day for all students.
Virtual FAFSA
event Jan. 13
INvestEd will be available
on Wednesday, January
13, 2021, from 4-7 p.m. to
virtually assist students and
families with filling out and
filing the FAFSA (Free Application
for Federal Student
Aid). Families should have
any tax and income information
for both the student and
parents available.
The registration link
is https://live.remo.co/e/
ben-davis-hs-virtual-fafsacompl-2.
Follow us at
BDSPOTLIGHT.COM
@BD_PUBLICATIONS
@BDPUBLICATIONS
FAMILY * ZOOM MEETINGS * NAYA RIVERA * ISOLATION
* ALEX TREBEK * NBA BUBBLE * JOE BIDEN * XBOX *
AFS * HAND SANITIZER * MURDER HORNETS * CALIFORNIA
WILDFIRES * BLACK LIVES MATTER * CHADWICK BOSEMAN
* HULU * FACE MASKS * NEXT-GEN * SOCIAL DISTANCING
* HARRY AND MEGHAN * ONLINE SCHOOL * COVID-19 *
LOCKDOWN * KOBE BRYANT * EMPTY GROCERY SHELVES *
TOILET PAPER * ELECTION * GLOBAL PANDEMIC * DONALD
TRUMP * KYLE RITTENHOUSE * GEORGE FLOYD * TIKTOK *
BREONNA TAYLOR * RIOTS * TWITTER * SOCIAL MEDIA *
FAKE NEWS * 14 DAYS TO SLOW THE SPREAD * DODGERS *
QUARANTINE * PANDEMIC PAY * RUTH BADER GINSBURG *
SIX FEET APART * IT IS WHAT IT IS * CORONAVIRUS *
VACCINES * ANTHONY FAUCI * PFIZER * CHROMEBOOKS*
REMOTE LEARNING * DRIVE-THRU GRADUATION * YARD
SIGNS * DRIVE-IN CONCERTS * NEIGHBORHOOD PARADES *
NETFLIX * LOCKDOWNS * TIGER KING * MARCH 12 *
RACISM * FLYOVERS * NO FANS ALLOWED * ESSENTIAL
WORKERS * HEROES WORK HERE * GOOGLE MEET * BET *
COVID TESTING * NO JUSTICE NO PEACE * VOTER FRIAD *
HYBRID SCHEDULE * ELECTORIAL COLLEGE * FLY ON PENCE
* WUHAN * QUEEN’S GAMBIT * JACOB BLAKE * 5G *
Virtual * Moderna * ANTIFA * LA LAKERS * KAREN
* STAY-AT-HOME * E-LEARNING * WOKE * WE CAN’T
BREATHE * I’M SPEAKING * UNEMPLOYMENT * POLICE
BRUTALITY * KAMALA HARRIS * UNPRECEDENTED * MUTE *
SUPERSPREADER * ZOOMBOMBER * DEFUND * BLURSDAY
Graphic by Atzel Nunez
2 Spotlight Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN January 8, 2021
How did we get here?
Butts explains the townships reaction to global pandemic
By Lexie Bordenkecher
editor
Everyone knows about the
frustration and stress the
last year has brought, but no
one in our community knows more
about it than Wayne Township
Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Butts.
The first known case of CO-
VID-19 was discovered in Wuhan,
China in late-December of 2019.
Despite this, the first case in the
US wasn’t reported until almost a
month later in Washington State.
Cases started to steadily rise,
and soon enough, Indiana reported
its first case, in nearby Avon.
On March 6, health officials
announced that Indiana had discovered
its first. Governor Eric
Holcomb declared a public health
emergency that same day. By the
end of the next week, all Indiana
schools were to close until May 1,
and all mandatory state testing was
cancelled.
Cases -- and deaths -- rose at an
unsettling pace. Less than a month
after Holcomb announced schools
would be shut down until May 1,
Indiana Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Jennifer McCormick,
determined that all schools should
have remote instruction for the remainder
of the 2019-2020 school
year.
“The pandemic became a concern
in early March,” says Wayne
Township Superintendent Dr. Jeff
Butts. “It wasn’t until then when
we really started to see the impact
here in the United States.”
Butts went on to explain that in
early March, all the Marion County
superintendents went to the Mayor’s
office downtown to talk to Dr.
Virginia Caine and figure out what
they were going to do.
“We wanted to stay unified,” he
said. “We wanted to do something
across the city of Indianapolis, not
just have one school district doing
one thing and another doing something
different”.
March 13, 2020 is a date all
Americans will probably remember
for years to come. Coincidentally, it
was Friday the 13th.
The days leading up to the 13th
were nothing short of newsworthy.
On March 11, the NBA postponed
their season, and on March 12 the
NCAA basketball tournament was
cancelled.
Friday, March 13 was the day
President Donald Trump declared
a national emergency. Earlier in
that week, the Marion County superintendents
decided that they
were going to close, but only until
spring break. Butts said, “we needed
a couple weeks to figure it out
BUTTS TALKS PANDEMIC Wayne Township Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts became the unofficial spokesman for Marion County public schools when schools
were first shut down in April. Butts discusses his role with editor Lexie Bordenkecher. (Photo by Raelynn Hughes)
and to see what the pandemic was
going to do.”
Obviously a couple weeks
turned into a couple months as
we didn’t get back to school until
August. The end of the academic
year was not even close to normal.
The class of 2020 didn’t get to do
Wayne Walks, have a prom, say
bye to teachers or even a typical
graduation.
The class of 2021 had to take
important AP tests online and
deal with the technical issues that
came with them. They also had to
reschedule SAT tests with the hope
they could take them in the fall.
“When we realized that we
were not coming back for school
this year, we started thinking ‘well
what about next school year’,”
Butts said.
Instead of making all the decisions
himself, a task force of
approximately 190 people was
formed. The task force consisted of
teachers, administrators, parents,
and even students. Even with all of
that help, a plan didn’t come easily.
With the number of cases going up
VIRTUAL MEETINGS Wayne Township Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts talks
to Ben Davis staff remotely from the principal’s conference room. Butts has
spent as much as six hours a day in remote meetings since the pandemic hit in
March of 2020. (Photo by Tom Hayes)
over the summer, more restrictions
were put into place.
“Every time we thought we had
a plan, something would change,”
he said.
The decision for 6-12th grad-
“Every time we thought
we had a plan, something
would change.”
- Dr. Jeff Butts
ers to be on a hybrid schedule was
made by Dr. Caine in the middle
of July. One major issue that came
from this virus is the lack of leadership
and guidance from the federal,
state, and local governments.
Butts explained how this lack
of guidance piled onto the local
school boards and administration.
The goal right now is to be able to
give the seniors a normal ending to
their high school experience.
While most of these facts were
not the most comforting, not all
news is bad. A vaccination put out
by Pfizer is in the distribution stages
with hopes of nationwide distribution
by mid-year.
Where does that leave schools?
Right now we are beginning to
see a light at the end of this horrible
and isolating tunnel. However,
it won’t be a straight-shot there.
Cases are coming in at a recordbreaking
pace. Thanksgiving weekend
recorded the biggest number
of people flying since early March.
These numbers are not likely to
slow down anytime soon.
If we want to see the class of 2021
have a senior prom and a normal
graduation, we need to continue
to social distance, wear masks, and
stay away from large groups.
Do your part, and others will do
theirs.
JANUARY 8, 2021 BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN SPOTLGHT
3
A year later
Class of 2020 still feeling the effects of shortened year
By Raelynn Hughes
staff writer
This year has no doubt been
a challenging year, especially
for the class of 2020.
Due to COVID-19 things
changed for these students fast.
One day they were having a normal
day at school, the next they
were at home doing everything
online.
Games, prom, Wayne Walks
-- even their graduation -- was
robbed from them. Cokeb Gebrehiwet
was one of these students.
“When they first cancelled
school I remember we had dance
practice for our ASA night, and
we were so excited because we
thought we were just gonna have
a longer spring break,” Gebrehiwet
says. “That was until they
never let us come back.”
She didn’t believe it at first, she
simply shrugged the idea of CO-
VID off.
“I was really in denial because
I didn’t want to let myself really
What should
have been
Amina Dalal (pictured here) expected
to spend fall semester in
Chicago studying at Loyola University.
Covid-19 had other ideas.
“I think that the effects of coronavirus
have been very complicated,”
said Dalal, the Class of
2020 valedictorian. “For example,
it has kept me home bound, when
I thought that I would be in a new
city right now.
“I thought I would be in a new
environment, surrounded by new
people, and living a very different
life than the one I’m living now.”
Instead of learning the ropes of a
new city, Dalal studied from home
and made the best of her situation.
“At the same time, I’ve had a lot
of solitude, I’ve gotten to explore
lots of interests, and ultimately,
I feel like I’ve grown in a very different
way,” she said. “Of course,
Covid has had literally deadly
consequences -- I’ve experienced
this in my own family even -- I
just think it’s hard to determine if
coronavirus has made things more
difficult, because I don’t think you
can compare things like that. At the
end of the day, when you compare
your expectations to reality, it’s not
about it being harder or easier, it’s
just different”
Dalal reluctantly offers some
advice.
“Honestly, I feel bad for you
guys,” she said. “High school is
already rough enough with friendship
drama, college applications/
future planning, and just generally
struggling to manage this transitional
time. I didn’t really have
to experience being a senior during
the pandemic for very long,
so I’m not sure that I’m entirely
qualified to offer advice, but if
I had to, I would say: Be kind to
yourself. You are a high school
student right now. It might feel
like you’re missing out on a lot,
but you have your whole life still
ahead of you. For now, just save
your energy to take care of those
you love, and (perhaps more importantly)
to take care of yourselflisten
to what your needs are, and
do what feels right. I’m not a huge
fan of over-the-top optimism, but
it doesn’t hurt to look for the positives
either.”
“Living through a pandemic is hard,
especially being a teenager because
you feel like you are missing out on so
much in your life. Just make sure you
are being safe out there and know that
high school is just a glimpse of your
life.”
- 2020 BD graduate Sydney Brown
feel sad about it so I kinda just
avoided it and tried my best to
not think about the fact that we
weren’t gonna get a graduation,”
Gebrehiwet said.
While there were others like
Gebrehiwet who simply ignored
it at first, there were others who
took it seriously.
“I was definitely on edge weeks
before the school got shut down,”
said Sydney Brown, yearbook editor
last year. “I remember reading
about news in other countries
like China and Italy when we had
current events in class. It kept
getting bigger each day and I
knew it was only a matter of time
before it came here.”
Students were not only concerned
about catching the virus,
but were concerned about how
people were reacting to it.
“I was concerned and immediately
fearful. Not of the virus itself,
but how much people were
Covid-19 has impacted the
lives of so many. Especially the
lives of students. Many students
have struggled with adapting to
the new school environment. One
of those students who are struggling
with these new arrangements
is Ben Davis senior class
president Yosef Solomon.
“It was a weird change from
my previous school years.” Solomon
said. “The school felt empty
with having people doing a hybrid
schedule.”
Solomon’s job as Senior Class
President is to get the class motto,
song, and flower, while also
helping with school fundraisers.
He also makes ideas with the
school cabinet and other senior
class officers. Covid has greatly
impacted his job.
“This pandemic has brought
me a lot of challenges for being
president. Usually presidents
would help out with fundraisers
and help date big events, but
downplaying it,” said Amina Dalal,
Class of 2020 valedictorian. “I
had teachers, friends, and more
people around me claiming that it
wasn’t a big deal, but something
told me it was.”
Students in the class of 2020
not only had to worry about the
pandemic during high school, but
life after high school as well.
“It was lonely,” said Brown,
a freshman at Butler. “You are
at a new school trying to make
with Covid going on it take all of
that away.”
Although Solomon had many
challenges, Vice President Madison
Blackwell came at it from a
different approach.
“Going to school during a pandemic
wasn’t bad,” Blackwell
said. “It definitely still was risky
because of the fact that there are
still a lot of kids in the building,
but I think we do a decent job
trying to follow guidelines.”
Blackwell’s job as vice president
is to help coordinate school
events and help raise school spirit
with other class officers.
“I haven’t really been able to
come together with all of the officers
because of the pandemic. I
have really only been able to text
new friends, but you can’t go
anywhere to actually meet new
people.
“As a freshman in college, you
don’t know what college is supposed
to be like. You don’t have
any friends set in place like upperclassmen
do, you don’t know
if the amount of work you are
doing is normal, and you don’t
know if this is how campus life is
supposed to be like.”
It isn’t looking like Covid is
going away anytime soon. Class
of 2021 Seniors will have to go
through the same experiences as
the class of 2020 did.
“Make the best of the situation
you have.” Brown said. “Make
sure you talk to your friends
because being isolated can get
lonely, and know that you are not
alone in what you are feeling. Living
through a pandemic is hard,
especially being a teenager because
you feel like you are missing
out on so much more in life. Just
make sure you are being safe out
there and know that high school
is just a glimpse of your life.”
Class of 2021 leaders
seek return to normalcy
Solomon, Blackwell discuss Covid and school
By Raelynn Hughes
staff writer
Solomon
Blackwell
them as we agree and disagree on
things regarding school. Other
than that, it hasn’t really affected
much,” she said.
Being senior class president
and vice president, Solomon and
Blackwell have to be involved in
how the school is dealing with
Covid.
“I think the school is doing the
best they can,” Blackwell said. “I
do think that the way they are
handling it now versus in March
is better, even though I do not
want to do synchronous learning,
but I know that it will help
to create a safer environment
than us being in class and around
thousands of other students.”
Solomon thinks that the school
is doing a great job, but could do
a better job with the face masks.
“I think the school could do a
better job of reminding people to
keep their masks on,” Solomon
said. “But besides that I like how
they handle the people being socially
distanced and having hand
sanitizer everywhere.
“I just am anxious for us to return
how school use to be.”
4 SPOTLIGHT BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN JANUARY 8, 2021
Gen Z’s fight
far from over
How did dystopian novels become
such a heavy influence for teens?
DOWNTOWN RALLIES Thousands gathered in downtown Indianapolis to protest against a string of policeaction
incidents that killed George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake in 2020. Former Spotlight editors Lauren
Chapman and Breanna Cooper captured these photographs while covering the event for their respective jobs. “This
is my city,” Chapman said of covering the events. “I understand their anger, but this is where I learned to drive.”
‘We can’t
breathe’
Black Lives Matter movement rallies against
racism throughout American cities
By Mary Adams
lifestyle editor
May 25, 2020, George
Floyd was killed
by police. He was
handcuffed and pinned to the
ground with Officer Derek
Chauvin’s knee on his neck.
For 8 minutes and 46 seconds,
Chauvin pinned down
Floyd while he was repeatedly
saying, “I can’t breathe.”
After a video of Floyd’s
death went viral, attention was
brought to the Black Lives Matter
movement across America.
All of the officers were fired.
Chauvin was arrested, but got
out on a million dollar bail.
Breonna Taylor was an EMT
in Louisville, Kentucky.
March 13, 2020, the police
came into her apartment for an
insufficient warrant. Breonna’s
boyfriend thought he heard
something when the police entered
the apartment, and fired
shots. He hit Brett Hankinson,
who came in through their
sliding glass door. In return,
they fired off eight times and
killed Taylor.
Hankinson was charged for
the shots that went into neighboring
apartments.
Stephen Clark was at his
grandparents house when he
lost his life.
March 18, 2018, Clark was
in the backyard while the police
were looking for someone
breaking into the cars. When
they approached Clark, they
thought his cell phone was
a weapon. They shot him 20
times before they realized that
it was just a phone.
While his grandmother, Sequita
Johnson, was talking to
news reporters, she said “He
was in the wrong place at the
wrong time, in his own backyard?”
Trayvon Martin was 17.
On February 26, 2012, he was
walking to his dad’s house
from the convenience store. He
had a drink and skittles with
him. The neighborhood watch
volunteer, George Zimmerman,
thought he was suspicious.
Zimmerman followed Martin
even though told not to.
Zimmerman then fired shots at
Martin, and claimed it was out
of self-defense. Because of his
claim, the police decided not to
arrest him.
This led to protests across
the countries, and people
wanting justice for Martin.
Zimmerman was later charged
with second degree murder,
but pleaded guilty.
After the jury agreed that
Zimmerman wasn’t guilty, he
was acquitted. This inspired
the Black Lives Matter organization
to form in 2013.
Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors,
and Opal Tometi are the
three women who started the
movement. Black Lives Matter
is an organization fighting
for inclusion in America, and
is working for “a world where
Black lives are no longer systematically
targeted for demise.”
Black Lives Matter stands
for and supports black queer
lives, black trans lives, and
black women.
Black Lives Matter stands
for all black lives. The organization
has been around since
2013, but has received more
publicity since the death of
Floyd.
Throughout 2020, people
did numerous things to make
sure that Black Lives Matter is
heard.
The NBA and other pro
sports franchises openly supported
the cause. Black Lives
Matter was painted on major
city streets across the nation.
People have been actively
sharing information on twitter
and attending protests.
On June 2, everyone paused to
bring awareness to the death of
Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
It started with companies
such as Spotify, Apple, and Tik
Tok saying that they would
put a halt on operations for a
day. This then led to many artists,
such as Rihanna, Cardi B,
and Justin Bieber joining.
People would post a blank
black screen to show their support.
Many people also took a
break from their online presence
for a day. Columbia Records
made a statement that
said “This is not a day off. Instead,
this is a day to reflect
and figure out ways to move
forward in solidarity.”
People also made themselves
heard through protests.
This has been one of the largest
movements in history, having
protests in all 50 states. On
June 6, nearly half a million
people protested across the
country.
Throughout June, there
were protests almost everyday
across the country. Voices were
heard during this time. Louisville
made a new law, the Breonna
Taylor law. This law bans
no-knock warrants, which was
used that night of her death.
Black Lives Matter has
changed America in different
ways. Even though changes
have been made, the fight for
racial equality isn’t over.
By Lexie Bordenkecher
editor
Generation Z.
The most anxious generation,
but also the most politically
aware and accepting.
Growing up in the early
2000s and 2010s was
a new and different
experience from our
parent’s childhoods.
Social media has
been a huge part of our
upbringing, much to
the dismay of our older
generations. However,
social media has made
us more aware of current
issues.
Gen Z is the term given those
born between roughly 1996
and 2010. It is our generation
and 2020 is historic because
it is the first time many of
this generation could vote in
a presidential election. This
generation is maturing and
features roughly 72 million
of the U.S. population.
As we reach our teenage
years, we become more socially
and politically aware. This
is important in today’s society
because everything is political.
This generation is ambitious
in its desire to deconstruct
the current
government.
Many adults have
expressed curiosity
about where this desire
comes from.
Well, when you
look at the books and
movies we grew up
with, you might understand.
Books like
The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The
Maze Runner have inspired Gen Z
to protest against their government
with little fear.
Generation Z
Many teenagers pointed out
similarities between The Hunger
Games universe, published in 2008
with the movie coming out in
2012, and the U.S. government.
In the books, the main character
sparks a revolution to
dismantle their corrupt
government. Some of the
similarities were shocking.
The “peacekeepers” in
the books protected the
privileged from the people
trying to use their voice,
instead of protecting the
innocent. People compared
these to the police
in America. The fictional
President, President
Snow, has also been compared to
Donald Trump.
Not all of
these books are
read voluntarily
either. Divergent,
published in 2011,
and The Maze Runner,
published in 2009,
are both books that
were read in some elementary
schools.
Another question
we have to ask is, why
the desire to change the world?
This could also come from
those books. Most dystopian
novels that we read growing
up are set in the distant
future. And although these
books are obviously fictional,
there’s always a small
possibility that at some
point they will no longer
just be made up stories.
Yes, some of the plotlines
will always be a bit too
extreme for real life, but
the overall message isn’t.
These books are just a warning of
what the world could become if
we can’t work together and improve
our planet.
• Born between 1997-2012
• Very tech-savvy
• Believes strongly in diversity
• Competitive and entrepreneurial
• Likes to have a voice
• 65% of eligible voters voted for Joe
Biden
• In U.S., 50% of generation is white,
25% is Hispanic and 15% is black
January 8, 2021 Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN Spotlght
5
In Wayne, community counts
Plenty of efforts during pandemic helped bring westsiders together
By Lexie Bordenkecher
editor
As with many communities
around the country, Wayne
Township has had to come
together in new and unexpected
ways.
At the beginning of the pandemic,
many families were left to wonder
how they would be able to provide
food for their children. In our
community, so many parents rely
on the distribution of free lunches
from schools.
Our administration has done an
incredible job at providing meals
for students working completely
remote, and also for the hybrid
students. Sara Gasiorowski is in
charge of food services in Wayne
Township.
“Prior to going remote learning,
we were providing meal bags
for our hybrid and Wayne@Home
students, but now we have ramped
up to provide meals for seven days/
week,” Gasiorowski said.
Every Tuesday and Thursday
there are meal pickups from six
different locations. The Tuesday
bags provided three days worth of
meals, and the Thursday bags provide
four.
Since going completely remote in
November, Wayne Township has
served nearly 60,000 meals, including
both breakfast and lunch. The
people providing the meals have
become efficient as they have been
repeating the process since early
March.
Meals have to be carefully
packed. They must be able to be
easily transported, and they must
come with heating instructions (if
needed). Some menu items go in
and out of stock, which has provided
a setback.
“You have to think through the
process on a step by step basis from
creating the menu, packaging the
meal bags and then thinking about
how the family will use those items
at home”, Gasiorowski said.
In early January, 10 or 11 apartment
complexes in the area will
become new meal pickup locations.
Along with meal distributions,
Wayne Township also had it’s annual
Thanksgiving food drive. For
the first time ever, the Indiana National
Guard assisted in sorting the
donated food.
Melissa Edwards, the coordinator
of the event, said, “They were
amazing. A BD alumni was in
charge of the group which made
it even more special. We have
reached out to them to assist in the
years to come.”
The food drive served 438 families
this year.
“I feel like our community is always
supportive of whatever happens
within our schools and our
HELPING OUT Members of the National Guard stepped up and helped organize
the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive that fed more than 400 Wayne Township
families. (Submitted photo)
district,” Edwards said. “The community
this year came together
after Dr. Butts posted about the
Thanksgiving Drive challenges by
donating funds and food items.”
She said this had never happened
before. Ben Davis also set a record
this year by providing Christmas
presents to 130 Wayne Township
families.
Another thing that parents had
to think about was how their child
would be able to do their online
school work. Many families in
Wayne Township do not have internet
access from their homes, so
they had to find somewhere their
child could work from.
At the end of the 2019-2020
school year, not every student was
sent home with a chromebook
they would be able to use for their
school work.
Wayne Township did distribute
some, but not every student could
get one. Other students were left
with chromebooks they already
had in their possession, but some
were more than five years old.
The beginning of the 2020-2021
school year was different. Every
student in Wayne Township was
provided their own new chromebook.
“This year we distributed over
4,000 chrome tablets to primary
students, and over 6,000 chromebooks
to other students”, said Pete
Just, who is in charge of technology
services in Wayne.
Teachers had to learn how to fix
minor issues with the devices, and
technology assistants are available
to help with larger issues. A service
called “Myfi” has been provided to
students without internet access
from their homes.
“It’s simply a small access point
that is connected to a cellular network
and provides Internet access
for up to ten devices,” Just said.
Other community efforts during
the pandemic included a Facebook
group that adoped more than 800
seniors in the spring and helped
them celebrate their high school
careers and teachers who donated
therir time and talent to help with
masks.
While the pandemic has brought
lots of hardship and frustration, the
Wayne Township community has
provided a light in all of the darkness.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT A group of Wayne Township food
service employees (left) served daily meals during the early stage
of the pandemic. Two neighborhood men (above) shake hands
after cleaning up the dumpsters on the noirth side of Ben Davis
High School. Career center teacher Aaron Moss (right) makes 3-D
face shields. (File photos)
SERVING AVON Ricky’s Pancake House off of 10th Street on Highway 267 in
Avon has expanded business during the pandemic. (Photo by Tom Hayes)
Ricky’s expands during pandemic
Avon restaurant
goes against trend
By Frida Foncesca
staff writer
According to national statistics,
at least one in three restaurants in
America will not survive the pandemic.
Then’s there Ricky’s Pancake
House in Avon.
“Our mission is to create a great
dining expereince,” said Enrique
Rosas, owner of Ricky’s Pancake
House just off of 10th Street in
Avon.
Salas, better known as Ricky to
his loyal customer base, not only
has survived during the pandemic,
but he opened a second restaurant
in Pittsboro.
He opened Ricky’s after buying
the former Ella’s Panckae House
from his boss when Ella’s decided
to close. This helped him fulfill a
dream he’s had since he was a teenager.
Ricky’s survived on “to-go” orders
during the early stages of the
pandemic and follows Hendricks
County guidelines when it comes
to in-person customers.
“I am very proud of the work we
have already done, the customers
we have gained and the changes we
have made since we have taken over
in August,” Ricky said. “I appreciate
every customer who has noticed
the changes and continue to
support us in our mission, which is
to create the best dining experience
in Avon.”
Ricky has worked in both large
and small restaurants and he enjoys
cooking food that his customers
will keep returning for.
His second shop was a leap of
faith and that leap has paid off.
“We’re busy and that’s good,” he
said.
6 SPOTLIGHT BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN JANUARY 8, 2021
TOP
MEMES
As seen in this meme, transportation
items became less popular and
essential items are more needed
during the pandemic era. Coffee
remains the same before and during
the pandemic.
This meme expresses how unprepared
people are for 2020 as the arrow
pierced the knight in an exposed area.
It may have symbolized how society
is already weak in some areas and the
pandemic hit our vulnerable areas in
our weak points.
People have expressed how long each
month felt to them in this meme and
each month has so far felt longer than
its predecessor. It may be due to how
bored some of us feel being forced
into lockdown and the longer we
wait for the lockdown to be over, the
slower time seems for us.
2020 being compared to colonoscopy
prep may be describing the torture people
undergo through drinking it and how
many procedures there are to it as there
are several events that occurred this year.
Colonoscopy prep may have also portrayed
the pandemic.
With several negative events occuring in 2020,
time travelers need to be specific if they ask
whether a disaster has occurred or not.
Samara Morgan may not seem weird due to
the creator’s perspective of how she matches
each person wearing black, thus making the
setting in this photo look like a horror film.
As the meme indicates, we do lose our patience and
become bored of staying home, seeking something
else. Perhaps the meme has described the George
Floyd riots due to mentioning abolishing the police.
Despite being under lockdown, certain people
wouldn’t mind emerging and rioting.
History class being a nightmare from all the calamities
occurring in 2020 sure is accurate honestly.
Not everyone’s a fan of tests, especially ones that
require lots of memorizing.
Wouldn’t blame whoever
made this meme parodizing
ratings. Several of us can relate
to hating 2020 and not
recommending that year to
exist again.
This meme shows a
wardrobe
matching
the events
that occurred
in
2020.
The debate has already begun:
Is 2020 the worst year in the
history of the United States?
Social media is filled with people
discussing why 2020 has to be the
worst year ever.
Humanity has endured torment,
especially in 2020, and supposedly
the rising statistics of incidents
are what reveal conflicts becoming
seemingly worse.
We’ve paid attention to what
social media argues about society
plummeting from one disaster piling
onto another, suffocating our
optimism to death. Here are the
reasons why many people believe
2020 is the worst year:
• The coronavirus continues
to plague the world with its
madness and the death toll
surpassed 300,000 in early December.
• Some schools, like Ben Davis,
have closed down and students
return to elearning.
• While the vaccine was approved
in early December,
nearly 35% of Americans do
not trust the vaccine and have
said they will not take it.
• The virus has exposed the
flaws of our social system, it
destroyed the economy, divorced
us from routines we
rely on and people we love,
Everything’s changing
By Mary Adams
lifestyle editor
In December 2019, everyone was
talking about how “2020 will be
their year.”
What we didn’t know was that
in three months our lives would
completely change -- at home, at
work, at school, and just everywhere.
Everyone used to hate going to
school. Waking up early, getting
on the bus, being in class all day,
and too-loud lunches didn’t seem
worth the time.
Now people are begging to go
back to what we were doing.
Something everyone took for
granted was being able to see each
other’s faces.
Wearing masks, half of our face
is covered. This year we didn’t
know what half of our teachers’
faces looked like. We don’t get to
Is 2020 the
worst year ever?
While bad, how does it compare to other years
By Sophie Dorrance-Minch
staff writer
2020 had:
More than 300,000 deaths in
the U.S. due to the coronavirus
Record number of hurricanes
hit North America
Riots throughout America due
to racism
An election that divided the
nation
and the government has mismanaged
the pandemic.
• As explained in the “Natural
Disaster Records of 2020” article,
quite a few natural disasters
have broken many records
in 2020 and made it seem like
our world is rapidly degrading
toward imminent doomsday.
• George Floyd’s death led to
legitimate and important protests
that sometimes resulted
in looting across the country.
• Crimes related to homicide
and non-negligent homicide
increased by about 15% according
to preliminary FBI
data. Marion County alone
surpassed 200 homicides for
the first time ever.
• Gun Violence Archive recorded
13,641 homicides, murder,
and unintentional gun-related
deaths as of September 28
• The CDC reported 40% of
overall U.S. adults struggling
with mental health or substance
abuse during late June
• The 2020 election divided the
nation due to the contested
How 2020 has interrupted our academic lives
see facial expressions anymore.
This can make it hard for teachers
to tell if we’re confused or not.
Classrooms used to have conversations,
people would move
around throughout class and it was
as much fun and games as it was
learning.
This year, the conversations are
limited, we can’t walk around as
much, and we have to make sure
we get all of this week’s notes in
the two days we are in class.
People used to see their friends
during passing periods and catch
up on what’s going on. With staggered
passing periods and going to
school different days, we don’t get
to see anybody any more.
Lunch used to be the highlight
of the day. We used to get a break,
talk to our friends and eat.
Now, we’re all spread out at
individual desks throughout the
school. People rarely talk, so the
majority of lunch is silent. Most
battle between Joe Biden and
Donald Trump and the negative
attack ads in nearly all
campaigns wore voters down.
Despite that, the 2020 election
had a record turnout with
more than 150 million voters.
No doubt 2020 was a difficult
year, but how does it compare to
the following years:
1968 -- The assassinations of
Martin Luther King and Robert
Kennedy, riots during the Democratic
convention in Chicago and a
year of civil unrest while the country
battled an unpopular war in
Vietnam.
1942 -- The height of the Holocaust,
most of Europe, parts of Asia
and the United States in a World
War, and the Bataan Death March.
1932 -- The Great Depression left
millions homeless and hungry.
1919 -- The end of the Spanish
flu -- the last global pandemic -- a
World War and the Untied States
in a great recession.
Or how about 1862, 1863 or 1864
-- Many historians feel that any
year your country is at war with
itself are the worst years in a country’s
history.
Sometimes when we say “worst”
what we really mean is strange. This
is a very strange year, and frightening
in its unfamiliarity. Only history,
however, can say what year is
the worst ever.
Here’s hoping 2021 isn’t in the
discussion.
students spend lunch time staring
at their phone.
We thought with all of the precautions
we took, we would be
able to see the end of the semester,
but the health department told all
schools to go online in November.
Now we see teachers every other
day on a block schedule. We still
have to follow a specific schedule,
but classes don’t start until 9:30
a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m. With
Google Meetings all day, some students
are falling behind. However,
we have specific time periods to get
help from our teachers.
Our teachers want us to pass as
much as we do, and they want to
help us. Everyone has a different
home situation, which can greatly
impact their online school.
We get office hours at 2:45 everyday
Monday through Thursday,
and in the mornings and afternoons
on Fridays. School definitely is different.
January 8, 2021 Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN Spotlght
7
Where did it go wrong?
America’s response to the pandemic left much unanswered
By Brentton Wharton
staff writer
“Forty-five days before the announcement
of the first suspected
case of what would
become known as COVID-19, the
Global Health Security Index was
published. The project—led by the
Nuclear Threat Initiative and the
Johns Hopkins Center for Health
Security—assessed 195 countries
on their perceived ability to handle
a major disease outbreak. The U.S.
ranked first.” - TIME
It is quite clear that the conductors
of that study were way overconfident
in the United States, as
we have failed to get this virus under
wraps.
The number of confirmed coronavirus-related
deaths in the U.S.
passed 300,000 in December, more
than in any other country by far.
If, early in the spring, the U.S.
had engaged its resources and expertise
in a coherent national effort
to prepare for the virus, things
might have turned out differently.
If, in midsummer, the country
had doubled down on the measures
(masks, social-distancing rules, restricted
indoor activities and public
gatherings) that seemed to be
working, instead of prematurely
declaring victory, things might
have turned out differently.
The tragedy is that if science and
common sense solutions were united
in a national, coordinated response,
the U.S. could have avoided
many thousands of deaths this
summer. But instead, our leaders
thought themselves smarter, more
fit to handle this with their own
decisions.
Rather than take the advice of
scientists, or the Centers for Disease
Control, our President and his
camp did it their way, which obviously
was not the most effective
way.
Indeed, many other countries in
similar situations were able to face
this challenge where the U.S. apparently
could not. Italy, for example,
had a similar rate of cases per
capita as the U.S. in April.
By enforcing their safety mea-
COVID
NUMBERS
COUNTRY
UNITED STATES
INDIA
BRAZIL
RUSSIA
TOTAL
POPULATION
sures, emerging slowly from lockdowns,
limiting domestic and
foreign travel, and allowing its government
response to be guided and
aided by scientists, Italy has kept
COVID-19 almost entirely at bay.
In that same time period, U.S.
daily cases doubled. Case rates
would eventually fall in late summer,
only to begin another rise in
COVID CASES
Data current as of December, 2020
COVID DEATHS
332,002,651 16,678,134 301,678
1,380,004,385 9,910,008 144,354
212,559,417 6,930,546 182,433
145,934,462 2,667,893 46,846
FRANCE 65,273,511 2,387,987 58,282
November. Among the world’s
wealthiest nations, only the U.S.
has an outbreak that continues to
spin out of control.
Even countries with a fraction
of the resources America has, were
able to manage this on a daily basis.
Some countries, like New Zealand,
have even come close to eradicating
COVID-19 entirely.
Vietnam, where officials implemented
particularly intense lockdown
measures, didn’t record a single
virus-related death until July 31.
Australia recently reported 45
active Covid cases in a country of
25 million people. Australia has
lifted its mask mandate and has
opened up sporting events and has
allowed businesses to return to
pre-pandemic ways of conducting
business.
At this point, we can start to see
why the U.S. floundered: a failure
of leadership at many levels and
across all parties; a distrust of scientists,
the media and expertise in
general; and deeply ingrained cultural
attitudes about individuality
and how we value human lives
have all combined to result in a
horrifically inadequate pandemic
response.
COVID-19 has weakened the
U.S. and exposed the systemic fractures
in the country, and the bridge
between what this nation promises
its citizens and what it actually delivers
is long and wide. Let’s hope
America has learned.
Some greats left us in 2020
From Bryant to Ginsburg,
we lost some of America’s best
By Brentton Wharton
staff writer
The year 2020 has definitely been
a tumultuous year for everyone.
Dealing with the Coronavirus
pandemic has taken a toll on everyone,
but every time we’ve thought
things couldn’t possibly get worse
they have.
On top of Covid-19 deaths, we
have lost numerous celebrities and
public figures. Saying goodbye is
never easy, especially when it’s
someone we grew up watching on
television or when it’s someone we
idolized as our hero or when it’s
someone we grew to love.
A number of such celebrities
have passed away in 2020 including
Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman
and Naya Rivera.
Bryant passed away in a helicopter
crash, on January
26, alongside
his 13-year-old
daughter Gianna.
He was 41. The
aircraft was carrying
seven passengers
to the former
Los Angeles Lakers
player’s Mamba Academy for a
basketball practice near Thousand
Oaks, California, when the pilot
lost control.
In his career the NBA legend
totaled five championships, 15 All-
Star Game appearances, four All-
Star Game MVP Awards, two NBA
Finals MVP Awards and a single
regular-season MVP Award. His
legacy will live forever, as he was
the superhero of many young athletes
around the world.
Naya Rivera was pronounced
dead at age 33 in July after she
took her 4-yearold
son, Josey out
on a boat at Lake
Piru in California.
The Glee star was
at first declared
a missing person
on July 8 when
her son was found
alone on the boat.
Officials later announced that she
was presumed dead, and her body
was recovered five days later. Rivera
is the third of the Glee cast members
to pass away since the shows
end in 2015.
Boseman, died on August 28
at age 43 following a secret fouryear
battle with colon cancer. This
one may have been an even bigger
shock than Kobe
Bryant’s death, as
the news was so
sudden, and the
reason being so
unknown to the
public.
Through his
battle with cancer,
Boseman appears as the Marvel
character, Black Panther in four
movies. Captain America: Civil
War in 2016, Avengers: Infinity
War in 2018, Avengers: Endgame in
2019, and even his stand alone box
office hit, Black Panther in 2018.
Most recent of them all was Alex
Trebek’s passing.
The Jeopardy! host
died at age 80 on
November 8 after
battling stage IV
pancreatic cancer.
After his passing
the game show’s
account tweeted,
“Jeopardy! is saddened
to share that Alex Trebek
passed away peacefully at home
early this morning, surrounded
by family and friends. Thank you,
Alex.” Trebek hosted the show
for 30 years and was probably the
best known host of telvision game
shows in history.
Sean Connery,
best known for
his portrayal of
James Bond, died
in October at age
90 following a
long illness. Eon
Productions, the
film studio that
produced the James Bond films, officially
confirmed the news on October
31.
Johnny Nash,
The singersongwriter
best
known for the
1972 hit “I Can See
Clearly Now” died
on October 6 at
the age of 80 at his
home in Houston.
It is believed Nash died of natural
causes, he wasn’t reported ill.
Former Chicago Bears running
back Gale Sayers
died on September
23, at age 77.
His health had
been declining for
years, and he was
diagnosed with
dementia back in
2013.
Sayers is an NFL Hall of Famer,
and one of the greatest players of
all time.
Supreme Court justice Ruth
Bader Ginsburg was confirmed to
have passed away on September 18,
from “complications of metastatic
pancreas cancer.” Ginsburg was
87 years old and
had served as a
justice on the Supreme
Court for
27 years.
Ginsburg was
the first Jewish
woman and the
second woman
to serve on the Court, after Sandra
Day O’Connor. Ginsburg received
attention in American popular
culture for her passionate dissents
in numerous cases, widely seen as
reflecting paradigmatically liberal
views of the law. She was dubbed
“The Notorious R.B.G.”, and she
later embraced the moniker.
Other notable celebrities who
passed away in 2020 include baseball
greats Tom Seaver and Joe
Morgan, pilot Chuck Yeager, international
soccer star Diego Maradona,
rock guitarist Eddie Van
Halen, pop singer Helen Reddy,
basketball coach John Thompson,
television star Regis Philbin, Congressman
John Lewis and country
music legend Charlie Daniels.
8 Spotlight Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN January 8, 2021
Spotlight
Editor-in-chief:
Lexie Bordenkecher
Lessons learned in 2020
Opinions editor:
Denise Gimlich
Lifestyle editor:
Mary Adams
Sports editor:
Zion Brown
Photo editor:
Isli Trejo
........
Staff:
Aaron Ayala, Choyce Cephus,
Allison Flores, Sophie Dorrance-
Minch, Frida Fonseca, Laura
Fowler, Raelynn Hughes, Atzel
Nunez, James McNeal, Jaylyn
Patrick, Corbin Robinson,
Brooklynn Sharp, Nick Wert,
Brentton Wharton
Adviser:
Tom Hayes
Principal:
Sandra Squire
Spotlight is the official newspaper of
Ben Davis High School. It was created
and is maintained by the Board of
Education of the Metropolitan School
District of Wayne Township as part of
the curriculum of the school district.
Its purpose is to allow students to
develop and refine their skills as
journalists under the supervision of the
principal, Sandra Squire, and faculty
of Ben Davis High School.
Spotlight represents and exemplifies
Ben Davis High School and is not a
public or open forum. The principal
and faculty of Ben Davis High School
are therefore charged by the Board of
Education with the responsibility of
exercising editorial oversight to ensure
that contents of Spotlight reflect
Wayne Westside Community Values,
which may be found on the Wayne
website and are available upon request
from Ben Davis High School.
It is the policy of Spotlight to accept
letters to the editor from all readers.
All readers must be signed and
verified for permission. The editor
reserves the right to edit the letter for
journalistic and grammar purposes as
well as to maintain a safe environment
and to exempt prohibited material.
Letters to the editor can be submitted
to Tom Hayes in room X109 or to the
editors. Letters can also be e-mailed to
Tom Hayes at tom.hayes@wayne.k12.
in.us or to the editors.
Readers who submit letters sent via
e-mail must see either Tom Hayes or
the editors for verification if they wish
to be published.
Businesses interested in advertising
in Spotlight should contact Tom Hayes
at 317-988-7148. Spotlight publishes
at least six issues per school year and
the online version can be found at
www.bdspotlight.com Advertising
rates are available upon request.
Despite the pandemic, some positives to remember
Not everything that happened
during the Covid
pandemic can be viewed
as bad.
Depending on your point of view,
some good things developed during
the last nine months of 2020 that
can help change your view of life
in a positive way. Spotlight staffers
took a hard look at the positives
that came out of the nine months
that Covid overtook the world in
2020 and found the following five
take-aways from Covid that we feel
represent a brighter side of the pandemic.
5
Perserverance. One of the
constants throughout the
past nine months was getting
things done. When schools were
sent home in March and it finally
was announced that all schools
would be doing remote learning,
perserveance became a must.
In order to get through classes,
both teachers and students had to
learn new ways to do things and it
was difficult.
“One thing that I had to learn
was how to adapt to this new learning
environment,” junior Ricardo
Torres said. “I had to learn pretty
quickly how to submit things online.
And then going to school was
a whole new environment.”
When students returned to
school, they were greeted with a
new hybrid schedule and then in
November they returned to remote
learning. Perserverances was required
to get through these changes.
4
Self-motivation. Much like
perserverance, students and
teachers -- heck everyone --
had to learn how to self-motivate.
At home, it became easy to wake
up and start your daily life and put
things like school work on the back
burner.
Covid gave me reasons for thanks
Some good
came from this
By Allison Flores
staff writer
I’ve heard people ask, if you could
have had Covid not happen at all
-- for it to never have happened --
would you take it back or continue
as is?
A few months ago I would have
said that I’d take it back, but now
I don’t want to have these months
taken away.
During quarantine I spent most
of my time scrolling through Tik-
Tok and trying to find something
to watch on Netflix. I tried learning
new things with what little I had
and failed due to lack of motivation.
I would try to find things to keep
me busy every day. I didn’t talk to
anyone other
than my family.
I didn’t leave the
house unless I
had to.
All I did was
chores, eat, and
see my family.
I did the same
things every day.
Of course, it wasnt healthy spending
months without communicating
to others outside of my family.
I would read, watch tv, and download
random games on my phone
hoping it would distract me or
keep me busy.
But at some point I realized
something had to change. And
quickly.
Graphic by Atzel Nunez
Many students reported that being
at home in April and May felt
more like a vacation then it did
school work. Zoom meetings were
held throughout the day and many
students battled Internet issues,
family concerns and work schedules
to stay up at school.
Motivation became a huge factor
for everyone. Teachers also worked
from home and they had to balance
work life with home issues as almost
everyone in the country was
sent home during the first months
of Covid.
“During quarantine I found myself
being unmotivated to do my
daily tasks,” senior Liberty Webb
said. “It was hard at first, but once
I got a grip of what was happening
globally, it made things make
sense. The reason why I was feeling
those things was because we were
stuck in the house, loss of money in
my household, and school. I didn’t
know how this was going to play
out but I had to realize everything
was going to be OK.”
3
The
importance of health. In
addition to battling a global
pandemic, mental health became
a big issue for those who felt
extreme isolation being stuck at
home.
In fact, health concerns was
one of the top topics mentioned
by everyone during the past nine
months.
“I have learned that we need to
be more aware of our health and
I decided to change my lack of
socializing or communication by
trying to talk more to people.
I said hi to my friends for the
first time in seven months. We
talked about everything that had
happened in those months. It was
really nice to know that they were
doing well.
I didn’t like the fact that I had
been wasting my time doing nothing.
Thanks to that I decided to act
how I used to and be the extroverted
introvert.
I talked to people when I needed
help and that helped me make new
friends -- ones who have helped me
out and have made memories with.
I also decided to continue trying
to talk to my friends rather than
stop communication with them.
My relationships with my friends
keepings things clean,” senior Jordyn
Coleman said. “This pandemic
has taught us how important your
health is -- every day.”
2
Appreciate
what you have.
“I definitely took going to
school, the gym, working,
and going out for granted,” senior
Melanie Cuevas said. “I thought we
would pass through this pandemic
like nothing, but I was wrong. I
missed out on a lot of things this
year. It has affected me because I
went through some struggles but
realized that I miss many things
that covid took away from me.”
This pandemic has taught us all
to appreciate what you do have because
it can be gone in an instant.
1
Family. When you are stuck
at home for several months in
a row, when schools across the
country close, when restaurants are
told to close and when people are
being told when and where they
can shop, one thing remains constant
-- your family is there for you.
“We need each other,” senior
Brentton Wharton said of the biggest
lesson he learned. “:A lot of
people dealt with extreme isolation
during the initial quarantine period
of the pandemic, and that made me
realize how important it is to stay
in touch with peers and family.
“We live in a world full of technology
that allows us to talk, and
even see each other without even
needing to be close. Now more than
ever it’s important to stay connected
to each other.”
A pandemic takes away the ability
to be with other people frequently.
Many missed out on family
weddings, family reunions and
gatherings that once were taken for
granted.
When this pandemic ends, family
gatherings will likely be at the
forefront for everyone.
have gotten better by a lot.
I learned to rely on others more
and to trust others more.
If Covid never happened then
I wouldn’t have met most of my
friends. It would have taken far
more time to go to others and count
on them.
I learned things about myself because
of Covid. I learned to trust
myself more.
If i were to be asked if I could
have had Covid not happen at all
and have these months taken away
I would not take that offer.
These past nine months helped
me change into a better me and
learn more about myself.
I have probably made the best
memories in these months than I
have had in other months and for
that I am thankful.
January 8, 2021 Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN Spotlght
2020
The year
in sports
9
Graphic by Atzel Nunez
From bubbles to sectional champs, 2020 was full of highlights and Covid
By Zion Brown
sports editor
2020 has been a wild year in
sports around the world and
at Ben Davis. Let’s recap what
an amazing year this was in the
sports world.
Chiefs’ epic playoff run
Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes,
and the Kansas City Chiefs did the
impossible in January and February
to win Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs
trailed by double digits in all three
of their playoff matchups, yet they
were still able to come back and
win every game and eventually defeat
the San Francisco 49ers 31-20
in the Super Bowl. This was the
franchise’s first championship in
49 years and it led to quarterback
Patrick Mahomes receiving a 10-
year contract extension in the offseason.
The day that sports
shut down
In what is usually one of the best
sports months of the year, March
2020 may have been the worst
month in sports history. The 11th
began like any other March day in
sports. NCAA basketball conference
tournaments, the NBA regular
season, MLB spring training,
and the NFL offseason were all in
full swing. But when Rudy Gobert
tested positive for COVID-19 moments
before his Utah Jazz were
supposed to tip off on the road
against the Oklahoma City Thunder,
the entire climate of sports was
shifted. This positive test set off a
multitude of postponements and
cancellations of sporting events.
Some contests still took place later
in the year while others (the Olympic,
March Madness, etc) were put
on hold for the entirety of the year.
The barons of the
bubble
After a chaotic season that included
the death of Kobe Bryant,
a suspended season, and playing
games at Disney World, the Los
Angeles Lakers rose victorious in
the NBA Finals in six games against
the Miami Heat. LeBron James won
his fourth NBA championship
along with his fourth Finals MVP.
This was the Lakers’ first ring in
a decade when they were led by
Kobe Bryant over the Boston Celtics.
The championship also tied the
Lakers in rings with the Celtics,
both having 17.
City of champions
Just 16 days after the Lakers’
title, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated
the Tampa Bay Rays in the
World Series in six games. The
MLB played a shortened 60 game
season.
In the league’s first-ever 16-team
postseason, LA beat the Brewers,
Padres, and Braves in the NL on the
way to the World Series. Shortstop
Corey Seager was named World
Series MVP in the Dodger’s first
ring since 1988.
Sectional champs
For the second season in a row,
the Ben Davis Lady Giants basketball
team won the sectional championship.
In the sectional semifinal, BD defeated
Roncalli 58-56 at the buzzer
thanks to a Natalie Howard layup.
Roncalli was coached by Stan
Benge, who would return to the BD
bench after coach Joe Lentz retired
following the season.
Ben Davis went on to beat Decatur
Central the next night to win
sectionals. The Giants’ season ended
in the regional semifinal against
Lawrence North, 38-31. In March,
Khera Goss became the third member
of the Goss family to be named
an Indiana All-Star, following her
sisters DeAirra (2009) and Bria
(2011). Benge returned to the Lady
Giants in April.
INDIANA ALL-STAR Khera Goss
helped the lady Giants to a second
straight sectional crown in 2020 before
becoming the third girl in her family
to earn Indiana All-Star status. Goss is
now a freshman at Toledo. (Photo by
Crystal Williams)
Turnaround year
The football team got off to a 1-5
start in the regular season. The Giants
then tallied off five consecutive
victories on their way to winning
a regional championship over
Carmel. Undefeated Center Grove
beat Ben Davis in the semistate
as the Trojans would win the 6A
state championship the following
week. Head coach Jason Simmons
was named Marion County Coach
of the Year and the Giants had
an abundance of players receive
awards around the city and state.
Spring sports halted
On April 2, the IHSAA officially
canceled the playing of the spring
sports season. That meant that
baseball, boys golf, track and field,
softball, and girls tennis were all
called off for the 2019-20 school
year. This was a very shocking and
disappointing end for several seniors
across Ben Davis sports. Boys
basketball was also shut down before
the regional round.
Running the fall
The boys cross country team
placed third out of 10 teams in the
regional, advancing to semistate.
The Giants’ season ended in the
semistate as they came in 10th.
Yosef Solomon was just one place
short of making it to state. Solomon
was later named an All-MIC
runner.
10 SPOTLIGHT BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN JANUARY 8, 2021
Teachers, students reflect on the year
Elizabeth Waltermire
Junior, Ben Davis High School
What has changed for you during
this pandemic?
“Really the only thing that
has changed for me during the
pandemic has been how much
time I spend doing my extracurricular
activities and being
around friends.”
What has been ther toughest adjustment
you have had to make?
“My hardest adjustment has
been staying at home. I enjoy
going and doing things and
making plans and now I really
can’t.”
What has the pandemic taught you
about yourself?
“I have learned how much
I enjoy school when we don’t
have to show up five days a
week. It’s more calming and it
gives me more time to do my
work and study.”
What do you miss the most from
your pre-pandemic days?
“I miss our guard season the
most. I think that everything
will go back to normal. People
are already trying to act like
its ok to be back in public
spaces, like the pandemic isn’t
over.”
Deanna York
Science teacher, Ben Davis High School
What have been the biggest challenges
you have faced during the hybird and remote
scheduling?
“Getting students to unmute
themselves and participate during
meet times and working daily online
to complete homework assignments
in It’s Learning.”
What have you learned about yourself
during the pandemic?
“I prefer being at BD teaching
online compared to being at home
online.
“I have better focus at school and
the opportunity to learn from other
co-workers. I have also learned
how to incorporate more technology
into my curriculum.
What has changed the most for you
during the pandemic?
“In a normal school year I spend
most of my time preparing/setting
up labs, instructing/supervising
during labs and grading labs.
“The pandemic has caused a
loss of laboratory experiences and
hands-on experiences for the students.
I now spend most of my time
lecturing and creating video’s for
online instruction.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“I think teachers will have less
paper homework and more online
homework. I think teachers will
have more materials available online
for students to access and use
during the school year even if the
students are back in class five days
a week.”
Dana Farrell
Language arts teacher, Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center
What have been the biggest challenges
you have faced teaching remotely and on
a hybrid schedule?
“The biggest challenge teaching
remotely and on a hybrid schedule
is low engagement. Kids have so
much more going on at home, that
it’s more difficult for them to fully
focus on the content being taught.
“It’s also been hard not accepting
late work. I usually do, but I have to
hold students accountable to coming
to the Google Meets and completing
the assignments/learning.”
What have you learned about yourself
as a teacher and your profession during
the pandemic?
“I’ve learned that organization
Monika Muhler
Math teacher, Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center
What have been the biggest challenges
you have faced teaching remotely and on
a hybrid schedule?
“My biggest challenge teaching
remotely has been seeing my students’
work throughout a lesson
and addressing miscommunications
right away. I miss having the
one on one conversations with students
either in the classroom or in
the hallways.
“My biggest challenge teaching
on a hybrid schedule was trying
to interact with both my students
who were learning remotely and
those that were in the classroom
that day. Some of my classes were
extremely small making conversations
and hearing different students
perspectives challenging.”
What have you learned about yourself
as a teacher and your profession during
the pandemic?
“I have learned that I am better
with technology than I thought I
was. I have also enjoyed learning
and parent contact is key.”
Has the pandemic allowed you to expand
your teaching style?
“Not really. I really miss the
conversations and engagement
we used to have. I’m trying to figure
out ways to do that (breakout
rooms/collaborating in the chats)
but students said they don’t like
those.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“I have no idea. My 2020 Motto is
‘We just have to wait and see.’ It’s
my hope that we can get back to
school full time soon. I really miss
teaching in a classroom directly to
students.”
new strategies and new resources
that I can use with my students
during this time.
“The MSD of Wayne Township
provides us with multiple opportunities
to grow and learn as educators.
I have been extremely impressed
with my profession during
the pandemic. We have been challenged
in so many ways and have
not lost our focus of making sure
that our students receive the best
education.”
Has the pandemic allowed you to expand
your teaching style?
“I have learned so much.
“My preference is to have students
learn and work in cooperative
groups and I have learned several
new strategies to continue this
remotely.
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“I have thought about this a lot...
I think it will definitely look different
than pre-pandemic. I think
Jasmine Hatcher
Junior, Ben Davis High School
What has been your biggest challenge
during the pandemic?
“The biggest challenge I faced
was staying motivated to do classes
at home. I typically would put my
work off until the weekend and
struggle to finish it all.”
Have you learned anything about
yourself through all this?
“During the pandemic, I learned
a lot about my mental health. I used
to be able to ignore it, but being
at home with my thoughts really
forced me to pay attention to what
I was feeling.”
What challenges have you faced while
teaching during a pandemic?
“-When teaching in person I can
feed off the energy of the class to
determine my pacing/whose getting
it/whose lost/etc. (reading faces,
body language). These things
become incredibly difficult while
teaching virtually.”
What have you learned about yourself
under the teaching conditions over the
past nine months?
“I have learned to be ready for
change at any given moment. I
am learning to prepare and expect
problems so I do not become frustrated
when they happen.”
Have you changed anything about your
teaching style during the pandemic?
“Setting goals to make ones
teaching better each and every day
is something teachers already do,
despite COVID.”
there will continue to be more
online learning opportunities for
families that are not comfortable
sending their students to school in
person.
“I think that the main focus of
educating and doing what is best
for students is going to remain...
the procedures and the ways we do
that are going to change.”
What do you see the future of school
looking like?
“I think the future of education
will drastically
change.
I think that
there will be
more lenient
attendance
policies on
sicknesses. I
don’t think
school will ever look the same, and
we will still be distanced to avoid
spreading illnesses.”
Donald Cave
Fourth Grade, McClelland Elementary
Do you see many changes in education
after the pandemic is over?
“Post-pandemic teaching will allow
teachers to return to comfort
levels/zones. Teachers will have
more confidence with their flexibility
in the art of teaching.
“Teaching is something that is always
changing and growing.”
JANUARY 8, 2021 BEN DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN SPOTLGHT
11
Kyle Cox
Ninth Grade Center
What have been the biggest challenges
you have faced teaching remotely and on
a hybrid schedule?
“The biggest challenge is feeling
connected to students. Having
that connection/bond is the best
part about teaching and the hybrid
schedule made it difficult. But I’m
thankful we at least had that because
teaching remotely makes it
feel impossible to create those personal
connections.
“Our time is so limited and we
are having to do so many new and
different things, it’s hard to create
those personal bonds that you
would under normal circumstances.”
What have you learned about yourself
as a teacher and your profession during
the pandemic?
“I have learned that I am capable
of a lot more than I thought. I’ve
always viewed myself as flexible
and someone willing to go with the
flow. I think teaching during a pandemic
has forced that in not just me
but a majority of our profession.
“While it’s not something I’ve
learned, I think this pandemic just
has highlighted, at least here in
Wayne Township, how compassionate
and caring teachers are.
Our district has gone above and beyond
to help students and families
during all of this. Administrators
are making house calls to check
in on people. Teachers are making
themselves available at all hours
of the day just to help students. I
couldn’t be prouder of my school or
district.”
Has the pandemic allowed you to expand
your teaching style?
“I think everyone is going to a
better teacher moving forward. I
know personally, I’ve learned so
many new programs and skills during
this time. I’ve also had or felt
more freedom to just try new and
different things. If it works, great.
If it doesn’t, I go back to the drawing
board.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“It has to be better, right? I imagine
everyone will be more appreciative
of the time we have together in
classrooms, and the ability to collaborate
and discuss and do things
that have just been so much more
difficult in the hybrid or virtual format.”
Michelle Hine
Sixth grade, McClelland Elementary
What have been the biggest challenges
you have faced teaching remotely and
on a hybrid schedule?
“The year has definitely been
a challenge. Even for veteran
teachers, we have had to completely
change the way that we
deliver instruction, assess, and
interact with students. The hybrid
schedule was difficult because,
even though you would
have students in person two
days per week, you were still
in communication with them
when they were at home to
ensure that they were learning
and understanding any asynchronous
work that they had
been assigned.
“It was also difficult to ever
feel like you had a routine, and
generally past the first few days
of a school year, routines are essential
to making sure a classroom
is successful. My Mon/
Tues group was also double in
Adrienne
Gooch
Junior, Ben Davis HS
“The challenges I face during
the hybrid schedule is getting
motivated to do my work, and
getting to class on time.
“The thing that changed me
the most during the pandemic
for me is not being able to
spend time with my family and
friends as much as I used to.”
Carmen De
Los Santos
Junior, Ben Davis HS
“I’m a full time online student,
and personally the biggest
challenge I have faced is
my lack of motivation.
“I believe that in the future
there will be no need for snow
days because teachers have
learned how to use zoom and
google meets. So the school
day would just be online.”
size compared to my Wed/Thurs
group which provided all kinds
of challenges. Virtual learning
has been actually nice to have
them all on the same schedule
and not having to assign so much
asynchronous work. The challenges
there are what you would
expect, staying online for most of
the day can be a tiring. I encourage
my students at the last few
minutes of each “Meet” to get up,
stretch their legs, get some water,
look away from the computer (I
am also reminding myself to all of
that as well). Building relationships
and keeping those relationships
strong has been even more
essential this school year than
ever before.
What have you learned about yourself
as a teacher and your profession during
the pandemic?
“I have learned that I can do
hard things and that I (and my
students) are more resilient than
Karen Pineda-
Tejeda
Junior, Ben Davis HS
“The biggest challenges for
me have been trying to learn
everything without a teacher’s
instruction, and having to help
my younger siblings at the same
time.
“I learned that I tend to get
distracted very easily.
“My mental health has
changed the most.”
I ever could have imagined. I also
learned that we all crave “normal”
and that many students
have even told me that they miss
coming to the brick and mortar
school, which was surprising,
but also refreshing. I also realized
that this year, it’s like we are
all first year teachers, regardless
of the number of years we have
taught. No one has ever tackled
anything like this. To know that
we are doing it and being successful
makes me proud.”
Abby Abimbola
Junior, Ben Davis High School
Andrew Aspaas
Athletic director and teacher,
Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center
What has been your biggest challenge
teaching during this pandemic?
“My biggest challenge is getting
students to actively participate in
the Google Meet classes and getting
students to do work assigned
to them that they have to do independently
on their own time.”
Did you learn anything new about
yourself while teaching remotely?
“I am not sure I have learned anything
new about myself. I have always
just “rolled with the punches”
and let’s just say we have had to do
that a lot as teachers during this
time.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“I definitely think education
will look different as we move forward.
I think some students thrive
in the virtual environment but
some do much better in the tradi-
Has the pandemic allowed you to
expand your teaching style?
“I have definitely gotten
more creative with how I have
delivered lessons. So much of
teaching is modeling and then
gradually releasing that responsibility
to the students. I
feel that gets a little fast forwarded
in the remote world.
“Teachers across the globe
have come together on social
platforms to share successes
and missteps. That has been a
comfort to know that we are
all in this together.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like post-pandemic?
“I think that some of the
tools we have come to use
digitally have really enhanced
my teaching and my students
learning. I think those tools
are here to stay and can hope
that they will be continually
improved on.
“I hope the sense of collaboration
will also continue. The
free flow of ideas and resources
has been wonderful.
What has been your biggest challenge
during this pandemic?
“One of the biggest challenges I
have
faced
during
the
remote
scheduling
is
trying
not to
p r o -
crastinate.”
Have you learned anything about yourself?
“I have learned that I should really
sleep more and come up with a
sleep schedule for my benefit long
run”
Have you changed at all during this
stay-at-home learning?
“What has changed the most for
me is just waking up getting ready
for school, but not actually going
because it’s all remote.”
What do you think the future of education
looks like?
“-I think the future of education
post pandemic is going back
to how it was pre pandemic. The
exact same way but I think some
implementations will be taking in
terms of being more safe in case of
anything.”
tional school environment. I think
schools will need to continue to
give students both options. However,
I still think the traditional setting
is best for most students.”
12 Spotlight Ben Davis High School Indianapolis, IN January 8, 2021
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