Omaha Benson High School Magnet, Benson High Magnet, or Benson High, is located at 5120 Maple Street in Omaha,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, United States, in the

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

community of Omaha. The original site of Benson High was the current building that houses Benson West Elementary School. Founded in 1904, Benson High is one of the oldest high schools in the state. Its enrollment is approximately 1,500 students. As of 2018, the principal was Tom Wagner. The school mascot is the Bunny. 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. Benson is currently participating in NASA's Student Launch Initiative program. Omaha Benson High School is also one of the Omaha area schools that participates in the yearly

Day of Silence Day of Silence is GLSEN's annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. In the United States, students take a day-lo ...

event.

Athletics

State championships

"The N-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 In the English language, the word ''nigger'' is an ethnic slur used against black people, especially African Americans. Starting in the late 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been progressively replaced by the euphemism , notably in cases ...

" 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. 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 Omaha Public Schools (OPS) is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska, United States. This public school district serves a diverse community of about 52,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha. Its district ...

, put the principal on temporary administrative leave and denounced the publication. The principal was later reinstated.

Notable alumni

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player and 1961

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All-Star *

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from California *

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, U.S. Representative from Nebraska *

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, professional

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player *

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, football player and 1939

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winner *

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(born 1941), film actor *

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, science fiction author *

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Khyri Thomas Khyri Jaquan Thomas (born May 8, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for CB San Pablo Burgos of the Liga Española de Baloncesto (LEB Oro). He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. He was drafted 38th overall by th ...

(born 1996), American basketball player for

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of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...

and the EuroLeague, former NBA player * Tony Veland, NFL safety *

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, professional basketball player, All American at the University of Iowa

References

External links