GHS’ Gellman earns DAR 2017 Good Citizen Award

Thursday, December 14, 2017
Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE Winner of the 2017 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen Award, Ben Gellman (center), is congratulated after the announcement is made Wednesday by DAR Good Citizen Chairman Jinsie Bingham (left) at the Putnam County Public Library. Celebrating with Gellman, a Greencastle High School senior, are his parents, David Gellman and Monica Fennell, and GHS Principal Russ Hesler (right).

Honors, accomplishments, accolades.

The hits just keep on coming for Greencastle High School senior Ben Gellman.

Already excelling with his legs in cross country and track and with his mind as a three-time state champion in English competition at the Indiana Academic Super Bowl, Gellman Wednesday afternoon was honored for his heart and soul in being named the 2017 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE Ben Gellman (center), a Greencastle High School senior and winner of the 2017 Putnam County DAR Good Citizen Award, is joined by the other county finalists after the announcement is made Wednesday by DAR Good Citizen Chairman Jinsie Bingham (left) at the Putnam County Public Library. Other finalists are Alanna Andrea Nunez (second from left), North Putnam; Rachel Jones (second from right), South Putnam; and Trinity Rairdon, Cloverdale.

The Washburn Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), represented by Good Citizen Chairman Jinsie Bingham, announced the selection during a program in the Kiwanis Room at the Putnam County Public Library.

The son of Monica Fennell and David Gellman, 108 Taylor Place, Greencastle, was selected from a group of four Putnam County candidates, representing each of the four Putnam County high schools.

The other 2017 finalists were:

North Putnam -- Alanna Andrea Nunez, daughter of Christa and Ronald Nunez, Heritage Lake/Coatesville.

South Putnam -- Rachel Jones, daughter of Michael and Becky Jones, 154 W. CR 300 South, Greencastle.

Cloverdale -- Trinity Rairdon, daughter of Kelly West, 108 Hurst Ave., Cloverdale.

Each of the four finalists read from their required 500-word essay on the topic “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility to Preserve It.”

Gellman focused his essay on how America has advanced the cause of freedom in the rest of the world.

Noting that the United States continues to lead the world as it has since its inception, Gellman states, “Through all phases of history the land we now call America has evolved its leadership to include a role as advocate for religious freedom, democracy, equality, capitalism, human rights and women’s right.

“This fight has sometimes been misguided or delayed,” he continued, “but through our growing pains the world has become a safer and fairer global community.”

The GHS senior points out that beyond fighting against Communism as the United States did during Vietnam, “American fights against oppression across the world. ... Today, our attempts to combat radial Islamic terrorism, the gassing of Syrian citizens and the unfair treatment of women represents our constant for freedom.”

Despite all that, Gellman believes America needs to “step up our fight” for all citizens of the world.

“We shun Syrian refugees while still celebrating the Statue of Liberty,” he noted. “We try to lead the fight for an equal right to pay, and yet the wage gap persists. We see frequent cases of police brutality. Seemingly every day, more Americans die in a mass shooting. We preach human rights, but do not participate in the United Nations’ International Criminal Court.

“Yet at the end of the day, the world continues to benefit from our attempts to fight for freedom because if America does not fulfill the role of world leader, then countries who place much less value on freedom will take the mantel.”

The faculty of each of the four Putnam County high schools selects one member of the senior class to represent the school. Those students then compete for the county DAR Good Citizen title.

Students are chosen for having a variety of interests, positive contributions to home, church, school and community. Qualities such as dependability, honesty, leadership, cooperation, self-control and initiative are considered.

The county winner’s materials are submitted to the state DAR Good Citizen competition.

Gellman’s selection follows back-to-back DAR Good Citizen winners representing South Putnam -- Lois Cheatham in 2016 and Chloe Carter in 2015. He is Greencastle‘s first winner of the honor since the 2013 selection of Melody White.

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