PLAINFIELD STUDENTS SHINE ON THE WORLD STAGE
Premier Academy Expands Dance Opportunities For Every Child
Local Author Proves Laughter is Great Hormone Therapy by Writing a Humor Book About Perimenopause Darby’s
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ROBOTICS RISING Plainfield Students Shine On The World Stage
DARBY’S DANCERS Premier Academy Expands Dance Opportunities For Every Child
FLASHES & BELLY LAUGHS Local Author Proves Laughter is Great Hormone Therapy by Writing a Humor Book About Perimenopause 20 MOPO MINDSET Plainfield Teacher Inspires Others To Max Out Every Day
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Writer / Melissa Gibson
We often observe the robotics team at a local school or town function, and it’s always impressive to see what they’ve created, but if you lean in closer, you’ll see the deep levels of ingenuity, education, perseverance and, of course, fun throughout the program that many of us wish were available when we were in school.
Plainfield sent three teams to the VEX IQ World Championship, April 2830 in St. Louis this year. Out of 8,401 elementary teams in the world, only 420 qualified for Worlds. Out of 8,523 middle
school teams, 418 qualified, and students from more than 50 different countries participated.
One team was led by Jennifer Gray, a fourth-grade teacher and robotics coach at Brentwood Elementary, another by Dana Loudermilk, art teacher and robotics coach at Guilford Elementary, and an independent middle school team with students from Plainfield, Cathedral and Zionsville led by Adam Gray, a software engineer.
“We have five teams of fourth- and fifth-
graders at Brentwood. We attend three or four local competitions beginning in December, and this past year, the state robotics competition was held at Lucas Oil Stadium,” Jennifer said. “My team of four fourth-grade girls, The Gadget Girlz, qualified for Worlds. This was Brentwood’s fifth time going to Worlds, so it’s never expected but a really big deal when we qualify.”
Each year, robotics teams are challenged with building a robot that can successfully achieve a series of obstacles or tasks, and the teams spend nearly a year working on
ideas, programming, failures and finally, the robot they will compete with.
Loudermilk coached The Gearbusters, one fourth-grader and three fifth-graders at Guilford Elementary.
“Each team plays the same game, has the same objective, but they are split into different categories at Worlds. So my team did not compete with Brentwood. We were in the Arts Division and they were in the Math Division, for example,” Loudermilk said. “What I love about it is the teams have to communicate with each other and come up with a game plan. They want the opposing team to do well. Two teams are randomly placed together, and if our robot scored 30 and another robot scored 15, then we both get a 45 for that round. I love that it’s all about collaboration and working together.”
Plainfield resident Adam Gray started an independent team in 2018 when his son wanted to continue competing in VEX IQ in middle school but also wanted to participate in sports at Plainfield Community Middle School, and practices and competitions conflicted.
“Our goal was to be as flexible as possible so they could participate and be involved in other things too. This year, we met on Sundays for four or five hours at a time and had a slow start to the season, but once we got going, they each found really complementary skill sets and they cooperated really well,” Adam said. “All four are extremely intelligent and good at all of the different aspects of the program, but I think they fell into specific niches and areas of expertise, so they worked really well together.”
At the end of the weekend, all three Plainfield teams were happy with their results.
The Gadget Girlz — Savannah Gray, Delsie Murrison, Ivy O’Brien and Lucy Rose — placed 52 out of 83 elementary teams in the Math Division.
The Gearbusters — Camden Cole,
Layth Gharbi, Graham Davis and Everett Morton — placed 58 out of 85 in the Arts Division, earning their highest score yet. Adam Gray’s team, 46168A-Adenosine Triphosphate — Andrew Gray, Matthew Roth, Violet Fortner and Nirdvaita Chandrana — placed 44 out of 82 in the Spirit Division and came home with the Judges Award, one of five Indiana teams awarded at Worlds.
Their results are impressive when compared to the thousands of students and hundreds of teams who attended, but simply qualifying is a win, and the students take home so much more than points and awards.
“I love watching students who come in shy and not really sure about this robotics thing, and now they’re totally involved, walking over to an alliance team that’s likely from a different country and strategizing with them,” Jennifer said. “They are working on critical-thinking
skills, communication and creativity. They are participating in a 10-minute interview with judges and using Google Translate to talk to teams from around the world. It’s pretty awesome to see.”
Students struggle with setbacks and challenges along the way too. Controllers break, programs malfunction and the unexpected happens, but learning resilience isn’t just something they’ll need in robotics.
Adam said he wants his team to think beyond the minimum and instead focus on how far they can go to seek success.
“They’re developing confidence, and one of the great things about robotics is the length of the season. It’s nearly an entire year, and that gives you a chance to fail a lot and learn from that and keep going,” Adam said. “I want them to know they can be as good as they want to be, but why not try to win? Put in the work that supports your goal to win. It’s a different mindset. While practicing for the judges interview, one of the girls said, ‘In the past, I’ve always looked at the minimum bar that would qualify to get where we wanted to go, but now I’m looking at it like, what do we need to do to win Worlds?’”
As the program continues to grow, the coaches are thankful they have the support of the Plainfield community and beyond.
Indiana is one of the leading states in robotics, sending 18 elementary teams and 15 middle school teams to Worlds this year.
“It costs $1,800 to participate in Worlds, and companies like TechPoint Youth in Indianapolis offer grants to send more teams. I’m really appreciative of the families because they work hard to get the kids to practice and take time off work for these trips. The school is doing fundraisers, and it really feels like there’s a community of people pitching in,” Loudermilk said.
JUNE AROUND THE COMMUNITY, 2026
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BAT OUT OF HELLTHE MUSICAL
Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Avenue. 7:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.
BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL, the awardwinning musical, is a thrilling spectacle where the timeless music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf reigns supreme!
SUMMER STOCK STAGE: GREASEPREVIEW
Schrott Center for the Arts, 610 W 46th St.
7 p.m.
Grease returns to the stage with all the electrifying energy, heart, and nostalgia you love brought to life by a dynamic cast of professional performers from across the country.
4, 18
INDIANA FEVER VS. ATLANTA DREAM
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S Pennsylvania St. 7 p.m. (4), 7:30 p.m. (18)
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INDIANA COMIC CONVENTION 2026
Indianapolis Convention Center, 100 S Capitol Ave.
The Indiana Comic Convention is a beloved annual event held in Indianapolis that brings together fans of comics, movies, television, anime, gaming, and pop culture.
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HARDY & CAMERON WHITCOMB & MCCOY MOORE
Ruoff Music Center, 12880 E 146th St.
7 p.m.-12 a.m.
Big Loud Records/ Big Loud Rock heavy hitter HARDY—crowned “Nashville’s nü-metal king” by the Los Angeles Times.
LEVI RIGGS
The Rathskeller, 401 East Michigan Street. LEVI RIGGS Live one night only at the world famous Rathskeller Biergarten! Enjoy a fun filled night of food, drinks and 3 hours of high energy county music!
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THE BIG ASS STADIUM TOUR PART 2
Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 South Capitol Avenue. 7:30 p.m.
All ages welcome! All ages must have a ticket for this event, regardless of age. Clear bag policy is enforced.
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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS VS. COLUMBUS CLIPPERS
Victory Field, 501 West Maryland Street. 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY’S AT 7:00 PM 5373 S Sugar Grove Rd, Plainfield
Saturday, June 13
VICTIMS OF LOVE: A Tribute to the Eagles Saturday, July 25
NO FENCES: A Garth Brooks Experience Saturday, Aug. 8
PARROTS OF THE CARIBBEAN: A Jimmy Buffett Tribute Saturday, August 29
SOUNDS OF SUMMER: A Tribute to The Beach Boys
ADMISSION IS FREE. FOOD & ALCOHOL VENDORS AVAILABLE. NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL ALLOWED. ALL SEATING IS LAWN SEATING. Don’t Miss Guilford Township’s 2026 Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza Celebrating America’s 250th Year of Independence 5:00-10:30 PM, Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Hummel Park www.guilfordtownship.com
Writer / Melissa Gibson
When Meaghan Molsberry launched Avon’s Premier Academy of the Performing Arts in 2014, the mission was simple: to create a space where every child feels seen, supported and inspired in dance and in life.
She’s continuing that mission not only through ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap and other classes for all ages ranging from infants to adults, but Premier Academy has also launched a new program, Darby’s Dancers, aimed at offering inclusive programming for children and young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Molsberry could see the need for inclusive dance classes early on. She previously worked with students with special needs in Wayne Township.
“I saw how the school system put the focus on not making your child fit the mold but helping the mold fit your child, and I watched students go from struggling to succeeding,” Molsberry says. “Year after year, I’d have a dance teacher on staff who also worked as a social worker, and she would talk about this need. Then someone else called and said, ‘You have to do this.’ So, we had talked about it for years and we’ve tried other inclusion programs, but it wasn’t until we found Darby’s Dancers that it was an instant, ‘This is what we’ve been looking for’ moment.”
Darby’s Dancers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by the parents of Darby Jones of Huntsville, Alabama.
Darby was born with Down syndrome, a heart defect and leukemia, and she loved dancing, music, reading and writing. Darby was given the opportunity to dance at a local performing
arts center and loved every minute of it. After her passing in 2013, her parents formed a nonprofit charity to share Darby’s passion for dance with others.
Today, there are nearly 50 Darby’s Dancers programs active in studios across the country, and it was important to Molsberry that one was offered in her hometown.
Molsberry is a member of More Than Just Great Dancing (MTJGD), a support organization for thousands of dance studios across the world, and it was at a conference two years ago that she saw the Darby’s Dancers booth and began the process of bringing the program to Avon.
In fact, before they left the conference, it was clear that Darby’s Dancers was a path they should pursue.
“I got all of their information and said we’d be calling as soon as we got home. Before we ever left the event, we won a year of Darby’s Dancers programming. God always has a way. This was meant to be,” Molsberry says.
It took a year or so to get all their ducks in a row, but 2026 will officially be their first full year of the Darby’s Dancers program, and it’s just a matter of letting others know about the opportunity.
Parents and loved ones of young people with disabilities often seek programs that help with developmental delays or continue progress, and it doesn’t hurt for the program to be fun along the way.
“Teachers donate their time and every dancer gets a ‘Premier Pal’ — a dancer from another class at the studio to serve as a big brother or sister. We work on mobility, jumping, rolls, the trampoline and we do have routines, but the program is tailored to the kids’ needs and if today isn’t a good day, we switch it up,” Molsberry says. “The goal is to create a judgment-free, nopressure but fun environment.”
The program is free to families who participate, and teachers donate their time for instruction.
“There is no monthly tuition fee or cost for costumes. Darby’s Dancers doesn’t want any additional strain when parents are typically paying for medical bills and additional care,” Molsberry says. “We do our fundraising in-house. We have a vending machine and all of those proceeds go toward Darby’s Dancers. We also have Pie Day. Teachers sign up to participate and customers vote for the teacher they want to see get a pie in the face. Those proceeds go toward Darby’s Dancers, and it’s always a huge hit.”
The team from Darby’s Dancers came to Premier Academy to help Molsberry and her staff set up. Logistically, they made sure they were ADA compliant and had space for the potential needs of their dancers.
Preparation can be very detailed when working through the wide-ranging needs of each individual, but with a successful program like Darby’s Dancers, Molsberry feels like they’ve finally hit their stride.
“Sometimes it’s about sensory issues. Some of our dancers don’t like a ton of kids running about. I’ve seen some people really love tap dancing while, for someone else, they can’t stand the sound,” Molsberry says. “Some can attend a full 45-minute class and others need to have more breaks in between. We do whatever is needed for that day.”
Whatever the abilities or preferences, Molsberry says so much good can come from participating in a similar class.
“We want to provide creativity, mobility, a love for art, coordination, balance, flexibility and perseverance. There’s always challenges and dancers learn dedication and responsibility,” Molsberry says. “We want to offer inclusive opportunities and the right fit for all dancers.”
Students in the traditional classrooms benefit too. They are learning dance along with being open and accepting of everyone, despite their abilities.
“The kids really want to be a Premier Pal or Darby’s Dancers helper, and it makes me feel good about the future. It’s easy to be depressed about where things are going in our world, but these kids truly have a heart for helping others and that in itself is amazing to watch,” Molsberry says.
They’re starting out small with a single class, but Molsberry is hopeful that as more people learn about the program, it will continue to grow.
“It is my true hope that in the future, we’ll have classes available for all dancers of all ages. It’s been so rewarding. I often teach
1. Nutrient (pill)
4. End of war
7. Nervously restless
8. Wrap for head & shoulders
9. Remained
12. Leaves (sinking ship)
15. Regional speeches
17. Greatly pleased
18. Complete
21. Of the beach
22. Family adage
23. Deserved
1. Disappeared
2. Every time
3. Actor, ... Nolte
4. Settles account
5. Pilot
6. Fragrant type of tea, ... Grey
10. Move to music
11. Make happen
13. Followed secretly
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16. Italian sausage
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Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
When women reach a certain age (usually 40s), we start having conversations with other females that often begin like this: “So, I’ve been dealing with this weird thing lately…”
That “weird thing” could be anything from itchy ears and dry eyes to a racing mind and unquenchable thirst. It could be facial hair, dizziness, dry skin, acne, excessive clumsiness, inability to focus, sudden fear of driving, or an impending sense of doom.
If you find yourself questioning the cause of these symptoms, I’ll save you some time by letting you know that all this nonsense is due to perimenopause, which is that stretch of time prior to menopause when your body produces less estrogen. I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but this transition period can last up to ten years. If you’re between the ages of 40
“Christy Heitger-Ewing’s book ‘Why Did I Walk into This Room?’ is drop-dead hilarious. She writes about everything we talk about with our BFFs, splaying taboos in her uniquely amusing way. This is a book for every single one of us.”
Wendy Liebman, comedian and semifinalist on “America’s Got Talent”
and 55 (perhaps even younger) and are experiencing annoying, odd, or surprising physical or mental symptoms, it’s likely perimenopause.
For five years, I grappled with terrible insomnia, thinning hair, intense anxiety, regular headaches, restless legs, dry mouth, painful hip, achy shoulder, throbbing joints, and brutally heavy periods. In addition to being hot, itchy, anxious, and overwhelmed, I felt like I was losing my mind as I struggled to recall certain words. Plus, I’d forget passcodes and people’s names. I’d space
where I’d placed my keys, glasses, purse, or phone.
As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, stray hairs began sprouting above my upper lip, and pimples began forming on my chin. WTF? I looked like a cross between my husband and my teenager with facial hair and zits. And every day, regardless of how much rest I got the night before, I was dog tired.
Finally, after talking to other women, I put the puzzle pieces together; I was in perimenopause, and it was kicking my ass.
I complained to my primary care doctor about painful sex and was told to try lube. I complained that I woke up drenched in sweat and was told to crank down the AC. I said I was sleeping poorly and was told to drink tea in the evening. Essentially, the resounding response I got was a shoulder shrug and the message, “Eh, this is all part of growing older as a woman.”
Screw that!
When I met with a functional wellness doctor who specialized in hormone optimization, I felt seen, heard, and validated as she listened, took notes, drew my blood, and built a plan. She was able to offer evidence-based, practical strategies to get me back to the land of the living. Woo hoo!
Did you know that during perimenopause you may suffer anywhere from 10 to 100 symptoms? You may experience vertigo, rage, nausea, panic, frequent UTIs, heart palpitations, acid reflux, tendonitis, sore breasts, and phantom smells. Sadly, this is
not a comprehensive list. However, I found an upside. You get to blame everything on perimenopause! If you forget what you were saying mid-sentence, that’s perimenopause’s fault. If you put your husband’s underwear in your kid’s drawer or your dog’s food in your cat’s dish, perimenopause is the culprit. If you drop a plate while unloading the dishwasher or trip over your own feet on the way to the bathroom, that’s the work of perimenopause. If you want to claw your spouse’s eyes out for breathing or chewing loudly—perimenopause. You get the idea.
It’s ridiculous how hormones have rewired my mind and reconstructed my body. When I found myself Googling, “tips for tolerating people,” I knew I must write a humor book about the experience. Why Did I Walk into This Room? Finding the Humor When Perimenopause is Kicking Your Ass is a humor-forward, heart-forward take on perimenopause that helps women who are feeling isolated, stuck, exhausted, and misunderstood in mid-life. This book
—Jane Condon,
offers hope for the hopeless, clarity for the confused, enthusiasm for the apathetic, and laughter for the lethargic.
If perimenopause has commandeered your brain, wiped you of energy & motivation, and wreaked havoc on your sleep & sex drive, this book is just what the functional wellness doctor ordered!
Christy recently held an author book signing at Barnes & Noble in Plainfield,
spoke at Hendricks County Professional Women luncheon, and performed standup comedy at a humor writer’s workshop in Dayton, Ohio. This fall she’ll be a keynote speaker at a women’s conference focused on perimenopause hosted by Franciscan Health. She’ll also attend the Beyond the Books Festival in Knox and the Hoosier Author Fair in Crawfordsville. For more information or to purchase a copy of Why Did I Walk into This Room?, visit christyheitger-ewing.com.
Writer / Melissa Gibson
Since 2010, Plainfield resident Oggy Brewer has been living by a motto that has steered his life, as well as his students’ lives, as a local teacher and coach — Max Out Pay Out (MOPO).
“It’s about maxing out the day. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to get out of your day? And then what do we need to do to get there?” Brewer said. “The purpose behind MOPO is to look at my own life and make sure I’m living to my full potential and then share that encouragement with others.”
During the pandemic, Brewer wrote a book about MOPO, Max Out Pay Out: Living the MOPO Life. He’s always enjoyed sports and being active, so he reached out to high school and college basketball coaches, asking about the MOPO of their programs. In other words, how do they consistently encourage athletes to give their best performance in each and every practice and game?
“I accumulated all of the coaches’ remarks and put them in the book. That was a fun project for me,” Brewer said. “Then, I started thinking about my Tony Dungy desk
calendar and how I had a son in college and would like to give him some daily wisdom. I created a MOPO desk calendar too.”
Most recently, Brewer came up with the idea to create an app that shares daily Christian wisdom, an encouraging thought for the day and a challenge to max out the day to accomplish as much as possible.
“I reached out to Shane Abrell, a computer science teacher at Plainfield High School, and asked him how I could go about this,” Brewer said. “It just so happened Shane was looking for a senior project for some of his seniors, and he connected me to Carter Benson to create the app.”
Abrell said his goal is to give seniors an opportunity to do “real-world” projects, including creating websites or apps, doing IT hardware repairs and more. It’s a great addition to college resumes and portfolios, and Brewer’s idea fit perfectly.
“Things like this can take 2 to 3 years to get dialed in,” Abrell said. “I think Carter did an amazing job, better than I thought possible, and I think Oggy agreed. With all the stuff
out there on social media, it’s nice to have something with a positive vibe to it, and an app is accessible. I’ve had friends comment about reading the app while waiting for a doctor’s appointment or teachers using it with their students. The app reaches a much broader audience.”
For many, the project may seem daunting, but Benson was open to the challenge and appreciated the opportunity.
“This was a huge project, and I’ve never done one like it,” Benson said. “It’s the first opportunity I’ve had, and it’s really cool when you’ve created something that is now on the app store. There was some trial and error in the beginning, but once we got going, it took a few months to complete.”
Though Benson hadn’t heard of the MOPO motto previously, he now has a good understanding of what it means.
The app walks the user through a brief daily Bible verse, ideas on ways to max out your
day and the payoff that results, along with a daily challenge such as “take a walk,” “jog on the treadmill” or “lift weights.”
It also encourages users to think through their daily “why.” What is motivating you today? What do you hope to accomplish?
“It’s a cool concept,” Benson said. “Just by reading the questions and quotes I input into the app, it’s taught me a lot of good things about life. It’s a good message to send to people of any age.”
As far as Benson’s role in the app creation, he said the impact the MOPO app could make didn’t really hit him until he saw it available on the App Store.
“I was busy trying to get it to function how Oggy wanted it to, so I don’t think I realized how cool it would be when it was finished,” Benson said.
For Brewer, he’s connecting with people more than ever before.
“I love it,” Brewer said. “I love knowing there’s a way to connect with people I don’t even know. I have random people text me for a calendar or the book, and I feel like MOPO just translates to all areas of your life. Whether it’s work, family, marriage, relationships or faith, in all areas you can evaluate yourself and ask what you want to
get out of this. The app is just another way to get this message out there.”
Though he’s now reaching out to individuals and families across the world, Brewer can see the impact MOPO makes on his friends, family and students at home firsthand.
“At the beginning of the year, I give each of my students a MOPO bracelet, and I see them wearing them all the time,” Brewer said. “I might not see something every day, but every once in a while, something comes across my desk where a student has said, ‘I love MOPO-ing in Mr. Brewer’s class,’ and that’s the best part.”
He has a Facebook page that receives comments and questions from adults, and he’s invited to speak at various sports events and school-related activities too.
“I’ve probably done 25 different MOPO talks with sports teams across the state,” Brewer said. “Churches have invited me to speak, and it’s all about connecting with people. Carter did an excellent job, and now we’re reaching even further.”
For another daily reminder, MOPO gear such as T-shirts and hoodies is available on the app. Brewer’s book is available on Amazon, or reach out to him via social media or on his website at mopo4life.com to purchase the book or calendar directly.
