Art department chair Justin Allison will accumulate a ton of frequent-flyer miles this summer. Thanks to twins Lucas and Reily, juniors at Ben Davis.
Both brothers have unique opportunities ahead of them this summer, Lucas studying journalism in Washington DC and Reily immersing himself in French culture by spending six weeks living with a host family near Paris.
Lucas is a capable writer and journalist involved in a number of extracurriculars here at BD. He is also the editor of the school newspaper as well as a member of BDTV and the school orchestra. When asked about his love for journalism, Lucas said, “I found my place in writing articles.”
Being a film buff, he specifically enjoys writing various movie reviews. Lucas has been given the exceptional honor of being invited to the AL Neuharth Free Spirit Events (2025) for his award-winning writings. This is a prestigious event held in Washington DC that welcomes and showcases accomplished high school journalists from all 50 states.
This conference allows for connections between established writers and journalists with said highschoolers to learn more about their craft. It will ultimately open doors not previously accessible, allowing for a more prosperous future. Lucas is quite excited about this conference and regards it as “an all-expense-paid trip to Washington DC.” He’s most excited about meeting people with similar interests and connecting with them.
Reily, who also plays in the orchestra and is on the school yearbook, will be attending France as part of the IU Honors Program in Foreign Languages, a full-immersion program with locations in France, Austria, and Spain. He will be staying in St. Brieuc, in the Côtes-d’Armor department of Brittany, with a host family and 25 other students from around Indiana.
The program runs from mid-June to mid-July and will end with a weekend in Paris during Bastille Day, the French Independence Day. It is prestigious, and the high level of immersion will result in huge leaps towards fluency for every participant, due to the lack of any English being allowed, other than keeping in touch at home a few times per week.
“I am excited to experience another culture and get away from my phone for a little while,” Reily said.
Both brothers also help out with theatre tech and have spent most of their lives in the BD halls since they have accompanied their dad to Ben Davis more times then they can count.
The Allison family will venture to Paris to meet Reily when the program ends.
