Lutheran High School has named Ben Lewer and Benton Turner as its valedictorians and Jenna Soukup and Elijah Brandt as its salutatorians.
Lewer plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and be active in Army ROTC. His intentions are to serve in the military before becoming an aerospace engineer.

He said his parents, Steven and Beth Lewer, both teachers, were crucial in his development at a young age, when he often built robots and rockets with his dad. During high school he found a passion in robotics and engineering. He credits much of his success to his family, especially his father, stating, “He has been my high school geometry teacher, robotics coach and role model.”

In addition to academics, Lewer has participated in robotics, tennis, volleyball, track and field, student council, theater, choir and the National Honor Society.
Turner is headed to DePauw University, where  he plans to study economics, biology and Spanish. 
He is on the Spanish Club executive committee, is student council secretary, a student admissions ambassador, a member of the Academic Super Bowl and Spell Bowl and chaired the Hunger Doesn’t Vacation food drives in 2014 and 2015.

Benton, son of James and Tracy Turner of Greenfield, has been awarded numerous scholarships. In the 2014 Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy contest, he placed first at post and district levels and third in state.
Soukup plans major in mechanical engineering and minor in Spanish at Purdue University on a Presidential Scholarship. 

She has participated in theater, soccer, band, track and field and National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Andrew and Barbara Soukup of Greenwood and attended Southport Presbyterian Christian School.
Brandt, who will study chemical engineering at Trine University, has kept busy throughout high school by playing tennis, golf, guitar and saxophone. One of only 40 Indiana Academic All-Stars in the state and a semifinalist for the Presidential Scholars Award, he is a member of the alternative rock band and was active in Spell Bowl, the Spanish Club and theater.

“My four years at Lutheran High School have taught me to do everything for the glory of God, persevere through difficulty and live life with integrity,” said, Brandt, son of Michael and Kathleen Brandt.
“God has blessed me with many opportunities to grow and pursue excellence with the help and guidance of my teachers, friends and family. I’m excited to begin the next stage of my life and discover what God has planned for me.”

UIndy News Bureau

The University of Indianapolis will host a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday on a four-story apartment building that will create housing options for up to 480 students while beautifying and promoting new development along the Shelby Street corridor.

The joint venture between the university and longtime local developer Gene Zink will feature 196 furnished units that feature a variety of floor plans with one- to four-bedroom units – each bedroom will have a private bath – and washers and dryers. 

The structure will replace a 60-unit campus apartment complex at Shelby Street and National Avenue, which dates to the 1950s, as well as an adjacent row of aging duplexes, all of which now house 175 students. Construction, to be overseen by CRG Residential, should be complete by July 2016, in time for students to move in for the fall semester. The cost is estimated at $25 million.

Designed by Schmidt Associates, the E-shape complex will have three wings pointing east into campus, creating a courtyard and recreation area for residents. Some units will have balconies, and the building’s common areas will include an outdoor observation deck overlooking a pond. The brick exterior will match campus’s existing aesthetics while conveying a modern urban feel.

 UIndy President Robert Manuel noted that the project has significance beyond the university community in part because of its location on Shelby Street, which connects the campus to nearby Garfield Park and the Fountain Square neighborhoods. The street is the preferred route for a proposed rapid transit line through Marion County.

 “This is a beautiful building that not only will enhance the neighborhood’s visual appeal, but also will help build residential density and attract new commercial development to serve the UIndy community as well as our neighbors and commuters,” Manuel said. “Our relationship with Gene Zink and his team helps us to manage costs while providing students with the amenities and the quality they deserve.”

The venture between the university and UI Partners II LLC, of which Zink is managing partner, continues a relationship between the entities that includes a four-story health pavilion on Hanna Avenue. That building will open in August as the new home for the university’s programs in nursing, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, gerontology, athletic training, social work and clinical studies. 

Both projects are part of an ongoing campus and neighborhood development plan that includes a major library renovation, expanded science labs, athletic facilities and new personnel and programs.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the University of Indianapolis and help execute the vision of President Rob Manuel and the board of trustees,” said Zink. “Their commitment to opening up the campus to the surrounding neighborhoods is taking shape and will have a lasting impact on the Southside.”