Junior Lily St. John and freshman Lucy St. John were raised participating in French and Indian War reenactments. The tradition has been brought down by their parents, Jill and Aaron St. John, who met at a war reenactment when they were younger. Jill has done it ever since she was a teenager, and Aaron’s father introduced him to it at a young age.

“It’s a chance to get away from everything else,” Lily said. “You put your phone down. It’s a chance to be with your family and do something unique that nobody else does.”

The family travels to different forts, like Fort Massac in Metropolis, Illinois and Fort de Chartres in Prairie Du Rocher, Illinois. The reenactments are held a few times a year by the fort owners. Reenactors are dressed in 17th century attire. Lily are Lucy dress in full skirts. Others may be covered in traditional Indian war paint. Lily and Lucy dress in full skirts. The men wear kilts, have muskets or swords in their hands and others have musical instruments like bagpipes.

“My favorite part is going to see all the people dressed in those clothes from that time,” Lucy said. “When you see them outside of those clothes, you don’t even recognize them. It’s crazy.”

War reenactments give opportunities to see something new and meet people from around the country, according to Lily. The family’s biggest reenactment is in October. Lily gets to see her close friends from Kentucky every year, the sisters get to spend time with their family. They have the chance to turn their phones off for a weekend and enjoy the time away from technology.

“I’m not sure exactly how it all came to be,” Lucy said. “I think now it’s a huge part of how my family spends time together because it’s always one of the most fun times of the year when we get to go. The whole entire family goes. It’s a lot of fun.”