People to People
Cason Brown and Emma Bennich ride the Eye of London, the world’s largest Ferris wheel. | Courtesy of Lee Ann Pettey
Emma Bennich of Hartselle and Cason Brown of Eva experienced the “trip of a lifetime” last month when they visited the United Kingdom as fifth and sixth grade delegates of the People to People Ambassador Program.
Their tour group, which consisted of 40 students and five chaperones, left the U.S. on June 6 and returned June 24. In the interim, they visited 45 attractions in four countries, including the Loch Ness and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, the Cliffs of Moher and Blarney Stone in Ireland, St. Fagan’s Castle in Wales and the Tower of London in England.
They also cruised the River Thames, spent the night with an Irish family, kissed the Blarney Stone, watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and rode on the Eye of London—the world’s largest Ferris wheel.
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“I liked London a lot,” said Emma, daughter of Dan and Christy Bennich. “We got to see a stage production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at The Paladium. We also saw Big Ben, rode the London Eye, visited Westminster Abbey and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We ate lunch at a fancy restaurant. They served roasted peacock; it tasted like chicken.”
The Hartselle Junior High sixth grader also pointed to a school visit in Scotland as a highlight of the trip.
“We were surprised to learn that their schools are privately owned and leased to the government,” Emma pointed out. “The students wore matching uniforms. The girls wore navy skirts and long-sleeved white shirts with a top and the boys wore navy pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. They all wore ties.
“Fish and fries were served for lunch and we were invited to participate in an art class. We made post cards to send home. We also played basketball and soccer.”
“I thought Warwick Castle in Birmingham, England was a fun place to visit,” said Cason, a seventh grader at Decatur Heritage School and the son of Andy and Andrea Brown. “We toured the dungeon and torture chamber and they taught us the art of sword fighting. We also got to see the firing of the world’s largest catapult.
“The Loch Ness in Scotland was also an interesting place. “We went out on a boat to look for the Loch Ness Monster, or “Nessie” as the Scots call him. Although we didn’t find him, it was kind of creepy, with all of the fog surrounding us.”
The contrast in food also caught Cason’s eye.
“They eat a lot of fish over there,” he pointed out. “It’s not like you can go in and order chicken tenders.”
Emma was disappointed that hot tea was the drink of choice.
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“I told my mom the first thing I wanted when I got back to the states was a big glass of iced sweet tea,” she said. “And a glass was waiting for me when I got off the plane in Huntsville.
“One of the things I learned is there’s not a lot of difference between the kids in the United Kingdom and the United States,” said Emma. “I also learned how to be more self-reliant because I had to wash my own clothes while I was away.”
“Seeing where history was made will make it more meaningful to me when we talk about it in class,” Cason said. “It was a great trip and I’d go back in an instant if I had the chance.”
The People to People Program was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower 56 years ago. Its purpose is to make the world seem a lot less foreign to youth, promoting understanding and world peace.
Delegates must be nominated by someone, usually a teacher or authority figure in the community, whose identity remains anonymous.
Lee Anne Pettey, transition administrator of Hartselle City Schools, heads up the People to People Program in North Alabama. She also served as a chaperone on the 2012 trip.
