FAREWELL PARTY

The Switzer Family hosted the Farewell Party at their beauitiful home as they had the welcome party. With their sweeping yard, sparkling pool, basketball hoops and outdoor kitchen, they have the perfect place for a party. Everyone enjoyed swimming, visiting with one another, playing basketball and corn hole and of course the delicious food!

Chowin down

Host Gary Switzer with his granddaughter 

Hostess Faith Switzer (right) with Mary Powers and Rod Merritt

Shootin some hoops

Fun in the pool

Posing for a pic

CHATTANOOGA TRIP

On Saturday, April 28, we joined the Tennessee group in Chattanooga for a two hour lunch cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat featuring prime rib and lemon chicken, the world famous Tennessee Aquarium and an IMAX movie called "The Wild Around Us" with a message that wifi isn't the only connection that matters! Perfect! After the movie, we had free time in downtown Chattanooga where everyone enjoyed dinner in one of the many nearby restaurants, street vendors, shops, art galleries, and a walking bridge across the river to a riverside park and more shops. 

Finishing up lunch on the riverboat

Relaxing on deck

Some of the students joined the captain on the bridge

Group in front of Aquarium

Walking bridge

View of Art Museum from walking bridge

ATLANTA TRIP

We left Huntsville at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 14 for a fun filled weekend in Atlanta. We stopped for breakfast on the way and had lunch at the Hard Rock Café in downtown Atlanta. After lunch, we visited the nearby World of Coca Cola and CNN World Headquarters. Then we drove to the Comfort Inn in Stone Mountain for a pizza party and swimming in the indoor pool. At 9:00 we watched the laser show projected on the side of Stone Mountain. We were supposed to spend Sunday at Six Flags Over Georgia but unfortunately we had to cancel due to heavy rain. At lease the kids were able to get in some more swimming Sunday morning before we left.

Outside World of Coca Cola

A toast!

Sampling coke in the tasting room where there were hundreds to choose from

Swimming

Kofi from Ghana

Ready for the laser show

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVITY

We started the day by driving to Birmingham, a focal point of the Civil Rights Movement. There we had a program at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of a KKK bombing in 1963 during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement that killed four young girls, and a tour of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a world-class museum focusing on the Civil Rights Movement in the South. After that we returned to Huntsville for a chili supper at the Powers’ and to watch the 2015 movie Selma, a film about one of the most important events of the movement.

Group pic in front of 16th Street Baptist Church

Bombingham!

The World is Watching!

GATLINBURG

About 30 CIEE students from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia spent the the weekend of January 26 through 28 in Gatlinburg. We went skiing, skating, and visited the Aquarium of the Smokies and the Guinness Book of World Records Museum. There was also free time to explore Gatlinburg and enjoys the hot tubs and indoor/outdoor swimming pool at the hotel.

 

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY

On January 11 students participated in an activity to learn about American municipal and federal forms of government. We met with Congressman Mo Brook's Huntsville office staff and City Council Woman Jennie Robertson and attended a Huntsville City Council meeting where Mayor Tommy Battle presented each of the students with an official certificate of recognition from the City of Huntsville.

Students at Congressman Mo Brooks office

After meeting with her, students pose with City Council Woman Jennie Robinson

Waiting for the Huntsville City Council meeting to begin

Students show off their certificates just presented to them by Mayor Tommy Battle

CIEE CHRISTMAS PARTY

We got together to celebrate the holidays on December 10, the day after several of us did community service work at Christmas Charities Year Round. The students brought a dish from their home countries to share.

Students pose for a photo

Students play a game of Jenga

Ben makes a move

Vishvam plays Dirty Santa

Dig in