This past spring, 19 students and three faculty members of the University Honors Abroad Program left for England for four weeks of study at the University of Plymouth.The students had the opportunity to get a little more than studying done however, as they experienced England’s culture first-hand, from the Roman style architecture of Bath, to the grandeur of Stonehenge.

“These students were not tourists but students at the University of Plymouth. In addition to the coursework, they immersed themselves in the culture of southwest England,” said Dr. Paul Wilson, professor of history. Wilson conducted the program along with Dr. Martin Simpson, professor of sociology, and Dr. Mary Besse, assistant professor of nursing.

Wilson left the trip with an excellent impression of the Nicholls students in comparison to their Plymouth counterparts.

“What I took away from the trip was that the students were no different intellectually from the students at Plymouth,” Wilson said.

This was even more impressive considering the University of Plymouth holds a diverse international student body, including Jamaicans and Persians among others.

Jaret Hubbell, music education junior from Thibodaux, said he benefited most from the interaction between the Nicholls visitors and the international students.

“The most beneficial thing about the experience was dealing with different cultures, with their different mannerisms and gestures,” Hubbell said.

As Hubbell also points out, encountering England’s culture first-hand reveals more parallels to America than differences.

“The culture is very similar to America. It is western civilization. They are just as materialistic as we are,” Hubbell said.

The similarities between the two countries extends to cuisine as well.

“They have the same food as we do in America, like hot dogs and burgers. We went to Mexican restaurants, and they had a place called Champs American Fried Chicken where the chicken was very good, and actually tasted American,” said Adam Terrell, computer science junior from New Orleans.

“About the only food that they have that is particular to England is these things called pasties, a special kind of bakery food,” Terrell said.

Massive diet trends also permeate England’s food, though they may be a bit different from America’s fat-free craze.

“In America everything is low-fat. Well, over there it’s low-sugar. I drank a Sunny Delight while over there, and it was the worst thing I ever tasted,” Terrell said.

The soft drinks are different too.

“Their two-liter Cokes have the same amount of Coke in them, except they are taller and thinner,” Terrell said.

While Terrell enjoyed the trip, he genuinely admits some of the sites could have been better.

“At Stonehenge we didn’t even get to leave the vehicle, we saw it from a distance. They didn’t let anyone out because of foot-and-mouth disease,” Terrell said.

They also visited Tintagel Castle, where King Arthur was hypothetically born.

“We went to Tintagel Castle, which was supposedly King Arthur’s castle. However, we learned from the cab driver that King Arthur was born 700 years before it was even built,” Terrell said.

However, such a contradiction does not stop the surrounding shops from capitalizing on the King Arthur story.

“There are shops around the area based off of the legend, that milk off of the King Arthur myth,” Terrell said.

Aside from the high culture of many of the sites, the students also saw the typical side of England. The students hung out in pubs, which are bars where people go to drink and converse. They also had the opportunity to see the craziness of a rugby match in person.

“The rugby game was cool, we need a rugby team over here. The crowd is so degrading, though. They are all cursing, and at the end of the game a girl stripped and ran across the field. It was funny, though,” Brandy Holton, nursing sophomore from Luling said.

“You never really know the culture until you experience it hands-on,” she said.

Holton enjoyed the trip, and wishes she could have seen more.

“It was awesome. I would love to go back. There wasn’t enough time to see everything,” she said.

Other students that made the trip are Sarah Bourgois, biology sophomore from Houma; Melissa Brunet, nursing sophomore from Houma; Andrenique Climax, nursing sophomore from Franklin; Jace Duet, computer information systems junior from Lockport; Estelle Foret, English education sophomore from Houma; Brian Milam, management sophomore from Metarie; Billy Null, English junior from Bourg; Samiko Price, government junior from Bourg; Lee Prosperie, mass communication sophomore from Montegut; Katie Sanchez, English junior from Schreiver; Erin Terracina, biology sophomore from Thibodaux; and Suzanne Zeringue, English sophomore from Houma.

This is certainly not the last group that will make the trip.

“We’re going back next year with a new group of students to Plymouth,” Dr. Wilson said.

For those who will have the opportunity to visit England in the future, Brandy Holton has practical advice.

“Never ask for a restroom, because they’ll tell you to go rest on a bench.

“Over there you ask for a toilet,” she said.