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Teens’ ‘View’ on abstinence
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A day at “The View” with co-host Joy Behar: Lake, Drew, Joy, Caroline and Bailey Bennett of Canfi eld.
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Caroline, 18, Lake, 14, Bailey, 20, and Drew, 16, stand outside the ABC studios in New York.
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
Members of a Canfield family will appear on ABC’s “The View” Thursday as part of a special episode on teen issues.
The four children of Ellen and David Bennett will be part of a segment on teen abstinence.
Bailey, 20, Caroline, 18, Drew, 16, and Lake, 14, were flown to New York by the network two weeks ago to tape their segment on the daytime talk show.
Their parents also made the trip, although they are not part of the conversation that took place between “The View” co-host Joy Behar and teen expert Troy Dunn.
Ellen and David were in the front row during taping, however, and were asked questions by the host for the program.
Thursday’s episode of “The View” also will include segments about how teens deal with alcohol, money and privacy issues.
The selection of the Bennett children for the show came in a roundabout way.
The show contacted the National Abstinence Foundation, which in turn contacted Operation Keepsake in Cleveland, because it is one of the largest groups of its type in the nation.
Peggy Pecchio, executive director of Operation Keepsake, then contacted her longtime friend Renee Gessner of Canfield, who is a former school board member in that district.
“[Pecchio] called me to inquire if I knew a high school girl with a family where the parents were married, both gainfully employed and where the daughter makes healthy lifestyle choices, abstinence being one of them,” said Gessner. “I recommended that she contact the Bennett family.”
The entire family went through a training session with Operation Keepsake. Then, it went through an interview process with an ABC producer before being chosen.
Gessner said the Bennetts are her neighbors.
Diane Bennett is a teacher at Canfield Methodist Church preschool. She said doing the show was a little nerve-racking, but very fun.
“Just the idea of talking about sex on TV was a little overwhelming, but the kids and [she and her husband] kind of knew what kind of questions they would ask so we were comfortable about it,” she said. “It was a great experience.”
Part of the experience was talking to Barbara Walters who moderates the show, and also seeing teen pop star Justin Bieber, who was in the ABC studios that day.
Bailey Bennett is a senior at Grove City College. Caroline, who just graduated from high school, will go to Grove City in the fall. Drew and Lake are still attending Canfield schools.