Opening Faculty at Large Lecture to Explore Global Tourism

Professors to recount their experiences in Ghana and the Yucatan on Sept. 27

WOOSTER, Ohio — Two groups of faculty will report on their summer travel experiences in Ghana and the Yucatan at the first Faculty at Large lecture of the fall semester on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at The College of Wooster. The presentation, titled “Exploring the World: Understanding Global Tourism,” will be held in Lean Lecture Room of Wishart Hall (303 E. University St.) beginning at 11 a.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

The participants are members of the Hales Reading Group, which consists of an interdisciplinary collection of faculty who read about and discuss the culture of their destination throughout the academic year and then participate in a collective field study the following summer. These faculty then incorporate portions of what they have learned in existing courses.

The Yucatan group consisted of Pam Frese, professor of sociology and anthropology; Heath Anderson, the Juliana Wilson Thompson Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology; Jenna Hayward, professor of English; Matt Mariola, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies; and Jo Shaya, assistant professor of classical studies and archaeology. They explored archaeological sites of the ancient Maya and participated in the contemporary societies and cultures represented in these areas today.

“(We) discovered that tourism affects the biological, physical, historical, and spiritual dimensions of human life for the tourist and for the people and spaces they visit,” said Frese.

The Ghana group featured Charles Peterson, associate professor of Africana studies; Dan Bourne, professor of English and environmental studies; Raymond Gunn, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology; Katie Holt, assistant professor of history; Shannon King, assistant professor of history; and Beth Muellner, assistant professor and chair of the German and Russian studies departments. They visited sites emblematic of Ghana’s heritage and eco-tourist industries, including the Cape Coast and El Mina Slave Castles, Kakum National Park, and Mole National Park Game Reserve. These experiences enabled participants to study how local communities and tourist groups not only interact but also overlap in the realization of what may be disparate yet inter-connected goals.

“Relevant to the increased centrality of a diverse and globalized curriculum at The College of Wooster, this presentation promises to share these different perspectives on today’s world, providing insights for potential students, faculty, and community members as tourists in the communities they visit,” said Frese.

The next Faculty at Large lecture will be Tuesday, Oct. 11, when Jennifer Bowen and John Ramsay from Wooster’s Department of Mathematics present "Knots, Links, and Bottles: Pure Math with a Twist.” Additional information about the Faculty at Large lecture series is available by phone (330-263-2576) or email.

- Written by Libby Fackler '13