Franklin College Students Analyze the Impact of Tourism
Franklin College’s Immersive Term allows students to pursue study abroad opportunities throughout the month of January. Grizzles can enroll in faculty-led study-abroad courses focusing on a variety of subjects organized by the Global Education Department.
This year, Franklin College offered students the opportunity to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and cruise the Caribbean, all in an effort to evaluate how tourism changes cities. They discussed the economic and environmental impacts of cruising, while also learning valuable lessons in theme park operation.
Professor of Mathematics Paul Fonstad, Ph. D., served as the course instructor, while Assistant Director of Engagement Kandra Sejas, M.A., was the course coordinator. Fonstad resides in Franklin and Sejas in Greenwood.
“Throughout our time at Walt Disney World and aboard The Grandeur of the Seas, we had the opportunity not only to experience some amazing tourist destinations but also peek behind the scenes and see both the positive and negative changes that tourism brought to these locations,” Fonstad said. “We all enjoyed the experience and look forward to being tourists again, but the ways we think about tourism and act as tourists has been changed by the experience.”
Students on the trip included:
Graycie Branham, a senior, from Martinsville.
Drew Furgeson, a senior, from Shelbyville.
Ian Krekeler, a sophomore, is from Lafayette.
Brayden Millick, a senior, is from Brownstown.
Emilia Scott, a sophomore, is from Greenwood.
Andrew Spomar, a junior, is from Greenwood.
"Disney and the Caribbean allowed me to get away from the everyday worries, form new friendships, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Over the course of this study abroad I learned how we as people affect every place we industrialize and travel to,” Millick, a biomedical science major said. “I will be more conscientious on how I interact with the environment during travel, and I will always keep in mind that people come from many different backgrounds. I will never forget that when treating patients."