Glaciar Perito Moreno, one of the largest advancing glaciers.

A boat travels near Glaciar Perito Moreno.

Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

J-Term at Carthage

Melting Profits in Patagonia

Students studied eco-tourism, economics, politics and culture in Argentina

A group of Carthage students examined the impact of tourism on Patagonia's fragile eco-system during a J-Term course in Argentina earlier this year. The course, Tourism and Glaciers: Melting Profits in Patagonia, was taught by political science professor Jeffrey Roberg and sociology professor William Miller. Students explored the political, economic, social and ecological importance of Patagonia for the people of Argentina.

"The goal of this trip was really to look at the challenges of eco-tourism," said Prof. Miller.

Students visited the capital city of Buenos Aires; the small mountain village of El Chaltén; the small town of El Calafate, home to the Glaciar Perito Moreno; and Ushuaia, a major port for Antarctic travel.

"In Buenos Aires, a major tourist city of 13 million people, you have certain sets of issues," Prof. Miller said. "In El Calafate there are other issues. The water shuts off for three hours every day because they don't have enough clean water. In El Chaltén, you can't put toilet paper in the toilet because of their sewage system. ... You're building huge tourist industries in places where you don't have the infrastructure to support it."

Money vs. Nature: A Balancing Act

The objective of the course was to examine how Argentina balances its economic interest in increasing tourism with its need to preserve its natural resources.

"Argentina wants the money, and wants the tourists to come, but how do you prevent the environmental sites that people are coming to see from getting trampled and destroyed?" Prof. Roberg said.

Students met with tourism and conservation officials including the department chief of the Tourism Board of Tierra del Fuego, the director of tourist services in El Calafate, and the director of conservation of protected areas for the National Park Administration.

Video: See the Perito Moreno Glacier, filmed during the Carthage J-Term trip.

"The students got to see first-hand how these different officials looked at issues," Prof. Roberg said. For a tourist official in El Calafate, "his opinion was, 'The more tourism, the better; you can never have too much' — which was understandable from his perspective. But from the National Park Administration's perspective, there really are limits, and you can have too much tourism."

"I learned so much," said Amy Binstein, '11, from Glenview, Ill., a geography major with minors in economics and geographic information science. "We take all of these classes here like Global Poverty, Economics, and Geography of Urban Places. On this trip, I was able to apply so many of the theories and ideas that I had learned in all of these classes to a real live place. That was what was really awesome."

Seeing History in Action

Amy said the entire trip was amazing — from hiking around Mount Fitz Roy in El Chaltén; to enjoying laid-back dinners in Buenos Aires; to seeing the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the largest advancing glaciers in the world. Amy said the travelers were close enough to hear the ice crack as the glacier moves its 2-3 meters a day (lightning-fast for a glacier). As a student-athlete on Carthage's golf team, she also enjoyed playing golf at the Ushuaia Golf Club, the southernmost golf course in the world.

Amy Binstein, '11, and her fellow travelers played the Ushuaia Golf Club course while on a J-Term trip to Argentina. Below, horses on the green. Photos courtesy of Amy Binstein

"We were on the green and all of a sudden, this herd of horses came running across the golf course," Amy said. "It's amazing to say that I played golf there, with horses running at us in the middle of these snow-covered mountains."

Students also met with members of the Madres del Plaza de Mayo, a group of Argentine mothers whose children disappeared during the military dictatorship of the late 1970s and early '80s. "Anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 people disappeared," explained Prof. Roberg. "Some of these people during the dictatorship were drugged, taken up in a plane, and pushed out the door of the plane to have their bodies disappear in the ocean. ... Meeting with the Madres is pretty rare, and a chance to really see history in action."

Learning about a country's history is an essential component of any trip, Prof. Roberg said.

"I firmly believe that if you're going to go to another country, you have to know about it, you have to learn about it," he said. "You can't just go and say, 'I want to see the pretty stuff.' Don't get me wrong: The glaciers are gorgeous, the scenery is fantastic. But the way I teach my courses, you have to understand where you're going — not only the culture part of it, but also the politics, the economics, the underlying history that makes the country what it is."

Meeting the Madres was incredibly moving for the students, said Amy. "Some of the kids knew about this, but I had no idea. They're still trying to locate people and find bodies. ... It was a lot to take in."

'Check, please?': Exploring a new culture

For the sociology component of the course, Prof. Miller led the students in understanding the values and norms of Argentine culture, and how they differ not only from American culture, but from city to city. "For example, in Buenos Aires, there are no siestas, but in El Chaltén, there is a siesta," Prof. Miller said. "Why are siestas not a national practice? There were also differences in language from place to place, and differences in people's willingness to use English. In Buenos Aires, nobody tried to speak English, but in El Calafate and El Chaltén, people went out of their way to speak English to us. Those are tourist cities that depend on customers to make money."

"If you're going to go to another country, you have to know about it, you have to learn about it. You can't just go and say, 'I want to see the pretty stuff.' "

One of the major differences between Argentine and U.S. culture is dining, Prof. Miller said. "The earliest you would ever eat dinner in Argentina would be 9 o'clock. Dinner is long and slow, and most dinners last two to three hours." Students initially questioned the quality of service. "In Argentina, servers tend to take your order and then never come back," Prof. Miller said. "They walk by, so if you need them you can ask, but they never bring a bill unless you request it."

That was a surprise to students accustomed to getting the check before they've finished eating. "I asked them, 'What does your experience dining here tell you about the culture?' ... The purpose of eating in a restaurant in Argentina is far more social than economic. It's about sharing time with family and friends. Waiters are paid a salary; they don't have a stake in moving people in and out of the restaurant."

"It was nice not to be pestered," Amy said, laughing. "There were nights that we sat at a table for two to three hours. When we came back, we ate in a Chili's in Dallas. We walked in, they said 'Hi,' they were right there, our drinks were filled, and we were out of there in 35 minutes."

'Breath-taking and thought-provoking'

Sixteen Carthage students went on the trip. Profs. Roberg and Miller hope the experience will have a lasting impact on how they travel — and think. "It is my hope that our students gained an appreciation for diversity in people, social structures, ideas, values and customs; a passion for travel; and an enduring curiosity about the world," Prof. Miller said.

"I think it's just important for us to preserve these places that need to be around forever. This was one of the most amazing places I've ever been. It cannot be destroyed."

For Cailin Kolk, '12, a political science and communication double major from Sugar Grove, Ill., the trip was an exciting learning experience. "There were too many highlights to count: Exploring Buenos Aires nightlife, meeting with the Madres, hiking in the Andes, seeing amazing glaciers and mountains, and visiting Ushuaia. Everything we did was breathtaking and thought-provoking.

"I learned about what it means to be a part of a different culture," Cailin continued. "How people — although very different in many aspects — come together as humans for the same general causes and values."

Rachel Ryan, '12, a biology major from Mundelein, Ill., agreed. "My favorite parts of the trip were visiting the national parks. I also loved how we were able to ... experience the city life [of Buenos Aires] as well as the cities in Patagonia. Spending quality time getting to know different classmates and professors was also a highlight."

For geography major Amy Binstein, the trip reinforced her decision to attend graduate school for international development. "I want to focus more on impoverished areas, clean water resources for places that don't have any clean water, and planning cities that are more eco-friendly," she said. "I think it's just important for us to preserve these places that need to be around forever. This was one of the most amazing places I've ever been. It cannot be destroyed."

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