September 10, 2009 – Our Town – OWU

Sign outside of CERS.

Photo by Will Ruzek ’10

Finding Shangri-La
How an OWU student’s experiences in China made a difference in his and others’ lives

In the most impactful ways, senior Will Ruzek’s coursework in Geography 222—“The Power of Maps and GIS”—became even more illustrative during the summer, as he traveled to the Tibetan region of Yunnan Province to work at the Chinese Exploration and Research Society (CERS) from June 2 to August 14. This non-profit group was created to explore the remote regions of China, conduct research that ultimately will help to conserve nature and ancient cultures, and educate the public. CERS President, Wong How Man, is a noted explorer, author, and photojournalist who has been recognized by Time Magazine as one of “25 Heroes of Asia.”

“My father also had done some work for CERS, and it seemed like the right destination for me,” says Ruzek, a geography major at OWU. He describes the 27-hour train ride from Hong Kong to Kun Ming, followed by 12 more hours to his logistical headquarters in Zhon Gdian—now called Shangri-La, as exhausting, but worthwhile, as he reached his destination. Increasing tourism had everything to do with the name change, as Ruzek explains. He was there for a month conducting research on the changing landscape of the area and the resulting impact of that change in name on the number of visitors to Shangi-la. Ruzek also did quite a bit of filming, including interviews with local residents and visitors, for his documentary, “Vanishing Shangi-La”—which, when completed, will reflect his research findings.

Ruzek at work, filming for his documentary “Vanishing Shangri-La.”

Photo courtesy of Will Ruzek ’10

Visiting several other sites including the Guigi Mastiff site, Meixiang Yak Cheese Factory, where he helped to promote Yak cheese to the rural community and learned how to make the cheese, Weixi Golden Monkey Preserve, the Lisu Tribe site, and finally, a stop at Hainan Island, just southwest of Hong Kong—Ruzek became proficient at creating hiking maps and informational pamphlets designed to promote ecotourism.

“What I found on Hainan Island, was an underdeveloped site,” says Ruzek whose task was to collect objects for display in a living museum. The ever-present challenge is how to preserve traditional housing as the government builds more modernized homes.

“It seemed that the younger residents want to explore city life, purchase cars, and be like the people they see on TV, while the older people want to preserve their culture and save some of the objects we found for the museum. In the end, we can’t tell them what to do—they need to decide how best to merge modernization and economic gain with cultural preservation.” And at the end of Ruzek’s work experiences, he had accrued academic credits for his two geography independent study projects, and another in sociology-anthropology for his documentary film work. In addition, however, it is the valuable time he spent in China that Ruzek will long remember, and as he says, the remarkable synergy he discovered between his classroom and field experiences.

Village of Longdu, south of Meixiang Yak Cheese Factory.

Photo by Will Ruzek ’10

“While I was in the same province as Will this past summer to screen my film and deliver a keynote talk at an international anthropology conference, I arranged to spend the greater part of a week with Will at the CERS center,” says Mary Howard, professor of sociology and anthropology. “His immediate supervisors raved about his work ethic and competency, saying that he added both a lighthearted playfulness while relating to the team of interns and other CERS workers and staying serious about the tasks at hand. We can all feel proud of our OWU ambassador.”

– Pam Besel