Students will research and analyze how the pandemic has impacted the National Parks and businesses in towns surrounding the parks. Students will conduct research from campus and then each sub-team will have an opportunity to travel to a National Park and nearby town to interview park rangers and local business professionals.
Michael Dickson
SIBC provided a truly unique experience while at Olympic National Park. As students, we were able to interview over 20 local business to determine how the Covid 19 pandemic has effected their customers and employees over the last 3 years. We discovered an interesting juxtaposition in tourism numbers. National Parks, being outdoors and secluded, were very attractive destinations with many indoor venues shut down. The businesses surrounding Olympic had to battle the good fortune of increased tourists with the downside of restricting regulations. Benedictine students leaned how to interview and engage in impromptu dialogue. In addition, we were given the opportunity to explore the beautiful National Park and explore numerous scenic trails.
Nathan C Meiers
The SIBC trip from September 16-18 to Olympic national park was my second SIBC project with a national park, the first being Mammoth caves. We as students were able to interview many businesses close to the park and form conclusions from the data gathered on how the pandemic affected businesses over the last two years. The best part was comparing the answers given by businesses in Olympic national park and comparing them to the answers in Mammoth national park, especially how the longer and more restrictive Covid-19 regulations of Washington state affected businesses for the latter. It was also fantastic to hike the trails and mountains of the park all the while forming a great team dynamic with Michael, Sam, and Johnny.
Samuel T Sebastian
During this exceptional trip to Olympic National Park our group experienced many wonderful things. Primarily we had the privilege to speak to small business owners from the surrounding area. During this process we learned that many of the business lost almost all of their international business. We also learned that many of the business while having some trouble in finding nee employees were able to retain those who had been with them at the start of the pandemic.
The adventures we had during this SIBC project were exciting. We hiked a mountain building community with our group as well as delving into the rainforest of Olympic National Park. Overall, this was a wonderful trip to learn about a new place while being part of nature in such an in-depth level.
John A Mulholland
This weekend, I was blessed to participate in an trip to Olypmic National Park to interview local shop owners about the impact of Covid-19 on their business. Though it may seem likely an intrusive question topic, the managers excitedly told us their personal experiences. I loved hearing each business's different story and learning what they did to counteract the negative affects of the virus. Some did so with great success. The biggest thing that nearly all of the shop owners said was that regional tourism went up even though international tourism stopped entirely. Also, most businesses we spoke with were small, locally owned shops and thus had no problem hiring or retaining employees. The park itself is jaw-droppingly beautiful and I greatly enjoyed seeing some of the many sights. The trip culminated in an intense hike of Mt. Strom King which has an amazing view from the top. I am grateful to SIBC for giving me the opportunity to have this experience.
