Northwest to host Geography Awareness Week activities, students invited to photo contest

Northwest Missouri State University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences will host a variety of activities this month to celebrate Geography Awareness Week - including trivia, interactive map activities, a poster research event and a Meet the Pros panel.

Geography Awareness Week, which annually occurs during the third week of November, was established in 1987 by a presidential proclamation to enhance understanding of how geography shapes and affects lives.

"It's sort of the way we can publicize the importance of looking at the world from those perspectives," Dr. Jesse Lane, a Northwest assistant professor of geography, said. "The economy is not just the single entity that's separate from culture and the environment. And on the other end, we can't really think about geological formations without also looking at human impacts."

Hannah Peetz, a senior majoring in geography and environmental geology from Seward, Nebraska, serves as president of Northwest's chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geographical honor society. She hopes the week encourages more students to get involved with geography.

"I am hoping that this event and the other events throughout the week will bring in more people that are interested in learning about geography and its broad interests, as well as people who already advocate for the importance of geography," Peetz said.

A complete schedule of Geography Awareness Activities at Northwest is provided below.

Geography photo competition

Students are invited to submit photos featuring geographic landscapes, places, environments and perspectives from Monday, Nov. 9, through Thursday, Nov. 12, by clicking this link; the submission link will open at midnight on Nov. 9.

Students can vote for their favorite photo by visiting the Geography Photo Voting Page from Monday, Nov. 16, through Thursday, Nov. 19. A poster featuring the submitted photos will be displayed in the south hallway of Valk Center. Winners will be announced Friday, Nov. 20.

Monday, Nov. 16

Giant Traveling Map of Missouri

Education practicum students will teach geography lessons using the Giant Traveling Map of Missouri, a 17-foot by 21-foot map of Missouri. The lessons will take place throughout the school day at Horace Mann Laboratory School.

"Where R U From?"

"Where R U From?" is an interactive activity where participants mark their hometowns on a large world map. It will be available in the top floor lobby of Valk Center from Monday, Nov. 16, through Thursday, Nov. 19.

Popcorn and Posters

Gamma Theta Upsilon and Student Senate will host Popcorn and Posters, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the J.W. Jones Student Union Living Room. The event will give students of all disciplines an opportunity to talk about their research in a relaxed environment.

Tuesday, Nov. 17

Geography Trivia Night

The event begins at 6 p.m. in Room 117 of Valk Center. Students will form teams and compete to answer geography-related trivia questions. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team.

Wednesday, Nov. 18

Giant Traveling Map of Missouri

The Giant Traveling Map of Missouri will be displayed in the first floor lobby of Valk Center.

MapSwipe

MapSwipe training will begin at 6 p.m. in Room 117 of Valk Center. Students can participate using smartphones, tablets or laptops. Instead of traditional, complex mapping that requires GIS training, MapSwipe allows users to "swipe" through satellite imagery, turning a technical task into a collaborative social event.

Thursday, Nov. 19

Meet the Pros Discussion Panel

The Geographic Information Sciences Meet the Pros panel, hosted by Career Services, will take place from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in Room 117 of Valk Center.

Students will have the opportunity to connect with geography and GIS graduates. Food will be provided.