The Geography Club Blog!

A new volcanic island is forming in the southern Red Sea,

about 40 miles off the coast of Yemen.

Click here to be taken to the full article.

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GIS Lab Schedule 2011-2

Physical Lab Schedule Fall 2011

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Monroe Hall was ‘rededicated’ on Friday, Sept 16 – dignitaries heard speeches in Palmieri Plaza, saw a large blue ribbon cut by President Hurley, and ate cake!  People toured the building and were duly impressed by our bright hallways, high-tech classrooms (two projectors & screens! screens for four ongoing presentations at the same time!), tall windows (light!) and a fourth floor where none previously existed. We had set up posters and displays showing our new equipment… the pollen analysis lab features in speeches and publicity info!

It was really all a trial for next Saturday, Family Weekend Open House – do please come, and bring your families & friends!

A few local alumni have already been by to explore New Monroe – generally they love the lab space (they don’t spend all weekend there, any more) but perhaps they miss Monroe 301…? We’ll have another Open House during Homecoming Weekend (Saturday afternoon, October 22) during which we hope to see LOADS of alumni – please plan to be here!

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Thank you, Dr. Rallis…

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Yesterday at 4pm the club had its first meeting of 2011-12 – Tea Time in The Lab: Monroe 319-320!  We were able to raise the skyfold partition, so had the entire lab space open, like it used to be before the Monroe renovation.

President Chris Lutz had several different things to say:

1. Planning to have some Geog Club bulletin board space out in the main hallway
2. Planning to fill other club officer positions – more on this later, we probably need an election. If you want to be involved, please speak up!
3. Traditional hike up Old Rag in Shenandoah, with Dr. Nicholas – may attract some alumni? – usually done on the first Saturday in November – usually by carpool. Let us know if you are interested.
4. Other fieldtrip ideas if people are interested: hiking at Caledon (King George County), Great Falls (near DC), touring The Mall in DC, touring Fredericksburg with a National Park tour guide…
5. Foreign Film Series: Dr. Rallis would love to show some of his foreign films, he has many…  how about a potluck, on a Sunday evening?
6. T-Shirt: traditionally, the Geog Club produces a T shirt in the spring: students & faculty pre-order and the appropriate number are printed, all identical. Last year we didn’t have one (disorganization!) – this year, since we are back in Monroe, how about we produce one NOW, with that being the theme – and possibly sell some to alumni returning for New Monroe festivities? Chris suggested one saying We’re Back – at x,y, the coordinates in the center of the lab, or the building…  We could get a picture of Monroe? Got any other ideas?
7. We can also make a regular club shirt in spring… one old suggestion is, for the front: What will you do with a degree in Geography? and on the back: Anything I Want! Any and all other suggestions are welcome.

Chris is working to establish an email list – if you want to be on it, email him at clutz@mail.umw.edu; he & VP Taylor Eidt have set up a facebook page for the club… another way to communicate is on this blog.

The plan is to have 4pm Wednesday Tea regularly – but perhaps also another meeting time/day regularly. Please suggest when!

Then we were interrupted by a fire alarm – I suppose its good to know that it works!

There are several events coming up at which you can see Geography Department tools, toys and faculty in action – you are encouraged to come to any & all of these:

Friday Sept 16, 4pm – Rededication, on the steps at Palmieri Plaza (rumor that cake will be served)

Saturday Sept 24, 1pm – Open House for Family Weekend (bring the ‘rents! light refreshments provided by Geog faculty)

Saturday Oct 22, 1 pm – Open House for Homecoming Weekend (we’re expecting alumni to visit their old/your new space!)

Did I miss anything? Contact me at jgallagh@umw.edu

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We’ve had a hazardous start to the semester, though I wouldn’t call it disastrous… Geography has moved back into Monroe Hall and we think you will all LOVE the new space – and our 100-year-old building came though the earthquake (8/23/11) with no problems! On the GEOG 240 Natural Hazards blog page I’ve posted seismograph/seismogram images and some news about the severe thunderstorm on Thursday (8/25/11) and Hurricane Irene (8/27/11). Now we’re waiting for the swarm of locusts – or is that the return of ALL students to campus?!

Geography Club-wise, we will be planning who the club officers will be for 2011-12, when to have meetings, what to put on a new T-shirt, and what kinds of activities we want to engage in – all as soon as possible! Chris Lutz agreed to act as President pro tempore over summer (because I needed a name!) and I hope to meet him Monday or Tuesday. I’m thinking we should have regular meetings at different times of the day so as to allow a maximum number of people to participate and be heard. At least we have a fabulous selection of spaces in which to meet! Do we need a face book page? a twitter feed? We can have a bulletin board (or part thereof).

If you have any suggestions for anything, please let me know! – - Jackie   (jgallagh@umw.edu, Monroe 313)

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Has anyone started thinking about a t-shirt design for this year? Last year’s was so phenomenal (with the map of our diaspora out of Monroe Hall, and then out of Annex B when we were evacuated!)…  can we start brainstorming ideas for this year?! Put your idea in a comment below…

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National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site
INTERDISCIPLINARY WATER SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
Application Deadline March 07, 2011 (Monday) Continue Reading »

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Last meeting we discussed the possibility of having some field trips in the future. Here are some feasible locations.
We can take a vote on them during Tea Time this Wednesday.

-Belmont http://www.umw.edu/gari_melchers/

-Any of the Fred, Spotsylvania, Chancellor, Wilderness etc. Battlefields, e.g.

http://www.nps.gov/frsp/index.htm

-Chatham Manor http://www.nps.gov/frsp/chatham.htm

-Ferry Farm http://kenmore.org/ff_home.html

-State Parks: Lake Anna, Caledon, Westmoreland, Leesylvania, Mason Neck   http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/state_park.shtml

-Stratford Hall, http://www.stratfordhall.org/

-‘Historic’ Occoquan http://www.occoquan.com/

-Marine Corps Museum, Quantico

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The UMW Study Abroad Office is hosting a Study Abroad Faculty-Led Programs Happy Hour in the Underground THIS Wednesday (January 26th) from 4-5:30.

Many geography majors do study abroad, and even if you haven’t thought about it yet, you should!!

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