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K-State Today

November 17, 2014

Geography Awareness Week, Nov. 16-22

Submitted by Robert Briwa

This year's National Geographic Geography Awareness Week is Nov. 16-22. The week is to encourage everyone to consider the role that geography plays in their daily lives.

Kansas State University's Geography Club and Beta Psi chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon have collaborated with groups within and without K-State to encourage and celebrate the importance of geographic awareness with the following events:

Tuesday, Nov. 18: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Kansas Geographic Alliance is partnering with the Geography Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon to host an informational table in the K-State Student Union. Drop in to learn more about the discipline, GeoWeek and Kansas Geographic Alliance. From 5-8 p.m., Tastes of the World will be at Bluestem Bistro in Aggieville, in recognition of this year's Geography Awareness Week's theme of "the future of food," Bluestem Bistro's chefs — in collaboration with the Geography Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon — are offering a taste of Greece.

Wednesday, Nov. 19: In recognition of Wednesday as Geographic Information Systems Day, K-State Libraries and Gamma Theta Upsilon have partnered to offer several workshop sessions that introduce geographic information systems and its capabilities as a research tool. At 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.,"Retrieving Census data from the NHGIS" will be in 301 Hale Library. Learn how to effectively search and retrieve recent and historical — 1790-2012 — census data from the National Historical Geographic Information System. Whether you map census data or prefer your census data in tabular form, the system offers a new approach to census data. It's not appropriate for genealogical research, but it will be invaluable to sociologists, historians, geographers and anyone needing demographic data. At 2-3:30 p.m., "Mapping Manhattan's Eateries; an intro to GIS" will be in 407 Hale Library. Ever want to try out a geographical information system, but haven't had the opportunity? Curious about what it can do? Join us for a hands-on activity that showcases the capabilities of geographical information system through mapping Manhattan's restaurants and eateries and proposing a new location for one.

Thursday, Nov. 20: 5-8 p.m., Tastes of the World will be at Bluestem Bistro in Aggieville, in recognition of this year's Geography Awareness Week's theme of "the future of food," Bluestem Bistro's chefs — in collaboration with the Geography Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon — are offering a taste of India with a butter chicken dish.

Geographic information systems is a cross-disciplinary tool used by geographers, land use planners, biologists, anthropologists, sociologists, geologists and historians. In the business world, it's used by agriculture, education, landscape architecture and public health industries, plus many others.