12/3/2009
Signing up for Human Geography was a decision I made based on the fact that I need it to graduate. I've never been very good at history and government, but I'm pretty good at memorization, so I thought, "Hey! Geography shouldn't be too difficult." I was right. Except, I'm not memorizing. We're taking topics from our readings and discussions, putting them in perspective with what is going on in the world today, and critically analyzing their relationships. Who would have thought discussing soccer, Viagra, and AIDS could teach you so much about human behavior and the reason we are the way we are. Sure, I think eating dogs is disgusting. But why don't the people in Vietnam? Our boundaries have made us different and our ancestors who chose those boundaries chose them because of their beliefs. And yeah, I'm kind of thinking that I'm not getting by on that easy path of memorizing countries, capitals, landmarks, mountain ranges... But I am also kind of thinking that's why we're taking a class - to think. Not just to know. I have already had a chance to inquire about the Olympic Games: how the host cities are selected, the games, the history of the games, and how much work goes into planning them. About sexual violence being used as a weapon of war: where groups are doing this, the harm it's causing it's communities and countries, and the reasons behind it. About the ethics of pricing: who chooses how much our medicines cost, and who chooses oil prices, why work towards prolonging disease when you could work towards a cure. About hot air balloons: the mechanics, flight paths, jet streams, history, and how long it would take to get around the world and where it would have to stop. I'm looking forward to more from this class, especially if we get to experience more guests like the great speakers we have already had speak to us: Coach Morris, who spoke about soccer, and Dr. Pillay, who is from South Africa. Until next time...
Posted at 2:02 AM by Sam Kheim