Archive for January, 2012
See the world in a grain of (Californian) sand
William Blake starts his Auguries of Innocence with the line, “To see a world in a grain of sand.” Well, perhaps you can see the world in a grain of sand–if that grain happens to be from California. You see, according to some Hollywood executives back in the 1920s, California can offer geographical facsimiles of […]
Gustavus wind turbine
Gustavus’ new small wind turbine was dedicated yesterday. See this website for all the details.
Save the date: MUGS 2012
Save the date for this year’s Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS): Saturday, April 28, at St. Thomas University in Saint Paul, MN. Come to learn about some great research students in the area are doing, or to present your own research! Here’s information from last year’s MUGS at Gustavus.
Police use of GPS ruled unconstitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that a police undercover GPS tracker put on a suspect’s car to monitor its movement was unconstitutional. Find out more from this New York Times article. What do you think about this kind of police surveillance–should it be allowed or not?
The Guyanas
On the northeast coast of South America, the countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana are often forgotten or confused with each other or other countries (like Guinea, in West Africa). Here’s an interesting article on “The Loneliness of the Guyanas.”
Young Cartographers Develop New Minneapolis Skyway Map
In a world of google maps and foursquare, some wonder about the future of cartography. Well, some geography students are rediscovering the value of skillful, thoughtful map-making. Recent University of Wisconsin graduates have formed a company called “Carticulate.” They’ve landed work redesigning skyway maps for Minneapolis and transit maps for Asheville, NC. You can read […]
Haiti earthquake cartoon
Check out this beautiful cartoon Haiti: Tents Beyond Tents by Haitian comic artists Chevelin Pierre and Pares Jerome. It describes the situation in Haiti two years after the earthquake.
Warmest early January in MN history
“It was far and away the warmest first 10 days of January ever measured in Minnesota history, averaging over 20 degrees F above normal statewide (27.2 F versus a normal of 7.1 F)” writes Mark Seeley of the University of Minnesota Extension. On January 10, temperatures above 60 F were reported in Saint Peter! High […]
Two years after the Haiti earthquake
Today is the second-year anniversary of the earthquake that killed thousands in Haiti. Following the earthquake, massive sums of money were promised for reconstruction. Where has that money gone and how has it been used? Here is one examination of the data by the Guardian. Only about half of the promised aid has been delivered […]
Versluis featured in Free Press
January 12, 2012, marks the two-year anniversary of the deadly earthquake near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Yesterday’s Mankato Free Press (January 10, 2012) features Geography Prof. Anna Versluis in an article on the two-year anniversary of the Haiti quake. The article is not available online, but see this Gustavus blog for more information.