Students drank cups of freshly brewed coffee in Peterson Hall 1 yesterday to kick off Geography Awareness Week, a week of events meant to spread awareness about geography’s various aspects.
The 26th annual geography awareness week is themed “The New Age of Exploration,” and it is intended to promote the idea that geography is not just about location.
“Geography is way more than just capital cities. It’s the interaction of people all over the world,” said Suzanne Dallman, an associate professor and undergraduate adviser for the geography department.
Monday’s presentation was led by senior geography major Bret Hartt, who addressed the history, cultural implications and trade of coffee between different regions around the world.
“Coffee means different things to people all over the world,” Hartt said. “In Turkey, they read the coffee grinds on the bottom of the cup to tell the future, and in other places, it could be just someone’s favorite flavor of ice cream.”
During the presentation, students tasted three types of coffee, including one from Ethiopia, while Hartt explained that history has affected the way people drink coffee today, especially Americans.
“Coffee is Americans’ go-to hot beverage because of the Boston Tea Party and the taxation the British had on the tea,” Hartt said. “When coffee came to the new world, it was cheaper than tea, so people drank that instead, and it hasn’t really changed.”
One event will be held each day on campus to commemorate geography awareness week, including a film screening of “Breakwater” Tuesday from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. in Peterson Hall 1, Room 222.
“Breakwater,” a film about the Long Beach breakwater that separates the harbor from the ocean, will also be screened outside of Peterson Hall 1 at 6 p.m. The breakwater has created ecological consequences as it impedes currents, said Andy Bradford, president of the Geography Student Association.
The Geography Student Association will have a map exhibit along the Liberal Arts hallway, the corridor along the LA buildings on upper campus, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Bradford said the exhibit will feature both thematic and academic maps, including one from the Civil War, to show human geography.
“We want to show the diversity of what you can do with geography in terms of careers and what kind of studies can be performed,” Bradford said. “In terms of human behavior, economic and environment, all kinds of research is being done in this field. We want to show that geography is more than just street maps.”