Geography Awareness Week

Geography Awareness Week was a success!

The Geography Department and GSA brought geography to the people.  Or least geographers got to hang out and do fun geography-related things.

So here's a recap of that fun week before you get down to finishing those projects and studying for finals.  There will be an end of the year pot luck.  More info on that later.

Monday:
Bret Hartt's coffee talk and tasting.  If you missed it, well I can't give you any coffee, but you can download and listen to his talk here.  You can even hear the coffee being ground!  Plus I have pictures.

The outdoor film screening of Urbanized by Gary Hustwit.  Unfortunately I missed most of that but what I did see was interesting.   Here's the trailer.

Tuesday:
 Bret Hartt's film screening of Breakwater about the Long Beach breakwater.  You can download and listen to the Q and A with Brett, the director and the editor.

Wednesday:
MAP EXHIBIT!  We got to show off various maps by students and faculty. 

Dr. Christine Rodrigue gave a talk on the geography of Mars, which was fascinating.  Have a listen to it here.  You can also read and view her slides at her website.  

Thursday:
The last film screening was on a documentary called Africa Representa by Harald Friedl.  This was a great film on life in Africa and how the people see their lives and those of the developed countries.

Mapping Phnom Penh and Cultural Night

So a lot has been going on with more good things to come.  First off:

On Oct. 24 Dr. James Tyner, a former CSULB alumni, came to our campus and gave a lecture on “Mapping Phnom Penh during the Cambodian Genocide.”  He discussed how previous literature had pictured Phnom Penh as abandoned after the genocide, but in truth the city had around 22,000 people living and working within it.  You can download and listen to the lecture as well as the Q and A portion here.  (Note: the audio has been edited. These things have been removed: the intro about his time at CSULB, long pauses and audience clapping.  I've also increased the volume of some parts to better hear them.)

Image from CSULB Geography Dept. website.

Then there was Cultural Night on Oct. 27 at Natraj Indian Cuisine in Long Beach.  Everyone had a really good time and the food was delicious too.  Because we were having such a good time, we forgot to take pictures but here's the flyer I made for the event.

A little background on the restaurant:


 Natarj in Long Beach was actually part of a larger chain of Indian restaurants started by two friends, Vijay Khosla and Inderjit Singh in January of 1991.  They started several locations throughout Southern California.  Some have been sold off, including the one in Long Beach, but that doesn't seem to have caused it harm any.  In fact, there are quite a lot of good reviews.

This is the couple that runs Natraj.  Image from their website.

Our Cultural Night group also had a really good time.  The people who run Natraj were very nice and accommodating to our need for a large party and of course the food was great.  I tried fish curry because I'd never even heard of that before.  I really loved the mango lassi, which is a yogurt drink popular in northern India.  Here's a recipe, so you can make your own.  I would go back to Natraj everyday just to have that!  Oh, and the fried vegetables too. 

Some of the dishes available.  Image from Natraj's website.

If you want to know more about Indian food here are two articles:  History of Indian Food and History of Indian Cuisine.  Happy reading!

As a final note, the LAGS will be having their next free lecture on Friday Nov. 1 at 8 pm.  This lecture is on "Cannabis City: Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Los Angeles" by Dr. Steve Graves Associate Professor of Geography, CSU Northridge.  The lecture will be held at:

Los Angeles City College (LACC)

Science-Technology Building

855 North Vermont Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90029

   

You can find directions on their website or can contact us at csulbgsa@gmail.com.  Hope to see you there!

LAGS and Future Events

Welcome back!  New year, new GSA and exciting new events.  Some of those events were the LAGS lectures in September and this month on the 4th.  Both were given by CSULB's Dr. Paul Laris and Dr. Deborah Thien at LA City College.  If you missed out, which you probably did because I let the craziness of the first month back keep me from updating this blog, then you can at least listen to Dr. Thien's lecture on emotional geographies focusing on PTSD in the military and its affects on both men and women.  (Sorry the sound quality is not the best.)  You can download and listen to it via this link.

There will be another lecture on November 1st on medical marijuana dispensaries in LA by Dr. Steve Graves of CSU Northridge.  We'll be putting together a carpool for those who need or can give a ride.  You can email us at csulbgsa@gmail.com for carpool info. You can also take the metro - blue line to red line to Vermont Station, which is just outside of the college.  Here's a map.    

But the fun is only beginning.  There are several things in the works for this semester, including a cultural night, hike and Geography Awareness Week!!  Yep, I'm excited. 

We're currently looking for students to be on committees for both the cultural night and geography awareness week to help set everything up.  Cultural Night is planned for sometime before the end of October.  We're thinking Oktoberfest style but we're open to suggestions.  Preferably something in Long Beach.

The hike is planned for early November and will probably be at Angels Gate Park/Korean Friendship Bell, but we're still working on that.  Hopefully we can set up a carpool for that as well.

Geography Awareness Week will take place the 3rd week of November (the 18th - 22nd I believe) and could consist of map displays, a lecture on the geography of Mars by Dr. Rodrigue, a coffee tasting and more!  This is basically a week where we try to tell the world that geography is more than just knowing where cities are.  If you're interested in helping out or have something you want to do for it than just email us.

Oh yeah, and good luck on those midterms.   
     

Who's Presenting at AAG this week from CSULB?

Didn't think you'd ask. Here is a list and schedule of where you can find them! Don't miss the chance to swing up to LA and check out this giant event.

Dr. Hyowon Ban

Paper Session 3209: Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Data Mining & Visualization (5): Movement Pattern Analysis
is scheduled on Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 10:00 AM - 11:40 AM in San Fernando, Westin, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17791

Norman Carter

Paper Session: 5243 Geographic Perspectives on Housing
is scheduled on Saturday, 4/13/2013, from 10:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Malibu Parlor 3078, Westin, 30th Floor

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=18202

Dr. Christine Jocoy

Paper Session: 2627 Health and Social Environments: Mental Health and Substance Use
is scheduled on Wednesday, 4/10/2013, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Santa Monica A, Westin, Level 3

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=18355

Dr. Paul Laris

Paper Session: 4177 Land Systems Science Symposium: Environmental Dimensions of Land Systems
is scheduled on Friday, 4/12/2013, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Heinsbergen, Biltmore, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17264

Dr. Unna Lassiter

Paper Session:1606 Geographies of Entrepreneurship in Developed and Developing Economies III
is scheduled on Tuesday, 4/9/2013, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Los Feliz, Westin, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=18060

Panel Session: 1413 The Academic Job Market for Geographers
is scheduled on Tuesday, 4/9/2013, from 12:40 PM - 2:20 PM in San Pedro, Westin, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17750

Dr. Dmitrii Sidorov

Paper Session: 4674 Reimagining Regions and Revisiting Geographic Thought
is scheduled on Friday, 4/12/2013, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Corsican, Biltmore, Mezzanine Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=18294

Dr. Deborah Thien

Paper Session: 4107 Institutional Spaces of Pain, Suffering, and Trauma (Part I)
is scheduled on Friday, 4/12/2013, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Palos Verdes, Westin, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17572

Grad Student Edition:

Teresa Anderson-Sharma

Paper Session: 2104 The vacant land dilemma/opportunity for cities in transition I
is scheduled on Wednesday, 4/10/2013, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in La Cienega, Westin, Lobby Level

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17434

Molan Choi

Paper Session: 3639 Geospatial and Geotechnical applications in Archaeology
is scheduled on Thursday, 4/11/2013, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Laguna Parlor 3068, Westin, 30th Floor

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17994

Abel Santana

Paper Session: 2627 Health and Social Environments: Mental Health and Substance Use
is scheduled on Wednesday, 4/10/2013, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Santa Monica A, Westin, Level 3

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=18355

David Schwartz

Paper Session: 4135 Maritime Geography
is scheduled on Friday, 4/12/2013, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Laguna Parlor 3028, Westin, 30th Floor

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=16570  

Tyler Sonnichsen

Paper Session: 2259 'This Must Be the Place': The Evolving Economic Geography of Music II
is scheduled on Wednesday, 4/10/2013, from 10:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Olvera, The LA Hotel, Level 2

http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=17157

Coming April 25th: The GSA Benefit Comedy Night!

It's happening again! Bigger/better venue, an outstanding lineup of comics, this is going to be a night to remember. Spread the word and RSVP to the Facebook event if you can. More info coming soon.

Here's a clip of headliner Jasper Redd performing on Conan O'Brien:

The 2013 Photo Contest!

Click to enlarge! Contact beachgeography@gmail.com with any questions!

Long Beach Aquarium Lecture

Wednesday March, 20 at 7:30pm-8:30pm there will be lecture at the Aquarium of Long Beach. The lecture will be on the Colorado river and its importance to California. It is free for students if you call ahead. It costs five dollars otherwise.




Link:

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/colorado_river_lifeblood_of_the_southwest/

Spring 2013 - Ethiopian Dinner = Good Times

This is pretty sad, we know. It's taken way too long for us to update this. I mean, our first cultural night of the semester already came and went. It was at Abyssinia Ethiopian, and it was almost too delicious.

Join us for our meetings next week on Tuesday (12pm, PH1-230) and Wednesday (PH1-201)!

Just as a quick note, we'll be talking about the California Geographic Society meeting in upcoming meetings. Get your thinking caps on and figure out if you'd like to present. Registration deadline is April 2nd, and even if you're not presenting, it's a great networking opportunity and a good time in San Luis Obispo this year. Read up here for more info.