Chiara Burson, Staff Writer–
Denison’s Geography Club’s first meeting of the school year on Oct. 1 was alight with energy and filled with Raising Cane’s chicken fingers.
By the standards of other student organizations, it was relatively small, with about 20 attendees. But that didn’t stop the halls of Fellows’ third floor from bursting with sound as everyone collectively attempted to draw a map of a world from memory.
Everyone seemed a bit nervous at first, as the club was comprised mostly of first-time attendees. But slowly, people set down their chicken fingers, went up to the whiteboard, and drew the first country, territory, or continent they could think of, splitting into groups to cover specific areas and correct mistakes.
The final result of the challenge was a bit of a disaster, but accuracy didn’t end up mattering.
Everyone in the room was nearly keeling over from laughter when they saw the disproportionate sizes of countries and continents, and how entire chunks of land hadn’t been drawn by the end of the hour. The club had drawn what was seemingly an alternate version of Earth, which only made it more amusing.
Overall, it was a successful first meeting, and one that will certainly make many of its first-time attendees permanent members of the club. It was a method of entertainment and learning combined-something that is notoriously difficult to find in any level of school;
Geography Club meets several times a semester, hosting a variety of events and challenges, all of which revolve around studying cultures and countries different from the ones that we live in.
Carlia Lopez ‘26, an officer of the club, laid out a series of exciting events that the club is planning on hosting this semester.
“We will be having future events such as Guess the Country, Guess the Flag, and will be listening to music from all over the world!” said Lopez.
The club’s most popular event, however, lies in the formation of its GeoGuessr team.
GeoGuessr, a popular online geography game, centers around a random, 360-degree picture from somewhere around the world, and the viewer must analyze details in the picture in order to pinpoint its location with as much accuracy as possible.
It is a favorite of geography enthusiasts across the internet, as well as students and teachers in both grade school and college. Ethan Peotter, the current president of the club, highlighted the success of last year’s GeoGuessr tournament, which was hosted by Hamilton College.
“We competed against Michigan, MIT, UCLA, and many other colleges.” He explained. “It was a lot of fun and we are actively seeking new people to play in any future competitions!”