On Nov. 19 and 20, teacher Liliana Monk and her AP Human Geography class sponsored National Geography Awareness week events in the student commons during lunch. In partnership with National Geographic, students were able to partake in a variety of geography related activities, including geography quizzes and prizes, and music from around the world. The highlight of the event was a large world map put together by students on the back wall of the commons, where students were able to trace migration patterns of different students at WJ.

“It was neat to see how diverse our student body [is],” said Monk. “Migration is also a part of geography and it is so special to see students feel a sense of pride to share their history and where they came from with other WJ students.”

According to Monk, many students are lacking in their knowledge of world geography. This event aimed to educate students and get them involved with learning about geography.

“I had hoped that students would get excited about learning geography  — because it is more than  memorizing capitals; it is knowing where your food comes from, why you speak a certain language, why you worship a certain religion,” she said. “It is about learning about people and where they live.”

In addition, the AP Human Geography class designed t-shirts for the event. The Leadership class also assisted in publicizing the event by putting up posters.