Putting geography on the map

Wetherby Senior’s Geography Scholars have been digging deep this term, ensuring interest in geography isn’t eroded.

Our School’s Geography Scholars are those in Years 11 to 13 who have shown a particularly strong aptitude and keen interest in the subject. Last week, boys held a Geography Scholars meeting which saw them vote on who would become their president, as well as take part in a fun quiz.

Devan, in Year 12, explains: “We split into three groups and Miss Maroudi hosted our geography general knowledge quiz. Year 11 participants were particularly enthusiastic, which did cause them to lose points when they rushed to buzz in and weren’t ready with an answer. The Sixth Form team were more careful in their approach, only buzzing when ready with an answer, and were eventually victorious – slow and steady wins the race!”

Nur, in Year 11, said: “So far, our Geography Scholars have attended two Royal Geographical Society lectures. Both were not only incredibly interesting but also gave us a huge overview of the world’s current issues and topics. Our first was by Professor Tim Lenton, from the University of Exeter, and discussed climate change. By showing us a variety of diagrams and statistics, his main conclusion was that, to prevent further problems from climate change, ‘we must go five times faster than we currently are to meet global goals for climate change mitigation’.

“Our second lecture was about mass migration, by Parag Khanna who is a specialist in geopolitics and globalization. He gave us a brief overview on past mass migrations, then delved into the future of mass migration because of factors including political upheaval, economic dislocation, technological disruption and climate change. Khanna’s deep analysis on this made his lecture truly captivating.”

Our Geography Scholars aim to attend a Royal Geographical Society lecture each month, helping to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond GCSE and A Level study.

Nur added: “We are now awaiting our upcoming lectures. One will be based on how life is changing on our planet and how certain species have evolved as a result. Another, by Emily Penn, will discuss how we can navigate our way towards a plastic-free ocean. We cannot wait!”