KU News Release
Contact: Kristi Henderson, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, (785) 864-3663.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers popular trivia challenge to public for first time
Globe-O-Mania Quiz
Which U.S. city was once called New Amsterdam?
The Java Trench is the deepest point in which ocean?
Sumo and jujitsu are cultural traditions most closely associated with which Asian country?
The currencies of Mexico and Argentina have the same name but different values. Name this currency.
What is the second most populated country in North America?
If you took a raft trip through the Grand Canyon, which river would you be navigating?
What European country is dependent on a system of bridges and ferries for transportation between its main peninsula, Jutland, and its Baltic Sea islands?
Which country recently reinforced security barriers along its border with Yemen in an effort to stop illegal immigration?
Minarets are towers that play an important role in which religion?
Río Muni is the mainland portion of the only African country that has Spanish as its official language. Name this country.
LAWRENCE — Globe-O-Mania, the wildly successful trivia challenge for University of Kansas students, invites members of the public for the first time to show off their geography mettle in this quiz show-style contest.
The first-ever public Globe-O-Mania challenge will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Spooner Hall. Advance registration is recommended. All skill levels are welcome.
Globe-O-Mania is one of the largest trivia events for students on campus. It was created in 2004 by the Department of Geography in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a way to connect students and faculty in an entertaining format. Offering the challenge to the public achieves similar goals.
“I’m pleased that we are able to offer events like this that welcome the community to share in our faculty’s knowledge in such a lively atmosphere,” said Joseph Steinmetz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
What makes the trivia challenge so fun is that it’s designed more like a quiz show than a sit-down exam, said Shannon O’Lear, an associate professor who created the Globe-O-Mania challenge for the Department of Geography.
“We use humor to engage students and help them to see the array of the field in a fun and often funny format,” O’Lear said.
That same format will be carried over to the public challenge. The organizers’ sense of humor is evident in the team names from past challenges: “Kenya Dig It,” “Shake Djibouti” and “One in a Brazilian.” Participants in the public challenge can create team names or adopt a team name created by the geography department.
The student event has grown every year, O’Lear said. In 2007, there were more than 350 participants.
“We had to hold the event in an auditorium at the Kansas Union because it grows bigger each year,” O’Lear said.
The public Globe-O-Mania challenge is free. Teams of four to five people or individuals who are interested in being matched up with other geography buffs may sign up at www.clas.ku.edu/outreach/clasacts or at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. Registration deadline is Thursday, Dec. 4. Questions may be sent to Jessica Beeson at eliasb@ku.edu or (785) 864-1767.
Teams can earn a bonus point by bringing at least five nonperishable food items, which will be donated to ECKAN (East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation). Prizes, including movie tickets for Liberty Hall, will be given to the top teams.
This event is the fourth of eight CLAS ACTS presentations this academic year. CLAS ACTS is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and co-hosted by the Commons. The series’ first three presentations all drew large crowds, including a family-friendly event about monsters, which attracted almost 200 people.
All CLAS ACTS presentations are free and open to the public; the remaining presentations touch on a wide range of subjects, reflecting the diversity of programs and faculty within the College. The next event, an interactive examination of U.S. immigration policies, will take place Feb. 8. All presentations take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
The goal of this series is to share this diverse wealth of knowledge with the community in a manner that educates, entertains and engages the audience. For more information, go to www.clas.ku.edu/outreach/clasacts.
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