CONGER AND GEOGRAPHICAL TRIVIA

BY FRED SHAPIRO

The popular TV quiz show "Jeopardy" often features questions about Geography. These questions primarily relate to a single subject, such as "This State is known for its (blank)." These are often fun facts to learn, but they don't explore the background of the question, such as what factors went into making that State the leader in that area. As many of us who watch the show are often perplexed as to how the contestants know so many remote facts.

The Center for Lifelong Learning is confronting this situation by scheduling a series of classes lead by Tom Conger entitled GEOGRAPHICAL TRIVIA (IT'S NOT TRIVIAL AFTER ALL!).

The class will meet Wednesdays at 1 PM, starting March 2 and ending March 30, 2022. The classes will be held in the Auditorium of Clubhouse 2. Residents interested in joining the class can register for it at the E&R office in Clubhouse 2. The fee to attend is $15.00. The number of attendees will be limited.

For more details about the presentation contact the Center’s website at https://www.cllmd.com.

Instructor Tom Conger has himself been experiencing this limitation for the past 24 pandemic months, since he has been conducting a daily Geographical Trivia class among a small group of Leisure World residents. The difference from "Jeopardy," however, is that Conger often follows up with additional information related to the question. The query might be: "This Site (later City) in the far northern part of Florida was chosen to be the State Capital in 1824." The answer, of course, is "Tallahassee." But why, being so far north in the State, was it selected? And why, right in the middle of the panhandle, away from coastal cities St. Augustine and Pensacola, did it become the Capital?

During the pandemic, Conger has amassed a Geographical Trivia file of over 700 questions on United States Geography. He would very much like to share some of these with the class. Obviously all 700 questions will not be covered during the 5-week course. A selection of questions that touch on interesting Geographical facts from different Regions of the country will be stressed.

Also, an in-depth look will be had at how both Physical and Cultural Geography relate to the subject at hand. Conger likes to stress what he calls the "Convergence of Geography and History," which examines how historical events have been impacted and influenced by the Physical (and Cultural) world around us.

Conger has conducted numerous classes in Leisure World on various aspects of Geography, ranging from regions of the U.S. to the Continents of Africa and Europe, to the rivers of the world.

Conger has Masters Degrees in both Geography and Community Planning. He has taught Geography in middle and high schools and at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.