GEOG 370- Downtown Columbus Excursion

Okay. It has really been almost a month since I posted the pictures so I figured that I needed a clear explanation for not completing the blog when I started it. Well, for the last month or so, I have been in a continuous and often vicious cycle of school work. I really have not been able to break this cycle. I had reports, presentations, papers, works cited, and finals all to do within the Thanksgiving Break and the final three weeks. I do not believe that I ever had that much amount of work to complete before the Winter Break. Then again, I am now into my third year at Ohio Wesleyan University and as I learned from this personal experience, the third year is usually harder than the first two. I have not completed my fourth year but I heard that the third year is usually harder than the fourth if you plan out your courses correctly. I am thankful that I have made it through another semester at Ohio Wesleyan. I hope that my grades are okay.


Anyway, that is the reason why I have not completed this blog the same day when I posted the pictures. The topic of his blog is part of the reason; I had to do a term paper on the evolving morphology of Delaware and incorporated the effects of Downtown Columbus into this term paper. I believe the result was an interesting read especially when some of the research materials I used to develop the paper. This excursion was the second field trip that was required for the class; this time, the field research was conducted in the heart of Downtown Columbus- the exact time area where I was when I boarded the Greyhound for his trip to Minnesota. This time; the field research was not as long- only four hours instead of seven- and not as boring. This is not an AAG conference where for eight hours you hear from all kinds of speakers about all kinds of geographical subjects. This is research in the purest sense. Being in the field all day is not fun and not having a break within really makes the experience of conducting geographical research in a particular area tedious. I like researching cause and effect information in the geographical field but I need a break at some point to really understand that I am conducting.


In the field of Downtown Columbus, I learned a lot about its history and how it become a central business district more than anything. There are some restaurants but they are more like bistro instead of full-fledged romantic and exotic restaurants. Downtown Columbus especially in the Arena District is all business. There are upscale hotels in the area but like the restaurants, they cater to the businesses and people who are driving or flying in for their meetings. Their entertainment area is not that big and if I had a preference as to which downtown I would rather live in between Cleveland or Columbus, I would choose Cleveland because it is more diverse. Neither of these places are the safest but I would want to live in an downtown area where there is more than just businesses. Good thing that German Village is nearby the Arena District of Columbus.


I wrote my term paper for the class using my observations from the two class field trips as well as published information from journals and books. I found a lot of information about the development of Ohio and in particular, the Columbus metropolitan and how it connect small counties and towns such as Delaware. I think I worked on the project for about two weeks or so; I tried to make the project as relatable as possible and that the reader would not have to think too much about it. I will see in the near future if the research and the observation I compiled were good enough for a good grade in the project and in the class. I am crossing my fingers as well as looking for constructive criticism to improve on the project in future projects (I have a class next semester that might as well serves as the successor to this class about the World's Cities and Urban Geography).





I think the pictures of Downtown Columbus can explain the field research and interesting details of the trip a lot better than I can so I will leave you the pictures at the bottom of the page.










Viewing changing morphologies of cities like Delaware,
Hasani Wheat
Class of 2010

Mid-Semester Break- Saturday and Sunday

Well, I know that some of you may be getting a little bored with the Mid-Semester Break blogs but to tell you the truth, I could not condense it to a single blog. That would have taken forever. Alas, my trip is coming to an end so I will condense the Saturday and Sunday portions especially since I do not feel that Sunday's ride home was not all that necessary to talk about (being bored or sleep for almost twenty-four hours).


On Saturday, I got the bill for my stay at the Hilton. It was for a good chunk of money. I exercised and got into the whirlpool for the last time to waste some time before my shuttle. I had to pack all of my belongings and carry it inside the Mall of America. I was going to send the day there and take a taxi back to the Greyhound in downtown Minneapolis. I was unfortunate enough to find a storage locker big enough to put my luggage (that was a relief!!) I went to Hooters for lunch. I never had been to a Hooters since there is not one close to me in Cleveland. I had no idea what the experience was going to be like. I was escorted to a table by a waitress dressed in short shorts and a bikini shirt top. That was an interesting feeling. It was done very professionally and I liked the atmosphere. Laid back and very casual. Something that did shock me was that Hooters sold seafood. The food I purchased? Oysters. I thought that the oysters were going to be fried and out of their shells. I was wrong. The oysters (and I have pictures of them) were in a pail (which was strange enough), in their hard shells and seasoned. The look on my face probably was one of puzzlement. Opening the shells took me a while; some of the shells were very difficult to open. I thought crab was difficult to get open; oysters was very hard even though they were delicious. I paid money for them so I figured that I better at least attempt to open all of them. I had a Long Island and a Mojito there too to waste more time so I was happy with my meal even though I was still hungry.


The rest of the day was a breeze. I walked aimlessly about the mall for a good five hours afterward randomly going into different store hoping for another purchase. As the night came, I got my luggage and exited the building known as the Mall of America (or the most fun place on Earth for three days of my life). I have so many pictures and memories of the Mall of America. Maybe, just maybe I will do a presentation on its awesomeness at a DOGG (Department of Geography and Geology) Lunch. Or maybe I will keep this treasure to myself. I don't know yet. Either way, I would love to go back to the Mall of America in a couple of years to change if there are any changes. I am so blessed to get the opportunity to leave Ohio by myself to go to the Mall of America.


I will leave you with this: if you want excitement, go to the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. If you want an adventure, go to the Mall of America. If you need to get away, go to the Mall of America. If you want to try a Casino and Hotel environment with a carefree attitude of what happens next, go to the Mall of America. This is an awesome experience- trust me on that!






Wanting to go back to the Mall of America,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10