Time transcripts of NoviSmall [00:00:00:00] Q: Ok, weÕre now recording if you could tell us your name and current occupation. [00:00:03:26] A: Sure. My name is Meaghan Novi, and I am currently a student at Ohio State University [00:00:08:22] studying English, global development, and public health. [00:00:13:07] Q: Ok and do you have a geographical narrative to share with us? [00:00:17:26] A: I do have one in particular. Last summer, I went to Rome with a group of classmates. [00:00:27:27] And, IÕm a runner, so I really wanted to get to know the city by running. [00:00:35:29] I hadnÕt gone out before by myself, [00:00:42:03] so, at our hotel, they had these paper maps that you would just tear off. [00:00:46:28] So, everyday that we would walk, I would kind of look at the [00:00:51:19] map and think about getting one and then I didnÕt and then we would leave. [00:00:57:00] But, the one day I went running, [00:00:58:17] I realized it would probably be important for me to bring a map with me. [00:01:03:03] So, before I left, I looked at the map and tried to memorize [00:01:10:09] where the hotel was and then where I wanted to go, [00:01:13:19] which I wanted to go to St. PeterÕs Basilica and then back. [00:01:18:19] So I kind of mapped out my route. So, as I am running, I get to St. PeterÕs. [00:01:27:14] And, on my way back, I take a wrong turn and find myself [00:01:34:02] just in this random area that I had never seen before, [00:01:37:18] and there were lots of people, and it was noisy, and I just didnÕt know what to do. [00:01:40:29] So. Luckily, I had my map with me. [00:01:43:02] So, I pull my map out and look at it. And, the exact area that IÕm in; [00:01:48:08] itÕs just blank. I think I had sweated onto it [00:01:53:21] and it was just unreadable. [00:01:56:04] So, luckily, however, I had memorized... I had been looking at this map for a while everyday. [00:02:05:09] I had sort of remembered geographically what it looked liked. [00:02:10:15] I just didnÕt remember any of the street names. [00:02:12:16] I also knew what direction the map pointed in, [00:02:19:07] and so I knew the direction that I was facing. I also knew the direction in which if I continued, [00:02:27:17] I would hit a major landmark. Those happened to be the Spanish Steps. [00:02:31:10] On my map, that was a readable part of the map. [00:02:34:25] So, I was able to run and get to the Spanish steps, then refer back to my map [00:02:39:26] and safely get back to our hotel because I knew the route from there. [00:02:47:00] This story is significant for me because I didnÕt realize [00:02:55:12] how important it was to have a map with you [00:02:58:06] and how important it is to understand where you are and where you are spatially. [00:03:04:25] ItÕs always important, I donÕt really run with a phone, but [00:03:12:09] nowadays, it makes it really handy if you have an iPhone or a smartphone, [00:03:15:19] you can have a map with you. [00:03:17:20] That sort of geographical literacy is really important because I was very scared [00:03:23:19] that I wasnÕt going to find my way back. [00:03:25:21] And while Italian people speak English, I didnÕt want to be a bother, a stupid American. [00:03:33:26] I didnÕt want it to get to that point [00:03:37:16] where I had to make myself a young woman seem lost and vulnerable. [00:03:44:26] So, thus is the importance of being able to read a map, [00:03:49:14] being able to read a compass, [00:03:51:22] and just being very aware of your geographical location. [00:03:55:20] Q: Ok, IÕm just going to ask you a few questions. [00:03:58:20] What skills would you say are essential in order to achieve geographical literacy? [00:04:02:28] A: I think, at the most basic level, [00:04:07:28] it starts with an understanding of your surroundings. [00:04:12:03] I think thatÕs really important. I find so many people today who donÕt [00:04:20:22] really know the geography of Ohio, and we live here. [00:04:23:06] So, I think that might be something thatÕs pretty essential to being geographically literate. [00:04:32:04] Also, reading maps, being able to use a GPS system. [00:04:37:23] And, itÕs made it really... Smartphones have made it really easy to get one place to another, [00:04:45:04] but I donÕt think that if you didnÕt have that technology [00:04:49:25] and you just had like an older version of a GPS you wouldnÕt be able to read coordinates. [00:04:56:23] I think thatÕs also something that might be a little bit more 20th century rather than now. [00:05:04:21] But, I also think itÕs pretty important. [00:05:06:22] Q: Growing up, were those skills emphasized in school or at home for you? [00:05:10:22] A: Mostly it's at home. I was a girl scout, so we got a badge if we could read our position. [00:05:20:01] But, actually, my mom was a girl scout, too. So, she would send my brother [00:05:26:04] and I out with a compass and sort of directional... [00:05:31:22] like, she would hide stuff for us in the yard. She had a big yard. [00:05:36:11] She would give us each a compass, and then weÕd go on a scavenger hunt. [00:05:41:16] But, it would be like, Ò20 paces NorthâÓ and then Ò20 paces East,Ó or [00:05:46:09] South, or something like that. [00:05:48:02] And then, we would end up, obviously, end up back at home all the time. [00:05:51:25] There would some kind of baked good waiting for us. [00:05:55:01] So, yeah, it was always emphasized to be able to read a map and be pretty self-sufficient. [00:06:01:09] Q: Alright, thank you for sharing your story! [00:06:03:24] A: YouÕre welcome!