DePaul Geographical Society

On Saturday January 10th in the Schmitt Academic Center room 154, I attended an event that was organized by the DePaul Geographical Society. The event was called, “Poetry, Politics and Possibilities- A Scottish Journey.” The key note speaker was Dr. Euan Hague who was himself born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. The event was organized to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns which is on January 25th.

Dr.Euan Hague discussed political, economical, and social aspects of Scottish life. A main talking point for Dr. Hague was the relationship that Scotland has with England and their struggles to become independent and to ultimately become a completely separate from the UK. Along with these points Dr. Hague talked about the various Scottish traditions that families have kept alive through the ears such as Tartanry which is the wearing of the plaid Kilts. Dr.Hague also showed the various ways that figures in Scottish history have affected literature. For example, the novel, “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was based on Edinburgh’s city councilor Deacon William Brodie of the 1780’s, who led a split personality and robbed and killed at night. Even the myth of the Loch Ness Monster was jokingly discussed during the presentation.

This event definitely peaked my interest in Scottish history to say the least. The DePaul Geographical Society is having an upcoming event that is opened to the public on Saturday, February 7, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in the Schmitt Academic Center room 154. The event is entitled, “Land and Identity—Struggle for Power on the Zimbabwean Plateau.” The DePaul Geographical Society can be reached by phone at (773)-325-7871 for further information.