Borders are all around us, literally! These days, too many people struggle to place Poland on a map and even have trouble identifying West Virginia. If we paid more attention to our geopolitical frontiers, we’d find not only fascinating shapes but also rich histories behind them! Was moonshine consumption involved in delineating the Carolinas? Could poker have been a driving factor in demarcating India? Is there still unclaimed land out in the world? Let’s explore these and other intriguing cases of bonkers borders!

About Alex: Alex is a Michigan alum from New York and Bulgaria who loves the borders of all three. He looks to be a neuroscientist by day and a geography hobbyist by night, a sort of “Doctor With Borders”.

Jonathan Serwatowski: “The Insanity of Speed Running”

We’ll run down the basics of speed running: terminology, frame count, how to select your game, go in-depth on Mario Kart 64, demonstrate hand exercises for longevity, and a few funny speed run reaction videos. There’s also more to speed running than meets the eye, so we’ll also discuss the charity work opportunities the pastime presents.

About Jonathan: I am a recent graduate with a B.A. in History from Grand Valley State University. I am a speed runner with 3 years of speed running experience. I primarily run Unreal Tournament, Mario Kart 64, and Star Wars: Empire at War. I am the current world record holder in Star Wars: Empire at War in the Category of Zan Consortium Campaign Easy. I am the 17th in the world in Mario Kart 64, any %, no skips, and a former record holder of Mario Kart 64 100%. I also have the 4th best time in Unreal Tournament 1999 deathmatch %. Outside of gaming, my interests include current world events, heavy music, gardening, fishing, and tennis. Follow hum on Twitter @serwatoj.