ABSTRACTS
15 APRIL 2015
Concordia College
Moorhead, Minnesota
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTARCTS…………………...……..3
POSTER ABSTRACTS……………………………………...……52
DEPARTMENT SESSION ABSTRACTS……………………….98
INDEX OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS……………………...….105
INDEX OF POSTERS………………………………………..…..108
INDEX OF DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS…….……110
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ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Oral Presentation Number: 1
Marketing in the Non-profit World: Testing Effectiveness of Language
Andrew Abarca, Jessica Demeules, Marisa Opheim, Anne Slette
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Stephanie Ahlfeldt, Susan Geib, Jeff Knight, Dr. Greg Carlson
Departments of Communication Studies and Theatre Art,
Offutt School of Business, Art, Film Studies
Our project began in BUS 215 Social Purpose Management in which we did consulting work
for a local nonprofit, Creative Care for Reaching Independence (CCRI). As a team, we
identified problems and needs within CCRI and sought to fix them through the development
of new marketing and communication strategies, donor-related ask content, and design work.
Through research, we developed a strategic ask campaign that was designed to attract donors
and compel them to donate to CCRI. We bolstered our project with research in our senior
capstone course, computer-mediated communication. Expanding from our marketing
research, we thought it was important to test the effectiveness of donor-related ask content
and donor behavior in relation to the theory of planned behavior. We created a qualtrics
survey to determine the effectiveness of our new marketing strategies. Furthermore, we
implemented work from ART 420, a graphic design course. The designers added their artistic
expertise to the project to make our campaigns come to life. Also, COMM 332, a video
production class, contributed multiple videos for CCRI that were focused to help gain
donations and employee recruitment efforts.
Oral Presentation Number: 2
Strategies for Successful Service Projects: Learning from Interfaith Action
Samantha Adank, Rosina Halverson Studer, Leslie Bellwood
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Forum on Faith and Life
This presentation will examine and reflect upon Concordia College’s most successful
interfaith community service project of the 2013-2014 school year, a service project that not
only gained the attention of local television media but also helped Concordia College’s
interfaith student organization to win one of Interfaith Youth Core’s prestigious national
awards for 2013-14 year. The project engaged over 120 youth participants between the ages
of 5 and 17 from 12 different religious organizations and 7 diverse religious traditions in the
local Fargo-Moorhead community, including Ba’hai, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, and
Christian groups. With over 419 toiletry kits assembled for Fargo-Moorhead’s Churches
United for the Homeless, the event was a complete success that brought diverse area youth
together to work alongside one another toward the common goal. Our project was also an
impactful testimony to interfaith engagement as a source of community hope. To bring this
fervor to other service projects, we will share five key components that, we feel, anchored us
to our vision of planning and implementing a relationship oriented service project. We also
hope that our guidelines and questions will serve as a general course of action that makes
relationships and community engagement top priority in the project planning process. But
most importantly, we hope our session guides other students to better envision and implement
their future service projects and provides transferable best practices for community building.
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Oral Presentation Number: 3
Hear the People Speak: Corporate Environmental Crime and Social
Justice Movements from Toms River to Bhopal
Courtney Backen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Richard Chapman
Department of History
This project examines the relationship of environmental disasters around the world, looking
at them not as isolated incidents, but as global corporate crimes. Environmental disasters
have been happening for decades around the world, but it is only recently that historians,
criminologists, and activists have started to pay attention to these disasters and to recognize
them as crimes against the environment. This senior thesis through the History department
scrutinizes the history of corporations in America and their relation to environmental
regulatory laws as well as enforcement groups like the Environmental Protection Agency.
However, it is not enough to stop at simply analyzing the laws and regulations that are in
place. This study goes one step further in examining the role of social activists in India and
their struggle in the Bhopal Justice Movement and the wave of activism post-1984.
Comparatively, this study also examines the relationship of the environmental disasters in
Tom’s River, New Jersey of the 1950s and inquires whether we could have prevented
disasters like Bhopal had we paid closer attention to corporate irresponsibility in cases like
Tom’s River. This historical study suggests that although laws and regulations regarding
environmental safety are necessary, it requires social activism post-disaster to truly bring
justice to the victims.
Oral Presentation Number: 4
Writing in Action: Literature and the Role of Social Activism
Courtney Backen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jonathan Steinwand
Department of English
Often, people forget what exactly the role of literature is in our lives and the importance it
plays in our world. Besides the entertainment value books and writing have, they often
address serious societal concerns through themes, a strong command of language, and plot. In
1997, Arundhati Roy published her first and last novel, The God of Small Things. Although
beautifully written, it addresses heavy issues in India such as the caste system, sexism, class,
and race. The novel was published in 21 different countries and won the Booker Prize in
1997. Critics expected Roy to publish several more fiction novels, but her career took a turn
toward full-time social activism and non-fiction writing dedicated to human rights and
environmental campaigns. Many since have asked why such an accomplished novelist
stopped writing novels and begin writing non-fiction essays and stories. But by analyzing
Roy’s The God of Small Things in comparison to some of her most famous essays and
speeches, it becomes clear what her motivation for activism becomes. Arundhati Roy proves
that literature and writing is a critical part of society’s analysis of the human condition, and
that stories reveal to us the shocking and unjust nature of our world today.
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Oral Presentation Number: 5
Virtue Versus Demon: The Struggle of Human Nature Shown by Metaphor
in Lady GaGa’s “Judas”
Jacqueline Backer
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Donald Rice
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
This project looks at the music video for Lady GaGa’s “Judas” through
a metaphorical lens of criticism. In utilizing metaphor, Lady GaGa
encompasses the struggle of human nature to choose between good and
evil. Using the Biblical Crucifixion story (Mark 14.43-15.39) as the
basis for her music video, Lady GaGa creates symbols for good, evil,
and human nature with different visual and vocal elements. This project
looks at how these metaphors are created within the music video.
Oral Presentation Number: 6
Doctors and Diversity: Using Interfaith Literacy and Interfaith Dialogue
to Improve Patient Care
Leslie Bellwood
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
In an increasingly diversifying world, how can doctors and other healthcare professionals
improve patient care? Dr. Diana Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard University,
claims that the United States has become the most religiously diverse nation in the world.
Shockingly, many doctors unfortunately do not understand how to approach religious
differences, or recognize their effect on patient health. For example, what if a doctor who is
ignorant of Islam’s prohibition of the consumption of pork prescribes a Muslim patient
Heparin, a porcine product? Would the patient unknowingly defile themselves, become
noncompliant, or even pursue litigation? The author of this essay, one of Concordia
College’s Interfaith Scholars, engaged in interfaith interviews with doctors from non-majority
religious traditions such as Hinduism and Islam and uses the theoretical work of Dr. Eboo
Patel, author of Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America, to argue
that interfaith literacy is necessary to understand different spiritual backgrounds and to build
compassionate care for patients with religious differences. Interfaith dialogue is the best
method for discussing a patient’s religious background because allows for patients to describe
their own experiences and expectations, both of which may have a substantive impact on
their health. This paper concludes that doctors must 1) acquire interfaith literacy in medical
school through required courses and 2) learn the skills necessary to engage in interfaith
dialogue with patients in their practice in order to provide the best patient care in areas with
growing diverse patient populations.
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Oral Presentation Number: 7
Compassion in the Face of Tragedies Experienced by Transgender
Women: Breakfast on Pluto
Channing Bendtsen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
The tragedies faced by transgender women have never been more present in the media than
they are today. With Orange is the New Black showcasing the powerful Laverne Cox,
Transparent with Jeffrey Tambor, and more and more acceptance of transgender persons
throughout the world, there is strong evidence that we as a society are heading in the right
direction. Despite this encouraging trend towards tolerance and love, the rates of murder and
assault are higher in the population of trans women than in any other minority population in
the United States today. This devastating fact is just the tip of the iceberg when considering
the lack of social and medical rights that are taken for granted by all of us who identify as the
gender we were assigned at birth. In my research under Dr. Duncan I will be studying the
novel Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe, and the extent to which McCabe's portrayal of a
trans woman named Pussy Braden in 1970s Ireland is compassionate in the face of past and
present harassment and assault of trans women. This research will be focused McCabe's
capacity for creating characters and situations that bring readers to a compassionate
understanding of trans women’s lives in the context of his own gender (cisgender male) as he
writes from the perspective of a transgender woman. The template for compassionate writing
and action will revolve around the works of philosopher Emmanuel Levinas and professor of
law at University of Chicago Martha Naussbaum.
Oral Presentation Number: 8
Mindfulness and Binge-eating disorder: A literature review of emerging
treatment
Kyra Benson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Susan Cordes-Green Department of Psychology
Binge-eating disorder has just been recently been classified as a separate disorder. Before the
most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, bingeeating behaviors were classified with many other types of disordered eating behaviors, as
eating disorder not otherwise specified. This change resulted in research for treatment for
Binge-eating disorder. This paper focuses on the research on one evolving treatment: the use
of mindfulness as a form of cognitive behavior therapy as a treatment for Binge-eating
disorder. The purpose of this literature review was to discover the effectiveness of this
treatment for Binge-eating disorder. My hypothesis was that the idea of using the technique
of becoming self-aware would be a very effective treatment for Binge-eating disorder. The
mindfulness treatment of cognitive behavioral therapy was examined in a variety of research
studies for participants of the average population, members who were overweight or obese,
participants who were diagnosed with eating disorders, with a focus on those participants
who were diagnosed with Binge-eating disorder. And finally this was compared to dialectical
therapy (which is a common therapy treatment for eating disorders) in order to determine that
it is the mindfulness treatment that was effective and not simply getting a form of treatment.
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Oral Presentation Number: 9
Returning Tides
Birgitte Berge, Megan Broton, Hailey Von Wald, James Walsh
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Don Rice
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
Not many people know that Fargo is a resettlement city and that there are thousands of New
Americans who have settled here. In this documentary, we met up with three New Americans
in the Fargo/Moorhead area and interviewed them regarding their transition to living in
America and what has been a challenge for them. We also spoke with members of the
community on their opinions on New Americans and how they affect the F/M community.
We hope this documentary opens peoples eyes to the struggles and triumphs that New
Americans go through upon their transition to America and that viewers have a heightened
awareness of what we can do to include them as important and positive members of our
community.
Oral Presentation Number: 10
Habitat Use of Gray (Sciurus carolinensis) and Red (Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus) Squirrels on an Urban College Campus
Peter Bergquist, Elizabeth Robinson, Brian Bickel, Jessica Watson, Elizabeth Underthun
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology
Squirrels (Order Rodentia, Family Sciuridae) are
conspicuous members of the mammal community
and have been successful in adapting to the urban
landscape. While there are a number of studies
looking at individual squirrel species in an urban
setting (e.g., Bowers and Breland 1996; McCleery
et al. 2007), few have focused on multiple species
within the same area. In North America, detailed
studies of tree squirrel interactions are rare and
not well quantified. Concordia College’s campus
is a unique setting where both the red
(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and gray (Sciurus
carolinensis) squirrels are found occupying the
same area. Beginning in August of 2014 and continuing through the spring, squirrels were
live trapped, fitted with a collar containing a radio transmitter, and released at their point of
capture. Locations of squirrels have been taken periodically through the fall and winter and
behavioral and habitat use observations recorded. Preliminary data indicates an association
of gray squirrels with deciduous trees and red squirrels with coniferous trees on campus. Red
squirrels also have a smaller range and do not move far from nesting trees where gray
squirrels tend to use a large portion of the campus and shift their area use regularly.
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Oral Presentation Number: 11
Comparison of Small Mammal Communities on Restored and Established
Prairies in Northwestern Minnesota
Brian Bickel, Peter Bergquist, Jessica Watson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology, Environmental Studies
Prairie habitats in North America have
been greatly reduced and fragmented.
Prairies now require extensive
management to maintain them.
Recent efforts at prairie restoration
have returned some of the previous
prairie plants, but the impact
restoration has not been well
documented within the small mammal
community. We conducted our study
on Concordia College’s Long Lake
Field Station in Becker Co., MN.
Parts of the field station were restored to prairie habitat in 2010 and in spring of 2013 and
2014 portions of the restored prairie were burned. We conducted small mammal trapping at
several plots at the field station before and after the 2013 and 2014 burns. For comparison,
we also conducted trapping at several nearby native and restored prairie sites. Our objective
was to examine the impact of restoration on the small mammal community and compare the
small mammal community at the field station with that found on nearby native prairies. Our
results indicate a decrease in captures of small mammals in 2013 immediately following the
burn, and that populations of at least some small mammals were higher on the restored prairie
sites than neighboring native prairies.
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Oral Presentation Number: 12
The Effects of Farming Practices on Fungal Communities of Coffee Roots
in Costa Rican Soils
Katie Black, Gaya Shivega
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Department of Biology, Environmental Studies
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are soil microbes that are important to plant health and
soil ecosystem functionality. Conventional farming practices, which rely on the application of
pesticides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers, have been shown to have negative effects on
the biodiversity of AMF. Coffee is a significant cash crop in the tropics, and one of many
plant species that form mutualistic relationships with AMF. In this relationship, the plant
exchanges sugars from photosynthesis in exchange for soil nutrients and protection from
pathogens. Farmers who grow organic coffee and limit synthetic inputs of fungicides and
fertilizers may maintain higher levels of biodiversity of AMF on their farms. Soil and coffee
root samples were obtained from 25 sites on coffee farms in two regions of Costa Rica in
2011 and 2012, with sites varying from conventional to strictly organic management. DNA
was extracted from 12 root samples from each site and fungal ribosomal RNA genes were
amplified from each sample using polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Standardized and
pooled samples from each site were submitted for high-throughput Illumina® sequencing,
which allowed the detection of fungal DNA sequences from each of our sites. The
sequencing of PCR products allowed us to identify the species richness of AMF at each site
and compare AMF diversity in coffee across regions, fields, and management types. Results
of our work have implications for managing coffee for belowground biodiversity,
understanding the relationship between AMF and coffee under different management
techniques, and optimizing this mutualism to boost yields on farms.
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Oral Presentation Number: 13
The Power to Manipulate: A Sci-Fi Film Adaptation
Chase Body, Nina Due, Marta Fitzer, Cat Hubin, Marit Johnson, Tory Long, Karli Mazzone,
Alayna Nestberg
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
The purpose of the Film and Literature capstone course
is to study, analyze, and produce adaptations of short
literary texts to film. Our production team came
together from different majors and areas of study,
previous knowledge and talents to create a short film.
Our team decided on a science fiction piece titled
“Pythias” by Frederik Pohl, which deals with the
complexities of power dynamics in relationships. These
major themes drew us to this original piece; however
there were aspects that needed to change in order to
adapt it for the screen and make it relevant today. To do
this we changed the setting and time from 1950s
English Parliament to a modern day American college
campus, as well as details to show and capture the
essence of the characters and themes. While we
changed things, we tried to ensure that we would stay
true to the original piece. One of the challenges we
faced was changing the story from an inner monologue
to a dialogue heavy piece, so that the dialogue and
relationships between characters were believable and
professional. We were also challenged by certain scenes in which violence and special effects
were necessary, so that our team struggled to find the best way to approach these potential
issues. Overall one of our greatest challenges was to come together from these various
disciplines and collaboratively produce a creative piece that actively promotes the purpose of
a liberal arts education.
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Oral Presentation Number: 14
Why Sex Should Not Shame Young Women: A Reinterpretation of
Virginity
Kayla Bones
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
What are the effects of Conservative Christian teachings on virginity on the lives of young
women? How does the social construct of virginity shape women’s self worth? What is the
contemporary purity ball culture and how does it affect the sexuality of young women? How
does abstinence-only education promote female shame? In this paper, I will argue that the
conservative Christian teachings’ hyper-emphasis on female virginity and its purity ball
culture cause shame, poor self-esteem, and negative body image in young women. To make
this argument, this paper first defines virginity, and reveals the astonishing fact that there is
neither a working medical definition nor an agreed upon social definition. The paper then
addresses the damaging history of Christianity’s understanding of virginity by analyzing the
highly influential church fathers Jerome, Augustine, and Luther. These theologians have
influenced the purity culture today and limit women’s morality and ethical behavior almost
exclusively to the sexual realm, to the point that women’s entire morality hinges on the fact
of whether or not she has had sex. The paper goes on to point out that many conservative
Christian traditions today—especially the purity ball culture—still insist upon virginity as
indicative of moral virtue, especially for women. In contrast to this line of thinking, the
paper offers the reader the liberating alternative teachings of sexuality offered by the more
progressive Christian traditions of the UCC and the ELCA and the theologians Carter
Heyward, Karen A. McClintock, Lisa Isherwood and Elizabeth Stuart.
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Oral Presentation Number: 15
When East Meets West: Analyzing China's Historical and Cultural Impact
on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"
Catherine Bruns
Faculty Mentor : Dr. David Wintersteen
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts
As far as history goes, China has experience on their side: aside from being an ancient empire
whose dynasties extended back hundreds of years, the impacts of the Opium War of 1840,
strong Soviet guidance during the mid-1900s, and the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s
have all taken their toll on the country’s willingness to take part in the introduction of foreign
culture (He 149). And though it is therefore no surprise that many of Shakespeare’s theatrical
plays are a concern to the Chinese government, what remains to be understood is the apparent
trepidations felt towards Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: though typically viewed as a tragic
tale of star-crossed love, Chinese productions in recent decades have been described as
reflective of the “youths’ move toward gender equality” (Lim 90) as well as critical of
China’s “long-practiced traditions of match-making, and of matching family backgrounds to
dowry requests” (Sanders). These comparisons are far different from what Western cultures
often focus on in Romeo and Juliet, begging the question: how has China’s historical and
cultural past impacted their performance and interpretation of Romeo and Juliet? By
exploring China’s past relationship with Shakespeare, comparing several Chinese Romeo and
Juliet performances from recent decades, and analyzing the reasoning for China’s
interpretation of the play, we can see that China’s controversial history and reluctance to
embrace Western culture continues to impact their theatrical community, thus supporting the
idea that “Shakespeare in the Chinas...is very much intertwined with Chinese politics,
traditions, and societies” (Levith xiii).
Oral Presentation Number: 16
The Detroit Water Crisis: An American Human Rights Emergency
Catherine Bruns
Faculty Mentors: Adam Knowlton, Megan Orcholski, Joseph Kennedy
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
When the manufacturing boom began to wane in the late 1900s, industrial giants such as
Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Detroit were struck hard with unemployment and poverty.
Unfortunately, though most of these cities were able to overcome economic hardship, Detroit
always struggled to recover, and after declaring bankruptcy in 2013, “Detroit” has become
synonymous with “failure.” In March of last year, Detroit began a controversial campaign of
shutting off water access to unpaid accounts in an effort to reduce the city’s debt. But nearly
10 months later and facing claims of discrimination, the shutoffs have continued and are now
projected to affect between 200- and 300,000 Americans. Using the performance medium of
program oral interpretation, I call for action on behalf of our own and demand that we frame
this crisis for what is truly is – an American human rights emergency.
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Oral Presentation Number: 17
Immune Responses to Hookworm Antigen: Investigating the Relationships
Between Pre-Clinical Presentation and Serology
Heather Campbell, Andrea Flaten, Jenie Ogle
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
Hookworm is a parasitic roundworm of the small intestine
that is transmitted through contaminated soil and is found
primarily throughout the tropics and subtropics. Our group
has investigated the association between a de novo
synthesized peptide (derived from antigenic epitopes
conserved in proteins from N. americanus and A.
duodenale, the two most common species that infect
humans, and Heligmosomoides polygyrus, a mouse model)
and the worm burden reduction during H. polygyrus infection. Our aim was to investigate, in
detail, the humoral and cellular responses associated with vaccine-induced immunity during a
patent infection. Ultimately, we hope that this data will provide insight into the poorly
understood immunomodulation of host immunity and protective immunity against soiltransmitted helminthes.
Oral Presentation Number: 18
Souls and Shadow: The Aesthetic Influence of Noh Theatre on Two HighlyAcclaimed Video Games
Caleb Camrud
Faculty Mentor : Dr. David Wintersteen
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
Video games and theatre are almost never talked
about together, but both are mediums of art which
incorporate music, narrative, and visuals. Souls and
Shadow dives into the aesthetic similarities between
the Noh theatre of medieval Japan and two modern,
highly-acclaimed video games that have recently
been renowned for their gameplay and art. The Noh
theatre of Japan became famous for three core
aesthetic values: hana, yugen, and rojaku. The first,
hana, means “apparent beauty” and describes what is
visually or sensibly pleasing. Yugen, or “sublime
beauty,” attempts to depict a sense of inner beauty and mystery. The final aesthetic, rojaku, is
the “beauty of aging,” which illustrates the beauty one gains from time, knowledge, and
experience. The video games Shadow of the Colossus and Dark Souls exhibit all three of
these aesthetic values, though each in unique ways. Through the use of Noh aesthetics, these
games were able to obtain dazzling visuals, wondrous mystery, and memorable experiences.
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Oral Presentation Number: 19
Russian Intervention in Ukraine: Trumped up 19th Century Behavior or
Rational Realism?
Bailey Carlson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Rebecca Moore
Department of Political Science
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked the West by annexing the Crimean
peninsula and activating Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine. Having justified Russia’s
challenge to Ukrainian sovereignty by claiming Russia acted in the interest of ethnic Russian
minorities, Putin’s intervention in Ukraine is merely another strategic attempt to designate a
Russian sphere of influence. The conflict arises not out of aggressive intent but is rather an
outcome of the security dilemma and opportune timing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov claims Russia desires a “polycentric system of international relations” with Russia at
the forefront. Until this is achieved, Putin will continue attempting to counterbalance power
in Russia’s favor in order to ensure greater security for the Russian state. The main issue in
the current crisis is not territorial conquest but rather the main factor in international conflict:
insecurity. To effectively analyze Russia’s motives and actions and to deescalate the hostility
between East and West, the Realist perspective must be analyzed.
Oral Presentation Number: 20
The Ubiquity of Charlie Chaplin: Reimagining the Greatest Speech in Film
History through Modern Media
Breck Cogswell, Michaila Gerlach, Adam Kolling, Kristin Young
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Roy Hammerling
Department of Religion
Charlie Chaplin’s artistic influence has extended far beyond his filmmaking career. One
illustration of this timelessness is his appeal to humanity at the end of his film The Great
Dictator, released in 1940. Dressed and acting as Hitler, Chaplin puts forth more than four
minutes of unbridled hope for liberty and good in the world. Interestingly, the camera
remains focused on Chaplin during this speech, and no sound or music is heard beside
Chaplin’s words. The purpose of our artistic presentation is to present Chaplin in a more
modern light by syncing his speech with relevant scenes from the current world and
contemporary music. The content of Chaplin’s speech is as relevant today as it was in 1940,
and a modern interpretation of his filmmaking shows the incredible staying power of his
influence. This presentation represents work from multiple disciplines, especially the arts of
film and music, and is relevant to these areas not only for the content Chaplin’s speech, but
also the necessary research into film editing and scoring. The unique challenge of this artistic
presentation is to use the media and tools at our disposal today to show the ubiquitous
influence of Chaplin’s filmmaking. It is our aim to shape the ideas and the content of
Chaplin’s plea for freedom and progress into a contemporary video demonstration that
expresses ideals and pitfalls of modern society.
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Oral Presentation Number: 21
Three White Balloons
Casey Cruz
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Vincent Reusch
Department of English
I will be giving a reading of "Three White Balloons," an original nine page short story that I
wrote for the Advanced Fiction Seminar last semester. The story focuses on the relationship
between the narrator, a young mother, and her mother and daughter in the wake of the death
of the narrator's husband. Instead of telling her daughter the truth, the narrator creates a
comforting alternative; a seemingly-magical mode of communication with the girl's father
through letters sent skyward via a white balloon. "Three White Balloons" explores the
difficulties of talking to children about death, the guilt that accompanies telling them halftruths, and the strain a death can place on familial bonds. After the reading, I will open the
floor for a discussion about the creative process and particular aspects of the piece.
Oral Presentation Number: 22
Adapting Robert Browning to Film: "My Last Wife"
Casey Cruz, Mike Bjork, Kirstin Kopp, Sally Pigeon, Amati Owen, Dalton Schneider, Trudy
Sundquist
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English, Film Studies
For the Film and Literature Core Capstone, we have adapted
Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess" for film.
Adapting a poem came with different challenges than a short
story: we had less material to work with, so we had to focus
on keeping the spirit of the poem while creating a back story
and an expanded world. We also decided to modernize the
language and setting of the piece. Character development
was also a focus of our adaptation--we have fleshed out
characters that were not in the poem and expanded upon the
ones that were. We preserved the ambiguity prevalent
throughout the poem as well as the main character's
objectification of his wife by crafting a flashback montage
and paying attention to detail and suggestion in dialogue. We
have used the adaptation strategies we learned through
studying film theory as well as reading and watching films
such as "Driving Miss Daisy" in creating our own film.
Though most of our group members have little experience with film, we have chosen
positions we have some background in and have worked hard to use our personal skills to
further the project. Our presentation will largely be a discussion of the adaptation process, but
will include video clips from the finished film.
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Oral Presentation Number: 23
A Forgotten Innovation: The Compositional Techniques of Paul Hindemith
Jordan Degerness
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Daniel Breedon
Department of Music
Paul Hindemith, a mid-20th century German composer, was
considered one of the foremost names in classical music in
his time – so why did I, a music major, not discover him until
my sophomore year? Why does his stature seem to fall short
of other composers of the time, such as Schoenberg, Berg,
and Webern? I became quite taken with Hindemith's music
after both listening to it and learning about his approach to
music theory through his book, The Craft of Musical
Composition, which has provided me with a new perspective
on musical analysis. I have been impressed in my listening
by both the quality and variety of his compositions, and I am
now of the opinion that other musicians, composers, and
enthusiasts should be familiar with at least a few of this
prolific composer's many works and writings. My research
thus far has entailed familiarizing myself with both
Hindemith's life and music. In order to discover what factors
may have caused Hindemith to have become more obscure than other composers of his time,
I have read several of his biographies and learned more about the musical and societal history
of his time. I have also begun to closely analyze a few of his pieces to gain enough
understanding of his musical language to be able to explain it, and to apply what I have
learned, I am writing a piece of my own using Hindemith's techniques, which will be
performed and discussed in the evening.
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Oral Presentation Number: 24
Congress as a Gendered Institution- A Critical Analysis
Dara Deines
Faculty Mentor : Adam Knowlton
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
This past election the American public elected the 100th congresswoman (Slate Magazine,
2014). Unfortunately, these 100 women only represent 20% of the total in Congress. This
study attempts to uncover societal practices that contributed to a number that while historic in
the United States, pales in comparison to its global counterparts. As such this study engages
in a critically focused rhetorical analysis of the discourse surrounding how we as a public
construct our ideal representatives. Through approaching Congress as a gendered
organization this study reveals how the language we use when identifying our ideal political
candidates privileges the male majority, while simultaneously diminishing the significance of
female legislatures (Kanter,1977; Feldberg & Glenn, 1979; Ferguson, 1984; Dexter, 1985;
Acker 1990). This study finds that we need to more carefully evaluate our public institutions
and their historic gender biases, concluding that if language is power we need to be more
mindful about how we use it.
Oral Presentation Number: 25
"All I am Good for is Looking Good for You" A Content Analysis of Pop
and Country
Dara Deines, Sara Thofson and Jasmine Lara
Faculty Mentor : Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
In this study the top 50 songs in the pop and country genres during 1994, 2004, and 2014
were analyzed to examine what a woman’s role is in these two dominant music industries.
We analyzed lyrics based on nine different criterion's, and research resulted in large
disparities between the genders of artists in each genre. Throughout the research results, we
found that there have been substantial shifts in women’s portrayal of themselves versus
men’s portrayal of women. Objectification Theory was directly applied to research results to
examine how men sexualize and objectify women as well as how women perceive
themselves. This theory also provided us with a background to further research music's role
in women's mental health and position in today's society.
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Oral Presentation Number: 26
Je Suis Charlot: Chaplin and France
Anna Dovre, Alex Samion
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Roy Hammerling
Department of Religion
The purpose of our research is to understand the significance of France in Charlie Chaplin’s
life and to use that understanding to relate to modern events in France, with an emphasis on
how the French culture influenced Charlie’s work as a filmmaker. This topic is relevant to
any detailed study of Chaplin’s career and to all those interested in French culture. Our thesis
is that France played a significant role in Chaplin’s life and career, providing a setting for
many of his films and public support for the rough periods of his popularity. Our research
will place this connection in the broader context of French culture and Chaplin’s own artistic
activism. It is the nature of the French to respond supportively to such artistic genius as was
displayed in Chaplin, and to uphold the sanctity of free speech. When Chaplin’s freedom of
speech was being hampered by the Red Scare paranoia of Cold War America, France showed
an overwhelming solidarity with the estranged artist. This provides an intriguing parallel to
current conflict between social responsibility and freedom of speech in modern day France.
An objective of our presentation will be to highlight the factors that led to France becoming
the battle-ground for Chaplin’s activist art, and how they connect to its current social issues.
We have spent an entire semester doing in-depth research on the life of Charlie Chaplin and
have found many connections to the French culture which plays into both of our interests.
With this approach we are able to relate our research to events that are currently happening in
the world which leads us to become more responsibly engaged in these events. Our research
is very film-intensive and we will be focusing on a selection of Chaplin’s films to serve as
illustrative examples of our thesis. We will also draw from Chaplin’s own autobiography to
provide a background of his personal relationship to France.
Oral Presentation Number: 27
Comedic Copycats: An Analysis of Chaplin Imitations
Rebecca Ekert, Reilly Myklebust
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Roy Hammerling
Department of Religion
Charles Chaplin’s genius in acting and film-making endures in his ability to effortlessly
create art that remains funny and relevant even today. His spontaneity, despite completing
many takes, is something that many have tried to replicate with varying levels of success.
Chaplin’s nuances set him apart from other actors of his age and still mark him as one of the
greatest actors and filmmakers of all time. His personality shines through his depiction of
humanity in the form of The Tramp to create a timeless and beloved character. Chaplin’s
genius is evident in the effortless nuances that appear in his films and characterizations that
are incredibly hard for other actors to replicate. Data was obtained through analyzing
Chaplin’s films and imitations other actors have created of the tramp and common tricks and
gags used in his films.
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Oral Presentation Number: 28
The Imperative Need for Compassion and Social Justice for the
Marginalized in the Workforce
Hannah Fishbeck
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
Social inequality is an issue that is prevalent in human society. With news and media
coverage on social outbreaks of sexism and racism cases across our nation, addressing and
acting upon the issue of social inequality has become even more important. Looking back at
the roots of inequality can help society find solutions of action on how to deal with present
situations. Historian Alexander Saxon illustrates the social inequality and lack of compassion
experienced by women and African Americans in the workforce in the 1940s in his novel
Bright Web in the Darkness. This text tells the stories of two women, one white and one
black, in the United States during World War II and how they faced and overcame social
inequality in the workforce and in their everyday life. By applying Saxon’s text to social
problems faced today and in conjunction with Martha Nussbaum’s theory of social justice,
we can better understand the actions necessary for eliminating social injustice towards those
marginalized in the workforce, particularly women and African Americans.
Oral Presentation Number: 29
Writing to Understand
Justin Flack
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Catherine McMullen
Department of English
My sophomore year I decided to abandon my Communications Major for an English Writing
Major with a poetry concentration. Around the same time, my parents had decided to
separate. As a result, a lot of the creative work that I was doing revolved around my parent’s
separation. I realize now, approaching the end of my life as an undergraduate that I was using
writing to understand. What a lot of people, in my experience at least, don’t realize the
importance of writing. At Concordia, it is emphasized that writing is important in all aspects
of life, but the reason as to why seems to be shied away from. What I’ve learned is that a
large facet of fiction and poetry writing (and writing in general) is trying to understand the
world. This seems to be the case with most (if not all) of the writers I’ve studied at
Concordia: In his novel, Tim O’Brien’s "The Things They Carried" as a means of
understanding his experiences in Vietnam; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "The Great Gatsby" as a
means to understand life in the 1920’s New York; and Sharron Old’s poetry as a means to
understand her relationship with her father. In the same vein, the work which I wish to
present demonstrates just this: how these poems offered a sense of understanding the
changing relationship I have with my mother and father.
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Oral Presentation Number: 30
Human Trafficking in the Fargo-Moorhead Area
Ingrid Floersheim, Elizabeth Clapp
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Kenneth Foster
Department of Global Studies
Human Trafficking is an issue many associate with foreign countries miles away or a story
line on a movie screen. However, in recent years, the North Dakota oil boom has brought the
problem closer to home, but it does not remain an epidemic just affecting the Western side of
the state. In a Community-Based Research project for our Global Studies capstone, our group
discovered human trafficking is creating numerous challenges right here in the FargoMoorhead area. We began our project by completing independent research to further educate
ourselves on the issue. Next, we set up meetings with various members of the community
involved with preventing human trafficking to learn more about how we could contribute to
the cause. We planned out interviews and met with nonprofits, governmental organizations,
and law enforcement. Each group of people we interviewed provided us with a different
perspective on how to approach the issue. As we compiled our research, we found there was a
common trend found in the answers of those we had spoken with. They all agreed there is a
great need within the community for more awareness on the local effects of Human
Trafficking. Our project aims to approach the issue of building consciousness by talking
about recent legislation and ways to support it, advocacy approaches, coalition-building,
needs for victim services, and additional ways for anyone to get more involved with fighting
against human trafficking.
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Oral Presentation Number: 31
The Political and Societal Ascent of Women in Post-Genocide Rwanda
Olivia Gear
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Katherine Kidd (LCWS Program Professor)
Department of Global Studies
In 1994, over the course of 100 days, the
Hutu-dominated government of Rwanda
carried out the systematic massacre of
the country’s Tutsi minority. Over
800,000 Tutsis and politically moderate
Hutus were brutally murdered with
machetes, firearms, and garden tools by
Hutu militiamen, soldiers, and ordinary
citizens. The demographics of Rwanda
were drastically changed as women and
girls now made up seventy percent of the
remaining population. This shortage of
men impacted the focus on women,
whose role in rebuilding Rwanda contributed to their ascent in political leadership positions
as well as increased societal participation. These successes were the result of the specific
circumstances of Rwanda’s genocide, the principle of equality between men and women, and
a sustained campaign by the women’s movement in Rwanda, in collaboration with women in
government and with the support of the RPF. Rwanda is an example of how women in offices
are no longer simply a product of laws and quotas, but are accepted as part of a permanent
cultural shift. This claim will be explored by investigating the social, political, and economic
difficulties women confronted after the genocide and how they overcame these hardships to
make progressive political advancements that have transformed the country into an
innovative model for other parts of the world.
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Oral Presentation Number: 32
Development of an Educational Cartoon to Prevent Worm Infections in
Bangladeshi Children
Maddie Grosland, Karley Petersen, Sadie Hayes, Laura Wood
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
Globally, more than two billion people are
infected with soil-transmitted helminthes
(STHs). It is estimated that in Bangladesh,
several hundred million people are infected
with one or more STHs. Those at highest risk
are pregnant women and young children.
STHs are associated with rural poverty, poor
sanitation, a lack of clean water, and limited
access to health care and health education.
These infections negatively impact physical,
intellectual and cognitive development. There
are no cures for these diseases, and there are
no vaccines. The world health organization (WHO) has recommended three interventions to
control STH infections: drug treatment of high-risk groups, health education and improved
sanitation. For well-defined and complex reasons, none of these methods alone have been
successful. Recent studies from China show success in decreasing STH infections in
schoolchildren through culturally sensitive health education packages that incorporate
cartoon videos. These studies show increases student knowledge and improved hygiene
practice, resulting in fewer worm infections. Ultimately, the study showed that the children
needed to identify with the message, and the message needed to become a part of their
everyday lives. With assistance from grant money provided by an on-campus sustainability
grant, we have used these recent findings as a platform to assist us in conducting formative
research for the development of a cartoon storyline for use in Manikganj, Bangladesh and are
preparing these learning tools to explore the potential of specific media sources for
controlling childhood infection.
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Oral Presentation Number: 33
Thoughts That Lie Too Deep for Tears: Platonic Dualism and the Demise
of Nature as Female in William Wordsworth’s “Immortality Ode”
James Hakala
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jonathan Steinwand
Department of English
This paper explores the implications of an ecofeminist reading of William Wordsworth’s
“Immortality Ode.” Focusing specifically on dualisms based in Platonic thought, as well as
representations of female as nature as they manifest in the poem, the narrator of the poem is
shown to be an active participant in perpetuating dualistic systems that denigrate nature as
female. In order to overcome this oppressive system, which the narrator finds to be causing
his aging, mortality, and loss of connection with God, the narrator attempts to find solace in
nature as female’s dualistic opposite: masculine reason. In the end, the poet finds the very
thing in reason that he initially feared in nature as female: his mortality and death. Through
this realization, the narrator—and the audience—realizes just how oppressive the dualistic
system we value so highly truly is, and we are left wondering what we have done in falling
victim to it.
Oral Presentation Number: 34
I Think You Forget Who You Are Speaking To: Adapting Saki’s Comedy
to 21st Century Film
Shelby Halland, David Wolfe, Tisha Burch, Emma Payne, Amber Morgan, Austin Gerth,
Mary Henning, Emilly Fossen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English, Film Studies
When adapting literature to film, we are transferring meaning from one medium to another.
We have adapted the short story “The Disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh” by Saki to a
short film. We have adapted this piece of literature into a contemporary farce, by updating the
source text from its original context in Edwardian England to the present day. This has
required us to revise the humor of the source, which is now antiquated, to the modern idiom.
The purpose of this project has been gaining an understanding of the processes and
challenges inherent to the adaptation of literature to film. We approached Saki's work through
a comedic frame. During our pre-production process, we analyzed various short films and
cinematic language. We started by reading theoretical texts and watching other films in order
to understand the essence of the medium. After that we completed the screenplay, storyboard,
and all other pre-production aspects. Actors brought the text to life on screen during the
production process. Editing and post production completed the film. One major difficulty in
the adaptation process was the timespan of the source text. We surmounted this challenge
through careful application of voiceover, for which we drew inspiration from the films of
Wes Anderson. Drawing from the diverse knowledge and skills of our production team, we
have developed a work that functions both as scholarship and as, we hope, a quality piece of
entertainment.
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Oral Presentation Number: 35
The Dragon in Eastern and Western Religious cultures: A Symbol of Good
or Evil?
Christian Halos
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
Western Christianity and Chinese religious culture both have mytholigical creatures they
refer to as dragons. These creatures are very powerful religious symbols in both cultures.
However, the similarities between the two symbols are very few after this. The dragon of
Western Christianity is an evil force often depicted as the devil himself. The dragon in
Chinese religious culture however, is usually a peaceful diety and beneficial to the human
race. I came to the conclusion that these two symbols are actually two very different
creatures. The Western Christian and Chinese religious interpretations came to be called by
the same name through mistranslations. Throughout my research I began to understand how
damaging this was in the form of cultural barriers. From a Western Christian point of view
the dragon is evil, so veneration and respect for dragons could easily be demonized or even
considered devil worship. On the other hand, from a Chinese religious point of view, stories
from the Christian Bible about the evil dragon can be confusing and offensive. The two
dragons from each culture should be classified as different creatures and new names should
be created for the Chinese dragon in English and the Western Christian Dragon in Chinese to
avoid these issues. If this mistranslation and cultural barrier is brought to light, perhaps
changes can be made. We can start to identify what causes barriers to be set up and begin to
better understand people of different cultures.
Oral Presentation Number: 36
Looking at the Past: The Chicano Civil Rights Movement
Vanessa Hernandez
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Richard Chapman
Department of History
My paper was written with the intention of creating awareness of the Chicano Civil Rights
Movement. Although we often think of the Civil Rights Movement being a predominately
African American Movement, it is important to learn about the different ethnic groups their
actions to create change. In my History 410 class I am writing my senior thesis on the
formation of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, looking at the impact Cesar Chavez and
the Farm Workers Movement and the East Los Angeles High school Walkouts had on the
Chicano Civil Rights Movement. My research will include oral histories of family members
and a leader of the East Los Angles Walkouts, as well as looking at primary and secondary
sources from the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am going to give present my paper through
power point so I can have pictures and clearly break apart my paper for the audience. The
Chicano Civil Rights Movement created a sense of pride and new found awareness on
economic, and political issues, however the Chicano Civil Rights Movement began after the
East Los Anglos High School Walkouts, and both movements were influenced by the earlier
Farm Workers Movement.
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Oral Presentation Number: 37
The Silent Soliloquy: Introspection in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus
Alisa Heskin
Faculty Mentor : Dr. David Sprunger
Department of English
The central conflict of Shakespeare’s play, Coriolanus, is how a fierce and uncompromising
Roman warrior strives to succeed as a politician while remaining true to his core values.
Unlike other Shakespeare plays, Coriolanus features a protagonist that the audience knows
almost solely through his outward words and actions. The play rarely makes use of
traditional introspective techniques such as the soliloquy, aside, and letter. This uncertainty
of self felt by the audience is soon shared with Martius as the play progresses. My paper
studies this disconnection and analyzes three adaptations that use strategies of stage and film
to provide viewers with the introspection that is seemingly missing from the text. The
integrity of the outer voice as a means of expressing the self is established and then
undermined. Instead, framing motifs, voiceover, and the presence of Martius’ wife Virgilia
all serve to indicate the intentional use of silence as a mode of introspection. These silent
soliloquies allow for greater insight into the character while also implying the presence of
much more.
Oral Presentation Number: 38
Walking the Abyss in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Alisa Heskin
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Roy Hammerling
Department of Religion
He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if
thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” German philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche’s excerpt from his 1886 Beyond Good and Evil is an iconic example of
humanity’s longtime fascination with the abyss. The abyss has been symbolic of beginnings
and life in addition to darker connections with hell and the threat of death, both moral and
physical. The cinematic representation of the abyss in the 1993 feature film Batman: Mask of
the Phantasm examines the relationships between the Dark Knight and his antagonists by
having them gaze long into the abyss. Most infamously, the Joker’s enthusiasm for chaos
marks an inversion of Batman’s pursuit for order, but it is the character of Andrea Beaumont
who acts as the primary antagonist in the film. The mutual likeness of Beaumont and Bruce
Wayne/Batman manifests in the forms of the influence their respective parents have had on
them, their shared tragedies, love for each other, and the resemblance of their alter egos.
Nevertheless, the two characters develop irreconcilably opposing systems of justice. Both
characters undergo a transformation during the course of the narrative, and the consequences
imply a fragile hope that however inevitable an encounter with the abyss may be, the result
most assuredly is not. Consequently, the filmmakers encourage their audiences to gaze long
into their own abyss.
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Oral Presentation Number: 39
Portraits of Insanity in Poe’s "The Black Cat" and Faulkner’s As I Lay
Dying
Elizabeth Hiller
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
In my research, I examine how societal factors
influenced the portrayal of insanity in Edgar
Allan Poe’s short story “The Black Cat” and
William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. I discuss
the influence of the American moral treatment
movement on Poe’s concrete depiction of
insanity. Poe narrates one character’s descent
into madness with a clarity that reflects 19th
century societal confidence in the ability to
classify mental illness. Additionally, the
speaker of “The Black Cat” claims that his
insanity resulted from passionate impulses,
reflecting the popular belief at the time that
excessive creative or passionate energy could
cause madness. Conversely, the influence of
modernism and WWI led to a more fluid portrayal of insanity in As I Lay Dying. Faulkner’s
portrait blurs the line between the sane and the insane. The modernistic distrust of concrete
definitions is revealed when Darl, though mad, exhibits more rationality than other characters
in the novel. I argue that the contrast in the portrayals of the insane presented in Poe’s "Black
Cat" and Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying illustrate society’s changing perception of the fluid
nature of insanity.
Oral Presentation Number: 40
Comparing Performances of Malcolm Arnold's Quintet for Two Trumpets,
Horn, Trombone, and Tuba
Elizabeth Hiller, Miles Otstot, Jake Pavia, Jake Schmitz, Jonathan Sutton
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Peter Knudsvig
Department of Music
In our research, we examined the similarities and differences between seven performances
around the world of Malcolm Arnold’s work, Quintet for Two Trumpets, Horn, Trombone
and Tuba. Tempo variations, dynamics, balance, style and articulation, and quintet and piece
background were discussed. We utilized pieces of several recordings to improve our own
study and performance of the work. Our presentation will have two components: a discussion
of our research and performance of the work we researched.
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Oral Presentation Number: 41
Ways forward: Student Designed Approaches and Interventions for
Overcoming Neglected Tropical Diseases
Bailey Houle, Hannah Rodne, Kenny Nindorera
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
The very poorest of individuals are most often not only poor.
They are fatigued, infected, and caught in a cycle of poverty
and disease that make participating in daily activities, such as
playing and going to school, difficult. During the course of the
past semester we were challenged to investigate the many
multi-disciplinary interconnections of neglected tropical
diseases, also known as diseases of poverty. We discussed in
depth the relationships between these diseases and the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals, and then
independently scrutinized the literature to create our own
proposals for how we, as students and future scientists, would
scientifically and ethically address these global issues. This
presentation represents our independent ideas and proposals
that we have developed, as our self-designed strategies for eliminating diseases of poverty
and addressing health equity. Our proposals address educational disparities, reducing disease
transmission, and disease prevention. A relatively small amount of research has gone into
hookworm infections, so the horizon in these “neglected tropical diseases” is wide open for
further research, and the impacts on the populations potentially affected is quite significant.
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Oral Presentation Number: 42
The Diversity of Bees in Burned and Unburned Restored Prairies in
Northwestern Minnesota
Jens Hulden, Scott Opatril, Jonathan Tetlie
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Bryan Bishop
Department of Biology
Insects, and bees in particular, are considered the most important pollinators in plant
communities both for natural and certain agricultural systems (1,2,3), and their decline may
lead to a significant degradation in Biodiversity (1). In North America and throughout the
world, the population of pollinators has been on the decline (1,3). The decline of pollinators
has been attributed to a number of possible causes including the use of pesticides, the loss of
habitat due to anthropogenic activities in the form of agricultural intensification and industrial
development, and climate change (1). As part of an ongoing 3-year study to document bee
diversity in our area, we collected baseline bee data between burned and unburned prairies at
Long Lake Field Station (LLFS), and at the Larkspur Restored Prairie (LRS). Over the three
month period of collection, 733 bees were caught. Using Simpson’s index, we determined
that there was little difference at the generic level between burned and unburned prairies, but
a much greater difference between LLFS and LRS. This difference between sites might be
due to the more diverse nesting habitat at LLFS than at LRS.
1)Potts SG, et al. 2010. Global pollinator declines: trends, impacts and drivers. Trends in
Ecology & Evolution 25: 345–353.
2)Taylor, A.N., et al. 2011. Bees and butterflies in burned and unburned alvar woodland:
Evidence for the importance of postfire succession to insect pollinator diversity in an
imperiled ecosystem. Canadian Field-Naturalist 125(4): 297-306.
3)National Research Council. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America. National
Academy Press, Washington D.C.
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Oral Presentation Number: 43
The Effects of Iodide Impurities in the Production of Gold Nanorods
Janelle Jennissen, Axel Freytag
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Nadja Bigall
Institute of Physical Chemistry and ElectroChemistry
Gold nanorods see a variety of uses in
electrical and medical fields, and have many
applications due to their photocatalytic
properties. Properties of the nanorods are
able to be controlled by tuning the size
(length) and shape of the rods. Efficient and
effective methods to produce gold nanorods
are highly sought after. This project was
originally designed to focus on producing a
high yield of well-formed and consistent
rods, and increasing the aspect ratio (length
divided by width) of the gold nanorods. Rods
were grown using various versions of a seed-mediated growth method, where an initial
nanosphere with a diameter of a few nanometers is used as a seed to begin lateral growth. The
width of the rods has been found to be controlled by the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium
bromide (CTAB). Theoretically, it should be possible to create gold nanorods of many aspect
ratios. The nanorods created in this study, however exhibited a maximum aspect ratio of ~2,
and the overall shape of the nanoparticles varied from small spheres, diamonds, beans, and
“dog bone” shapes. It was therefore hypothesized that minute amounts of iodine impurities
present in the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were significantly hindering the lateral
growth of the rod. This was confirmed when compared with results from previous studies
which also contained iodine impurities. It was concluded that despite the impurities, nanorods
could still be made and aspect ratios able to be tuned, though not effectively.
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Oral Presentation Number: 44
Making the Connection: The Use of Literature and Music in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and Emma
Marit Johnson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
As a music major and an English minor, I am interested in how music plays a role in
literature. My interests lead me to seek out authors who seem to be inspired by music and
have integrated it into their texts in order to connect with their readers. It makes sense that by
using popular music of their respective time periods, authors can reach a wider audience. My
research focuses on two authors from different time periods who have made such use of
music. By using popular literature and popular song forms, Jane Austen and William
Shakespeare pull readers into their storylines in Emma and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Readers of their time periods could relate the song styles, instruments, and dramas to their
own lives and link their real world with the author’s world of fantasy. Through these links to
everyday life, Shakespeare and Austen establish a connection with their readers that helps to
better communicate the setting, plot, and characters. To carry out my research I explored
scholarly journals and historical texts of the Renaissance and Romantic time periods,
particularly focusing on literature and music and finally on Shakespeare and Austen. Through
this research, I am able to demonstrate the relevance of a liberal arts education by connecting
fields of study – specifically music and English literature.
Oral Presentation Number: 45
Not All Terrorists are Created Evil: An Analysis of the Portrayal of
Terrorists in Modern Film
Wesley Kimball
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
How do films shape our lives and influence the way we see evil and terrorism? Are all
terrorists evil? How do we define terrorism, and who gets to determine the definition? What
are terrorism's possible causes? In the quest to maximize profit and appeal to the masses,
Hollywood tends to simplify peoples and cultures and draw upon pre-existing stereotypes to
drive the plots of its films. Foreign films and documentaries, however, tend to not have the
same appetite for compromising people for profit. In a post 9/11 society, popular American
films dehumanize and oversimplify terrorists and their motivations, which leads to a
complete misunderstanding of the environments which perpetuate terrorism. Using the
argument of Christian ethicist Jim Wallis that injustice is a breeding ground for terrorism, in
this paper I will argue that the American film "Captain Phillips" decontextualizes terrorism
and demonizes terrorists as one-dimensional embodiments of Evil. The foreign films
"Paradise Now" and "Omar", however, acknowledge the evil of terroristic acts but humanize
the terrorists by contextualizing terrorism within the injustice that potentially breeds it. I
further argue that unfortunately, Hollywood’s unnuanced cinematic rendering of terrorism is
a microcosm for our own society’s misunderstanding of terrorism as a whole.
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Oral Presentation Number: 46
Spectroscopic Investigation of Femtosecond Dynamics in Phytochrome
Photoisomerization
Meghan Knudtzon
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Daniel Turner, Dr. Darin Ulness NYU Chemistry,
Department of Chemistry
Phytochromes are signaling proteins that translate light signals into genetic signals in most
plants, algae, and bacteria. The signaling status of a phytochrome is classified as either active
or inactive and is defined by the protein being situated in one of two spatial orientations.
Absorbing photons of particular wavelengths will initiate transitions between the signaling
states, with initial transition events occurring on the picosecond scale and the longer protein
reconfiguration occurring on the minute scale. Unlike many other signaling proteins, which
require enzymes to transition back to the inactive state, transitions between phytochrome
signaling states in either direction can be triggered exclusively by light. This characteristic
and their red light absorption make / phytochromes particularly well suited for use in medical
imaging, since red light is able to penetrate human bodies. Despite extensive study, the
transition events occurring at times less than one picosecond are still unresolved. To study the
early time dynamics of the phytochrome signaling process, a thermally stabilized chamber
was constructed for the purpose of isomerizing the phytochrome sample before it is probed
by a femtosecond pulse laser. This discussion shall explore the importance of phytochromes,
the methods of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy, and the construction and success of
the isomerization chamber.
Oral Presentation Number: 47
The Right to Jump: The Ethics and Reasoning behind Physician Assisted
Suicide
Alisha Knutson
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Amy Watkin, Dr. Ernest Simmons
Departments of English, Religion
As of 2013, a Death with Dignity Act has been legalized in Vermont, Oregon and
Washington. Death with Dignity is a bill designed to allow physicians to prescribe a lethal
dose of medication in order to help their patients pass on peacefully and on dignified terms.
This controversial topic has been fought over the past few decades and will continue to bear
down on the legal system and health care system. It is our responsibility as a generation to not
only be well informed about these decisions but to also protect the basic human rights that
come along with the bylaws of such policies. My research was based off of a collection of
sources including studies done by Johns Hopkins, The Journal of Pain and Symptom
Management and The Death with Dignity National Center. I also incorporated information
from articles and research in Belgium and the Netherlands, where national policies are in
place allowing euthanasia. It is my hope to open up the conversation and educate
communities about the risks, benefits and reasoning behind this practice. It is our right to
choose what happens to our bodies and it is our responsibility to ensure a choice for future
generations. Therefore, The United States should legalize physician assisted suicide, in order
to protect the quality of life, the pursuit of happiness and the dignity of its citizens.
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Oral Presentation Number: 48
Power and Persian Women: Hierarchy in the Achaemenid Royal House
Cassandra Konz
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Barbara McCauley
Department of Classical Studies
The ancient sources portray Persian women in the palace in a variety of conflicting ways.
They are shown as powerful, corrupting influences whose court intrigues bring misfortune
upon the empire; they are also shown as cloistered, jealously guarded from all outsiders,
powerless and shut away in harems. This paper attempts to show that neither extreme is a
correct view of the lives of women living in the palace during the Achaemenid Persian
Empire, and that this contradiction actually hints at the greater complexity of women’s
political power in the Persian court. In examining the modern scholarship, and ancient
sources from inside and outside of the court, it becomes clear that women’s lives varied
greatly within the Achaemenid court, and that they had their own power structure, similar but
distinct from that of men. The king was the ultimate power in the Persian Empire, and all
political power for men, whether great or virtually nonexistent, can be understood as
closeness to the king and his position. For women, their political power can also be
understood as closeness to the king, with the paramount position being the mother of the
king. Therefore, all movement in the power hierarchy, through marriage, intrigue, or
children, is movement towards the role of the king’s mother. By defining this female power
hierarchy, it becomes possible to recognize and appreciate the active roles that Persian
women held, and reexamine the ancient sources with a new understanding of female power in
the Achaemenid Persian court.
Oral Presentation Number: 49
Protein Levels of Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Supraoptic Nucleus of 1and 4-Month-Old Rats: Implications for a Role in Axonal Sprouting?
Phil Kuball, Michael McCarthy, Shelby Rolfhus
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jason Askvig
Department of Biology
It has been demonstrated that a young brain can overcome injury by axonal sprouting;
however, it is well understood that the mature brain has a reduced capacity for functional or
structural reorganization following injury. To this point, following injury uninjured axons
from the supraoptic nucleus (SON) undergo collateral sprouting in the 35-day-old rat, but not
in 125-day-old rats. Therefore, it appears that within the SON there are age-related changes
that preclude the older rat from recovering following injury. Cell adhesion molecules have
been previously demonstrated to play a role in axonal sprouting, both in a stimulatory and
inhibitory manner. Thus, we compared protein levels of cell adhesion molecules in the 35 and
125-day-old SON using Western blot analysis. Our results demonstrated that in the 125-dayold SON, there was a significant increase in thy-1 protein levels, which is an anti-sprouting
factor that interacts with integrins. We did not observe a difference in alpha v or beta 3
integrin, psa-ncam, or tenascin C protein levels with age. Our results suggest that the
observed increase in thy-1 protein levels in the SON with age may contribute to an
environment that prevents axonal sprouting in an older rat.
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Oral Presentation Number: 50
Religion and Racism in Odinists and Asatru Kins
David Kwiecien
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Milda Halvorson
Department of Scandinavian Studies
Every religion has periods in its history in which the followers have done something that we
look back on with regret and shame. Currently one of the largest debates in between groups
of the Norse Polytheism realm is whether or not its followers are descended from the Norse
gods. The grounds for this claim are that in the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson tells the story of
the origin of the kings as coming from the gods. This reasoning has been used since World
War I in order to inspire the Nazis and Neo-Nazi groups to justify their beliefs. My thesis was
to uncover the truths behind the accusations of both groups (Asatru and Odinist) to find
whether or not they are in fact racist. Through interview and discussions with Asatru and
Odinist followers, my research came up inconclusive and requires more investigation. This
was mostly due to many people scholarly and non-scholarly who used obscure information to
show evidence of racism in the other religion to legitimatize their own religion. The other
main reason that I was unable to find accurate, scientific information on my thesis is because
it these social circles have much secrecy and does not allow outside groups to have too much
insight into the religion.
Oral Presentation Number: 51
Experience Over Expertise; A Critical Analysis of the Gendered Society of
19th Century Female Art Song Composition
Brianna L. Drevlow
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jessica Narum
Department of Music
Mädchenlieder (“Maiden’s Songs”) were a genre of 19th century art song written for solo
voice and piano accompaniment. These pieces, composed with the intent of being sung by
women, included themes of nature, domestic work, and laments of never finding spouses.
Eventually, the production of these pieces, written by male composers such as Brahms,
Schubert, and Schumann, aided into defining the performance of gender expectations and
representations. The more these lieder were sung, the more preconceived expectations were
further reinforced. Interestingly enough, to my knowledge, female contemporaries such as
Fanny Hensel and Clara Schumann, did not compose Mädchenlieder. In this study, I will
unearth how and why Mädchenlieder helped to further define a cultural representation of
stereotypical gender expectations at a time that was socially and politically dominated by
men. I will dive into the readings of Susan McClary’s "Feminine Endings" and her colleagues
and deconstruct through the lens of historical and text context, harmonic analysis, and
application of topic theory. Finally, I will take my collected research from the named
resources and present a lecture and performance of an original composition containing three
short pieces as a critical response to the research presented.
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Oral Presentation Number: 52
Unlocking the Role of Cytotoxic T cells in Multiple Sclerosis
Molly Larson
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Nitin Karandikar, Dr. Sushmita Sinha
Department of Pathology
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, disabling neurological disorder of the central nervous
system (CNS). Although its etiology is unknown, it is thought that MS functions as an
autoimmune disease. Classically, MS is considered to be mediated and regulated by CD4+ T
cells. Our lab has demonstrated that CNS-specific CD8+ T cells are able to suppress
pathogenic CD4+ T cells. We have also shown that the terminally differentiated subset of
neuroantigen-specific CD8+ T cells are the most effective suppressors. Terminally
differentiated CD8+ T cells harboring suppressive potential are lacking in number and
function during MS relapse. Restoration of these functions is associated with remission in MS
patients, suggesting that identification of the conditions conducive to the maintenance and
function of these CD8+ T cells might serve as critical therapeutic targets for preventing
relapses. We hypothesize that the fluctuations in terminal CD8+ T cell population during MS
relapse can be attributed to their low numbers and/or their inability to function. We addressed
both possibilities by identifying factors that drive terminal differentiation of CNS-specific
CD8+ T cells and assessing their functionality by studying expression of inhibitory receptors
and survival factors on CNS-specific terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells under various
culture conditions.
Oral Presentation Number: 53
Creating a Heart for Service and Learning in Students
Courtney Leier
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Barbara Witteman
Department of Education
Service-learning as a teaching methodology engages students in projects serving the
community while building social, academic and civic skills in meaningful contexts. This
project focuses on eight integrated, high quality service projects that can be easily
implemented into classrooms of any age or ability, enabling students to help others while
giving of themselves and entering caring relationships with others. These service projects fit
increasingly diverse classrooms in both urban and rural communities; due to cuts in
transportation funding, these projects can be completed in schools while benefiting the area in
which they are located. Projects are directly tied to Common Core State Standards and the
Service-Learning Quality Practice Standards in three areas: preparation for service by
learning about the issue and developing an action plan, service engagement which will help
them make a difference in their community while connected to classroom academics and
reflection where students will analyze and make sense of the project they complete. These
projects will help teachers foster classrooms to develop ever growing hearts for service and
for learning. Criteria for assessing students in the areas of self-concept, political
knowledge/engagement and growth in tolerance toward individuals with whom they would
not normally interact will be included.
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Oral Presentation Number: 54
Finding the Face of the Afghan People: Applying Two Philosophies of
Compassion to Gopal's No Good Men Among the Living
Matthew Lillehaugen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
The history of conflict in Afghanistan is long and complicated, yet the events surrounding
the United States’ invasion and subsequent occupation following 9/11 have polarized parties
on all sides, making efforts to establish a durable peace complicated and, at times, seemingly
futile. Throughout the course of the conflict Western media has vilified the Taliban,
portraying members as misguided, evil, and the root of the hostilities in the region. Ignorance
has often proved to be a dominant force and has contributed to the portrayal of the issue as
black-and-white. However, lasting peace demands an ability to handle gray areas. By
acknowledging the atrocities that were committed by both sides, Indian-American journalist
Anand Gopal attempts to address these shades of gray in his book No Good Men Among the
Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes. Through his efforts to
understand those who are other to him, in particular an educated woman who lost many of
her rights under the Taliban rule and an infamous Taliban commander who was known for
his cruelty, Gopal demonstrates compassionate imagination, a concept developed by
philosopher Martha Nussbaum. His work also follows in the tradition of philosopher
Emmanuel Levinas as he seeks to help Americans to see the true face of the Afghan people
and to take some responsibility for the actions of the people of Afghanistan.
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Oral Presentation Number: 55
Lutheran World Relief: Transcending Religious Differences through
Service to the Neighbor
Hannah Loeffler-Kemp
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
What is Lutheran World Relief? What does it have in common with the interfaith
organization, Interfaith Your Core? In May of 2014, I had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua
through the partnership of Concordia College-Moorhead and Lutheran World Relief (LWR).
The relationships I made and the stories I heard inspired me to further research the work of
Lutheran World Relief. LWR is a nonprofit organization that concentrates on international
development and disaster relief. LWR is supported by the historically divided Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. In this essay, I argue
that while theological and political views divide the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod, Lutheran World Relief’s work uniquely unites
them in a mission of global service. In this paper, I also highlight the striking similarity
between Lutheran World Relief and Dr. Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core in both their
work of transcending religious differences through service to the neighbor. In my research, I
noticed that although interfaith is not one of Lutheran World Relief’s main goals, the
organization’s philosophy and practices bear a striking similarity to today’s interfaith
movement. In similarity to Dr. Eboo Patel’s work, LWR moves beyond creed, creating
dialogue and service between people of different religious backgrounds. Through my
research on this vastly under-researched topic, I discovered that the common goal of service
in action unites religious bodies even where dialogue and doctrine divide them.
Oral Presentation Number: 56
Nosferatu and the Evolution of the Modern Vampire
Tory Long
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Greg Carlson
Department of Film Studies
The popular vampire mythos is certainly not a recent development, as stories of menacing
bloodsuckers have existed across cultures for as long as humans have been afraid of the dark.
But the simultaneously iconic and ever-changing personality of the vampire is firmly rooted
in the collective modern imagination. Our fascination with vampire fiction can be traced back
to the wild success of Bram Stoker’s now classic novel Dracula, as well as the early attempts
to adapt the work to film, such as F. W. Murnau’s timeless silent horror thriller Nosferatu:
Eine Symphonie des Grauens. Murnau’s version stands apart from more familiar renditions
of the count not only because it predated its peers, but also because of its unique take on the
character. Max Schreck’s memorable silent performance brought to life the gaunt, near
skeletal vampire with a haunting and corpse-like stiffness. When paired with the film’s
gruesome make-up work and visual effects that evoke a wraith-like corporeality, Nosferatu’s
count becomes a terrifying vision of a supernatural predator that stands in sharp contrast to
the elegant and suave Dracula popularized by actors like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. In
this paper the author compares the Murnau/Schreck vision of Dracula to some of the
subsequent imaginings to explore the duality of the fictional vampire and the relationship
between the grotesque and the alluring.
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Oral Presentation Number: 57
Bystander Effect: The Relation of Time Sensitivity In Small Groups
Quinn Maroney, Marisa Habel, Jacey Mitziga
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Mona Ibrahim
Department of Psychology
The topic of the bystander effect has been under heavy investigation for many years and
under several different constraints, however, an element unexamined is timeliness in small
groups. This experiment examined 44 students in which they encountered a confederate
student spilling their papers and supplies. Students were examined and rated for the response
to the event. Findings suggested a small effect size but significant results, where p=0.017.
The following is an experiment examining college students and their relation to time
sensitivity and likelihood of helping.
Oral Presentation Number: 58
Depictions of Treason: Catholic Music in Elizabethan England
Patrick McGuire
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jessica Narum
Department of Music
This research focuses on two composers who lived and worked when Catholicism was
outlawed in England in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries: Thomas Tallis
(1505-1585) and William Byrd (1540-1623). Although they produced music in their work for
the queen, they also served in secret the Catholic community in England writing music for the
secret masses. My presentation will first of all showcase the topic itself as it pertains to
Music, History, and Religion, and then I will talk about the intricate text painting and word
choice used by the two composers. I hope to unveil the secret messages hidden inside the
scores that these two composers wrote, and discover the techniques they used in writing their
music. My approach will be through theoretical analysis of scores from public domain
websites.
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Oral Presentation Number: 59
Through the Lens: A Partnership with Great Plains Food Bank
Emily Michaelsen, Ann Brooks, Allie Smeeth, Hannah Loeffler-Kemp
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Stephanie Ahlfeldt
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
For our Computer Mediated Communication capstone course we were assigned to work with
a nonprofit organization to help them in some way. Our group chose to work with Great
Plains Food Bank and made them a tour video of their warehouse. Partners and donors to
Great Plains Food Bank already have access to information by phone, email, pamphlets, and
their website, but a video will give them a better look at what actually goes on at Great Plain
Food Bank. In making this video for Great Plains Food Bank, we considered both Media
Richness Theory and Information and Communication Succession. Media Richness Theory
has to do with richer media being preferred for sending and receiving more complicated or
richer messages. Video is one of the richer mediums so it is a better channel for Great Plains
Food Bank to send the message of what happens at their facility and what they do for the
state. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Succession says that sending a
message over multiple media channels is more effective than over just one. Since Great
Plains Food Bank has a video to share with their partners and donors, this organization now
has one more media channel to use while spreading their work and their mission.
Oral Presentation Number: 60
Mapping History: A Digital Map of Concordia from 1891 - Present
Gillian Miller, Sydney Brewer, Marissa Johnson, Bjorn Altenburg
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Joy Lintelman
Department of History
The purpose of this project is to explore digital tools to create an interactive, digital map of
Concordia College from 1891 to the present in honor of the college’s quasquicentennial. The
theme of this map will be centered around time periods (when they were built, razed,
remodeled, etc.) and will include buildings, monuments, and landmarks of the college, past
and present. The map will also include then and now pictures of the
buildings/monuments/landmarks created by using JuxtaposeJS, and a description of their
history from information in the college archives. The researchers will use ArcGIS online
mapping software, as well as other mapping tools to create a story map from the information
collected. This is a digital humanities project allowing the researchers to utilize digital tools
to record and contribute to both the college’s history and the digital humanities community.
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Oral Presentation Number: 61
Victimization, Compassion, and Intervention in Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen
Minutes
Reilly Myklebust
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
Bullying, victimization, and ridicule from others, especially with regard to adolescents, have
become mainstream concerns. Parents, administrators, and other adults are aware of
adolescents’ ability and need to defend themselves in order to build confidence; however,
they are also aware that sometimes they must intervene. The question is: what strategies of
intervention are most successful when attempting to help those who feel victimized? I have
researched strategies psychologists suggest for intervention, and I have also studied
University of Chicago Martha Nussbaum’s philosophy of compassionate intervention. I am
applying both the philosophy and strategies in a case study of Jodi Picoult’s novel Nineteen
Minutes, which focuses on two characters who suffer from victimization and give way to
violence. A study of this novel, using psychological and philosophical theory of compassion
and intervention leads us to a clearer understanding of what is most and least effective in
predicting positive action versus the development of aggression, and what leads to or can halt
acts such as homicide or suicide.
Oral Presentation Number: 62
Baseball History as American History: Lost Stories of Influential
Ballplayers
Miranda Nelson, Austin Hawkins, Gabriel Foltz, Tyler Storm, Hannah Young, Kiersten
McMahon
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Richard Chapman
Department of History
What comes to mind when thinking about the history of diversity in baseball? For the vast
majority of Americans, Jackie Robinson is the only important story of influence on the game.
Rarely do stories of other African Americans, women, or individuals from other cultural and
racial backgrounds rise to the forefront of discussion. Although the stories of others are not
commonly told, they are important and played a part in shaping the game of baseball. Our
biographical digital media presentation (using Scalar) shines light on six baseball players’
experiences during the twentieth century. The players examined are Ila Borders, Reggie
Jackson, Toni Stone, Joe Grigas, Larry Doby, and Joe DiMaggio. We highlight the struggles
each of the individual players faced, the accomplishments they made, and what mark they left
in history. After viewing our presentation there will be more than a single story that comes to
mind when thinking about the history of diversity in baseball. These are not the only
forgotten stories in baseball, but learning about them helps eliminate the assumption that a
single story of diversity shaped the American pastime.
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Oral Presentation Number: 63
De-stigmatizing South Park: How Television's "Smut" is Socially
Progressive and Intelligent
Joseph Ness
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Kirsten Theye
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
South Park has been one of the most popular, young adult cartoon programs on the air for 17
years. This show has long been criticized and scrutinized for it's crass humor and
inappropriate themes, and has simply been characterized as a low-brow television series with
no moral value. However, by analyzing the deeper elements and meanings behind South
Park's satirical medium, in addition to observing the myriad of academic communication
research on South Park, it can be seen that South Park carries rhetorical significance worth
commending. This argument can be supported by noting the overall critical success the show
has enjoyed, delving into the satirical medium utilized, observing how this show maintains a
high degree of currency and relevancy, and finally offering how the show has demonstrated
itself to be socially progressive through several examples. This research seeks to encourage
opponents of South Park to analyze the show on a deeper level, and break down long held
misconceptions of the program.
Oral Presentation Number: 64
Appealing to Fear: Ebola Outbreak as a Medium of Persuasion
Joseph Ness
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Kirsten Theye
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
In order to analyze the communicative elements of fear appeals, the Ebola crisis was utilized
to demonstrate how fear appeals work and are effective through media outlets. This research
first examines contexts of informational messages and how individuals process fear appeals,
second the research consults the extended parallel process mode for deeper analysis, and
finally the impact of disgust on fear appeals is expressed. Academic journals and current
newspaper literature on the Ebola crisis were used to interweave elements of the crisis with
that of the basic characteristics of fear appeal theory. The analytical research shows that
Ebola fear appeals can distort the reality of a crisis and cause an irrational fear in United
States' citizens.
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Oral Presentation Number: 65
Effect of Water Depth and Habitat Type on Long Lake Productivity
Andrew Olsen, Trevor Grandgenett, Emily Swenson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Michelle Marko
Department of Biology
Primary production is the direct, local energy source to the food web of an aquatic ecosystem.
The contributing producers are mainly phytoplankton, periphyton and submerged
macrophytes. However, the relative contribution from each group can vary across a lake’s
habitats. Long Lake, Becker Co, MN is a moderately productive lake with a variety of habitat
types. In the deep, pelagic waters, the lake develops layers which prevent the exchange of
nutrients from the bottom, anoxic waters with the surface light-penetrated waters. These
temperature and chemical differences can create a vastly different environment in the deep
waters than the shallow, warm well-oxygenated shoreline waters. In this study, we
determined whether chemical composition or productivity were affected by lake habitat type
(sandy shores vs. macrophyte beds) or depth (pelagic vs. littoral).
Oral Presentation Number: 66
Both a Man and Maid: "Twelfth Night" and Jacques Lacan's Mirror
Theory
Sally Pigeon
Faculty Mentors: Dr. David Sprunger, Dr. James Postema
Department of English
Jacques Lacan’s essay “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in
Psychoanalytic Experience” details the discovery of identity, individuality, and wholeness.
The mirror stage is a part of infant development in which a child realizes he is a separate
entity from his reflection, recognizes others as individuals, and begins to learn self-identity. A
child begins going through the mirror stage when he first sees his reflection in a mirror. This
calls up questions of individuality and wholeness, and the process to answering those
questions – who I am, where I fit, what completes me – is the path through the mirror stage.
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Or What You Will, the twins Sebastian and Viola
go through a modified version of the mirror stage when they are reunited after having been
separated in a shipwreck. Lacan’s mirror stage maps out Sebastian and Viola’s journey to
wholeness. They must recognize each other as reflections of themselves to become complete;
they are halves of a whole. This discussion will explore Sebastian and Viola's experience in
the mirror stage.
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Oral Presentation Number: 67
Healthy Heartland: Getting Fargo Moorhead’s Young People Hooked on
Healthy, Affordable Foods
Rachael Pishtek
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Gretchen Harvey
Department of History
Candy, crackers, chips, juice. Products that we know so well and often associate with the
diets of children and teenagers. Snack foods that are supposedly “100% Juice” and contain
“vitamins and minerals” have been consumed and marketed to America’s children for
decades, but are they actually contributing positively to children’s growth and development?
As childhood obesity skyrockets in the United States, so do the marketing campaigns of
several snack food companies. In this research, the history and present of marketing
unhealthy foods will be explored, as well as possible solutions to getting America’s young
people hooked on healthy, affordable foods specifically in the Fargo Moorhead community.
Oral Presentation Number: 68
An Investigation into Aging Dinosaur Fossils
Robert Satterness, Christian Thompson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Ron Nellermoe
Department of Biology
On the paleontology research trips to western Montana over the last few years, a variety of
dinosaur fossils were recovered and restored. Recent studies have determined that it is
possible to estimate the relative age of dinosaur fossils based on their bone structure. A
technique that is increasing in popularity involves mounting, cross-sectioning, and examining
the growth rings of the long bones of these dinosaurs. This procedure was performed in lab
on a number of specimens and their relative ages were estimated and compared to other
research findings.
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Oral Presentation Number: 69
The Indian Lid: Treaty-Based Alcohol Prohibition in Early TwentiethCentury Northern Minnesota
Tom Skinner
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Vincent Arnold
Department of History
Between 1837 and 1867, the U.S. government signed sixteen land cessation treaties with the
Dakota and Ojibwe tribes that eventually formed the state of Minnesota. The overwhelming
majority of these treaties forbade the “introduction and sale of spirituous liquors” in the
“Indian country.” Federal enforcement of these provisions did not begin until the early
twentieth century, under a program that the local press dubbed “the Indian Lid.” From 1909
to 1915, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its special officer force closed over 400 saloons
across 21,000 square miles of north-central Minnesota. Although Indian alcohol consumption
had been forbidden nationwide since 1832, the Indian Lid prohibition was the most ambitious
and far-reaching attempt of its kind. Although nominally racially-based, the Indian Lid
affected 382,191 whites along with 7,196 Minnesota Indians, and the program can be viewed
as one of the first federally enforced prohibitions across a general populace. This paper will
compare the Indian Lid with the most famous instance of prohibition: the eighteenth
amendment of the Constitution and the corresponding Volstead Act which provided for its
enforcement. This study will compare the enforcement efficacies of the two prohibitions
along with the various factors that affected them: their respective agents’ ability, their
bureaucratic structure, government support, and local cooperation and resistance. Ultimately
this paper will demonstrate that the Indian Lid was the more effective prohibition of the two.
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Oral Presentation Number: 70
Comedy in ‘Nam: A Burkean Rhetorical Analysis
Tyler Snelling
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Don Rice
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
On April 4, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered “Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to
Break Silence” at Riverside Church. This speech criticized the Vietnam War and offered
solutions out of the quagmire. The intended audiences were the supporters of the war and
critics of his combined civil rights agenda with the rejection of the war. How did Dr. King
rhetorically approach this goal? From a comic frame, Dr. King’s speech effectively promotes
dissent to the Vietnam War because it created identification and consciousness raising.
Kenneth Burke’s theory of frames, which is similar to ideology, classifies approaches for
interpreting experiences and situations. In a comic frame, evil can be changed because it was
a result of bad choices, whereas in a tragic frame evil is scapegoated onto a single target as an
intrinsic part of the social order. Analyzing Dr. King’s speech from a comic frame reveals
how his speech built identification and consciousness raising. Identification comes from
taking the perspective of the Vietnamese other to explain the horrendous conditions and
terrible US policies leading up to the war. Identification is rhetorically effective because it
humanizes the other, which makes it easier to understand why their suffering isn’t for the
greater good. Consciousness raising comes through this historical narrative and a call for
direct political action and love. Understanding how Dr. King was effective can aid activists in
the continued pursuit for social justice with the US engaged in the War on Terrorism and
other conflicts throughout the world.
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Oral Presentation Number: 71
A Fat Epistemic Inequality: Navigating Credibility Deficits in a Large
World
Tyler Snelling
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Corwin Aragon
Department of Philosophy
Fat Studies has documented many material and psychological injustices against fat people.
Material harms range from pain caused by being forced into small desks and chairs to job
discrimination. Frequently, fat people experience psychological harms like depression due to
being stigmatized as unhealthy and diseased. Fatness is a group identity that tracks people
throughout different contexts. Do these anti-fat biases negatively effect fat people as
knowers? Are fat people restricted from being able to be producers and knowers of
knowledge? My conceptual framework for examining epistemic interactions and testimonial
exchanges comes from Fricker (2007) and Medina’s (2013) work in social epistemology. A
testimonial injustice takes place against fat people when they speak about their own health or
weight and are ignored or not believed. For instance, when doctors assume the illnesses fat
people have are due solely to their weight despite testimony otherwise, there’s a restriction on
that fat person as a knower. The controlling images of fat people distort the hearer’s
perception of the testimony, creating a unique form of epistemic injustice. This epistemic
injustice is sustained through a complex process of socialization that creates different
epistemic vices. Arrogance, closed-mindedness, and laziness are “defense mechanisms” for
anti-fat epistemic injustices. While fat studies scholars analyzed doctors mistreating patients,
new research needs to link these problems to epistemology. Linking the problem to an
epistemic injustice is a prerequisite for changing anti-fatness since sustaining anti-fatness
occurs through an “invisible” socialization.
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Oral Presentation Number: 72
Toward a New Solidarity: Practicing Life-Affirming Theology on Native
American Reservations
Katharine A. Spencer
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Jacqueline Bussie
Department of Religion
How is Christian mission on Native American reservations in the United States a harmful
crusade disguised as humanitarian effort? There are many faith-based non-profits that reside
on reservations, and churches or organizations off the reservations that send youth and/or
adults for short-term projects. This paper does not investigate the effectiveness of each
organization or group specifically, rather a critical analysis of the theology behind “mission”
as it manifests on Native American reservations is the focus. Further, the paper explores ways
of seeing theology such that it restores agency to Native Americans living on reservations.
The central focus region for case studies in this paper is the Pine Ridge Reservation in South
Dakota. Behind the emphasis on Native American reservations in this paper lies the
knowledge that these places are areas in North America where “mission” has been extremely
common, and holds horrifying history in regards to such. The lens placed on this topic is one
that acknowledges long-term spiritual genocide committed through conversion attempts,
abuse, and deception. This not only lies in the past, but is also present when attempts to
“improve” life on reservations lead to disregard for self-empowerment and agency.
Reservations of the United States, such as Pine Ridge, are some of the places experiencing
concentrated and extreme poverty, and many Christians who live in more affluent regions of
the country hear of the problem and attempt to help. Often this leads to a great deal of wealth
distributed unfairly and unwisely, denying life-affirming theology. Short-term mission and
development by Christians in the United States on Native American reservations is a harmful
practice that denies agency. By listening to Native American voices like George Tinker, Vic
Glover, and others who intentionally include indigenous theology in their work, like the
World Council of Churches, life-affirming theology will conceptualize mission differently,
and solidarity and agency will manifest.
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Oral Presentation Number: 73
Operations Research Applied to Scheduling an Intercollegiate Club
Lacrosse League
Nathan Stanelle, Mitch Campion
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Nathan Axvig
Department of Mathematics
The Great Lakes Lacrosse League compromises club lacrosse teams from various colleges
scattered throughout the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions, including Concordia
College. In past league seasons, schedules for all 30-40+ teams have been done by hand by
the league coordinator, which resulted in teams with low skill level consistently being
matched up against the league powerhouses. On top of blow-out games, teams were also
being required to travel unnecessarily far in order to play games against often repeat
opponents. Upon the discovery of these problems, researchers noticed a potential solution to
this problem via the power of operations research in the field of applied mathematics. In
order to set up a mathematical model to solve the scheduling problem, researchers used a
clustering algorithm based on skill level and location in order to come up with the best
arrangement of teams into conferences. Within these conferences, a linear program was
solved that gave each team 8 unique games while also finding a way to schedule these games
within the 6 weekend season format. Initial vetting of the model was done using data from
past years, which produced schedules which could be argued statistically better in
competition level than past years’ actual schedules. Travel distance was shown to be about
equal to past schedules, with lack of improvement being directly linked to the fact that some
of the schedules created in past years used locations and dates that were eventually
unplayable due to cold weather constraints.
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Oral Presentation Number: 74
Deindividuation in Racially Motivated Riots and Group Violence/Crime
Ashley Thompson
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Kirsten Theye
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
The purpose of this project is, first, to define and identify the current findings on the theory of
deindividuation and, second, to explore how this theory may influence the responses of
racially motivated riots and group violence/crime in the US. Deindividuation seeks to
understand how "group mind" comes to be and how an individual loses self-consciousness
and self-awareness in normally inhibited situations. Many radical group incidents have been
described as individuals "losing their minds" or acting "primitive" or " instinctive". With the
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and other supposedly racially motivated cases
taking over the news, racial crimes and riots are becoming more prominent and relevant.
This project investigates the motives of such outcries and the reaction of the authorities and
the general public. Is there a difference between the motives of predominantly white vs
predominantly minority riots/ group violence? Do the reactions to these groups differ? Does
law enforcement treat them equally? To research this topic, I used communication and
psychology peer-reviewed journals to get a better grasp on the theory of deindividuation. The
race section uses both scholarly journals and current media sources such as news sources,
social media, and photography. The audience can benefit from this new look at current
events from a psychological communication perspective. Not only do we need to understand
the mentality of potentially destructive groups, but we also need to think critically about the
way our country has, will, and/or ought to respond to them.
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Oral Presentation Number: 75
Miley Cyrus, the Girl Next Door: A Rhetorical Analysis of Freud's
Psychosexual Development Theory as it Applies to Miley Cyrus' Career
Ashley Thompson
Faculty Mentor : Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
Miley Cyrus has been the subject of much public scrutiny since departing from her clean
Hannah Montana image on Disney Channel. Many believe she has "snapped," “moved too
fast,” or “sought attention” by purposefully breaking social norms in a crude manner.
However, through rhetorical analysis, Miley's behavior can be supported by Frued's theory of
psychosexual development. The worlds of communication studies and psychology come
together to attempt to defend Miley's abnormal behavior as a natural part of development. Is
the world's craziest superstar more normal than the public has previously thought? This oral
presentation seeks to explain Miley’s seemingly scandalous public actions with Freud's
theory, breaking down each stage (oral, anal, phallic, latent, genital) and analyzing Miley's
career development from Disney and beyond, to test if she is, in fact, exhibiting common
developmental behavior. This rhetorical analysis allows us to bring together two interrelated
majors, communication studies and psychology, and allows us to understand this mass media
topic in a brand new, intricate way. Scholarly journals were combined with mass media
communication and current events to analyze Miley’s career in a more relevant manner that
balances expert opinions and public reactions. Miley is one of the world's most famous and
powerful celebrities. It is important to know how someone of her status developed her career
and how we are to responsibly respond to someone in her position when her actions are often
seen as immoral and/or tasteless.
Oral Presentation Number: 76
Get Lit
Aaron Thompson, AJ Eckberg
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology
Light pollution. It’s big. It’s bad. And it’s coming for you. The study of light pollution came
into the realm of academic research in in the 1990’s. Since then the scientific community has
observed the effects of artificial light on trees which affects critters dependent on those trees
for their habitat. Connections have also been drawn between certain cancers and
interruptions in circadian rhythms resulting from atypical periods of light exposure. With a
base of existing secondary research, we analyzed the impact of light pollution on critters,
specifically nocturnal birds and small rodents. Our research project was designed to show
how light can be used effectively to accomplish a goal without contributing to a deteriorating
environment. The problem we tackled is how lighting can reduce unwanted pests by the
compounding effect of aiding nocturnal predators by darkening the sky and lighting areas
critters are found. We then made a formal advisement of how Concordia can improve it’s
current exterior lighting, taking into consideration ecological impact, energy usage, financial
payback, safety concerns and aesthetics.
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Oral Presentation Number: 77
Healing Responses to Rape Victims: A Levinasian Study of Wally Lamb's
"She’s Come Undone"
Jardy Wasmoen
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
While this generation has moved forward in some significant ways with regard to speaking
about rape—what constitutes it and how to treat victims—humanizing those who have been
raped still poses some difficulty because of issues of protection and shame. Because of this
situation, fictional characters often must become the face of the victim if the public is to grow
in understanding and act with positive compassion. Wally Lamb, in his novel She’s Come
Undone, provides a character study through Delores into a victim of rape, showing both
negative responses that deepen the original damage and positive responses that lead to
healing. By applying the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas that calls us to responsibility for
the Other to a literary analysis of this novel and its characters, we can learn how to more
positively respond with action and compassion to victims of rape so that they will be able to
heal and enter into positive relationships, becoming agents in control of their own bodies and
futures.
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Oral Presentation Number: 78
Effects of Prescribed Burning on the Small Mammal Community
Inhabiting a Restored Prairie
Jessica Watson, Peter Bergquist, Brian Bickel
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology
Prairie habitats in North America have been reduced
to 1% of their original area and as a result, many of
the large-scale natural processes that maintained
prairie habitat and prairie mammal communities no
longer function without management. The impact of
fire management on small mammals is not well
known, particularly on restored prairie. We
conducted our study on Concordia College’s Long
Lake Biological Field Station in Becker Co., MN.
Parts of the Long Lake field station were restored to
prairie habitat in 2010 with portions planted as part
of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and
others planted with a seed mix to attract and sustain pollinators. During spring of 2013
portions of the prairie restorations were burned. The other portions were burned in 2014.
Our objective was to examine the impact of fire on the small mammal community and to gain
an understanding of how small mammal populations respond to fire as a management
technique on restored prairie. We conducted small mammal trapping in 2012 prior to, and in
2013 and 2014, following the burns. We captured a total of 166 individuals (in 1,650 trap
nights) representing six species during 2012, 226 individuals (in 1,200 trap nights)
representing five species during 2013, and 109 individuals (in 1,200 trap nights) representing
five species during 2014. Our results in 2013 showed a decrease in captures of small
mammals following the burn on both the CRP and pollinator sites compared to the unburned
sites, but this decrease was less evident in 2014.
Oral Presentation Number: 79
An Autoethnography Examining the Intersectionality of Non-Visible
Disabilites and Gender
John Wiehe
Faculty Mentor : Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
An autoethnography on the intersectionality of non-visible physical disabilities and gender. I
will weave together a personal narrative composed of individual instances about my nonvisible physical disability with the larger sociocultural structures surrounding people with
non-visible disabilities in order to show oppression and perpetuation of oppressive systems
by these very same systems.
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POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Poster Number: 1
27-hydroxycholesterol Contributes to ER+ Breast Cancer Progression via
p53 Signaling
Conor Roche, Shaneabbas Raza
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Othman Ghribi
UND Medical School and Health Sciences, Basic Sciences
Estrogen Receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers account for approximately 75% of all breast
cancer types. Estrogen is synthesized from cholesterol and hypercholesterolemia is associated
with an increased risk of ER-positive breast cancer. Recently the cholesterol oxidized
metabolites (oxysterols) including 27- hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) were found to bind to
ER and act as selective ER modulators (SERM). 27-OHC is the most prevalent cholesterol
metabolite present in the peripheral system. Currently, the cellular mechanism of action of
27-OHC in the context of ER+ Breast Cancer is ill-defined. The goal of the present study is
to determine mechanisms involved in the potential deleterious effects of 27-OHC in breast
cancer cell lines. We found that incubation of the ER+ MCF7 cells with 27-OHC increased
cell proliferation and reduced tumor suppressor protein, p53 activity while incubation of the
ER- MDA MB 231cell line with 27-OHC didn’t induce significant changes in p53 activity or
cell proliferation. Incubation of ER+ MCF7 cells with 27-OHC led to a reduction in levels of
p53 and an increase in levels of E3 ubiquitin protein ligase, Mdm2. Moreover we also found
that incubation of ER+ MCF7 with 27-OHC favors dimerization of p53 and MDM2
presumably for degradation. Furthermore, 27-OHC-induced proliferation on ER+ MCF7 is
attenuated using the p53 activator, Tenovin-1 and the MDM-2 inhibitor, Nutlin-3. Alltogether, our results indicate that 27-OHC may contribute to ER+ breast cancer progression
by disrupting constitutive p53 signaling.
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Poster Number: 2
Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum-Doped Goethite
Seth Randall
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Graeme Wyllie, Dr. Thelma Berquo
Departments of Chemistry and Physics
Our research project looks at the
preparation and characterization of a
series of aluminum-doped goethite
samples. Goethite [α-FeO(OH)] is a
widespread iron oxide-hydroxide mineral
in which the oxygen and hydroxyl anions
are tightly packed in an orthorhombic
lattice. Al3+ and other metal cations can
replace the Fe3+ in the octahedral
position without modifying the structure.
The synthesis of aluminum-doped goethite [Fe1-xAlxOOH] requires specific reaction
conditions as its precursor ferrihydrite has a tendency to form hematite. Chemical analysis
via atomic absorbance spectroscopy was used to measure the iron content in the minerals
produced. Additionally, Mössbauer spectroscopy was utilized to estimate the proportions of
goethite and hematite that formed. This part of the project has focused on the synthesis and
characterization of the resulting products, however it is part of a larger project that examines
how the substitution of iron for aluminum atoms in the lattice affects the magnetic properties.
Poster Number: 3
"None So Opposed": Scandinavian Americans and World War I
Amy Crane, Catrina Linehan, Corinne Burrell, Hannah Young, Vanessa Cruz
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joy Lintleman
Department of History
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase World War I? Oftentimes images of
victory gardens, trenches, and brightly colored propaganda posters make their way to the
forefront of one’s mind. Rarely does this include ethnic Americans. Life for Scandinavian
Americans in the United States during the War is one that was recorded, but not necessarily
talked about. Though government propaganda and the popular media often depicted
immigrants as disloyal during WWI, an investigation of Scandinavians in the Red River
Valley revealed otherwise. Scandinavians who lived in the Red River Valley during World
War I supported the war by planting victory gardens, fighting in trenches, and taking heed of
the propaganda posters just like many others of the time. Although war participation varied
among the Red River Valley Scandinavians, there was not an overall unwillingness to support
the war as the popular media had portrayed. In fact the sentiments varied from cooperative
resignation to enthusiastic, patriotic support. Our poster examines these sentiments of
Scandinavians in the following five areas: attitudes of draft-age men, a farmer’s patriarchal
stance, roles of rural women, English language assimilation, and immigrant targeted
propaganda. Our research was conducted through examination of primary sources in local
archives illustrating the experiences of local Scandinavians.
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Poster Number: 4
Dissolved Oxygen, Biomass and Phytoplankton Density in Long Lake
Danica Seifert, Logan Jacobs, Andrew Leen, Rachel Appert
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Lucas Wandrie, Dr. Nathan Axvig, Dr. Michelle Marko
Department of Biology
Lakes are diverse ecosystems that are comprised of many habitats. These habitats differ in
temperature, organisms present, topography and sediment types. We compared dissolved
oxygen levels and biomass and density of phytoplankton between gravel shoreline with the
cattail shoreline in Long Lake, Detroit Lakes, MN. We found evidence that there was a
positive association between dissolved oxygen and phytoplankton density. We did not find an
association between biomass and dissolved oxygen at our two sites. Further research could
examine this association and determine the importance in regards to lake health.
Poster Number: 5
Perspectives from Former Pre-Health Profession Students on the Decision
to Pursue Different Careers
Rebecca Asheim
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Lindholm Department of Sociology
Every year, dozens of first year students enter college with the intention of pursuing a career
in the medical profession. Amongst the 403 incoming freshman of Concordia College’s Class
of 2018, 62 had declared themselves as pre-professional health students, 35 of which were
specific to medicine. However not all of these students will graduate with the same declared
area of study. Every year, the pool of students still contending for a spot in a medical school
shrinks. Several interviews were conducted on students who made the switch to examine the
exact reasons given by students to explain this. Most reasons could fall into one of three
categories: doubting one’s ability, dissatisfaction with medical lifestyle, and finding a new
and different passion. Further analysis found that many stressors were related to the reasons
students cited for originally deciding to be on the pre-professional track to begin with,
including family and self-pressure. Because a significant portion of the incoming student
body is facing the same questions, knowing concretely the reasons they give for the switch
could help the college better assist students in discerning their desired career path.
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Poster Number: 6
Effects of Macrophytes on Aquatic Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations
Chris Wiger, Sam Olson, Haley Jaeger, Kayla Logelin
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Lucas Wandrie, Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology
Aquatic plants (macrophytes) are found in lakes throughout Minnesota. They provide cover
for fish, substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen, and act as food for some fish and
wildlife. We measured dissolved oxygen levels near three types of macrophyte stands
(Cattail, Chara, Bulrush) and a control site (open water). The sites were located in Long
Lake, near Detroit Lakes, MN. The purpose of this research project is to observe the
dissolved oxygen levels and ascertain if macrophytes would be a viable source for
bioremediation, the use of organisms and plant life to consume and breakdown environmental
pollutants. Our results show that dissolved oxygen levels varied between each of the
locations. Chara and Bulrush increased dissolved oxygen levels in comparison to open water,
which suggests they would be good candidates for bioremediation in oxygen depleted
waters.
Poster Number: 7
Nesting Habits of S. carolinensis and T. hudsonicus on Concordia College
Campus in Moorhead, MN
Katie Black, Elli Emerson, Carley Spiese
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Joseph Whittaker, Dr. Phillip Glogoza
Departments of Biology, Environmental Studies
Sciurus carolinensis (Grey squirrel) and Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus (Red squirrel) are two species of squirrels
found on the Concordia College Moorhead campus. Nest
site selection is crucial for survival as it provides
thermoregulation and protection of food caches. Past
research found that the two species living in the same
microhabitat chose distinctly different tree species
(coniferous or deciduous) and nest heights. Therefore, we
hypothesized that was there would be differential nesting
habitats between T. hudsonicus and S. carolinensis based
on tree species and nest height proportional to the tree
height. In order to determine their nesting behaviors based
on tree species and height, radio-collared specimens were tracked on campus boundaries
using methods of telemetry and hypsometry. We concluded that there was significant
evidence for differential selection of nests based on tree species between the two squirrel
species, although current work will allow us to draw conclusions about the relationship
between squirrel species and the proportion of tree habitat used. Further research could
expand out onto different local colleges of the Fargo-Moorhead area to investigate whether or
not similar patterns between squirrel behavior emerge.
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Poster Number: 8
The Constance Wilde Project: Researching Life in Late Victorian London
James Hakala, Jacey Mitziga
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Watkin
Department of English
Our research was conducted for a historical fiction novel on Constance Wilde, the wife of the
famous playwright, Oscar Wilde. Outside of her relationship with her husband, who was
convicted for gross indecency under a law used in England to prosecute male homosexuals,
Constance’s own writing life, her advocacy for women’s issues, her exploration of religious
and philosophical societies, and the mysterious back and leg pain that perhaps led to her
death just one year after Oscar was released from prison, make this women a rich subject for
exploration. Our goals for this project were to fill in the gaps of Constance’s story, and bring
that story to a wider audience. We grappled with questions about people Constance knew and
what they looked like, interpreted bits of information to decipher the types of relationships
she had with these people, gained an understanding of treatments she underwent for her
medical issues, and much more. We also deciphered and organized over 800 pages of
Constance’s letters, created a detailed timeline of her life, marked an enormous map of
London with places she frequented, and even tried to cook food that she may have eaten. This
information helps to answer larger questions, such as: What details of Constance’s
personality and of the time period help to inform of her life? Was Constance a likeable person
that people of today can relate to? At what point did Constance know that Oscar was gay?
What was it like to be a woman and a feminist in late nineteenth-century England? These are
questions that can never be answered through the study of Oscar Wilde alone, yet they are
critical to our understanding and interpretations of literature, gender, LGBTQ issues, and
even religion and fashion.
Poster Number: 9
Chia Seeds: The Seed Fit for the Gods
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Kim Kafka
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
A variety of studies have been carefully examined to determine the functional and antioxidant
properties of Salvia hispanica, commonly referred to as Chia. Multiple researchers have
conducted studies which found that a diet containing chia may play a role in decreasing risk
factors associated cardiovascular disease such as lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, and
blood pressure. The functional properties of chia can be attributed partly to the high content
of a variety of phenolic compounds, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids which are found in
the seed. In fact, chia has a higher ratio of essential fatty acids than any other natural source.
Researchers determined that chia seeds have a higher concentration of phenolic compounds
than raspberries, pink guava, and garden sage, all of which are noted for having a formidable
phenolic compound content. Chia also has a higher antioxidant activity than other Salvia
species. Chia can be eaten a plethora of ways, making it a practical addition to any diet.
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Poster Number: 10
Influences on Food Choice in College Students
Karlee Black
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Luther Lindholm
Department of Sociology
Eating in an environment with continuously abundant meal options can lead students to
modify food consumption habits and deviate from healthy diets. This study analyzed patterns
in college diet trends to understand what social factors predominately influence college
students as they make food choices and whether or not they lead to maintenance or change of
eating habits. The significance of food choice and meaning was evaluated in the context of
nutrition awareness, environment, and traditions and memories. To research this topic, three
sophomore college students from Concordia College were interviewed. Each interview was
conducted during the participants’ mealtime in Concordia’s Dining Services. Participants
were asked to choose a meal as they normally would and describe what foods they were
eating and why they chose the foods that they did. A series of questions were then asked to
evaluate whether or not the students eat differently while on campus in comparison to at
home. Finally, participants were prompted to discuss food traditions that they follow and
food meanings associated with those practices. Based on the collective data from this study, it
can be concluded that meaning is not being actively applied to food decisions for a select
group of individuals at Concordia College however; meaning could be soliciting if the
participants were probed to do so. Rather, external factors, such as the structure of food
services or sensory processes might more heavily affect the ways in which college students
eat.
Poster Number: 11
Beta Alanine For The Win!
Stephanie Zoccatelli
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
As the fitness and nutrition industry continues to expand more and more people are interested
in performance enhancing (ergogenic) supplements. It is important to be aware of the effects
and safety of these supplements, as to properly advise clients. The aim of this poster is to
investigate the relationship between a specific supplement, beta-alanine (a modified version
of the amino acid alanine), and sports performance; more specifically, high-intensity training.
A review of available research literature indicates that beta-alanine supplementation does
indeed have ergogenic effects when consumed prior to high-intensity, anaerobic exercise and
is most effective when used in combination with creatine monohydrate. It has also been
shown to improve moderate to high intensity cardiovascular exercise performance (e.g.
rowing, sprinting) and muscular endurance. However, it must be noted that further research
is still needed to investigate whether age and gender influence results as well as long-term
effects of supplementation.
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Poster Number: 12
Better Soap through Greener Chemistry
Janelle Jennissen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Graeme Wyllie
Department of Chemistry
Lately, we have seen a movement of sustainability and health
consciousness in the items we consume. Most people focus on food as
the main consumable, but healthy and sustainable consumables does not
end at what we eat. Personal care and cleaning products also tend to be
heavily processed and contain a large number of synthetic chemicals.
But are all of these chemicals necessary? Therefore, an investigation into
the process of making these products with natural and sustainable
ingredients was conducted. The foundation of the production of these
products is saponification, or the reaction to make soap. The theory and
mechanism is quite simple. Mixing oil or fat with a strong base produces
the detergent or surfactant compound, which is what cleans. The initial
goal was to make and refine several recipes of soap. To start, a very
simple soap bar recipe involving only coconut oil and sodium hydroxide was made. By
varying several different oils and bases, a number of other soaps were created, including a
body soap, shampoo bar, and liquid hand soap, all of which vary in the nature of the
ingredients used. Several other products were also created, such as lip balm, lotion, and
deodorant. These were made from the same oils used in the soaps, along with addition of a
few simple ingredients, such as corn starch, borax, and baking soda. A cost analysis of these
was also conducted, considering materials used and waste generated.
Poster Number: 13
Putting a Stamp on America - Exploring German Immigration to the U.S
through Personal Letters
Hannah Prigge, Leonie Sanden, Kassondra Ptak
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Clark
Department of World Languages and Cultures
The research we are doing deals with German immigrants during the first half of the 20th
century. We will discuss possible reasons for their immigration as well as the process of
immigration itself. The main focus of our research is on letters received by the Horn family
who immigrated to the U.S. from Weikerheim, Germany. The letters were sent by their
relatives from Germany in order to stay in contact and contain an ongoing dialogue that show
the struggles of daily life as well as the political climate of the time . We want to research the
life of those immigrants and how they were perceived by the American public as well as by
other Germans. Another focus of our research is on the assimilation of Germans into
American society and culture and reasons for this assimilation. The last topic we want to
cover is the “German imprint” that influences American culture to this day. The significance
of this project can be explained with the hyper-acceleration of globalization that our world
experiences today. As more and more people are impacted by the process of immigration,
actively as well as passively, it is important to study the history of immigration processes.
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Poster Number: 14
Presence of Cortactin in Goldfish Telencephalon
Kayla Tureson, Haidee Reff
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mikel Olson
Department of Psychology
Cortactin, an F-actin binding protein, is concentrated in dendritic spines of hippocampal
neurons in the brain. Cortactin is believed to play a significant role in synaptic remodeling
(Cosen-Binker & Kapus, 2006; Hering & Sheng, 2003). Cortactin has been found to play a
role in many different cell functions, affecting synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation
(Cosen-Binker & Kapus, 2006). Synaptic remodeling is believed to be fundamentally
required for both long-term potentiation and spatial learning (Lynch, 2004). The present
multi-phasic study observed spatial learning in goldfish and analyzed whether proteins
believed to be involved in memory formation were present in the telencephalon brain region
of the goldfish. The first phase examined spatial learning strategies utilized by goldfish in the
navigation of a 4-arm maze. Goldfish were trained to find a food reward using a local visual
cue following a mixed-place cue procedure.The second phase of the experiment utilized
Western blot analyses to determine the presence of cortactin, presenilin 1, and p-CREB in the
telencephalon brain region in goldfish, as these proteins play an role in memory
formation.The telencephalon portion of the goldfish brain was compared to rat and mice
hippocampi, which are known to contain cortactin and presenilin-1. Cortactin was present in
all samples, but presenilin-1 was not found in the goldfish telencephalon. The results for pCREB were inconclusive. This study was the first to find the presence of cortactin in
goldfish, a less-developed vertebrate species, suggesting that its presence has been
evolutionarily preserved across vertebrate species and is an important component in
vertebrate memory formation capabilities. Future research will investigate the changes in
cortactin following spatial learning tasks.
Poster Number: 15
Mindfulness Meditation: The Benefits for College Students Dealing with
Anxiety
Hannah Steffen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michelle Lelwica
Department of Religion
College is said to be the greatest time of a person’s life. It is a time to meet new people, make
life-long friends, and get involved in activities and extra-curricular activities while achieving
the education necessary to prepare oneself for a successful transition into the “real world.”
Yet, all the hustle and bustle between social and academic aspects of a college student’s life,
along with pressure to succeed, can get overwhelming. The constant go go go of a college
student can often cause stress, which at an unhealthy amount can ultimately lead to anxiety.
Since it seems inevitable that a majority of college students are going to encounter stress at
some point, it is important that a college provide their students with a way to manage this
stress. Research suggests that the practice of mindfulness meditation can be beneficial for
college students who deal with anxiety from stress. Offering opportunities for students to
engage in this practice may not only help them stay mentally healthy; it may also free them to
become more responsibly engaged in the world.
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Poster Number: 16
In A Nutshell
Paige Olson
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Almonds are rich sources of multiple nutrients and their consumption is associated with many
health benefits, including lower risk of weight gain and reduced cardiovascular disease risk.
This has prompted recommendations to increase consumption of almonds in the diet.
Epidemiological studies conducted by Richard Mattes document an inverse association
between frequency of almond consumption and body mass index. These clinical trials reveal
little or no weight change occurring when almonds are implemented in the diet. Indication is
largely attributable to the high satiety property almonds have which account for 65-75% of
the energy they provide. Trials conducted by Gary Foster that include and exclude almonds
indicate improved compliance and greater weight loss when nuts are permitted. Almonds
may be included in the diet, in moderation, to enhance taste and nutrient quality without
posing a threat for weight gain which in return may reduce your overall risk for
cardiovascular disease.
Poster Number: 17
Social Perception and Stereotypes in College Aged Students Based on
Physical Attraction
Haley Larson, Heidi Thom, Rachael Schauer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mona Ibrahim
Department of Psychology
Social stereotypes that revolve around perceived physical attractiveness are often linked to
misconceptions of personality. Since past research suggests that those who are perceived to
be more attractive are also associated with more positive personality characteristics, the
purpose of this study was to determine if these social stigmas still exist in today's society. A
total of 72 students obtained from Concordia college in Moorhead, MN were used in a threestage process in order to test this hypothesis. The results showed no significance in regards to
perceived physical attractiveness and its association to positive personality characteristics
(t(29) = -3.066, p<.001 (one-tailed)). The results, even with no significance found, may
suggest a possible shift has occurred in social stereotypes based on perceived physical
attractiveness in relation to one's personality.
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Poster Number: 18
The Low-Down on Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Hillary Rotunda
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Low-carbohydrate diets continue to be popular today. The reason for this is because they
have been seen as effective. People are convinced that the reason they are fat is because of
carbohydrates. The solution in the fad diets today has become low-carb diets. These diets are
detrimental to the dieter’s health. Without carbohydrates, a person will miss out on the
necessary vitamin and minerals, such as niacin, thiamin, iron and magnesium, along with
fiber. Carbohydrates are necessary for brain function, regularity in the digestive system and
energy for each day. When consuming a low-carb diet, it is possible for a person to put
themselves at health risks such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Poster Number: 19
Imran Khan: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Sara Funkhouser
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
From former cricket player to politician, Imran Khan has been a face in Pakistan for the past
few decades. In an effort to understand the present climate and potential future of Pakistani
politics, I researched how this particular figure has risen to prominence. I consider his
popular fame, education, and media attention to his marriage to an English, non-Muslim
woman. Research indicates that he is using his stardom to attempt to bring about both social
and political change. The largest platforms that he supports are ending anti-terrorist actions
within Pakistan, as well as putting an end to government corruption. As he tries to bring
about change in the country, Khan presents an opportunity for Pakistan to become more
independent from external influences. Khan provides Pakistan with the ability to move
toward a more democratic society, sever its ties to the United States, and exit the War on
Terror. While his actions may not be favorable for the United States, Pakistan should choose
a leader that is best for Pakistan. Imran Khan is a viable option to become their new leader.
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Poster Number: 20
The Effects of Nonconscious Motivation on Performance of an Intellectual
Task
Kathryn Bass, Megan Sayler, Valerie Hart
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mona Ibrahim
Department of Psychology
Research on nonconcious motivation has demonstrated the influence of goal priming on
intellectual task performance. Due to conflicting results in the research literature, a
replication study was conducted to investigate the effects of nonconscious motivation on
performance. This study measured the effects of a high-performance priming word search on
a given intellectual task. We hypothesized that administering a high-performance priming
condition would increase the success rate on an intellectual task. A between-subject design
was utilized to test this hypothesis. Participants (n=30) were given an initial word search
(priming or control) and then given three subsequent word searches to serve as the
intellectual task. The number of words found on the intellectual task measured success rate.
The difference between the15 participant high-performance priming group (M=18.67,
SD=3.994) and the 15 participant control group (M=17.67, SD=4.152) was insignificant. No
significant effect was found for high-performance priming t(28)=.672, p=.507. This result
provides further insight to the relationship between nonconscious goal priming and
performance.
Poster Number: 21
Education and Compassion on Behalf of Women: The Lessons and Voices
from Half the Sky
Rachel Schaefer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English, Film Studies
In the news we have recently heard the stories of hundreds of girls kidnapped from their
school by Boko Haram and other atrocities. However, we remain unaware of the thousands of
girls who are trafficked for sex or raped into submission every year. The book Half the Sky,
by American husband-wife journalist team Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, shares the
stories of many women who have been affected by these horrible events. These are voices
that need to be heard. Many may ask what they personally can do to help these women: the
answer comes in the form of education. By applying the philosophical views of Emmanuel
Levinas and Martha Nussbaum, I will discuss how this book has the potential to change
hearts in its readers and contribute to worldwide change through education, helping eliminate
the suffering women endure because of their sex. Education can give women in oppressive
countries the opportunity to learn and advance their status, helping them achieve a form of
protection.
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Poster Number: 22
Synthesis of Salen Manganese Complex: a Model of the Superoxide
Dismutase Enzyme Family
Alexander Hathaway, Janelle Jennissen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Graeme Wyllie
Department of Chemistry
Superoxide dismutases are a family of enzymes that takes free radicals and converts them
into harmless substances. In biology, free radicals such as superoxide disrupt biological
systems and can cause irreparable damage to DNA and other cellular structures. The
superoxide dismutase enzymes are however, complex molecules and can be difficult to
isolate and purify. Model compound chemistry often focuses on making simple models of
complex bio-molecules and comparing properties of the model with the naturally occurring
system. In the case of the superoxide dismutases, the complex [Mn(Salen)Ac] has been
postulated to possess superoxide dismutase-like properties and this was investigated in the
inorganic laboratory. Initially, the free base [H2(salen)] was synthesized and the structure and
purity confirmed via UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy and melting point determination. After
synthesis of the salen complex the product was metalated with manganese to form
[Mn(Salen)Ac], our superoxide dismutase model complex. The ability of this to react with
superoxide radicals was determined by spectroscopy. Superoxide radicals can be generated
in-situ through the reaction of xanthine oxidase with xanthine and these are known to be able
to react with the heme protein cytochrome c resulting in an observable change in the
spectrum of the cytochrome c. By looking at the reaction of superoxide radicals with a heme
protein cytochrome c in the presence and absence of our [Mn(Salen)Ac] complex, we can
determine if our model complex possess superoxide dismutase properties.
Poster Number: 23
Hot Spot Formation: An Analysis of Erosion in Tharsis Montes
Anne Beck, Krista Bjork, Vince Colbrunn, Kailie Kennedy, Paige Olson, Theresa Vitt
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Luiz Manzoni, Dr. Heidi Manning
Department of Physics
The Tharsis Montes volcano range was very interesting to us as a lab group. We wanted to
see if the three volcanoes that make it up were formed by a hot spot. This was an intriguing
idea because not only could it show comparison to Earth’s own shield volcanoes and how
they were formed, but could also show that tectonic activity existed on Mars. We decided to
look at the relative age of the volcanoes by counting craters. The volcano with the most
craters would be the oldest, and the one with the least would be the youngest. Our research
proved this hypothesis by showing that Ascraeus Mons is the oldest volcano, and Arsia is the
youngest. Below is our detailed research and findings.
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Poster Number: 24
Martian Volcano Age in the Tharsis Montes Region
Jonathan Fondell, Emma Stein, Kristin Luistro, Jack Hinz, Chase Nelson, Benjamin Glogoza,
Rosina Halverson Studer, Ahna Van Valkenburg, Rachael Cammarn, Katie Dosland
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heidi Manning
Department of Physics
Students of Introductory Astronomy, in association with Arizona State University Space
Program, through the Mars Student Imaging Program, conducted research to determine the
crater density on five volcanoes in the Tharsis Montes Region on Mars in order to see if there
is a pattern indicative of age based on their locations. To gather the necessary data, tools such
as JMARS and THEMIS Imaging System were used. Pictures of the surface of Mars were
gathered and the craters on each image were counted to calculate their crater density. Based
on the data collected, it was determined that four of the five volcanoes had a pattern
indicative of age. This relative age pattern suggests a possible trend due to a hotspot, and thus
the possibility of past tectonic activity on Mars.
Poster Number: 25
Cloning Trypanosoma brucei genes and analyzing their role in lipid droplet
function and biogenesis
Paige Borst, Alexandra Buck
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Flaspohler
Department of Biology
Trypanosoma brucei, a bloodborne parasite of both humans and animals, has long been a
public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for up to 10,000 human fatalities
per year. T. brucei is the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also
known as African Sleeping Sickness. This disease is transmitted by the bite of the tsetse
insect vector. Parasites multiply in the blood and lymph and untreated cases inevitably result
in death. This disease is greatly under-researched as it only affects populations with high
poverty rates. Currently, few effective treatments exist, but by obtaining a better
understanding of T.brucei genetics and physiology it is hoped that potential drug targets can
be identified. T. brucei is a single-celled eukaryote that possesses lipid droplet organelles. It
is unknown whether or not the function of lipid droplets is essentially for the organism’s
survival. However, it is hypothesized that this organelle may be important for the parasite to
maintain proper lipid homeostasis and other critical metabolic processes. In an attempt to
learn more about lipid droplet function and biogenesis, we identified and cloned six genes
from the T. brucei genome. We report here the cloning of these genes from the T. brucei
genome into a T. brucei expression vector designed to express an epitope-tag. These genes
along with the epitope-tags would allow for the potential mapping of these genes functions
within the trypanosome. In the future we hope to extend this research toward the
identification of potential drug targets in T. brucei.
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Poster Number: 26
Atmospheric Data Analysis from the Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument
Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover
Kim Haley, Matthew Lillehaugen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heidi Manning
Department of Physics
The Sample Analysis on Mars (SAM) scientific payload aboard the Mars Science Laboratory
(MSL) is designed to analyze both atmospheric and solid samples. In atmospheric tests, a
quadrupole mass spectrometer ionizes molecules and determines their abundance by
measuring their mass-to-charge ratio. While complex organic molecules are more likely to be
found in soil samples, the abundance of molecules like water, ozone, and hydrogen cyanide
could be detected by the atmospheric analysis and would present a key component in the
search for life – both past and present – on Mars. They also play an important role in
determining the plausibility of future habitation of the Red Planet. In our project, we analyzed
the relative abundances of various molecules, including those mentioned above. We also
automated a process to account for the technical limitations of the fractional mass-to-charge
measurements.
Poster Number: 27
Stem Cell Therapy in Ischemic Stroke Patients
Lauren Spaeth
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Larson
Department of Psychology
Stroke is a cognitive, disabling disorder that affects many people worldwide, especially a
type of stroke called ischemic, which makes up roughly 80 percent of strokes. A stroke is
caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, hypoxia, usually because of a clot. After a stroke
occurs, there is a prime window of approximately four hours to treat a patient but many
patients do not make it. Therefore, there have been long-term therapies developed in order to
help rehabilitate areas of the body that are affected because of the damage in the brain but
they only work after the damage has already been done. However, recently, there has been
new research on the administration of stem cells in the brain to reduce the neural damaged
caused by hypoxia studied in rodents and primates. Introduction of stem cells would form
new circuits and mechanisms in the brain to protect the brain from injury and would be a
valuable tool for recovery.
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Poster Number: 28
Transcriptome Differences in the Hippocampus of the MRL/MpJ Model of
SLE and C57BL/6 Wild-Type Mice
Rachel Goertzen, Ciara Duffy-Gideon, Jadin Heidrich, Andrea Franz
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Susan Larson, Dr. Krys Strand
Departments of Psychology, Biology, Neuroscience
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex
autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. SLE affects
several organs, including the brain, and up to 80% of adults
with SLE experience neuropsychiatric manifestations such
as memory impairment, mood disorders, stroke or seizure
(Denburg 1997, Muscal and Brey 2010). The MRL-lpr
mouse is the preferred model for studying neuropsychiatric
lupus (NPSLE). These mice have a mutation in the proneurolex.org
apoptotic gene Fas. They develop peripheral and central
lupus-like symptoms and exhibit behavioral heterogeneity congruent with human SLE.
The MRL-lpr2 strain also has a mutation in Fas but does not display lupus-like symptoms as
severely as the MRL-lpr strain. The MRL-+/+ congenic strain lacks the Fas mutation, but
may display lupus-like symptoms later in life. Both MRL-lpr2 and MRL-+/+ strains serve as
controls. The wild-type strain, C57BL/6, has also been used widely as a control, but it shares
limited background with the MRL model and is behaviorally quite different than the MRLs.
To further investigate those differences, and to determine the appropriateness of C57BL/6
mice as a control for the MRL strains, we measured behavior and cognitive function as well
as hippocampal gene expression differences common to the three MRL strains and C57BL/6
mice. Mice were tested for exploration in an open field and on an elevated plus maze, novel
object recognition, passive avoidance learning, and hedonics. Hippocampal global gene
expression was measured using single-color microarrays. We chose the hippocampus as
many behavioral differences associated with lupus-prone MRLs are mediated by activity of
this brain structure.
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Poster Number: 29
Tail Suspension Test (TST) Analysis of Lupus-Prone Mice using Noldus
Ethovision XT 10.1
Emily Luckhardt, Ciara Duffy- Gideon, Jadin Heidrich, Rachel Goertzen, Emily Puckett
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Krys Strand, Dr. Susan Larson
Departments of Biology, Psychology, Neuroscience Program
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multifaceted autoimmune disease of unknown
etiology with variable symptomology that can damage the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and
joints. As many as 80% of adults with SLE experience neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSLE),
which include headache, seizures, psychosis, cerebrovascular disease, cerebral neuropathy,
movement disorders, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorders (Denburg 1997, Muscal and
Brey 2010). The MRL-lpr mouse model is particularly useful for studying NPSLE. The
lupus-like symptoms are presumably due to the insertional mutation in the pro-apoptotic gene
Fas and are observed in MRL-lpr mice by week 8, becoming severe by weeks 18-24 (Sakic
1997, 2004). Differing by less than 0.1% in the genome from MRL-lpr, MRL-+/+ are wildtype for Fas, and do not display accelerated lupus-like syndrome, rather they exhibit some
symptoms later in life. The purpose of our experiment was to measure signs of depressivelike behavior associated with manifestation of SLE symptoms. To do so, we compared
differences in immobility recorded during the Tail Suspension Test (TST) in 18-week-old
male mice of both MRL-lpr and MRL-+/+ strains. A significant portion of our study
involved learning
and optimizing
the Noldus
Ethovision XT
10.1 behavior
tracking software
to accurately
measure immobility on the Tail Suspension Test. By analyzing videos of the TST captured on
a digital camera, we were able to obtain more reliable results compared to scoring by hand,
which has produced considerable inter-rater differences. In future work, we will apply the
Ethovision tracking software to other behavioral tests in our study for which we have stored
videos.
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Poster Number: 30
Investigating the Relationship Between Serum C3 Levels and
Neuropsychiatric Lupus in Female Mice of the MRL Model
Molly Larson, Rachel Goertzen, Andrea Franz
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Krys Strand
Department of Biology, Neuroscience Program
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that affects as many
as 1.5 million Americans, mostly women. It targets many organs and tissues and can produce
neuropsychiatric symptoms such as seizures, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorders. SLE
is difficult to diagnosis due to the range of symptoms present in affected individuals. One
way to assess SLE is by measuring inflammatory mediators involved in the immune system
response. C3 is a central molecule in the complement system as it is involved in all three of
the complement pathways. It can cause tissue damage by releasing histamine from mast cells
www.twiv.tv/classical-complement.jpg
to contract smooth muscle and increase vascular permeability. Research suggests that C3 may
be a biomarker for changes in behaviors related to SLE. The MRL-lpr mouse model is used
to study SLE and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms because it closely resembles many
of the peripheral and central manifestations of SLE in humans. We measured serum C3 levels
in female MRL-lpr and control strains at ages reflecting presymtpomatic, mildly symptomatic
and severely symptomatic stages of SLE. We compared C3 levels across strains, ages, and
performance on tasks measuring various behaviors and cognitive function to investigate
whether there is a relationship between C3 levels and cognitive changes in the MRL-lpr
animals. Previously, our lab found differences in serum C3 levels associated with avoidance
learning, exploration, and anhedonia in male lupus-prone MRL-lpr mice. We hypothesize
that C3 levels in female MRL-lpr mice will vary with changes in these and other behavioral
tasks.
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Poster Number: 31
That Hideous Strength: Charles Williams’s Arthuriad Reimagined
Tom Skinner
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Roy Hammerling
Department of Religion
Critics have long noted that That Hideous Strength (THS), the third novel in C.S. Lewis’s
Space Trilogy, departs in tone and content from its predecessors. Brian Aldiss called it “antiscience fiction,” Raymond Thompson “mythopoeic fantasy.” However, one crucial influence
on THS hat explains the problem, namely Charles Williams Arthurian poem cycles, Taliessin
Through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars. Lewis and Williams were dear friends
and members of the Inklings literary club. Williams’s death in 1945 clearly influenced both
Lewis and THS, published the same year. This assertion alone is not new; THS has even been
called a "Charles Williams novel by C.S. Lewis.” But the extent to which this is true has been
overlooked. Critics have noticed Lewis’s conception of “Logres;” Lewis, like Williams, used
it to mean both Arthur’s kingdom and a sacred realm in opposition to earthly evil. But
Lewis’s dialectic argument and counterpoint to Logres, Britain, is often missed, as well as
any interpretation on the novel’s villains. Critics have read the novel as “Science vs Faith,”
“chaos vs order,” or “Romance vs Gothic offspring.” All define the Arthurian legend, but it is
only one side of the coin. Williams influence, however, is more ubiquitous. The forces of
good, evil and the world itself are all, in some essence, influenced by Williams. This paper
offers an original reading of Williams’s Arthurian poetry cycles and their profound influence
on Lewis’s novel.
Poster Number: 32
Linking In: A Comparative Approach to Defining Data Science
Zach Lipp
Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Reber
Department of Mathematics
Growing up at the turn of the millenium, we often heard that our future careers may not yet
exist. In 2015, the premier example of this futuristic career is the data scientist. Data science
is the hottest new profession, offering great pay, high demand, and - of all positions listed on
GlassDoor - the best work-life balance. A substantial problem, though, is defining the role of
a data scientist. Most claim data scientists are a crossbreed between statisticians and
computer scientists. Here, I answer the question, "What is a data scientist NOT?" True to my
subject area, I find the answer quantitatively. Building upon past research, I use data mined
from the professional social media website LinkedIn. I mine from several different careers to
identify what - if anything - makes data scientists unique. As always, expect graphs. Anyone
curious about statistics, computer science, or data science would enjoy this poster
presentation.
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Poster Number: 33
Expression of RNA Binding Proteins In Heart Development: Implications
For ARVC
James Laskey
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Randy Daughters, Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Stem Cell Institute (University of Minnesota), Department of Biology
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a disorder caused by mutations
in desmosomal proteins that lead to cell death, fibrosis and cardiac conduction abnormalities
primarily in right ventricular cardiomyocytes (CM). A significant number of mutations that
have been associated with ARVC patients have been found in Plakoglobin (Jup), a gene
known to be involved in cell-to-cell communication at intercalated disks. The increased
severity of right versus the left ventricular pathology may suggest a fundamental difference in
the effect of Plakoglobin mutations during early cardiac development. In this study we sought
to investigate the regulation of Plakoglobin expression during cardiac progenitor cell
specification. Using iPSC and CRISPR gene editing technology, we have developed an invitro model of ARVC for investigating the effects of Plakoglobin mutations during early
heart field formation. We generated patient specific mutations in the Plakoglobin gene (Jup)
of mouse iPS cell lines derived from first heart field (FHF; Nkx2.5) and second heart field
(SHF; Isl1) reporter mice. We demonstrate decreases in expression of desmosomal and gap
junction genes in Plakoglobin deficient (Jup -/+) induced cardiomyocytes (iCM) that are
consistent with abnormalities seen in ARVC cardiomyocytes. In addition, we found that these
changes are more prominent in iCM’s derived from SHF derived cells then those from FHF
derived cells. We show that this effect is due to differential expression of Plakoglobin
isoforms through alternative spicing that preferentially includes the disease mutation in SHF
derived cells compared to FHF derived cells. This effect is also seen in adult ARVC
cardiomyocytes as well as induced cardiomyocytes derived from patient hiPSC’s. These
studies demonstrate the utility of using cutting edge technologies for identification of
mechanistic and developmental aspects of disease pathology that have traditionally been
difficult to investigate.
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Poster Number: 34
GAPDH Gene Sequenced in Helianthus maximiliani
Elizabeth Balstad, Peter Bergquist, Thea Gessler, Narmeen Hashim, Matthew Jacobson,
Andrew Olsen, Emily Puckett, Thomas Walter
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carol Pratt
Department of Biology
The goal of this research was to clone and sequence the gene encoding glyceraldehyde-3phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in Helianthus maximiliani. GAPDH is a highly
conserved housekeeping gene whose protein product is involved in glycolysis. Genomic
DNA was isolated from H. maximiliani. PCR was conducted using degenerate primers
specific for the GAPDH gene. The resulting product underwent nested PCR and was
analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The 1 kb PCR product was purified, cloned into vector
pJET1.2, and transformed into Escherichia coli. Plasmids were isolated, cut by restriction
enzymes, and analyzed by gel electrophoresis to verify the insert size. Plasmid preps 1
through 3 contained no insert and were discarded; preps 4 and 5 did and were analyzed. They
were divided into four groups and separately combined with primers pJETF, pJETR, pGAPF,
and pGAPR for sequence analysis. The H. maximiliani GAPDH gene was successfully
sequenced with a depth of coverage of eight. The resulting sequence will be submitted to
GenBank and be valuable for future study of GAPDH genes, glycolysis, and plant
evolutionary relationships. Additional replications of the sequence should be conducted to
confirm the results.
Poster Number: 35
Current Knowledge and Perceptions of Evolution on the Concordia
Campus
Allison Cassell, Rachel Dieter, Emma Eckberg, Audrey Gunn, Timothy Nelson, Jenna
Scarbrough
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Department of Biology and Environmental Studies
The theory of evolution, first fully articulated by Charles Darwin over 150 years ago, is of
fundamental importance to an understanding of biology, medicine and the history and future
of our planet, yet misconceptions and fears of the idea of evolution abound. We conducted a
survey to assess acceptance, perceptions and basic understanding of evolution amongst
students and faculty of Concordia College and compared our findings with a similar study of
Minnesota high school and college biology students conducted in the Twin Cities in 2006.
We compared responses between faculty and students, disciplines, and religious affiliations
to determine the extent to which knowledge and viewpoint were associated with these
different aspects of identity. Our findings should serve as a springboard to a lively debate on
the dangers of scientific ignorance in a technologically-driven world, perceptions of conflict
between science and religion, and the extent to which Concordia reflects, or fails to reflect,
prevailing societal norms.
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Poster Number: 36
Why Should I Breastfeed?
Marta Prosinski, Laura Prosinski
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bailey-Dejong
Department of Nursing
As future nurses, it will be our responsibility to apply the most recent, evidence-based
nursing care to our patients. One main component of nursing care is patient education.
Patient knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother is often lacking, and so
we decided to conduct research and create a poster that explored the impact of breastfeeding
on a mother’s health. Eight scholarly journal articles were used as sources of information.
Topics that were addressed on the poster were the benefits of exclusively breastfeeding for
one year, the common reasons why mothers choose to not breastfeed or discontinue
breastfeeding early, and evidence-based methods to promote breastfeeding. This poster was
presented at the North Dakota Breastfeeding Association Conference on October 23, 2014.
Poster Number: 37
Breastfeeding the Premature Baby
Lindsay Erickson, Jenna Posch
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bailey-Dejong
Department of Nursing
We performed a Literature review on breastfeeding the premature baby. Covered within the
poster is the significance of breastfeeding, barriers to breastfeeding the premature baby, and
actions or interventions to appropriately breastfeed a premature infant. This poster was
presented at the North Dakota Breastfeeding Association Conference this past October.
Poster Number: 38
My (Your) Depiction of Mental Health
Jasmine Lara
Faculty Mentor: Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art, Women's Studies
Mental health is a prominent (and growing) part of a majority of society; whether one
experiences a mental illness or knows someone who does, mental illnesses affects everyone.
Through personal statements and gathered research, the researcher generated information that
depicted how those who suffer from mental illness view themselves and how they feel
depicted by society. These recollections were interpreted by the researcher and expressed
through painting and print.
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Poster Number: 39
Diseases of Poverty and Public Health
Soren Bakken-Heck, Jeremy Houser, Derek Whitehill
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
To address public health in an ethical and equitable way requires that we, as a society,
collectively assure the conditions for people to be healthy. Widespread public health relies on
the interdependence of people. As such, it is important that individuals understand and
actively participate in their own health, the health of their communities and the overall
welfare of those in need. Poverty associated diseases (PADs) are widespread in developing
countries and underserved populations in the developed world, afflicting an estimated 60
million Americans alone. Recently, these diseases have begun to garner more attention,
while scientists and economists, among others, express growing concerns over the 10/90 gap
(10% of global health resources are concentrated toward 90% of the global disease burden).
This disparity is due, in part, to the financial priorities of large biopharma investments. This
raises both ethical and humanitarian concern, as PADs receive disproportionately little
attention or funding due to the low return on investment. To combat these diseases will
require paradigm shifts in funding, health advocacy, policy and public awareness. As
research advances toward identifying novel ways to reduce suffering and prevent PADs, the
most comprehensive approach to achieving these goals remains advocacy and awareness of
our interdependence and responsibilities as members of our immediate and global
communities. Raising awareness to these public health concerns is our way of being
responsibly engaged, as we play our small role in carrying this mission forward.
Poster Number: 40
Art, Interfaith and Online Presence: Expanding the Peace Making Power
of Art
Andrew Carlson, Jessica Epple
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Ahlfeldt
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
The interfaith movement in today’s society is a crucial step toward ending much of the
world’s conflict. It calls us celebrate our different worldviews and use them to better our
world through dialogue. The interfaith movement has used many mediums to advance its
cause, but one of particular interest is visual art. Art allows for creative expressions that
bridges cultural and religious boundaries. It connects all human beings. The Spirit Room, a
local nonprofit, uses art to foster constructive dialogue between people of different faith and
non-faith traditions. We were given the opportunity to further the Spirit Room’s mission of
spreading interfaith awareness by creating an online art gallery. This gallery features the
works currently on display at their location in downtown Fargo. Past research has shown that
online presence can greatly increase the success of an organization. Equipped with an online
gallery, the Spirit Room can more actively engage a wider audience in interfaith dialogue.
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Poster Number: 41
Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Responds to Changes in Plant
Host in a Former Agricultural Site
Heather Campbell
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Department of Biology
Growing native grass species as biofuel may be a viable alternative to conventional
agriculture, because native species require minimal fertilization and are beneficial from a
conservation standpoint, by increasing habitat for other native species. However, converting
agricultural lands to native species may be difficult if the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
(AMF) community has been altered. AMF form mutualistic relationships with the roots of
most plants, where the fungi assist in water and nutrient uptake in exchange for carbohydrates
from the host. While weed and crop plants are often unresponsive to AMF, many native
species appear to depend on AMF for establishment. To gain an understanding of how
species richness changes when an agricultural field is restored to native species, a field
experiment was used to determine the effect of different plant species, including native,
exotic, and agricultural plants, on AMF communities. Based on molecular identification of
fungal DNA from root samples, AMF species richness differed among the plant species.
Currently, we are comparing spore species richness of AMF between soils from these plots.
While corn and the native plant species mix were equally effective at generating AMF
diversity, the presence of native plant species appears to be critical for the prevalence of
particular AMF genera. Plant species differed in the species richness of AMF that they
supported, but no consistent differences in AMF species were evident among corn, exotic
weeds and native prairie plants. The importance of different AMF for successful
establishment of native plant biofuels remains to be tested.
Poster Number: 42
Carrion Decomposition
Liam Nuhring, Luke Lageson, Matthew Bonk, Nate Adameitz, Michael McCarthy
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe, Dr. Joseph Whittaker
Department of Biology
Decomposition occurs in every ecosystem on Earth and is an important part of nutrient
cycling. The rates at which decomposition occurs can vary. Since rates of decomposition are
affected by temperature and moisture one would expect decomposer abundance and
decomposition rates to be highest in warm and wet environments and lowest in cooler dry
environments. Decomposition was studied across forest, marsh, and prairie habitats at Long
Lake. Chicken thighs were left to decompose in each habitat for two weeks during October.
Temperature, relative humidity, percent mass loss and invertebrate abundance were measured
over the course of the experiment. Although temperature, relative humidity and invertebrate
abundance were highest in marsh, there was no significant relationship between habitat and
decomposition. Perhaps because decomposition is very slow in late fall, we did not observe
an effect of habitat on decomposition rate.
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Poster Number: 43
There's an App for That
Lauren Peterson
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals continues to grow in the United States
and is of high concern for the public health. The risk of chronic disease can be reduced by
maintaining a healthy weight, which can be achieved through weight loss. Methods of weight
loss promotion such as self-help books, diet books and computer programs have not helped
with the obesity epidemic. Advances in technology have created heath related applications
(apps) to promote lifestyle changes through diet, weight loss and physical activity. Many
individuals wonder how accurate and effective these apps are. Research has shown that the
effectiveness of these apps depends on the engagement of the individual using the app. Many
health related apps are used in the short term, but it has been shown that apps with long-term
effects of behavior change are ones that keep the individual engaged in using the app through
games and competitions rather than evidence based information or strategies.
Poster Number: 44
Allosteric Effect on Km for αKG with ATP
Spencer Nelson, Derek Whitehill
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
Our experiment focused on allosteric regulation of ATP on the reaction αKG + NH3 +
NADPH à Glu + NADP+. We examined reaction rates to determine the effects of varying
concentrations of ATP on the forward reaction. We looked at how ATP effected the kinetic
rate of changing α-ketoglutarate to glutamate. Analysis of the data was done using
Lineweaver-Burk plots, finding the Km values for the varying concentrations of ATP. A plot
of Km vs ATP and 1/Vmax vs ATP, shows the impact of ATP on these parameters.
Poster Number: 45
Determining the Km of Ammonia with ATP as an Allosteric Inhibitor of
GDH
Carissa Rodenbiker, Corie Neugebauer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork Department of Chemistry
The mechanism of regulation of the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in E. coli is
still poorly understood. In this experiment, ATP was examined as a possible allosteric
effector of the reverse reaction of GDH: the conversion of α-ketoglutarate and ammonia to
glutamate. By using saturating concentrations of NADPH and α-ketoglutarate and varying
concentrations of ammonia, we measured the allosteric effect of ATP on the KM of NH3.
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Poster Number: 46
The Unbeatable Beet: A Nutritious Super Food
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Rachel Mullin
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Beta vulgaris, or beet, is a plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It has numerous cultivated
varieties, the most well-known of which is the root vegetable known as the beetroot. Beets
are a vegetable and a natural super food that offers powerful health and nutritional benefits;
beet juice may boost stamina to help you exercise longer, improve blood flow, and help lower
blood pressure. Recent studies on beets have shown the impact that this super food can have
on our health. Incorporating beets into regular dietary intake can be easy, delicious, and
nutritious. This root vegetable has lived up to the super food hype that society has given it; in
a culture currently facing an epidemic of chronic disease, giving beets a try might be more
worth it than one might think.
Poster Number: 47
Relationship Dynamics: Comparison Between Dual-Earning Families and
Single-Earning Families
Camrie Vlasak, Sarah Kemp, Ger Xiong, Ali Kovash, Olivia Berglund, Nina Due
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Ahlfeldt
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
Relationship dynamics for couples have been researched for decades. In this study, we
examine the different aspects of relationship dynamics for dual-working couples and singleworking couples, in terms of communication, domestic distributions, and emotional wellbeing. This study was conducted with interviews consisting of four couples, two with both
spouses in the workforce and two with a spouse that stays at home. A contextual analysis of
these interviews was conducted and the data showed that relationship dynamics differ
between dual working and stay-at-home couples because of the three previously stated
aspects. These factors were consistent with previous research and expanded upon in this
study.
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Poster Number: 48
It's Time to Grow Up; Vertical Farming
Mari Johanna Christianson
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Throughout the years, humans have transformed from hunter-gatherers into urban dwellers.
With an estimated 50% of the population living in urbanized areas, providing adequate food
to these places has become a challenge. As the number of people living in cities increases, we
must look for new agricultural techniques. Vertical farming provides an alternative to
conventional farming that has a wide range of designs with economic as well as
environmental benefits all the while providing food security to people in densely populated
urban areas. Although the concept of vertical farming is a relatively new one, it seems to
provide a bright outlook for the future of agriculture.
Poster Number: 49
High Impact Leadership Trip: 2 Case Studies
Joleen Baker, Erica Bjelland, Katie Black,
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Kenneth Foster, Anthony Farmer
Department of Global Studies, Residence Life
High Impact Leadership Trips (HILT) are student led and developed experiential learning
trips that focus on sustainability leadership. The purpose of these trips are to inspire action
back on campus with student-led sustainability initiatives, and focus on both local and global
implications of each trip’s theme. For the California HILT, the objective of the trip was to
study the importance and practicality of sustainable, organic agriculture as a way to sustain
communities. For the Washington, DC HILT, the objective of the trip was to understand how
students can impact policy-making and create change at the individual, community, and
federal levels of organization. Student leaders were responsible for organizing meetings with
various groups in in order to facilitate dialogue and give students the opportunity to explore
leadership positions through discussions. Students on the Washington DC HILT met with the
Minnesota congressmen, NGOs, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and The Oberlin Project. in
order to see the roles that time and scale played in making sustainable change. Social justice,
environmental protection, economic development and their relation to policy-making were
explored. Students on the California HILT interacted with organic farmers in a variety of
ways including touring and volunteering on farms, visiting farmer’s markets, dining at Farmto-Fork restaurants, and meeting members of the community who are working to promote the
sustainable agriculture scene. Students learned about what it takes to work on a farm, how
farms become organically certified, and how they are able to educate the community on such
practices.
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Poster Number: 50
The Apologetic Sweet Spot, Concurrent Grievance Sharing, and Apologia
Acceleration
Jackson Yakowicz
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kirsten Theye
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
When a public figure is accused of a negative action, that person often chooses to manage his
or her reputation through apologia. Rhetorical scholars have long agreed that apologia
statements (regardless of whether they admit to, deny, or mitigate the accusation) must hit a
“sweet spot” of timing. In this essay, we draw upon research in rhetorical studies and
interpersonal communication to reexamine the assumptions about the timing of apologia in
the age of social media. We argue that the nature of social media creates the conditions for
concurrent grievance sharing, which allows the accused to fully understand the depth and
scale of the negative action in a matter of minutes. This acceleration of grievance sharing and
resulting apologia have caused the “sweet spot” in apologia to shift dramatically earlier.
Poster Number: 51
Food Production on Concordia College's Campus
Adam Domitz, Kevin Lattu
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ken Foster
Environmental Studies
This poster explores the feasibility of a second high tunnel on Concordia's campus, whose
purpose would be the production of fresh organic crops for DS. The presentation will cover
the functionality of high tunnels and their benefits over other production methods, other
schools' models of food production, and ways of addressing the logistical problems of
expanding Cornucopia, Concordia's organic student farm. Particular logistical concerns
include high opportunity crops, economic concerns, potential growing sites, "production
planning" process, and potential operation and management strategies. Lastly, a potential
business plan will presented. This research was funded by the Sustainability Applied
Research (SARP) grant, and is therefore meant as a potential project for Concordia College to
undertake. The sum of this research will be presented in a proposal form to the Presidents
Sustainability Council.
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Poster Number: 52
The Effect of Different Breathing Techniques on Rated Perceived Exertion
(RPE) and Heart Rate Recovery after Submaximal Exertion in Collegiate
Hockey Players
Rylan Henley, Andrew Deters
Faculty Mentor: Anita Gust
Department of Exercise Science
Heart rate recovery and its correlated cardiovascular
recovery are important factors for athletes who need
to perform at a high level with limited time to
recover. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
the effect of four different breathing protocols on
heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion
(RPE) in collegiate level hockey players.
Participants (N=20, 10 male, M=21.6±1.6 years, and
10 female M=20.6±1.1 y ears) ran on a treadmill
until 80% age-predicted max heart rate was
achieved. Upon achieving the predetermined HR,
participants recovered in a sitting position for two
minutes, using one of the four breathing techniques
(normal breathing, deep breathing, nose breathing,
and controlled hyperventilation) for the first 30
seconds of recovery, followed by 90 seconds of
regular breathing. HR was recorded every 30 seconds and RPE was recorded after two
minutes of recovery. This procedure was repeated for each of the four breathing techniques
on two separate days. Results from a repeated-measures one-way ANOVA, sphericity
assumed, revealed no significant differences for females on post-exercise HR at all four time
intervals or RPE. For males, significant differences were found for HR between breathing
protocols at 30 seconds (F=9.18, 3, p≤.050) and 60 seconds (F=2.93, 3; p≤.05). Pairwise
comparisons found post exercise heart rates for controlled hyperventilation significantly
different from normal breathing (MD = -13.2 bpm), deep breathing (MD=-11.2 bpm) and
nose breathing (MD =-6.9 bpm) at 30 seconds, and nose breathing significantly different
from normal breathing (MD = -7.2 bpm) at 60 seconds. No significant differences were found
for HR at 90 seconds or 120 seconds or for RPE. Results from this study indicate certain
breathing techniques, particularly controlled hyperventilation and nose breathing, may result
in faster HR recovery.
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Poster Number: 53
The Mind of an Athlete: Utilizing Mental Training to Increase Athletic
Performance
Samuel Bennett
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Michelle Lelwica
Department of Religion
Competitive athletes are known for wanting to perform to the best of their ability during
competition. To this end, they typically engage in training their bodies: running miles, lifting
weights, or engaging in other types of physical activity. But what about training that involves
the mind? Does mental training make a difference in athletic performance? I researched a
variety of peer-reviewed, scholarly articles on the topic of mental training in sports. My
research covered a range of mental training methods, such as motor imagery training,
visualization, and positive self-talk. This research demonstrates that mental training can
benefit competitive athletes in a variety of aspects. These benefits include increased
performance levels during competition, accelerated injury recovery, and reduced burnout
rates among athletes. This research suggests that in order for athletes to reach their full
potential, they must train both their bodies and their minds.
Poster Number: 54
Rise and Dine!
Jennifer Freiday
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day with numerous studies showing its role in
weight maintenance. As defined by Dwyer (2014), breakfast is defined as the meal that
breaks the fast. Prolonging this fast by skipping breakfast causes insulin levels to rise.
Research by Reeves et al. (2012) states that breakfast skipping may be linked to the upregulation of appetite later in the day, resulting in weight gain. In a 2007 review, O’Neil et al.
(2014) found that cross-sectional studies were consistently found to support that breakfast
was independently associated with a lower body mass index in adults. The exact reason why
breakfast eaters are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight is unclear, but O’Neil et al.
(2014) states that the frequency of meal consumption throughout the day appears to bring
about a metabolic change that is involved in the regulation of insulin levels, lipid metabolism,
and appetite and energy balance. So, who is skipping breakfast? Breakfast skipping is most
common among young adults with 20% of females and 28% of males ages 20-29 skipping
breakfast (O’Neil, Nicklas, & Fulgoni, 2014).
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Poster Number: 55
Concordia College Timeline
Andy Seaberg, Aliza Rux, Kelsey Dodge
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Joy Lintelman, Lisa Sjoberg
Department of History, College Archives
The goal of this project is to contribute to the celebration of Concordia’s Quasquicentennial
(125th anniversary) in 2016 by providing digital resources to the public to document and to
make available digitally elements of the college’s history. Our digital history group has
created a comprehensive timeline of the school from its founding to the present, during this
time Concordia grew from a small school with twelve students to one of the most prominent
private colleges in Minnesota. Starting from Norwegian Lutheran roots in 1891, Concordia
College has carved a unique history for itself as it has cultivated the Concordia family. By
utilizing the campus’ archives this project Concordia College Timeline has recorded an
intimate history of Concordia Colleges’ proud traditions of music, athletics, student
organizations, and speakers, as well as prominent founding figures of the college, and our
past presidents. With the tools and skills we have learned in our digital history course we
have been able to look into what programs and tools we need to accomplish this project.
Using Tiki Toki timeline software, we have created an aesthetically pleasing historical
visualization for the poster session and will describe the research and technical skills utilized
to create this example of digital history.
Poster Number: 56
Approach to Global Terrorism: The Double Standard Policy
Jule Andersen, Danielle Duray, Rebecca Kendall, Alexandra Samion
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zacharie N Petnkeu
Department of World Languages and Cultures
We are barely three months into the year 2015 and a series of terrorist attacks have already
rocked many parts of the world. In Paris, 16 people were killed by terrorists between January
6 and 9, in Pakistan, 22 were killed and 50 more injured by suicide bombers on February 13
and according to several news reports, 50 people were killed and many more injured in
Northern Nigeria on March 7 by a series of suicide bombings orchestrated by Boko Haram,
an Islamist terrorist group based in Northeast Nigeria with operations in Mali, Niger, Chad
and Cameroon, all of whom have come under immense threat from the terror group. In the
Middle-East, another terrorist group named ISIL is causing irrefutable damage. Obviously,
terrorism is a global issue and a threat to global peace. Thus, it requires a global approach to
comprehension and intervention. But does it? In our poster we argue that the approach to
global comprehension of terrorism and intervention suffers a double standard. We rely upon
postcolonial theory and use Europe and Africa as context to demonstrate the relevance of our
argument.
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Poster Number: 57
Perceptions of the Future may Explain why We Take Fewer Risks with Age
Cassondra Thompson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Philip Lemaster
Department of Psychology
As people get older, they tend to be less willing to take risks in many domains of life, yet the
reason for this is relatively unexplored. With age, people’s sense of time ahead becomes more
constricted (i.e., they exhibit a more limited future time perspective). If people perceive that
they have less time ahead to recoup losses that they experience, then future time perspective
may explain why older adults are less risk tolerant. The purpose of this study was to
investigate whether future time perspective mediates the association between age and risk
tolerance in many domains (i.e., general, financial, health, driving, occupational, social,
major life change). Participants were members of RAND’s American Life Panel, a national
U.S. sample (M age = 56.7, SD = 12.2). The sample was composed of relatively similar
numbers of men and women (46.3% men, 53.7% women), and was largely Caucasian
(91.3%). As expected, age was associated with decreased future time perspective and less risk
tolerance in all domains. Future time perspective mediated the association between age and
the following types of risk tolerance: general, financial, occupational, major life change,
social. However, future time perspective did not mediate the association between age and risk
tolerance in health or driving domains. This research demonstrates that future time
perspective may be a primary mechanism for understanding the association between age and
some types of risk tolerance.
Poster Number: 58
Growing Up Gendered
Elise Haugen, Maddie DuBore, Ellen Reuss, Rachel Martin
Faculty Mentor: Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Art
Each year, the United States of America spends about $17 billion marketing to youth, ages
twelve and under. This is a huge amount of money, and it seems even more daunting when
you take into account that in some countries, advertising to youth is illegal. So where exactly
does all of this money go? The bulk of it goes into advertisements for toys aimed at youth,
specifically advertisements that reinforce the gender binary of male and female. These
advertisements are present even before birth! At most sex reveal parties, couples use the color
blue to announce a boy and the color pink to announce a girl; the baby is assigned a gender
before it even enters the world through color. This assignment of gender is reinforced
throughout childhood through the marketing of toys. Boys are expected to like, buy, and play
with toys that are vibrant in color, represent power and competition, and encourage
intelligence; girls are expected to like, buy, and play with toys that are light in color and
encourage society’s idea of beauty standards. By looking at different scholarly articles other
miscellaneous sources, we were able to come to the conclusion that toys today play a huge
role in how youth in society develop their sense of gender identity. These findings will be
explored through analyzing advertisements and toys marketed towards youth ages twelve and
under. We will demonstrate these findings even further by using a poster board with pictures
of gendered toys and by leading an interactive activity where participants categorize pictures
of toys in a way they see fit.
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Poster Number: 59
Circular Dichroism and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of HDAC8
Mutant, H180R
Karley Petersen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. D.K. Srivastava
Department of Biochemistry NDSU
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins play an important role in epigenetic processes in
eukaryotic cells, which are facilitated by the modification of DNA around histones. HDAC8,
a protein that plays a crucial role in facilitation of chromosome structure during cellular
division, is known to be connected with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CDLS). CDLS is a
congenital human developmental disorder, characterized by distinct facial features, growth
retardation, intellectual disabilities, and limb anomalies among many other debilitating
malformations. While there are 20 known single site mutations in the HDAC8 protein that
have been identified in CDLS patients, only one resides in the active site pocket of the
protein: a mutant known as H180R. In this experiment, the thermal stability and binding
affinity of the H180R mutant were compared to that of the wild type HDAC8 protein through
the use of circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy respectively. Results indicate that
while the wild type exhibits greater binding affinity, the mutant H180R displays a higher
thermal stability. These results raise many questions about the structure of the point-mutated
H180R, and leave many options for future work with this protein.
Poster Number: 60
Investigations on the Magnetism of Al-Doped Goethite
Abdallah Shuhadeh, Casey Haack
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Thelma Berquo
Department of Physics
The importance of iron oxides lies within its abundance in nature, and its correspondence to
many applications in petroleum studies, environmental studies and medical studies. The
research experience was focused on investigating the properties of aluminum-doped goethite
(α-FeOOH) in order to get a better understanding of the contribution of aluminum
substitution to the magnetism of goethite synthesized with different aluminum concentration
(0,5,10,15%) and different aging temperatures (7,24,70C). Al-goethite was obtained by
mixing the constituents in a high alkalinity solution, leaving it to age for 16, 22 and 35 days
descending by temperature. Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to measure the samples at
room temperature and 4.2 K, in addition, we ran hysteresis loops at room temperature using
the Vibrating Sample Magnometer. Using the Magnetic Properties Measurement System, we
also obtained hysteresis loops in the temperature range of 300K - 80K and thermomagnetic
curves. Our results indicated that the aluminum content and the different aging temperatures
could be related to decreased particle size and poorly crystallized particles as observed by the
decrease of the magnetic hyperfine field and the lowered Néel temperature. More work is
necessary in this investigation in order to have a better understanding the role of aluminum
and how it behavior as a coating agent on the goethite particle instead of iron replacement.
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Poster Number: 61
Fueling the Future
Jordan Cain, Lily Erdal
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Graeme Wyllie
Department of Chemistry
Today the majority of cars, airplanes, and other machinery run on fossil
fuels. However; it is common knowledge that fossil fuel is not only
running out but is also harmful to the environment being a significant
factor in global climate change due to their use creating a significant
increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we look
toward the future it is evident that we are going to have to look to
alternative energy sources in order to sustain our lifestyle. One of the
ways that is being looked at for alternate energy is biodiesel. Biodiesel is
a fuel based on animal fat or vegetable oil, both of which are sustainable
resources. It shows promise for being able to be a substitute for traditional
fuel options and can be considered carbon neutral. In our lab, we carried out syntheses
preparing biodiesel from soy bean oil using a range of recipes. To determine the efficacy of
the biodiesel as a fuel, we used bomb calorimetry to determine the amount of energy
produced from our biodiesels following combustion – this data is compared to other fuels.
We hope to show to the audience that biodiesel can be considered an alternative to traditional
fossil fuels not only in terms of energetics but also in terms of undesirable side effects.
Poster Number: 62
Latino Gender Roles: Machismo and Marianismo
Natalie Rivera
Faculty Mentor: Megan Orcholski
Department of Communication Studies and Theater Art
Latino men and women grow up believing, watching, and enacting oppressive gender roles.
These gender roles are unequal yet considered normal because they are more than just roles,
they are the back bone of a long standing culture. In Latino cultures, gender is a very tangible
aspect of your identity; to be a Hispanic woman or man is to hold on to that fact for dear life.
Machismo, “a world predicated on men’s power over women” and Marianismo, a world in
which an idealized woman complements a man’s authority, are two paradigms that must be
given a second glance. As more Latino men and women acculturate to American culture and
as the movement for gender equality around the world strengthens, something must change in
the current state of Latino Culture. Marianismo and Machismo are traditional staples that are
vital and unique, but to change them would not be to lose them. The negative and extreme
effects can be reduced to encourage Latino women and men to reach beyond the roles they
have been given. Many times we do not question the underlying reasoning behind the actions
of individuals: how they came to be or are enforced by Machismo and Marianismo as well as
how they adjust to conflicting expectations. Considering that the United States Latino
population is growing more and more every day, it’s important to analyze this culture and
how significant these gender roles are. Especially once they become entangled with
American gender roles in a growing contemporary society
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Poster Number: 63
The Effects of Caffeine and Stress on Cognitive Processing
Molly Lee
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mikel Olson
Department of Psychology
Caffeine is a commonly used drug that has been shown to
affect performance on a variety of cognitive tasks. Stress can
also affect cognitive ability. We sought to test the combined
effect of caffeine and stress on human cognitive processing
and reaction time using the dual task paradigm and the game
Bop It. We tested 15 participants to see if cognitive
processing and reaction time were affected by caffeine and
stress. We hypothesized that in the dual task paradigm, there
should be a psychological refractory period (PRP) effect that
depends on the level of cognitive demand placed on the
participant. We also hypothesized that caffeine and/or the
induction of a stress response with cold water exposure will
improve reaction times and improve response accuracy, thereby reducing the PRP effect. We
also predicted that Bop It scores would increase following caffeine or stress exposure. Our
results give a better understanding of how caffeine and stress interact to affect cognitive
ability.
Poster Number: 64
Brain Gain: A Relationship Between Exercise and Cognitive Functioning in
College Students
Angie Stahlmann, Mackenzie McCloud
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Larson
Department of Psychology and Undergraduate Research
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not
physical activity impacts memory formation. Based off of earlier
research, we hypothesized that if the subjects participated in
physical activity before taking a memory test, they would be able
to perform better than those who did not participate in physical
activity before the test. Subjects signed up for a session that
would work with his or her schedule, not knowing which session
included physical activity and which one did not. The memory
test consisted of a recorded voicemail about an upcoming party,
followed by a series of questions about the recording. One group participated in five minutes
of physical activity, and then was given the memory test. The other group completed the
same memory procedure, without participating in physical activity. The results supported our
hypothesis. Compared with participants who did not engage in physical activity, those
participants who did so answered our 10 memory questions more accurately, as well as
remembering more names and towns mentioned throughout the recording, indicating that
physical activity is associated with better memory and cognitive skills.
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Poster Number: 65
Focus Groups and Self-Report Survey Reveal Positive Outcomes for
Undergraduate Research Students
Erika Freeberg, Hattie Harn
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Larson
Department of Psychology
Undergraduate research experiences have been found to provide students with positive
outcomes regardless of their area of study. Positive outcomes include personal and
professional gains, intellectual gains, and career preparation (Lopatto, 2009). It is important
to assess undergraduate research at Concordia College to see if these outcomes are being
achieved and to determine program effectiveness. This poster will summarize data from a
self-report survey administered to research students at the end of summer 2014 as well as
data from two focus groups conducted with past summer research students. The focus group
method meaningfully complemented the survey because participants’ tone, word choice, and
nonverbal behavior were noted, researchers were able to ask follow-up questions to gain
further explanation, and the discussion atmosphere facilitated more detailed responses. Focus
groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and summarized to reveal themes. The self-report
survey and focus groups revealed that through their summer research experiences students
learned about the research process and gained skills specific to the context of their individual
projects. They also developed transferable personal skills, valuable relationships with
mentors and a clearer understanding of career goals.
Poster Number: 66
Magnetic Properties of Various Phases of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Kelsey Seppelt
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Thelma Berquo, Dr. Graeme Wyllie
Departments of Physics, Chemistry
Nanoparticles are of growing interest of study in many fields due to their unique properties.
These particles are so small that they often exhibit behavior that is different from their bulk
sized counterparts. Better understanding the behavior of nanoparticles will only increase the
interest in them and make them more useful. Iron oxide nanoparticles are of specific interest
due to their unique magnetic properties, which are of great use in the pharmaceutical industry
and may be impacting the environment on Mars. However, the magnetic properties of iron
oxide nanoparticles have not been well studied, especially the epsilon-Fe2O3 phase which
does not occur in nature but is believe to be present on Mars. To investigate the magnetic
properties of three phases of iron oxide nanoparticles samples were prepared by first creating
two different sizes of a silica matrix, one with large pores and one with small pores. Iron in
solution was dispersed over the silica matrices and the samples then underwent thermal
treatment at 900-1200°C to induce phase conversion to epsilon-Fe2O3, α-Fe2O3, and γFe2O3. Mossbauer spectra, high temperature magnetization curves, and hysteresis loops were
collected on each of the samples. The data confirms that each of the phases were formed.
Interestingly, the data also suggests that the magnetic behavior of the nanoparticles is likely
dependent on their size and initial composition.
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Poster Number: 67
Eating Like a Viking: The New Nordic Diet
Molly Zavadil
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Common perceived barriers to eating healthy are often lack of time, taste preference, and
price. To overcome these barriers, the new Nordic diet was developed. The new Nordic diet
has been designed to be palatable, environmentally friendly and based largely on foods that
originate from the Nordic region. It has shown promising health effects, leading to
improvements in lipid profiles, insulin concentrations, and decreasing blood pressure. I will
review the studies in evaluating the potential to weight loss and the limitations in following
this plan. The foods included were chosen because of their presumed health-promoting
potential, gastronomic potential, and its ability to be produced within the Nordic region. The
composition of this diet emphasizes the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as
herbs, fish, and rye and wheat cereals. Designing a sustainable, everyday diet for a particular
group could serve as a model for creating more realistic, well-rounded diets.
Poster Number: 68
Synthesis of Ru Complexes of bis-PTA Ligands
Sarah Dotzler
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donald Krogstad
Department of Chemistry
Over the past 30 years, organometallic compounds have shown great medicinal promise
because of their diverse structures, chemical stability, and electronic tunability.
Unfortunately, many transition metal complexes are insoluble in biological fluids, and as
such, recent research has focused on the preparation of water-soluble phosphines and their
metal complexes. Our group has examined the little studied “cage like” water-soluble
phosphine 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) and used it to develop bis-phosphines
and their Ru complexes. This was done as previous researchers have shown that Ru-PTA
complexes have anti-cancer properties while bis-phosphines compounds often have enhanced
reactivities. Details of the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of the
compounds will be discussed.
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Poster Number: 69
Interpretations of Judges 19 in Patriarchal and (Not Quite) Gender Equal
Societies
Carly Mickelson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Creech
Department of Religion
The Bible is the number one selling book in the world, but everyone does not read the
international best seller the same. People interpret the Bible, especially the Old Testament,
based on their own beliefs, history, and sociocultural context. Due to the temporal and
cultural separation between ancient Israel and the modern U.S., the interpretation of Judges
19 today is far from the interpretation in its original context. Judges 19 is a short chapter in
the Old Testament that tells of a concubine who is raped to death and cut into pieces to call
Israel to war. Through literary research, I found that in Israel during the writing of Judges 19,
the community was politically divided into supporters of the Davidic monarchy, including the
author, and supporters of the Saulide monarchy. Today, it is almost impossible to decipher
the political themes in Judges 19 without knowledge of the context in which it was written.
Chapter 19 in the book of Judges was originally a creative historical account used to promote
the Davidic monarchy, but in modern context, where women are more valued, the passage
can be interpreted as a representation of the horrible treatment of and disregard for women in
Biblical times. The contrast between both interpretations of Judges 19 will be discussed by
covering the cultural context of ancient Israel and the political comments made by the author,
as well as highlighting the feminist movement in the U.S. today and its role in current
interpretations of Judges 19.
Poster Number: 70
Age Class by Distance of Freshwater Mussels at Long Lake
Emily Swenson, Katie Tuel, Eugenia Cegla
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe Department of Biology
Mussels are an important part of freshwater habitats, as their filter feeding helps remove
unwanted substances in the water. Because of their importance, we decided to study the
diversity and density of mussels at the Long Lake Field Station. We hypothesized that
mussels would prefer rocky substrate over sandy substrate, because sand could interfere with
their filtering process. We measured mussel density and age at 0, 2.5, and 5 m from the shore
along three transects at a sandy and a rocky site. The sandy site was characterized by having a
silt and clay substrate, and the rocky site was characterized by having small to medium rocks
as the primary substrate. We were unable to find any mussels at the sandy site, but at the
rocky site juvenile mussels were found further from the shore than adult mussels. This may
indicate a preference of the depth for juveniles away from adult mussels, as no juveniles were
found with the adults and vice versa. By better understanding the habitats that mussels prefer,
more efforts can go towards preserving those specific areas in order to help maintain mussel
populations.
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Poster Number: 71
The History of Human Migrations Recorded in our DNA
Allison Cassell, Rachel Dieter, Emma Eckberg, Audrey Gunn, Jenna Scarbrough, Timothy
Nelson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Department of Biology, Environmental Studies
This year’s Credo Early Humans course participated in the Genographic Project, a long-term
study by the National Geographic Society that uses mutations in the human genome to
determine both recent ancestry (via shared autosomal mutations) and deep ancestry (via
shared mutations in mitochondrial DNA and on the Y-chromosome) of its participants. We
used the results of our DNA analysis as an opportunity to explore how the biogeography of
shared mutations can be used to infer ancestry, how the ancestry revealed by mutations in our
DNA differed from our families’ oral or written history, and the limitations and ethical
implications of using DNA analysis to examine ancestry. This project reveals yet another way
that technology and evolution can inform our lives and expand our understanding of human
history, but also challenge our sense of identity and right to privacy.
Poster Number: 72
Production of Antimicrobial Substances by Nonpathogenic Neisseria
Species
Jenie Ogle, Anna Finck
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ellen Aho
Department of Biology
Antibiotic resistance is a pressing issue in healthcare.
The sexually transmitted pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae
has developed alarming levels of antibiotic resistance.
Cephalosporins have been the last remaining antibiotic
treatment option for resistant N. gonorrhoeae, but a
decrease in cephalosporin sensitivity has now been
observed1. Compounds known as bacteriocins represent
one novel approach to antimicrobial development.
Bacteriocins are proteins produced by bacteria that have
activity against closely related species. At least 20 species of Neisseria are members of the
normal human microbiota. We hypothesized these nonpathogenic Neisseria may produce
bacteriocins with the capacity to act against N. gonorrhoeae. In this project we used crossstreak and agar overlay methods to screen 53 strains of nonpathogenic Neisseria for
antimicrobial activity. Fourteen strains displayed activity. Most notably, two strains, N.
mucosa N14 and N. flavescens N46, exhibited especially strong activity against four target
species. We further characterized the range of activity exhibited by N. mucosa N14 by
testing this strain against 56 additional target organisms. N. mucosa N14 inhibited the growth
of 60% of nonpathogenic Neisseria strains, 100% of N. meningitidis strains, and 100% of N.
gonorrhoeae strains tested, including a multidrug resistant strain of N. gonorrhoeae. 1. R. D.
Kirkcaldy, G. A. Bolan, and J. N. Wasserheit. Cephalosporin-Resistant Gonorrhea in North
America. (2013). The Journal of the American Medical Association. 309(2):185-187. This
work was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Concordia College FuglestadTorstveit Research Endowment.
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Poster Number: 73
Automation of United Way's Day of Caring Volunteer Assignments
Maggy Gonzales, Kim Haley, Leah Olson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nathan Axvig
Department of Mathematics
The goal of this project was to write an implementable code in RStudio for employees at the
United Way to assign volunteers to seniors’ homes for the annual Day of Caring. This is a
large-scale volunteer opportunity in October, when hundreds of seniors register to have
groups of volunteers visit their homes to complete household chores for about 3 hours. In the
past, volunteers have been assigned by hand by an employee at the United Way, taking two
days of work to complete. With the code created during this project based on ideas of linear
programming, assignments can be made in around 15 minutes of computer running time.
Poster Number: 74
Discrimination of Individuals with Disabilities: An Examination of the
Factors that Perpetuate Discrimination in the Workplace
John Wiehe
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Linda Keup
Offutt School of Business
This paper explores the continued discrimination of individuals with disabilities after the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The continued discriminatory practices in
the hiring of individuals with disabilities are examined through the lens of rational economic
and institutional theory. The organizational factors that exist in organizations that perpetuate
discrimination in the workplace is examined through the lack of accommodation requests
from individuals with disabilities by taking in to account the thought process of the
individual, the person receiving the request, and the organizational context and culture. A
course of action to end discrimination of individuals with disabilities in the workforce is also
proposed. This course of action includes breaking false perceptions of individuals with
disabilities and explaining the benefits of diversity in the workforce.
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Poster Number: 75
Mineral Composition of McMurdo Crater on Mars
Anna Adnoy, Sydney Carey, Derek Hogenson, Aron Hoover, Amanda Lundeen, Eli Paul,
Ellen Rethwisch, Sage Thornbrugh, Amanda Wortman
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Thelma Berquo
Department of Physics
McMurdo crater is the largest extant impact on Mars that has south polar layered deposits
(SPLD). Its location is key for discovering how the SPLD resurfaced. By studying the
different minerals found on Mars, specifically at the different elevation levels of the
McMurdo crater, we have gained insight to the composition of Mars. We used the JMARS
database, THEMIS images, and CRISM stamps to answer our scientific question. We
selected images from the ASU website, THEMIS technology, and use of CRISM stamp data
to collect data. The CRISM stamp images we used to prove that there are different minerals
present at different elevations in the McMurdo crater. This can be compared to sedimentary
layers found in similar features on Earth such as the Grand Canyon. We found that the
mineral composition of McMurdo varies based on elevation levels. Our hypothesis was
supported by our findings in JMARS through CRISM stamp images that show different
minerals present in different elevations. Future work that could be done to expand our project
would be doing a direct comparison between the McMurdo Crater and the mineralogy of
surrounding surfaces on Mars.
Poster Number: 76
A Study of the Slope and Elevation of Caves on Mars
Jesse Johnson, Luke Magnuson, Ryan Haines, Amy Crane, Kaley Sievert, Hillary Birchem,
Jacob Kostic, Dustin Boyum
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heidi Manning
Department of Physics
Recent discoveries of caves on Mars have opened up a new field of study in Mars geology.
Understanding caves on Mars is important because it offers a window into the past history of
possible habitation on Mars, as well as geological features that provide more information to
the planetary history and allow for future exploration. Similar to caves on Earth, caves on
Mars could provide a safe environment from radiation. Caves on Mars could also be home to
water particles and micro-organisms. A majority of these previously discovered caves have
been found on collapsed lava tubes along the sides of volcanoes. In our research, we
measured slope, relative elevation, and distance of previously discovered caves on the sides
of volcanoes in order to develop a relationship that would help us in the discoveries of new
caves on Mars. Through our research, a possible correlation was found in the slopes of the
caves found on Mars.
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Poster Number: 77
Social Mimicry: Mimicked Person's Non-Conscious Behavior, SelfConstrual and Affinity
Channing Bendtsen
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Susan Larson, Dr. Mikel Olson
Department of Psychology
Pro-social behaviors are those that contribute to successful and positive social interactions.
Some well-studied and well-known pro-social behaviors are smiling and maintaining
appropriate eye-contact. Social mimicry is a lesser known pro-social behavior that is
performed unconsciously by mirroring or copying the non-verbal behavior(s) of a person or
persons during an interaction. Studies have observed a positive relationship between being
mimicked and level of affinity for the mimicker, showing that non-conscious social mimicry
is indeed a pro-social behavior. It has also been observed that mimicked persons are more
likely than non-mimicked persons to report more dependence and feeling of connection to
others, referred to as self-construal, suggesting that mimicry may have an impact on social
bonding. Most research on mimicry has neglected to include any observation of the
participant's behavior while being mimicked as a variable within the experimental design.
The current research will provide that observation with a goal to further evaluate the
relationship between mimicry, affinity and reported self-construal. It is expected that
participants who perform more nonverbal behaviors will report greater affinity to the
mimicker and more dependent self-construal.
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Poster Number: 78
The Relationship Between Implicit Racial Associations and Ratings of
Criminality and Trustworthiness
Allison Chudy, Alayna Starr
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Larson Department of Psychology
Implicit associations, or unconscious connections made
between people, objects, and/or ideas, affect many of our
beliefs and interactions. Although forms of outright racial
bias are no longer acceptable, our implicit associations still
often cause false perceptions and assumptions about the
characteristics of racial minorities. To test the relationship
between implicit racial associations and perceptions of
criminality and trustworthiness, we will evaluate the effect
that implicit racial associations have on ratings of trustworthiness and criminality of black
and white men. The race Implicit Associations Test, a survey used to measure automatic
associations between concepts, will be used to measure participants‘ implicit racial
associations - more specifically, their preferences for either black or white people. A survey
in which participants will rate the criminality and trustworthiness of controlled faces of black
and white men will be used to determine if participants’ implicit associations are correlated
with their ratings. We expect to find that participants with a preference for a particular race
will rate faces of that race higher on the trustworthiness scale and lower on the criminality
scale, while they will rate faces of the non-preferred race lower on trustworthiness and higher
on criminality. The results of this study will be important and meaningful, first, because they
will add to our knowledge of social perception and judgement and, second, because the
results of our study may confirm the need for certain policy changes in the criminal justice
system regarding how certain races are perceived and treated.
Poster Number: 79
Breastfeeding in the Workplace: A Multifaceted Issue
Christiaan Beede, Luke Froelich
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bailey-Dejong, Dr. Betty Larson
Department of Nursing
Breastfeeding is a multi-faceted topic involving not only the health of children, but the
psychological and social health of mothers and the financial health of families. It is also part
of an ongoing discussion involving societal and workplace attitudes towards women and the
female body. Unfortunately while many benefits exist for mothers and their employers alike,
they may not be well understood. This is illustrated in part by the existence of a negative
relationship between maternal time spent at work and their choice to breastfeed. We believe
this underscores a need of education in this area. Awareness of pertinent laws, individual
rights, multiple benefits, and breastfeeding techniques are among topics to address. By
collaborating with mothers, and available healthcare and childcare resources, employers can
develop a consistent company policy and workplace environment that is conducive to family
health.
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Poster Number: 80
Tay-Sachs Disease: A Lysosomal Storage Disorder
Jeremy Houser, Ethan Nemmers
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
Tay-Sachs Disease (TSD) is a highly characterized genetic disease that is notable for its
presence in genetically isolated populations around the world. TSD results from the inability
to metabolize GM2 gangliosides which are primarily produced as structural components of
neurons, and it is because of this that the symptoms of the disease are crippling neurological
problems that lead to decreased quality of life and often death. This poster identifies the
cause of TSD, the current methods of diagnosis, and outlines the current research being done
to treat it using enzyme rescue, enzyme replacement, and gene therapy.
Poster Number: 81
Zellweger Syndrome: A Study of the Disease, Causes, and Current
Research
Bailey Houle
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Bath
Department of Biology
Zellweger Syndrome is a rare genetic disease in which the
peroxisomes of the body do not function properly. This is a review
of the current research on this disease. This study reviews the
basics of the peroxisomes and the key processes in the organelle,
such as oxidation of fatty acids and synthesis of plasmalogens. It
then goes over how the disease affects these processes and how in
turn it affects the patient and organ systems. Finally, the project
reviews the current research in the field such as possible cures and
general treatments.
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Poster Number: 82
Dream Theory in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde
Hannah Kanninen
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Sprunger
Department of English
In the European Middle Ages, dreams were serious business. Physicians, theologians, and
poets understood that one must be careful interpreting night visions. A dream might be true
prophecy, a misleading diversion, or a mere physiological reaction to diet or stress. Geoffrey
Chaucer was clearly familiar with dream theory of the late 14th century, using the concepts
satirically in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale and ironically in Troilus and Criseyde. In the beginning,
Criseyde has a dream about a white eagle which can either be interpreted as a good or bad
omen for her relationship status. Later, Troilus has a dream about Criseyde and a boar, and
refuses to accept her inevitable betrayal. The animals in the dreams come to represent
Criseyde’s new suitors and their masculinity. My poster will review the five types of dreams
known in the Middle Ages (insomnium, visum, somnium, visio, oraculum) and use the
categories to explicate Troilus’s and Criseyde’s dreams. Each character incorrectly analyzes
their dreams and takes what seems the most beneficial solution. Criseyde, fond of logic,
believes her dream is pushing her to give in to Troilus’ advances. However, she readily
leaves Troilus for Diomedes when the logic is sound. Troilus, on the other hand, acts on
emotion. He has a prophetic dream that Criseyde leaves him for Diomedes. He goes into
denial and pursues a series of reckless actions that result in his death. Both Troilus’s and
Criseyde’s dreams act as bookends for their relationship and ultimately reveal why their
personalities were incompatible.
Poster Number: 83
Working With Special Needs Adoption
Michaela Otto
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laurie Dahley
Department of Social Work
As adoption becomes more widely accepted and normalized, it is important to develop
competency in working with families adopting children with special needs. Special needs
encompasses a wide scope of presenting problems and needs to be addressed on an individual
case-by-case basis. In an attempt to eliminate adoption disruptions and dissolutions,
interventions must be employed. Interventions to be utilized must incorporate all stages of the
adoption process ranging from preparation to post-adoption services and everything in
between. Intensive family preservation services and a systems' approach can be incredibly
useful with these interventions. Further research needs to be conducted to identify what is
most useful to prevent disruptions and failed adoptions. This poster will examine only a few
of the various dimensions of special needs adoptions, as well as relevant pre and postadoption services. In addition, an evaluation of the services available will be discussed.
Further, recommendations supporting the available research will also be presented.
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Poster Number: 84
Can You Judge a Food by its Label? Front of Package Food Labeling
Abby Ginader
Faculty Mentor: Linda James
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
With obesity becoming a national epidemic, new measures to solve the problem are not only
becoming more sought after, but are becoming a necessity. Front of package food labeling is
becoming a widespread initiative to help consumers make healthier food choices. Multiple
front of package labeling systems each have a different impact on consumer response, and
effect on food choices. Studies indicate front of package labeling containing a logo system,
such as the Guiding Stars system, or a color system, such as the Traffic Light Rating System,
help consumers more accurately and quickly choose healthier food choices. Text and number
only labels, such as the Guideline Daily Amount label, may cause confusion among
consumers. Identifying and implementing effective front of package food labeling is an
important step in helping consumers choose healthier food and combat high levels of obesity.
Poster Number: 85
Have You Tried Painkillers? Gluten Intolerance and its Contested Status
Briana Johnson
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matthew Luther Lindholm
Department of Sociology
Gluten intolerance today is considered a contested disease, which means that it isn't accepted
by the medical establishment as a disease. This study’s purpose was to understand the lived
experience of people who identify as being gluten intolerant. People with gluten intolerance
or gluten sensitivity have strong negative reactions to gluten, but unlike celiac disease, their
small intestine is not necessarily damaged by gluten. For both celiac disease and gluten
intolerance, the gluten free diet is considered the only treatment. However, many health
professionals consider a gluten free diet harmful unless you are diagnosed with celiac disease.
In this study, individuals with gluten intolerance were interviewed about how they became
diagnosed with gluten intolerance and why and how they perform their diets. Interviewees
reported significant symptoms that detracted from their quality of life before becoming gluten
free as well significant barriers in becoming diagnosed with gluten intolerance. After starting
the gluten free diet all individuals reported a significant increase in the quality of their health
and mood, and stated they would continue the diet as a health choice.
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Poster Number: 86
The Journey Towards an Independent Taiwanese Identity
Ann Marie O'Connell
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dawn Duncan
Department of English
National identity unites a country through a sense of belonging and commitment. A crack in
this identity occurs when a nation does not have a choice in its decisions, and this is
especially true for Taiwan, which has struggled with the journey towards its own identity
throughout the 20th century. In the 1900s, Taiwan was tossed between Japan’s occupation
and China’s rule. Not until after the Chinese Civil War between the Communists and
Nationalists did Taiwan attempt to achieve its own identity. The 1950s to 1970s were a
critical time for Taiwanese growth; Taiwan developed a thriving economy, broadened its
social services, and gained international recognition through its representation in the United
Nations. However, in this period, the extent of Taiwan’s development toward its own identity
is debatable because its actions were linked to the interests of America and China. From the
1950s to 1970s, Taiwan progressed economically and socially; but due to external
interference, Taiwan did not achieve an independent identity. While a member of the United
Nations, it was considered the representative of all China, including the mainland; but in
1971, it was removed and the People’s Republic of China now is considered the sole
representative of both the mainland and Taiwan. The research argues, due to its independent
social and economic progression, it is time that the world recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign
nation with its own unique identity.
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DEPARTMENT SESSIONS
Offutt School of Business - Barry Scholar Research Presentations
Join us for research presentations by the Offutt School of Business Barry Scholar Seniors.
Recipients of the Barry Scholarship demonstrate exceptional leadership, community service
involvement and/or entrepreneurship and their academic success. As a component of their
commitment to academic success, scholarship recipients delve into a research project with
guidance of a faculty mentor.
The Evergreen Act's effect on Employment of Displaced Workers in Green
Jobs
Katherine Schiffman
Faculty Mentor: Hanna Hartman Offutt School of Business
This research analyzes re-employment of displaced workers into green jobs using the Bureau
of Labor Statistics Displaced Workers Survey and focusing on Washington and Oregon
during 2007-2011, which coincides with enactment of Washington State’s recent Evergreen
Act. This Act seeks to promote green jobs within Washington State, which likely impacts its
neighbor, Oregon, as well. As defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, “green occupations”
are those in that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment, conserve
natural resources or jobs in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's
production processes more environmentally friendly, or use fewer natural resources. With
green jobs and sustainability being a hot button issue in America today, the general public,
the government, and the business world have all become involved in looking for solutions to
environmental sustainability which relate to the creation of more green jobs. By looking at
how likely displaced workers were to have found work in green jobs potentially influenced
by the Evergreen Act, this project links green jobs growth to specific legislation.
Work-related Stress Factors Experienced by Healthcare Administrators
Sam Barney
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Linda Keup
Offutt School of Business
This study is designed to determine factors that have potential to create a stressful
environment for healthcare administrators. Prior research has focused on work-related stress
factors in organizations at large, but specific focus on healthcare administrators has not yet
been explored. Utilizing the relationship of Concordia’s Healthcare Leadership program with
industry, I created a survey to identify the most prominent stress factors experienced by
healthcare administrators in the workplace. Preliminary results indicate that the highest levels
of work-stress for these administrators stem from the following: being overbooked with
meetings, experiencing too heavy of a workload, ensuring patient satisfaction, and operating
with a shortage of employees. Ultimately the goal of this research is to enhance healthcare
administration students’ understanding of potential stressors they may encounter in their
careers.
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Department of Chemistry
Join us for a poster presentation where the students of the Dr. David Mork’s Biochemistry II
course present their research from this semester. Other students from the laboratories of Dr.
Krogstad and Wyllie will also present their work (see main poster abstracts #2, 12, 22, 68 for
more details)
Allosteric Effect on Km for αKG with ATP
Spencer Nelson, Derek Whitehill
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
Our experiment focused on allosteric regulation of ATP on the reaction αKG + NH3 +
. We examined reaction rates to determine the effects of varying
concentrations of ATP on the forward reaction. We looked at how ATP effected the kinetic
rate of changing α-ketoglutarate to glutamate. Analysis of the data was done using
Lineweaver-Burk plots, finding the Km values for the varying concentrations of ATP. A plot
of Km vs ATP and 1/Vmax vs ATP, shows the impact of ATP on these parameters.
Determining the Km of Ammonia with ATP as an Allosteric Inhibitor of
GDH
Carissa Rodenbiker, Corie Neugebauer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
The mechanism of regulation of the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in E. coli is
still poorly understood. In this experiment, ATP was examined as a possible allosteric
effector of the reverse reaction of GDH: the conversion of α-ketoglutarate and ammonia to
glutamate. By using saturating concentrations of NADPH and α-ketoglutarate and varying
concentrations of ammonia, we measured the allosteric effect of ATP on the KM of NH3.
Effect of [ATP] on the Km of NADPH in the Glutamate Dehydrogenase
Reaction
Heather Campbell, Soren Bakken-Heck
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
The reverse reaction of glutamate dehydrogenase produces glutamate, an amino used in the
production of proteins in bacteria and plants, via ammination of alpha-ketoglutarate, with
NH3+ and NADPH. Determining which molecules inhibit and activate this reaction is
important for understanding how this reaction occurs in vivo. By investigating glutamate
dehydrogenase extracted from E. coli we hope to determine the allosteric effects of NADPH
and ATP. The reaction was run with saturating concentrations of substrates while varying the
concentrations of ATP and NADPH. We anticipate that NADPH will decrease the Km while
ATP will act as an inhibitor and raise it.
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Kinetic Analysis of Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Using Varying
[NADP+] and ATP Inhibition
Alisa Heskin, Bailey Houle Faculty Mentor:
Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), an enzyme found in most living organisms, is notorious
for the complexity involved in detailing its mechanism. We conducted kinetic experiments
focusing on the forward reaction of GDH from E. coli, which involves the conversion of
glutamate to α-ketoglutarate, reduction of NADP+ to NADPH, and the production of
ammonia (NH3). Varying [NADP+] were incorporated into the kinetics assays. An
additional dimension of the investigation was the determination of ATP’s inhibitory
properties in the forward reaction. Using Michaelis-Menten kinetics and Lineweaver-Burk
plots, the Km for the reaction was determined, and ATP’s role as an allosteric inhibitor was
verified.
The Analysis of the Allosteric Effect on Affinity for Glutamate with ADP
Nicole Harthun, Katie Kirkland
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is an enzyme present in most living organisms that
converts glutamate to α-ketoglutarate and vice versa. The research was to analyze the
allosteric effect on affinity for glutamate with ADP in E. coli with the forward reaction of
Glu + NADP+→KG + NH3 + NADPH. Three series of experiments have been replicated
with the varying ADP concentrations of 0.0 μL 4.0 μL, and 40 μL and an effect was seen on
the affinity for glutamate with ADP in E. coli.
The Effect of [ADP] on Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Function
Jeremy Houser, Jason Neumann
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Mork
Department of Chemistry
We are investigating the effect of the [ADP] on E.coli NADP+-specific glutamate
dehydrogenase to help determine the enzymatic mechanism and kinetics for this reaction in
E. coli. The purified enzyme was used it to find the Km at 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 3, 5 and
10mM concentrations of ADP. This study shows that ADP acts as an allosteric inhibitor for
the reaction of glutamate to alpha-ketoglutarate.
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Department of English
Both a Man and Maid: Twelfth Night and Jacques Lacan's Mirror Stage
Sally Pigeon
Department of English
Jacques Lacan’s essay “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in
Psychoanalytic Experience” details the discovery of identity, individuality, and wholeness.
The mirror stage is a part of infant development in which a child realizes he is a separate
entity from his reflection, recognizes others as individuals, and begins to learn self-identity. A
child begins going through the mirror stage when he first sees his reflection in a mirror. This
calls up questions of individuality and wholeness, and the process to answering those
questions – who I am, where I fit, what completes me – is the path through the mirror stage.
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Or What You Will, the twins Sebastian and Viola
go through a modified version of the mirror stage when they are reunited after having been
separated in a shipwreck. Lacan’s mirror stage maps out Sebastian and Viola’s journey to
wholeness. They must recognize each other as reflections of themselves to become complete;
they are halves of a whole. This discussion will explore Sebastian and Viola's experience in
the mirror stage.
Creative Connections in Poetry
Cassandra Konz,
Department of English
The selected poems represent the culmination of four years of exploration into the art of
creative writing and the connections it fosters between ideas, people, and stories. Some of
these poems capture quiet, personal moments of change, while some are interdisciplinary
creations incorporating history, classical studies, and science. At the core of all the poems is
the connection between the personal and the universal, and between the writer and the world.
Titles of Poetry:
How to Dance With a Nerdy Girl
17 Days Before Basic Training
The Water-Bearer
The Tsar’s Wife
The Tenth Muse
What I Know of 1949
Holding Her Hand – New York 1967
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Department of World Languages
Goethe’s Faust or Goethe’s Gretchen: A Feminist Reading of Faust
Emma Eckberg
Faculty mentor: Dr. Jonathan Clark Department of World Languages and Cultures
The purpose of my paper is to investigate the importance of the Eternal Feminine in Goethe’s
Faust from a feminist perspective. Many feminist writers, including Simone de Beauvoir,
have condemned writings for the use of the Eternal Feminine, citing it as harmful to women
by putting impossible gender roles upon them. While this is true in some cases, in Goethe's
Faust the use of the Eternal Feminine can be read through a feminist lens and shows one of
the strongest female literary characters ever. The evolution of Margarete, better known as
Gretchen, as the Eternal Feminine is an interesting one, especially because she is not part of
the classical myth of Faust. Goethe inserts a woman into a classic story, who at first glance
seems like a placeholder, but with further analysis Gretchen comes to the forefront and can be
considered the main character and hero of this story. Gretchen isn't the normal Eternal
Feminine, she doesn't play by the common idea that women should be silent and not heard,
other than sweet nothings. She is smart and sassy, and stronger in the face of utter turmoil
and death than most male characters, and especially the main character in this story: Faust.
By looking at the Eternal Feminine in Goethe's Faust we uncover the unsung feminist
character of Gretchen.
From Goethe to Groening : Parallels between Faust and the Simpsons
Sarah Quartier
Faculty mentor: Dr. Jonathan Clark
Department of World Languages and Cultures
In Goethe's "Faust," Goethe tells the story of a middle-aged alchemist, Dr. Johann Georg
Faust, battling an existential crisis. In his frustration, he calls upon the devil and makes a deal
to sell his soul. This story has been interpreted differently throughout the past 500 years, but
the main elements remain. A popular American cartoon, "The Simpsons," has created their
own interpretation of the Faustian story in several episodes. This paper analyzes key
similarities and differences between Goethe's "Faust" and Groening's "The Simpsons" by
examining the series, the main characters, and specific episodes throughout the television
series.
The Opposition of Eva Peron
Faculty mentor: Fanny Roncal
Amy Leopold
Department of World Languages and Cultures
Unlike most contemporary political figures, Eva Perón’s rise to fame and power in Argentina
was not simply handed to her through family or economic status. From birth to death, Peron
constantly faced obstacles in her path to leadership, leaving her as one of Argentina’s most
controversial political figures to date. She had a harsh childhood, consisting of unmarried
parents, the death of her father, and the social implications that came from this. In her adult
life of politics, her status as a woman sparked a lot of controversy and political unrest. This
research examines the opposition that Eva Perón faced in her rise to political power in
Argentina and the controversy that surrounds her legacy still today.
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Manuela Saenz – The Indirect Empowerment of Women in Early
Nineteenth Century Latin America
Faculty mentor: Fanny Roncal
Tatum Holt
Department of World Languages and Cultures
Although feminism was not an acknowledged form of activism in the early nineteenth
century of Latin America, Manuela Saenz laid the building blocks for future generations of
women. Manuela Saenz was an influential woman in Latin America before, during, and after
the War of Independence. She indirectly empowered women through her active participation
in the war, her personal life and love life with Simon Bolivar, and her politically-strategic
writings she wrote in exile after the war. Saenz acted as if she were a modern day feminist by
defying gender roles of women and empowering women at the same time.
Astérix and Obélix: The Influence of Celtic Culture and the Roman
Expansion on French Contemporary Pop-Culture
Laura Massé and Miranda Nelson
Faculty mentor: Dr. Gay Rawson Department of World Languages and Cultures
French history has always been regarded as one of the world’s oldest and most intricate,
especially when it comes to the various groups of people who influenced France and its
territorial changes throughout the years. The way the Roman Empire invaded the territory of
Gaule in the 50s and 40s BC, slaughtering celtic groups of civilization and forcing them to
surrender one by one thanks to their legendary besieging skills, is by far one of the darkest
points of French history. Even Versingétorix, the very strategic and skilled chief of the
Gaulish coalition, did not succeed in leading his people to victory against Julius Caesar and
the Roman troops. It is simultaneously odd and amusing to see how the French and Belgian
comic book series Astérix and Obélix, created by Alain Uderzo and René Goscinny in the
1960s, transformed the terrible fate of the Gaulish empire for the purpose of their books. In
the past decades, their work gained tremendous fame around Europe and became a significant
part of today’s pop culture in France particularly but also in Europe, so much so that they
went beyond the simple book series and became a multi-media company that includes motion
pictures, films, and an amusement park.
103
El arte durante el régimen de Francisco Franco/The Arts during the
Regime of Francisco Franco
Laurel DiSera
Department of World Languages and Cultures
Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975, had a large agenda during his
dictatorship. One of his largest objectives was to unite Spain as a whole in order that the rest
of the world could more easily view it as a strong power. Believing that Spain needed to be
united under one “Spanish Culture,” Franco attempted to eliminate regional traditions within
the country including music, and many other forms of art and literature, in order to create a
culture that the world would view as unique to Spain. Franco changed laws so that those who
disobeyed his new musical requirements would be arrested. Within music creation, he not
only manipulated the political realm of music, but he also manipulated music within the
home, movies, opera, and the folklore music found within different regions of the country.
Due to the multitude of responses to his control and power on the international level, the
dictatorship of Francisco Franco is still remembered in the arts and music today in many
modern musical pieces and theater productions.
La vida gitana y el racismo en el siglo XXI/Spanish Gypsies and Racism in
the 21st Century
Marit Johnson
Department of World Languages and Cultures
Racism is very much present in our world today. Spain struggles with the treatment of its
Gypsy population. The stereotypes characterize their community as liars, thieves, and people
of ill repute. This is evident in Spanish popular culture through reality television and Internet
comment boards. Many gypsies have adapted and developed their lives to embrace the
twenty-first century, while still holding on to their ethnic heritage. Both young children and
adults struggle with the public’s racism against their people. Select groups are fighting to
protect and preserve the pride and honor of the gypsy population while educating Spain’s
general public that Spain would not be what it is today without the gypsy population. Gypsy
culture is Spain’s culture.
Simbolismo y realismo en “Nosh an dado la tierra” de Juan Rulfo/Symbolism and Realism in
“Nos han dado la tierra” by Juan Rulfo
Sarah Olson, Department of World Languages
and Cultures This paper explores Juan Rulfo’s famous story “Nos han dado la tierra,” or
“They gave us the land,” from his celebrated collection “El llano en llamas,” “The Burning
Plain”. After setting the scene with a brief overview of Rulfo’s life and work that provides
the context for his writing, this paper explores the heavy symbolism at play in the short story.
From the weather, to the tone of the narrator, to the author’s writing style itself, each element
of “Nos han dado la tierra” is a symbolic representation of the post-revolution era for
Mexican farmers. After contemplation of these symbolic elements aided by the inclusion of
relevant academic resources, the paper ends with a brief discussion on the overall tone or
feeling of the short story: is it pessimistic, hopeful, or simply realistic? The final words and
images of the short story are examined to unearth the message and the feeling that the author
hopes to leave his audience with.
104
Index of Oral Presentations:
No. Presenter(s)
1
2
Andrew Abarca, Jessica
Demeules, Marisa Opheim,
Anne Slette
Samantha Adank, Rosina
Halverson Studer, Leslie
Bellwood
3
Courtney Backen
4
5
6
7
8
14
Courtney Backen
Jacqueline Backer
Leslie Bellwood
Channing Bendtsen
Kyra Benson
Birgitte Berge, Megan
Broton, Hailey Von Wald,
James Walsh
Peter Bergquist, Elizabeth
Robinson, Brian Bickel,
Jessica Watson, Elizabeth
Underthun
Brian Bickel, Peter
Bergquist, Jessica Watson
Katie Black, Gaya Shivega
Chase Body, Nina Due,
Marta Fitzer, Cat Hubin,
Marit Johnson, Tory Long,
Karli Mazzone, Alayna
Nestberg
Kayla Bones
15
Catherine Bruns
16
Catherine Bruns
Heather Campbell, Andrea
Flaten, Jenie Ogle
9
10
11
12
13
17
18
Caleb Camrud
19
Bailey Carlson
Breck Cogswell, Michaila
Gerlach, Adam Kolling,
Kristin Young
Casey Cruz
Casey Cruz, Mike Bjork,
Kirstin Kopp, Sally Pigeon,
Amati Owen, Dalton
Schneider, Trudy Sundquist
Jordan Degerness
Dara Deines
Dara Deines, Sara Thofson
and Jasmine Lara
Anna Dovre, Alex Samion
Rebecca Ekert, Reilly
Myklebust
Hannah Fishbeck
Justin Flack
Ingrid Floersheim,
Elizabeth Clapp
Olivia Gear
Maddie Grosland, Karley
Petersen, Sadie Hayes,
Laura Wood
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
James Hakala
Oral Presentation Title
Marketing in the Non-profit World: Testing Effectiveness of Language
Strategies for Successful Service Projects: Learning from Interfaith Action
Hear the People Speak: Corporate Environmental Crime and Social Justice Movements from Toms
River to Bhopal
Writing in Action: Literature and the Role of Social Activism
Virtue Versus Demon: The Struggle of Human Nature Shown by Metaphor in Lady GaGa’s “Judas”
Doctors and Diversity: Using Interfaith Literacy and Interfaith Dialogue to Improve Patient Care
Compassion in the Face of Tragedies Experienced by Transgender Women: Breakfast on Pluto
Mindfulness and Binge-eating disorder: A literature review of emerging treatment
Returning Tides
Habitat Use of Gray (Sciurus carolinensis) and Red (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Squirrels on an
Urban College Campus
Comparison of Small Mammal Communities on Restored and Established Prairies in Northwestern
Minnesota
The Effects of Farming Practices on Fungal Communities of Coffee Roots in Costa Rican Soils
The Power to Manipulate: A Sci-Fi Film Adaptation
Why Sex Should Not Shame Young Women: A Reinterpretation of Virginity
When East Meets West: Analyzing China's Historical and Cultural Impact on Shakespeare's
"Romeo and Juliet"
The Detroit Water Crisis: An American Human Rights Emergency
Immune Responses to Hookworm Antigen: Investigating the Relationships Between Pre-Clinical
Presentation and Serology
Souls and Shadow: The Aesthetic Influence of Noh Theatre on Two Highly-Acclaimed Video
Games
Russian Intervention in Ukraine: Trumped up 19th Century Behavior or Rational Realism?
The Ubiquity of Charlie Chaplin: Reimagining the Greatest Speech in Film History through Modern
Media
Three White Balloons
Adapting Robert Browning to Film: "My Last Wife"
A Forgotten Innovation: The Compositional Techniques of Paul Hindemith
Congress as a Gendered Institution- A Critical Analysis
"All I am Good for is Looking Good for You" A Content Analysis of Pop and Country
Je Suis Charlot: Chaplin and France
Comedic Copycats: An Analysis of Chaplin Imitations
The Imperative Need for Compassion and Social Justice for the Marginalized in the Workforce
Writing to Understand
Human Trafficking in the Fargo-Moorhead Area
The Political and Societal Ascent of Women in Post-Genocide Rwanda
Development of an Educational Cartoon to Prevent Worm Infections in Bangladeshi Children
Thoughts That Lie Too Deep for Tears: Platonic Dualism and the Demise of Nature as Female in
William Wordsworth’s “Immortality Ode”
105
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
Shelby Halland, David
Wolfe, Tisha Burch, Emma
Payne, Amber Morgan,
Austin Gerth, Mary
Henning, Emilly Fossen
Christian Halos
Vanessa Hernandez
Alisa Heskin
Alisa Heskin
Elizabeth Hiller
Elizabeth Hiller, Miles
Otstot, Jake Pavia, Jake
Schmitz, Jonathan Sutton
Bailey Houle, Hannah
Rodne, Kenny Nindorera
Jens Hulden, Scott Opatril,
Jonathan Tetlie
Janelle Jennissen, Axel
Freytag
I Think You Forget Who You Are Speaking To: Adapting Saki’s Comedy to 21st Century Film
The Dragon in Eastern and Western Religious cultures: A Symbol of Good or Evil?
Looking at the Past: The Chicano Civil Rights Movement
The Silent Soliloquy: Introspection in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus
Walking the Abyss in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Portraits of Insanity in Poe’s "The Black Cat" and Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying
Comparing Performances of Malcolm Arnold's Quintet for Two Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and
Tuba
Ways forward: Student Designed Approaches and Interventions for Overcoming Neglected
Tropical Diseases
The Diversity of Bees in Burned and Unburned Restored Prairies in Northwestern Minnesota
The Effects of Iodide Impurities in the Production of Gold Nanorods
44
Marit Johnson
45
46
47
48
Wesley Kimball
Meghan Knudtzon
Alisha Knutson
Making the Connection: The Use of Literature and Music in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and
Emma
Not All Terrorists are Created Evil: An Analysis of the Portrayal of Terrorists in Modern Film
Spectroscopic Investigation of Femtosecond Dynamics in Phytochrome Photoisomerization
The Right to Jump: The Ethics and Reasoning behind Physician Assisted Suicide
Cassandra Konz
Power and Persian Women: Hierarchy in the Achaemenid Royal House
50
Phil Kuball, Michael
McCarthy, Shelby Rolfhus
David Kwiecien
51
Brianna L. Drevlow
52
53
Molly Larson
Courtney Leier
54
Matthew Lillehaugen
55
56
Hannah Loeffler-Kemp
Tory Long
Quinn Maroney, Marisa
Habel, Jacey Mitziga
Patrick McGuire
Emily Michaelsen, Ann
Brooks, Allie Smeeth,
Hannah Loeffler-Kemp
Gillian Miller, Sydney
Brewer, Marissa Johnson,
Bjorn Altenburg
Reilly Myklebust
Miranda Nelson, Austin
Hawkins, Gabriel Foltz,
Tyler Storm, Hannah
Young, Kiersten McMahon
Joseph Ness
Joseph Ness
Andrew Olsen, Trevor
Grandgenett, Emily
Swenson
Sally Pigeon
Rachael Pishtek
Robert Satterness, Christian
Thompson
Tom Skinner
Tyler Snelling
Tyler Snelling
Katharine A. Spencer
Nathan Stanelle, Mitch
Campion
Protein Levels of Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Supraoptic Nucleus of 1- and 4-Month-Old Rats:
Implications for a Role in Axonal Sprouting?
Religion and Racism in Odinists and Asatru Kins
Experience Over Expertise; A Critical Analysis of the Gendered Society of 19th Century Female
Art Song Composition
Unlocking the Role of Cytotoxic T cells in Multiple Sclerosis
Creating a Heart for Service and Learning in Students
Finding the Face of the Afghan People: Applying Two Philosophies of Compassion to Gopal's No
Good Men Among the Living
Lutheran World Relief: Transcending Religious Differences through Service to the Neighbor
Nosferatu and the Evolution of the Modern Vampire
49
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
Bystander Effect: The Relation of Time Sensitivity In Small Groups
Depictions of Treason: Catholic Music in Elizabethan England
Through the Lens: A Partnership with Great Plains Food Bank
Mapping History: A Digital Map of Concordia from 1891 - Present
Victimization, Compassion, and Intervention in Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes
Baseball History as American History: Lost Stories of Influential Ballplayers
De-stigmatizing South Park: How Television's "Smut" is Socially Progressive and Intelligent
Appealing to Fear: Ebola Outbreak as a Medium of Persuasion
Effect of Water Depth and Habitat Type on Long Lake Productivity
Both a Man and Maid: "Twelfth Night" and Jacques Lacan's Mirror Theory
Healthy Heartland: Getting Fargo Moorhead’s Young People Hooked on Healthy, Affordable Foods
An Investigation into Aging Dinosaur Fossils
The Indian Lid: Treaty-Based Alcohol Prohibition in Early Twentieth-Century Northern Minnesota
Comedy in ‘Nam: A Burkean Rhetorical Analysis
A Fat Epistemic Inequality: Navigating Credibility Deficits in a Large World
Toward a New Solidarity: Practicing Life-Affirming Theology on Native American Reservations
Operations Research Applied to Scheduling an Intercollegiate Club Lacrosse League
106
74
Ashley Thompson
75
Ashley Thompson
76
77
78
79
Aaron Thompson, AJ
Eckberg
Jardy Wasmoen
Jessica Watson, Peter
Bergquist, Brian Bickel
John Wiehe
Deindividuation in Racially Motivated Riots and Group Violence/Crime
Miley Cyrus, the Girl Next Door: A Rhetorical Analysis of Freud's Psychosexual Development
Theory as it Applies to Miley Cyrus' Career
Get Lit
Healing Responses to Rape Victims: A Levinasian Study of Wally Lamb's "She’s Come Undone"
Effects of Prescribed Burning on the Small Mammal Community Inhabiting a Restored Prairie
An Autoethnography Examining the Intersectionality of Non-Visible Disabilites and Gender
107
Index of Posters:
No.
Presenter(s)
Poster Title
Conor Roche, Shaneabbas Raza
27-hydroxycholesterol Contributes to ER+ Breast Cancer Progression via p53 Signaling
Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum-Doped Goethite
4
Seth Randall
Amy Crane, Catrina Linehan, Corinne Burrell,
Hannah Young, Vanessa Cruz
Danica Seifert, Logan Jacobs, Andrew Leen,
Rachel Appert
5
Rebecca Asheim
Perspectives from Former Pre-Health Profession Students on the Decision to Pursue Different
Careers
6
Chris Wiger, Sam Olson, Haley Jaeger, Kayla
Logelin
Effects of Macrophytes on Aquatic Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations
7
Katie Black, Elli Emerson, Carley Spiese
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
James Hakala, Jacey Mitziga
Nesting Habits of S. carolinensis and T. hudsonicus on Concordia College Campus in Moorhead,
MN
The Constance Wilde Project: Researching Life in Late Victorian London
Kim Kafka
Chia Seeds: The Seed Fit for the Gods
Karlee Black
Influences on Food Choice in College Students
Stephanie Zoccatelli
Beta-Alanine For The Win!
Janelle Jennissen
Better Soap through Greener Chemistry
Hannah Prigge, Leonie Sanden, Kassondra Ptak
Putting a Stamp on America - Exploring German Immigration to the U.S through Personal Letters
Kayla Tureson, Haidee Reff
Presence of Cortactin in Goldfish Telencephalon
Hannah Steffen
Mindfulness Meditation: The Benefits for College Students Dealing with Anxiety
Paige Olson
In A Nutshell
Haley Larson, Heidi Thom, Rachael Schauer
Social Perception and Stereotypes in College Aged Students Based on Physical Attraction
Hillary Rotunda
The Low-Down on Low-Carbohydrate Diet
Sara Funkhouser
Imran Khan: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Kathryn Bass, Megan Sayler, Valerie Hart
The Effects of Nonconscious Motivation on Performance of an Intellectual Task
Rachel Schaefer
Education and Compassion on Behalf of Women: The Lessons and Voices from Half the Sky
Alexander Hathaway, Janelle Jennissen
Anne Beck, Krista Bjork, Vince Colbrunn,
Kailie Kennedy, Paige Olson, Theresa Vitt
Jonathan Fondell, Emma Stein, Kristin Luistro,
Jack Hinz, Chase Nelson, Benjamin Glogoza,
Rosina Halverson Studer, Ahna Van
Valkenburg, Rachael Cammarn, Katie Dosland
Synthesis of Salen Manganese Complex: a Model of the Superoxide Dismutase Enzyme Family
1
2
3
23
24
25
Paige Borst, Alexandra Buck
26
Kim Haley, Matthew Lillehaugen
27
Lauren Spaeth
Rachel Goertzen, Ciara Duffy-Gideon, Jadin
Heidrich, Andrea Franz
Emily Luckhardt, Ciara Duffy- Gideon, Jadin
Heidrich, Rachel Goertzen, Emily Puckett
Molly Larson, Emily Luckhardt, Rachel
Goertzen, Andrea Franz
Tom Skinner
28
29
30
31
32
33
"None So Opposed": Scandinavian Americans and World War I
Dissolved Oxygen, Biomass and Phytoplankton Density in Long Lake
Hot Spot Formation: An Analysis of Erosion in Tharsis Montes
Martian Volcano Age in the Tharsis Montes Region
Cloning Trypanosoma brucei Genes and Analyzing their Role in Lipid Droplet Function and
Biogenesis
Atmospheric Data Analysis from the Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Suite on the Mars
Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover
Stem Cell Therapy in Ischemic Stroke Patients
Transcriptome Differences in the Hippocampus of the MRL/MpJ Model of SLE and C57BL/6
Wild-Type Mice
Tail Suspension Test (TST) Analysis of Lupus-Prone Mice using Noldus Ethovision XT 10.1
Investigating the Relationship Between Serum C3 Levels and Neuropsychiatric Lupus in Female
Mice of the MRL Model
That Hideous Strength: Charles Williams’s Arthuriad Reimagined
Zach Lipp
Linking In: A Comparative Approach to Defining Data Science
James Laskey
Elizabeth Balstad, Peter Bergquist, Thea
Gessler, Narmeen Hashim, Matthew Jacobson,
Andrew Olsen, Emily Puckett, Thomas Walter
Allison Cassell, Rachel Dieter, Emma Eckberg,
Audrey Gunn, Timothy Nelson, Jenna
Scarbrough
Marta Prosinski, Laura Prosinski
Expression of RNA Binding Proteins In Heart Development: Implications For ARVC
Lindsay Erickson, Jenna Posch
Breastfeeding the Premature Baby
My (Your) Depiction of Mental Health
40
Jasmine Lara
Soren Bakken-Heck, Jeremy Houser, Derek
Whitehill
Andrew Carlson, Jessica Epple
41
Heather Campbell
34
35
36
37
38
39
42
43
Liam Nuhring, Luke Lageson, Matthew Bonk,
Nate Adameitz, Michael McCarthy
Lauren Peterson
GAPDH Gene Sequenced in Helianthus maximiliani
Current Knowledge and Perceptions of Evolution on the Concordia Campus
Why Should I Breastfeed?
Diseases of Poverty and Public Health
Art, Interfaith and Online Presence: Expanding the Peace Making Power of Art
Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Responds to Changes in Plant Host in a Former
Agricultural Site
Carrion Decomposition
There's an App for That
108
44
45
46
48
49
50
51
Spencer Nelson, Derek Whitehill
Carissa Rodenbiker, Corie Neugebauer
Rachel Mullin
Camrie Vlasak, Sarah Kemp, Ger Xiong,
Ali Kovash, Olivia Berglund, Nina Due
Mari Johanna Christianson
Joleen Baker, Erica Bjelland, Katie Black
Jackson Yakowicz
Adam Domitz, Kevin Lattu
52
Rylan Henley, Andrew Deters
53
54
55
59
60
61
62
63
Samuel Bennett
Jennifer Freiday
Andy Seaberg, Aliza Rux, Kelsey Dodge
Jule Andersen, Danielle Duray,
Rebecca Kendall, Alexandra Samion
Cassondra Thompson
Elise Haugen, Maddie DuBore,
Ellen Reuss, Rachel Martin
Karley Petersen
Abdallah Shuhadeh, Casey Haack
Jordan Cain, Lily Erdal
Natalie Rivera
Molly Lee
64
Angie Stahlmann, Mackenzie McCloud
65
Erika Freeberg, Hattie Harn
66
67
68
69
72
73
Kelsey Seppelt
Molly Zavadil
Sarah Dotzler
Carly Mickelson
Emily Swenson, Katie Tuel, Eugenia
Cegla
Allison Cassell, Rachel Dieter, Emma
Eckberg, Audrey Gunn, Jenna
Scarbrough, Timothy Nelson
Jenie Ogle, Anna Finck
Maggy Gonzales, Kim Haley, Leah Olson
74
John Wiehe
47
56
57
58
70
71
75
76
Anna Adnoy, Sydney Carey, Derek
Hogenson, Aron Hoover, Amanda
Lundeen, Eli Paul, Ellen Rethwisch,
Sage Thornbrugh, Amanda Wortman
Jesse Johnson, Luke Magnuson, Ryan
Haines, Amy Crane, Kaley Sievert,
Hillary Birchem, Jacob Kostic, Dustin
Boyum
77
Channing Bendtsen
78
Allison Chudy, Alayna Starr
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
Christiaan Beede, Luke Froelich
Jeremy Houser, Ethan Nemmers
Bailey Houle
Hannah Kanninen
Michaela Otto
Abby Ginader
Briana Johnson
Ann Marie O'Connell
Allosteric Effect on Km for αKG with ATP
Determining the Km of Ammonia with ATP as an Allosteric Inhibitor of GDH
The Unbeatable Beet: A Nutritious Super Food
Relationship Dynamics: Comparison Between Dual-Earning Families and SingleEarning Families
It's Time to Grow Up; Vertical Farming
High Impact Leadership Trip: 2 Case Studies
The Apologetic Sweet Spot, Concurrent Grievance Sharing, and Apologia Acceleration
Food Production on Concordia College's Campus
The Effect of Different Breathing Techniques on Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) and
Heart Rate Recovery after Submaximal Exertion in Collegiate Hockey Players
The Mind of an Athlete: Utilizing Mental Training to Increase Athletic Performance
Rise and Dine!
Concordia College Timeline
Approach to Global Terrorism: The Double Standard Policy
Perceptions of the Future may Explain why We Take Fewer Risks with Age
Growing Up Gendered
Circular Dichroism and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of HDAC8 Mutant, H180R
Investigations on the Magnetism of Al-Doped Goethite
Fueling the Future
Latino Gender Roles: Machismo and Marianismo
The Effects of Caffeine and Stress on Cognitive Processing
Brain Gain: A Relationship Between Exercise and Cognitive Functioning in College
Students
Focus Groups and Self-Report Survey Reveal Positive Outcomes for Undergraduate
Research Students
Magnetic Properties of Various Phases of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Eating Like a Viking: The New Nordic Diet
Synthesis of Ru Complexes of bis-PTA Ligands
Interpretations of Judges 19 in Patriarchal and (Not Quite) Gender Equal Societies
Age Class by Distance of Freshwater Mussels at Long Lake
The History of Human Migrations Recorded in our DNA
Production of Antimicrobial Substances by Nonpathogenic Neisseria Species
Automation of United Way's Day of Caring Volunteer Assignments
Discrimination of Individuals with Disabilities: An Examination of the Factors that
Perpetuate Discrimination in the Workplace
Mineral Composition of McMurdo Crater on Mars
A Study of the Slope and Elevation of Caves on Mars
Social Mimicry: Mimicked Person's Non-Conscious Behavior, Self-Construal and
Affinity
The Relationship Between Implicit Racial Associations and Ratings of Criminality and
Trustworthiness
Breastfeeding in the Workplace: A Multifaceted Issue
Tay-Sachs Disease: A Lysosomal Storage Disorder
Zellweger Syndrome: A Study of the Disease, Causes, and Current Research
Dream Theory in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde
Working With Special Needs Adoption
Can You Judge a Food by its Label? Front of Package Food Labeling
Have You Tried Painkillers? Gluten Intolerance and its Contested Status
The Journey Towards an Independent Taiwanese Identity
109
Index of Departmental Session Abstracts:
Department
Presenter(s)
Presentation Title
Katherine
Schiffman
The Evergreen Act's effect on Employment of Displaced Workers in Green Jobs
Sam Barney
Work-related Stress Factors Experienced by Healthcare Administrators
Spencer Nelson,
Derek Whitehill
Allosteric Effect on Km for αKG with ATP
Chemistry
Carissa Rodenbiker,
Corie Neugebauer
Determining the Km of Ammonia with ATP as an Allosteric Inhibitor of GDH
Chemistry
Heather Campbell,
Soren Bakken-Heck
Effect of [ATP] on the Km of NADPH in the Glutamate Dehydrogenase Reaction
Chemistry
Alisa Heskin,
Bailey Houle
Kinetic Analysis of Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Using Varying [NADP+] and
ATP Inhibition
Chemistry
Nicole Harthun,
Katie Kirkland
The Analysis of the Allosteric Effect on Affinity for Glutamate with ADP
Chemistry
Jeremy Houser,
Jason Neumann
The Effect of [ADP] on Glutamate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Function
Sally Pigeon
Both a Man and Maid: Twelfth Night and Jacques Lacan's Mirror Stage
Cassandra Konz,
Creative Connections in Poetry
Emma Eckberg
Goethe’s Faust or Goethe’s Gretchen: A Feminist Reading of Faust
World Languages
Sarah Quartier
From Goethe to Groening : Parallels between Faust and the Simpsons
World Languages
Amy Leopold
The Opposition of Eva Peron
World Languages
Tatum Holt
Manuela Saenz – The Indirect Empowerment of Women in Early Nineteenth Century
Latin America
World Languages
Laura Massé and
Miranda Nelson
Astérix and Obélix: The Influence of Celtic Culture and the Roman Expansion on
French Contemporary Pop-Culture
World Languages
Laurel DiSera
El arte durante el régimen de Francisco Franco/The Arts during the Regime of
Francisco Franco
World Languages
Marit Johnson
Offutt School of
Business
Offutt School of
Business
Chemistry
English
English
World Languages
La vida gitana y el racismo en el siglo XXI/Spanish Gypsies and Racism in the 21st
Century
110