Saint John’s Abbey
College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University
Saint John’s Preparatory School
Saint Benedict’s Monastery Sesquicentennial
Benedictines in Central Minnesota — 150 Years

Dancing on the Edge-Faculty and Student Extravaganzas

How Did We Become Above Average? The Long Run Growth of the Minnesota Economy
Louis Johnston and Jennifer Busse (economics)
Good question – we have some answers.
            Where: HAB 118

Older Adults Experiencing Domestic Violence
Ann Stalboerger (social work) uncovers and questions aspects of domestic violence in older adults and suggests steps to take to address his issue.
            Where:  ASC 105

Studying Feminism at a Women’s College:  How Students at the College of Saint Benedict View Feminism
Rachel Enge (sociology) examines the views of CSB students about feminism.
            Where:  ASC 107

How Can Political Activism and Teaching Be Balanced?
Gary Prevost (political science) has been teaching at CSB/SJU for 30 years and has been politically active for 40 years.         
            Where:  ASC 130 

Ethical Convergence, Globalization, and Bridging the Cultural Divide Between Multinational Corporations
Roxanne Rabe and Sanford Moskowitz (management) show that a “universalist” rather than a “relativistic” mechanism is at work as international ethical standards converge toward Western ethical systems.
           Where: ASC 127

Sexual Choices in Emerging Adults
Amy Vannurden (psychology) asks why, when so many young adults are sexually active, 20 % aren’t.  Family?  Friends?  Faith?  What?
            Where: ASC 121

It’s a bird.  It’s a plane. Is it a "Super American"?
Mandy Buzzelli (Spanish, education, Latino/a studies)
Do you want to save the world?  How do you know you are really helping and not a hindrance?  Tips from my time in Latin America.
           Where: HAB 015

When the Past is Your Past
Nick Hayes (history/critical thinking) has walked from writing about Russian history to his experiences in Russia, to a memoir of his father.  Follow his journey.
          Where: HAB 128B

Conversation About Song Writing
Brian Heilman (English) and Mike Opitz (English) talk about song-writing and will pick up their guitars to illustrate some of their (and your) ideas. 
          Where: HAB 119

Stories from the Archives: Writing Historical Fiction
Cynthia Malone (English) In 1860, Emily Faithfull trained young girls to set type at the newly established Victoria Press.  Four years later, a scandal threatened to close the business and Faithfull was named in a sensational divorce case.  The Novella!
            Where: HAB 115

Thinking About Youth in Renaissance England
Matt Harkins (English) asks what is a youth anyway?  How old?  How young?  It mattered in Renaissance England.  Is it a word or something else?
             Where: HAB 106

The Problem of Religion and Science: Can Subjectivity Help?
Vincent M. Smiles (theology) asks if knowledge is discoverable only by science, is there no knowledge in faith? He’ll entertain questions about doubt and faith.  Warning: not for the faint-hearted.
             Where: HAB 120

The E-Scholars Take on China!
Abby Stahl (communication), Nikki Nelson (management) and Emily Karnas (political science) show a DVD of E-Scholars in China and answer questions about their experiences.
          Where: HAB 121                                                                               

3:15  NATURAL SCIENCES

If Hippocrates and Michael Pollan Had Dinner Together, What Would They Eat?
Jayne Byrne (nutrition) will present a compressed timeline of the origin of modern western ideas about diet and health. The focus will be food, and not so much the nutrients in the food. The value of nutrition as a model for studying the natural sciences will be emphasized.
            Where: HAB 117

Assessment of Metabolic Syndrome in a College-Aged Population over Time
Kaitlin Carr (dietetics) The college-aged population is generally considered to be at low risk for metabolic syndrome.  However, the recent rise in obesity may negatively affect the health status of this population.  The purpose of this research is to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in a college-aged population and to determine whether this statistic has changed over time.  The following lab values were assessed among 496 students: fasting blood glucose, serum cholesterol, blood pressure, waist measurements, and body mass index (BMI).
             Where: HAB 128A

19^th Century British Women in the Early Years of Paleontology
Larry Davis (geology) In casual reading of the history, one is left with the impression that paleontology was shaped by men.  However, a closer examination of the literature reveals that women participated in, and helped shape, the history of the discipline. We will examine the role women in paleontology, with a special focus on Mary Anning of Lyme Regis.
             Where: HAB 102

The Association between Alcohol Consumption and C-Reactive Protein Levels in College-Aged Individuals
Elizabeth Donovan (nutrition and biology) Current screening methods fail to identify over half of individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). A new screening tool, C-reactive protein (CRP), is a marker for inflammation highly correlated with CVD. It is not known how alcohol consumption affects CRP levels in a young adult population with no risk factors for CVD. Binge drinking is prevalent in college-aged individuals, potentially increasing CRP levels and beginning a pattern for increased CVD risk. This study examined the association between alcohol consumption and CRP levels in college-aged individuals.
              Where: HAB 128A

Is Heterohelix rajagopalani the Ancestor of Gublerina cuvillieri? A Stratophenetic and Taxonomic Study
Erin Saupe (natural science) Restructuring the classification of Cretaceous age planktonic foraminifer requires studying morphological changes through time and phylogenetic elationships between species.  In the following study, Gublerina cuvillieri and its proposed ancestor Heterohelix rajagopalani were picked from Ocean Drilling Program Hole 761B (Exmouth Plateau), and their relationship was evaluated using biometric software and orphological observations from SEM images. Quantitative data from x-ray image measurements provide evidence that H. rajagopalani isthe direct ancestor of G. cuvillieri.
              Where: HAB 128 A

The Severity and Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Children under the Age of Five in Chimbote, Peru
Sara Anderson (nutrition)  The purpose of this project was to assess the prevalence and severity of iron deficiency in children under the age of five residing in Chimbote, Peru.  Approximately 100 children under the age of five were referred by a hospital nurse for a hemoglobin measurement. Hemoglobin values obtained were low indicating mild iron deficiency; however, given that these children were likely dehydrated, their true hemoglobin values would have been even lower.
              Where: HAB 128 A

Celebrating Symmetry
Tom Sibley (mathematics) Symmetrical patterns have intrigued people across cultures and across the centuries.  My research explores the range of possible finite symmetrical patterns using colors and mathematics.  This presentation will use colors and various objects to convey some of the mathematical ideas.
              Where: HAB 119

The Aerobiology of St. John’s, Pollen and Mold in the Air We Breathe
Steve Saupe (biology), For the past few years, my students and I have been using a Rotorod sampler to monitor the pollen and mold spore loads that occur in the air on campus.  In this presentation I will provide a brief overview of the science of aerobiology and will then share the results from some of our studies. Whether or not you suffer from hay fever or other allergies, you are invited to join me to learn more about what’s in the air that we breathe.  
            Where: HAB 128A

Alkynoic Acid Cyclization
Keely Sacry and Krista Sacry (chemistry) Methodology  of chemistry was used to develop a process of alkynoic acid cyclization.  This research will contribute new methods for the synthesis of biologically important molecules.  This will be a poster presentation.
            Where: HAB 128 A

An (Ill-Advised) 51st Way to Leave Your Lover: A Phylogenetics Detective Story
Jennifer Galovich (mathematics) In the late 1990s, Richard Schmidt, a Louisiana gastroenterologist, was convicted of attempting to murder his former girlfriend by injecting her with HIV infected blood.  Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the prosecution argued that the girlfriend’s positive HIV status could be blamed on Schmidt.  So – what is phylogenetics?  And how was it used in this case?  I will give a brief and not-too-technical introduction to the main ideas and methods in the field and explain how the prosecution was able to use this information to nail Schmidt.
             Where: HAB 107

Synthesis of Models for the Active Site of Multicopper Oxidases
Brian Johnson (chemistry) The multicopper oxidases are enzymes containing an unusual triangular array of copper atoms.  Though they have a wide range of biological functions, we do not know how they work.  This presentation is designed to describe to the nonspecialist how a bioinorganic chemist can simulate these complex enzymes with a much simpler molecule and increase our understanding  of them.
             Where:  HAB 121

The Summer Science Research Exchange Program between Southwest China University and CSB/SJU
Henry Jakubowski (chemistry) The Summer Science Research Program is a novel reciprocal exchange program that allows CSB/SJU and Southwest University (China) science students to conduct six weeks of research at SWU followed by another six weeks at CSB/SJU.  I will review last summer’s program and plans for this summer’s as well.
             Where: HAB 118

Drugs in My Water!
Mike Ross (chemistry) A November, 2006, report by KARE11 TV, brought even closer to home the increasing problem of pharmaceuticals and personal care products present in our rivers and lakes.   The presence of hormone residue from birth control medications has been linked to the feminization of fish in the Mississippi River.  This talk will present a brief history of studies on this problem and work which I have been conducting on the breakdown of antidepressants in surface waters.
            Where: HAB 120

3:15 FREE FOR ALLS

A 21^st Century Platonic Dialogue
Tony Cunningham (philosophy) In Plato’s Symposium, Socrates and friends waxed poetic about love and drank heavily.  Our 21^st Century Platonic dialogue will focus on the meaning of life and we’ll munch on cakes and cookies instead.  Bring a friend, your mind, and an appetite!
             Where: HAB Lobby

“Is the academic freedom of conservative students threatened at CSB/SJU?” A Controversial Conversation
Dan McKanan (theology)  For the past year, Controversial Conversations has been studying ways to promote civil and courageous conversations on controversial topics. Today, we will have such a conversation! Join some people to talk about this question.
              Where: HAB 106

One Sex, Many Tongues
Large Group of Students from various majors will read and perform poetry in the various voices of various women, from various countries
             Where: HAB 115

Human Experience in War
James Fischer (history and ROTC) will engage participants with the lives of human beings at war.  The actions and responses of people in war can be a very complex thing to comprehend.  Life in these   circumstances has often been governed by extremes rarely seen under “normal” conditions.  There are ways we can look at these experiences from the past to learn more about these people and ourselves.
           Where: HAB 101

Spoken Word Poetry – A Poetry Slam
Large Group of Students from various majors will engage in the competitive art of performance poetry that puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance.
            Where: HAB 003

Political Science Theses Panel
Michael Beckstrand:  An Introduction to European Union Management
Gabriel Schlabach:  The Christian Right and the Double –Edged Sword
Elizabeth Super:  Creating a Culturally Competent Campus
             Where: HAB 009

Open Studio in the Theater Department Costume Shop
Willene Mangham (theater) Time is running out for our production of Caucasian Chalk Circle. Opening night is only a week away. The costumes are created by students who work with a faculty designer and a shop manager. Come to the studio and see what happens during these final hours.
             Where: Costume Studio, BAC 66 lower level of the original section of the BAC

Leadership:  Building a Strong Foundation
Margrette Newhouse (management) presents a “silent” powerpoint run hosted and created by the MGMT 314 to inspire you to be a better leader (and follower).
             Where: HAB  015

Make an Exhibit in 45 Minutes
Annette Atkins (history) and Leah Juster, Audrey Gabe, Andrew Gaydos, Nicole Bach, and Brett Pequin (history) and all comers will think up, design, and create an exhibit of some kind in under an hour. Some supplies provided, but bring cameras, scissors, glue sticks, etc.
              Where: HAB 128B

Irish Ceili  Dance, 7 lessons, 7:30 dancing, HCC