The Augustana Symposium

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Student Presentations -- 2004

Anna Amundson: "Jehovah's Witnesses under Nazism" (Margaret Preston)
Session 1 (1:00-2:30, MC 255)

This presentation will focus on the persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany during World War II. Jehovah’s Witnesses were among the first of many dissident groups to be persecuted by the Nazis. The presentation will analyze how the strongly-held beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses led to their open resistance of the Nazis, and the ways in which these beliefs helped them to survive years of imprisonment in concentration camps.

Chris McClure: "Epistemological Probabilism" (LaMoyne Pederson)
Session 1 (1:00-2:30, MC 255)

The topic is a way of viewing the world based on the probabilities and predictions of truth through both personal experience and logical deduction. Universal truth exists, but since humans are flawed they can never know it for certain. This is an ideological middle ground between relativism and absolutism. Sources used will be JS Mill’s Utilitarianism, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Augustine’s On Free Will, Karl Popper’s Conjectures and Refutations, and John Dewey’s Reconstruction in Philosophy. The conclusions that will be reached revolve around the application of Probabilism to everyday life. Not only is it a very accurate tool in the natural sciences, but it is also quite useful in the area of interpersonal communications. When people are involved though, the randomness in the actual results increases exponentially due to free will and the somewhat irrational nature of humans. The findings would also espouse not only equality between all people, but an increase in acceptance of other viewpoints and open-mindedness. While there is a truth since you can never be too confident in your knowledge, toleration in other views is warranted. This method of viewing the world also values reason and forward looking behavior. This leads to a more stable life with fewer surprises, a benefit often overlooked by relativists.

Matthew Grandbois: "Mechanistic Study and Further Synthesis of 2,5-Dihydrofurans Via Novel Intramolecular Silyl Olefin Cycloaddition" (Jetty Duffy-Matzner)
Session 1 (1:00-2:30, MC 255)

Novel 1-[2H,5H-Dihydrofur-3-yl]-ethanones, -propanones, and -carbaldehydes have been synthesized from novel propargylic nitroethers via Intramolecular Silyl Olefin Cycloaddition (ISOC) reactions. Study has been done on propargylic nitroethers through the ISOC reaction and has found that they produce dihydrofuran ketones and carbaldehydes by isoxazolidine intermediates. It is known that when vinylic nitroethers are subjected to the ISOC reaction, isoxazoles are created via N-trimethylsilyl isoxalidine intermediates. Molecular modeling programs were engaged to predict the ISOC product of a nitroether possessing both vinylic and propargylic sidearms. This novel nitroether that possesed both vinylic and propargylic sidearms was synthesized and then subjected to the ISOC reaction to determine the major product. In addition, varied substituent groups were placed on the 2 and 5 positions of other dihydrofuran rings to test the effect of steric hindrance on the ratio of diasteriomers produced. Resulting diasteriomers were isolated and characterized. All products were characterized via 1HNMR, 13CNMR, FTIR, and GCMS.

Meghan Bratlie: "How Bank Mergers Affect Small Businesses" (Reynold Nesiba)
Session 2 (1:00-2:30, MC 202)

My paper will discuss how bank mergers have negatively affected small businesses. Small businesses need the personal connection of small banks because they form a close relationship with the businesses. These small banks are more willing to take bigger risks with the small businesses because they want to keep business in the town and know the people on a more personal level. My faculty advisor for this paper will be Reynold Nesiba. The research methods that I will be using will be looking up research by economists on the internet, in journals, and in government documents. My anticipated conclusion will be that lending to small businesses have decreased because banks that have merged will not lend as much to small businesses because they are in competition with other banks and will make more money lending to larger corporations.

Nora Johnson and Mike Berven: "Quaternary Ammonium Compounds" (Gary Earl)
Session 2 (1:00-2:30, MC 202)

The purpose of this research project was to synthesis and analyze quaternary ammonium compounds. Synthesis method was by “green” chemistry, meaning it was environmentally friendly. Quaternary ammonium compounds are used in materials such as conditioners and shampoos as they have surfactant capabilities. Methods of analysis is done by NMR, IR, and HPLC. HPLC is the most important as it would be the tool used if this process of production was implemented into industry. These compounds may also have other usefulness, yet these areas still need to be investigated.

Kelly Wetzbarger: "The History and Atrocities of Ethnic Cleansing in the Former Yugoslavia" (Margaret Preston)
Session 2 (1:00-2:30, MC 202)

Throughout history, the world has watched while acts of war, terrorism, or genocidal madmen have destroyed innocent people. During the Holocaust, Hitler killed six million Jewish people alone, not to mention the countless other Jewish sympathizers, homosexuals, communists, etc. The civil wars among African tribes and governments kill thousands of people per year. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia between Bosnian Serbs and the enemies to their attempt at an ethnically pure society, while different from the afore mentioned situations, can still be counted among the most horrific acts this world has ever seen.

Bosnian Serbs have gone to great lengths to achieve what they consider an ethnically pure society, a society free of Muslims, Croats, non-Serbian Christians, and other groups who are not of the Serbian Orthodox Christian religion. In this fact, the leaders of this movement do not differ much from the notorious Adolph Hitler, who, during the 1930’s and 1940’s attempted to rid Europe of its Jewish population, as well as other groups of undesirable people. Hitler’s aim was for a pure Aryan race. The process of ridding Bosnian Serb-held territories of these undesired people “has involved widespread violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including mass killings and murder, systematic rape, torture, and other crimes against humanity,” and many of these acts have been at the hands of Serb forces.

Through research in journals, books, government documents, and published personal testimonies, I sought further understand of the recent hostilities in the former area of Yugoslavia. My research sought to provide a brief overview of the conflict through the use of historical narrative and personal accounts. Given the contemporary nature of this topic, my presentation will also include recent developments surrounding this issue.

Amanda Jonas: "Inattentional Blindness" (Martin Dennis)
Session 2 (1:00-2:30, MC 202)

Inattentional blindness occurs when an object cannot be consciously perceived because it is not being attended to. Although the shape of the object may not be consciously perceived, it may still be unconsciously processed. Participants were instructed for four trials to identify which arm of a briefly shown (200 ms) cross was longer. This task was followed by a forced choice preference decision between two shapes. On the fifth trial, a small shape was placed parafoveally to the cross. Participants may be primed to prefer this small shape. Shape priming suggests that unattended shapes may not be consciously perceived but are still being unconsciously processed. About half of the participants were blind to the shape, although, less than half of the participants that saw a shape were able to identify it. Further analysis will determine whether shape priming occurred.

Sally Kessler: "The Search for a New Antibiotic" (Jetty Duffy-Matzner)
Session 3 (1:00-2:30, MC 201)

Nonactin is a known antibiotic and a suspected anticancer agent. A possible antibiotic based upon the structure of this medicine was conceived and steps towards its synthesis were studied. Specifically, Nonactin has a large ring structure made up of repeating parts, or monomers. The proposed macrocycle would contain the same monomers bonded in a different manner. The emphasis of this researcher was to obtain a possible starting product used in the preparation of the monomers of the theoretical antibiotic. The student first obtained two different nitroalcohols using the Henry Addition, which were then transformed into the nitroalkenes. These intermediates were then reacted in a Michael Addition. The desired final product, a novel ketone, was produced in a Intramolecule Silyl Olefin Addition (ISOC) process. More research on this project could lead to the discovery of a novel antibiotic.

Kellie Furman, Jennifer Sjuts, and Elizabeth Harr: "The Media's Influence on Women's Body Image" (Susan Wortmann)
Session 3 (1:00-2:30, MC 201)

Our presentation will explain current research literature regarding the media’s affect on female body image. It will also outline our research procedures and current findings at the time of the symposium. The independent study examines the effects that the media’s portrayals of the ideal female body have on the body images of college-aged women. We hypothesize that negative perceptions of body image are developed in college-aged women as a result of their exposure to these images in the media. Self-administered questionnaires will be distributed to a sample of 500 female students enrolled at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. The data will be collected and analyzed in order to determine if the hypothesized relationship does in fact exist; if so, the significance of the relationship will also be measured.

Chris Morgan: "Fringe Banking" (Reynold Nesiba)
Session 3 (1:00-2:30, MC 201)

Jennifer Moser: "The Holocaust as Experienced by Concentration Camp Liberators" (Margaret Preston)
Session 3 (1:00-2:30, MC 201)

The discovery of the Holocaust of World War II certainly ranks as a significant moment in European and world history. It is impossible, however, to identify a definite date or time during World War II when the Allies uncovered the atrocities committed by the Nazis. As the war ended, Allied soldiers, media personnel, and medical units moved into Nazi occupied territory and the world discovered the ugly truth of Nazi cruelty. The first-hand accounts of concentration camp liberators testify to the shocking, horrific reality of the Holocaust and provide evidence that they were unprepared for what they experienced. Their feelings of shock, rage, helplessness, and utter disbelief give valuable insight into the experiences of ordinary soldiers with whom the average American citizen can better relate. A combination of the historical account of liberation in five concentration camps- Majdanek, Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Bergen-Belsen, and Dachau- and the stories of the men and women who liberated them allows today’s reader to understand the full impact of the Holocaust not only on the victims but members of the Allied forces as well. For a younger generation that has difficulty grasping the impact of the Holocaust, it is important to look to the liberators as people not too different from themselves and pay close attention to their words. Without their accounts, today’s generation cannot fully understand the entire truth.

Tom Babb: "Prevention of Sugar Cataract Formation by Topical Administration of Aldose Reductase Inhibitor" (Gary Earl)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

Cataract is a cloudiness or opacity in the normally transparent crystalline lens of the eye. This cloudiness can cause a decrease in vision and eventually blindness. Currently cataract extraction is the most frequently performed surgical procedure and it represents 67% of total Medicare expenditure for vision care. Similar cataracts also occur in animals. In fact, both senile and sugar cataracts are a common occurrence in dogs where they also represent a significant veterinary expense.

M79175 (2-methyl-6-fluorospirochroman-4-5’-imidazolidine-2’, 4’-dione) is the only aldose reductase inhibitor used to date that has demonstrated inhibition of sugar cataracts in dogs. Quarterly blood analyses revealed no adverse effects of the systemic administration of up to 16 mg/kg/day of M79175 in dogs fed a 30% galactose diet for up to 38 months. However, because diabetes may potentially compromise the liver and kidney function of dogs, many veterinarians prefer to use topical treatments in diabetic dogs because topical administration of drugs is association with low to no systemic toxicity.

In the topical delivery of drugs, drug retention on the eye surface is of great importance since increased retention on the ocular surface often leads to increased ocular absorption of a drug. To maximize the topical administration of the aldose reductase inhibitor M79175, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects different vehicles comprised of polymers, gums, or viscosity enhancers in rats fed normal and 50% galactose diet have on the production of catracts.

Leslie Baehr: "Development of PCR Primers and Protocols for the High Molecular Weight Glutenins Expressed in ‘Chinese Spring’ Wheat" (Michael Wanous)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

The objective of this project is to determine the location of the genes that encode the enhancer and repressor proteins involved in the regulation of the high molecular weight (HMW) glutenins in Chinese Spring wheat. Enhancers and repressor proteins are regulatory elements located upstream of the coding sequence of a gene. During transcription, these regulatory elements interact with transcription factors to control the rate at which genes are expressed. The genes encoding the HMW glutenins have been genetically mapped and are found on the long arm of the group one chromosomes: 1AL, 1BL, and 1DL. Each HMW glutenin locus consists of two closely related genes, called the x-type and y-type. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers and protocols were developed for the four HMW glutenin genes expressed in Chinese Spring: two x-type, known as Glu-B1-1 and Glu-D1-1, and two y-type, known as Glu-B1-2 and Glu-D1-2. These PCR protocols will be adapted for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that uses mRNA isolated from wheat endosperm as a template in order to quantify the amount of HMW glutenin mRNA present. Comparisons will be made between mRNA samples that contain zero and three doses for each of the 42 chromosome arms to determine if there is a significant increase or decrease in gene expression between the two doses. If a significant difference is found, a gene encoding for an enhancer or repressor protein that interacts with the HMW glutenin genes will be hypothesized to be present on that chromosome arm.

Brandt Becker: "Characterization of Right Ventricle Hypertrophy" (Gary Earl)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

This study compares the variation of cardiac anatomy in whole hear, tissue, and cell samples from swine at different altitudes. The ultimate goal is to determine and characterize right ventricle hypertrophy at the cellular level. Such work will ultimately provide a viable swine model with a thicker right ventricle to facilitate development of a surgical training model for the correction of transposition of the great arteries.

Meghan Calhoon and Jenny Onberg: "The Effects of Fire Suppression on Soil Organic Carbon in the Black Hills and Newton Hills State Park" (Steven Matzner)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

Fire suppression may be responsible for both an increase in above ground forest carbon pools, and also below-ground soil carbon pools. The first part of this project examined the effects of fire suppression at Newton Hills State Park on soil organic carbon. Comparisons were made between grassland areas and adjacent wooded areas (that have only become wooded within the last 150 years). Wooded areas showed a significant increase in soil organic carbon. A potential consequence of natural, unintentional, or prescribed burning therefore is the release of terrestrial carbon, which could have an impact on global warming.

An additional consequence of years of fire suppression and subsequent build up of fuels, has been an increase in wildfire frequency and intensity. The second part of the project examined the effects of fire intensity on soil organic carbon for the Jasper Burn in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Initially, it was hypothesized that soil organic carbon would be reduced linearly with increasing fire intensity. Although there was a significant reduction in soil organic carbon with high fire intensity, soil organic carbon at moderate and low intensity burns does not appear to be significantly affected.

Sarah Demke: "Analysis of p85-interacting Proteins in Oligodendrocytes" (Maureen Diggins)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

Oligodendrocytes are specialized cells in the Central Nervous system that produce the myelin sheath, a membranous structure surrounding the axons of nerve cells. Mature, myelinating oligodendrocytes arise from precursor cells through a defined process of differentiation. Myelin Basic Protein (MBP), a protein required for production of the myelin sheath, is expressed in increased amounts during differentiation. Overexpression of the protein p85 has been shown to increase the expression of MBP, and thus must be a part of the cellular pathway to cue differentiation. p85 is the regulatory subunit of the enzyme Class 1A phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K). PI3K is one of a family of enzymes that is a part of many cell signaling pathways, including pathways important to cell survival and differentiation. Since overexpression of p85 leads to an increase in expression of MBP, it was thought that PI3K may play a role in signaling differentiation. However, experiments have shown that p85 has its effect independently of the catalytic subunit, p110.

In order to identify any protein(s) interacting with p85 to cue differentiation, an expression construct that produces p85 tagged with additions that can be used to purify the protein is needed. The purpose of this project was to create the expression construct, express the protein, and find the best method of purifying the protein. So far, the expression construct has been successfully created, and the protein has been expressed.

Laura Gooch: "Environmental effects on xylem cavitation in Populus" (Steven Matzner)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

The upward pull of water from the roots to the leaves during photosynthesis creates tension in the xylem vessels. Lack of water can lead to an air bubble being sucked into the xylem vessel, blocking water flow and making the vessel unable to transport water. This is phenomena is known as xylem cavitation, and it increases with increased tension due to drought. Hybrid male clones of Populus were transplanted into five treatment groups; control, high soil porosity, low soil porosity, low nitrogen, and shade. The goal was to determine whether various environmental factors could alter the pattern of cavitation. Stem segments from the trees were spun using a centrifuge to specific tensions and hydraulic conductance was measured at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.25, and 4.0 MPa of applied tension. While each treatment showed a decline in conductance, there was no significant difference between treatments. Significant differences have been found for herbaceous species, which may indicate that a construction cost: cavitation resistance tradeoff is more important for non-woody species.

Towner Lapp: "Phosphorylation of eIF-4E in Response to Cytotoxic Stresses" (Maureen Diggins)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

eIF4E is a translation initiation protein that recognizes and binds to the M7-GTP cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA, which is a key step for cap-dependent protein translation. eIF4E also binds to another protein translation factor, eIF4G to facilitate the formation of the translation initiation complex eIF4F. It is known that eIF4E becomes phosphorylated under certain physiological conditions to regulate the rate of translation. Although in general, it appears that the phosphorylation of eIF4E is directly related to the translation activity within the cell by increasing translational efficiency. Recent evidence suggests that the relationship between phosphorylation of eIF-4E and translation is more complicated, especially under cytotoxic stresses.

We examined the phosphorylation of eIF-4E in response to different cytotoxic stresses. We found that eIF-4E has increased phosphorylation on Ser-209 in cells treated with either hopoxia or UV. Further results indicate that eIF-4E, purified by m7-GTP beads, also has increased phosphorylation similar to eIF-4E in cell lysates. These results suggest that phosphorylation of eIF-4E may take on a more important role in regulating protein translation in response to cytotoxic stresses.

Abbey Mello: "SOD3 Expression in Rat Lungs in Response to Hyperoxia" (Maureen Diggins)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

Superoxide Dismutase is a gene that catalyzes the dismuation of the oxygen radical to molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. This gene is therefore crucial in the antioxidant process. Hyperoxia is the exposure to high oxygen concentrations. When rats underwent hyperoxia treatment, it was expected that the SOD3 gene would be expressed more than when the rat was exposed to regular oxygen concentrations. To determine if SOD3 was indeed expressed more with hyperoxia, RNA was isolated and purified from the lung tissue of rats. PCR was performed to identify the expression of the gene under normal oxygen concentrations and hyperoxia.

Natalia Nedelsky: "Novel Intraneuronal Cytoplasmic Inclusions Associated with Dementia: DNA Analysis of Neurofilament Genes" (Martin Dennis)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

In a recently described neurodegenerative disorder termed neurofilament inclusion body disease (NIBD), intraneuronal inclusion bodies (IBs) were found to be highly immunoreactive to neurofilament (NF) antibodies. These IBs were not labeled by antibodies to tau, the protein found in IBs in disorders such as Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, and Pick’s disease, or by antibodies to ?-synuclein, the protein found in IBs in Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy. The IBs’ immunoreactivity to these particular antibodies indicates NIBD to be a novel neuropsychiatric disorder.

The role of IBs in the pathology of NIBD – or in neurodegenerative disease in general – is unknown. Their cause is also unidentified; several possibilities in the case of NIBD include mutation in the NF genes, abnormal post-translational modification, or failures in axonal NF transport. The current study explored this first possibility by sequencing the NF genes extracted from brain tissue of a patient with NIBD. Genomic DNA was extracted from the frozen tissue, and NF genes were amplified using PCR. At the time of writing, 75% of the NF genes were sequenced (approximately 97% of the NF light chain subunit, 70% of the NF medium chain subunit, and 50% of the NF heavy chain subunit). Nucleotide sequences were compared to published GenBank NF sequences. Candidate mutations were identified in Exon 1 of the NEFH subunit in the form of three deletions of 17, 27, and 13 bp long, respectively. These mutations await confirmation.

Andrew Neilson: "Synthesis of a Backwards Antibiotic" (Jetty Duffy-Matzner)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

There exist a variety of organic molecules that bind to and transport cations across the phospholipid membrane of cells. One such molecule is nonactin, an ionophore possessing antibiotic properties active against gram positive bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and one of the major processes by which cancer cells are resistant to anti-cancer drugs. Most furan based ionophores are produced in nature from 2,5-derivatized furan rings. Our goal is to synthesize a novel macrocycle based on 3,4-derivatized furan rings which may exhibit antibiotic properties.

Novel 3,4-derivatized dihydrofuran carbaldehydes have already been synthesized as monomer molecules for the proposed macrocycle; what remains is to determine a method for synthesizing ester linkage to cause polymerization. Using model a,B unsaturated aldehydes, a variety of reactions were attempted to produce a method for the synthesis of this ester linkage which could later be employed to create linkage on 2,5 derived dihydrofuran carbaldehyde monomers.

James Nelson: "The Synthesis and Analysis of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds" (Gary Earl)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

The research continued last summer from previous students’ work on the synthesis of quaternary ammonium compounds. There were five students, Mike Berven, Robbie Heegle, Nora Johnson, Jamie Kapplinger, and James Nelson who worked on the project in collaboration with Dr. Gary Earl, Dr. Brian Moore, and Dr. Duane Weisshaar of the Augustana College Chemistry Department. The synthesis technique used dimethyl carbonate as an alkylating agent, which is much less harmful to the environment and workers. The analysis of the products was accomplished using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and GC-MS data. The kinetics of the reaction was followed using the HPLC. The chemistry department has also recently acquired a light scattering instrument, which was also implemented in the analysis of the quaternary ammonium compounds.

Colleen Zimmerman: "Obesity, Leptin Resistance, and Infertility in the Lethal Yellow Mouse" (presented by Gina Furman; Maureen Diggins)
Poster Session (2:30-3:30, MC 2nd Floor Rotunda)

The lethal yellow mouse exhibits one of five or six mutations that are known to genetically cause obesity. This mutation is lethal only when it is homozygous. The heterozygous mice survive and exhibit a collection of characteristics known as the Lethal Yellow Syndrome, which causes the yellow coat color, adult onset obesity, progressive infertility, and reduced immunocompetence.

The adult onset obesity displayed by the yellow mice is coupled with decreased fertility. The objective of our study was to investigate the link between the obesity and the declining fertility. Female mice (lethal yellow and black controls) that had been mated with proven black males were used. The mouse was weighed. Trunk blood was drawn from each mouse, and leptin levels were determined using a leptin RIA specific for mice. Our hypothesis is that excess leptin may have negative effects on fertility. The number of eggs found in the oviducts was used to determine the ovulation rate.

The study used mice of 120, 150, and 180 days of age. In all of the age groups the leptin levels and weight of the yellow mice were higher than those of the black mice. There was no difference in ovulation rates between the yellow and black mice at 120 and 150 days of age. At 180 days the yellow mice had a lower average ovulation rate than the black mice. When the 180 day yellow mice were examined, 50% ovulated and 50% did not. The non-ovulators had higher weights and leptin levels than those that ovulated. It appears that very high weights and leptin levels may depress ovulation, but there is a decrease in the number of offspring long before the yellow mice reach 180 days. Other factors appear to be affecting fertility well before ovulation rates decline.

Brian Herbert: "This We Believe? The European Union’s draft constitution and its role in the organization’s future expansion" (Margaret Preston)
Session 4 (3:35-5:00 MC 255)

Nearly half a century after its original inception, the European Union is slowly beginning to accomplish many of the initial goals for the organization. Within the last decade, the organization has developed a solitary currency for its members and is now working on the first-ever constitution to govern the conglomeration of countries. The proposed constitution brings with it many issues that are fueling a controversy that threatens the further expansion of the organization. Some of the central issues involving the constitution focus on the rights of the indigenous people of Europe, the proposed abolition of capital punishment, and the lack of religion mentioned in the document. These issues are undermining many of the cultural values of the member countries in the European Union and these countries are forced to trade their cultural identities for the promise of greater economic and diplomatic prosperity.

Robbie Heegel: "Investigating Methamphetamine Manufacturing" (Gary Earl)
Session 4 (3:35-5:00, MC 255)

Methamphetamine use is on the rise across the nation. This last January at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, methamphetamine was manufactured twelve times using different solvents, pills, methods, and lengths of cooks. All samples were run on GC/MS and the data obtained will allow us to look at trends and ultimately will allow us to look at trends and ultimately will allow us to determine how a sample was manufactured.

Jessica White: "A Measure of Success, A Painful Disappointment: the Quaker Famine Relief Efforts as Seen by the Society of Friends" (Margaret Preston)
Session 4 (3:35-5:00, MC 255)

Despite the presence of a Poor Law, the Great Famine overwhelmed the British workhouses in Ireland with the destitute, starving and homeless. Private philanthropic aid therefore played an essential role in providing services to the needy population. Among these private entities, The Society of Friends, or Quakers are arguably the second most important when it came to Famine aid, the first being the Catholic Church. The demographic placement of Irish Quakers within society combined with their unswerving religious commitment to charity helped establish the framework for their momentous impact on Ireland during the Famine. The Quaker relief effort, led by The Central Relief Committee, supplied essential services and goods to a suffering Ireland during the Famine itself, yet unlike the Church, gained no substantial influence afterward. However, the Quakers’ aid was without the religious or political strings attached to others’ efforts. The Irish and historians alike often perceive them as quiet heroes--veritable angels of mercy during this period—yet the Quakers themselves viewed their works with a different eye. They saw their works as a reply to the duty of personal responsibility that is a hallmark of their religion. Thus, incongruent with popular opinion regarding their accomplishments, Quaker testimonies and records indicate a humble acknowledgement of their works as a convicting action of faith accompanied by a vague sense of disappointment with what they perceived as their failure to remedy the causes and symptoms of the Great Famine.

David Kelsey: "The Economic Collapse of Post WWI Germany" (Reynold Nesiba)
Session 5 (3:35-5:00, MC 202)

The German hyperinflation and economic collapse of the 1920's was arguably the most devastating and chaotic economic meltdown of the last 150 years. In 1923 the inflation of the German mark had escalated to unimaginable heights with Internal prices inflating about 854,000,000,000%. What were the causes that brought this inflation to Germany in the 1920's, and more importantly, what were the financial consequences both on the German economy and other international economies of the time? Were the post
World War I Reparations that were imposed upon Germany at the treaty of Versailles to blame, or was it the economic ideas of a proud nation inflating their currency to an astronomical rate? What caused this economic meltdown and how did it affect Germany both financially and socially?

Chris McClure: "Critique of Supply Side Economics" (Joel Johnson)
Session 5 (3:35-5:00, MC 202)

This presentation will look at the mainstream conservative economics of the past twenty-five years and explain how these economic policies tend to work against the public good. A large emphasis will be placed upon the philosophical underpinnings of these beliefs, with a good portion of the presentation being dedicated to supply side economics. I have researched Hailstones’ A Guide to Supply-Side Economics and Viewpoints on Supply-Side Economics, Keen’s Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of Social Sciences, Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto, Putterman’s Dollars and Change: Economics in Context, Rousseas’ The Political Economy of Reaganomics: A Critique, Wilber and Jameson’s Beyond Reaganomics: A Further Inquiry into the Poverty of Economics, JS Mill’s Utilitarianism, and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. The projected findings are to show Supply Side economics faulty on moral, economically theoretical and empirical grounds. Not only is it harmful to society but it places added burden on those whom are already most disadvantaged by society. Supply Side Economics also appears to be opposite the teachings of Christianity.

John Schneiderman: "Molecular Dynamics of Atomic Clusters: An Object Oriented Approach" (Brian Moore)
Session 5 (3:35-5:00, MC 202)

The purpose of the project was to develop a graphical user interface (GUI) to simulate and display the interactions of a small amount of atoms in a cluster, specifically with interactions defined by a pair wise Lennard-Jones potential energy. Another goal of the project was to design the coding of the program in such a way that it would reflect how the various parts of the program interacted with each other. To this end four classes were developed: an atom, a cluster, a base simulation, and a molecular dynamics Lennard-Jones simulation. The atom class contained all the information that was necessary for the simulations, such as the potential energy of the atom. The program was designed with the ability to add new types of simulations, with no need to significantly modify the GUI code. In the GUI program the ability to watch the simulation as it takes place was introduced, as well as the ability to modify how the atoms themselves appear. Results are presented for a specific system, a cluster of rare gas atoms. A histogram of the potential energy is bimodal for a small (N appprox. 30-200 atom) cluster, a quantitative measure of the two qualitatively different regions--surface and bulk.

Sally Kessler: "The Farce of Master Pathelin" (Scott Fish)
Session 6 (3:35-5:00, MC 201)

The Farce of Master Pathelin is a masterpiece of the French secular theater of the Middle Ages. The satire, written anonymously around 1460, mocks the bourgeoisie who became prevalent in this period. The farce is filled with plays on words, with vulgar language, and with comic scenes; one may therefore demand if there are any lessons to attach to this work. Like medieval farces, Pathelin was played in the street for peasants who probably had negative experiences with corrupt or ambivalent professionals, like the ones criticized in the satire. The frank language of the characters was geared towards common people, and the human offered some relief for individuals tricked by members of the bourgeoisie. Moreover, the dishonest characters give counter-examples of behavior in order to ask for the amelioration of social morals. Thus, three lessons may be gained from studying The Farce of Master Pathelin. First, the work created a precedent for satires that instruct on moral lessons, ideas that greatly influenced writers like Molière and Beaumarchais. The farce also reveals the attitudes of French of the Middle Ages. Finally, the value of the text rests in the richness of its language. The play is remarkably still enjoyable, funny, and shocking to modern audiences.

Kerri Burkard, Erin Johnson, and Shannon Hart: "United Way: How to Increase Donation Levels among 18-30 Year Olds" (Liz Tolman)
Session 6 (3:35-5:00, MC 201)

Of all the people in the Sioux Empire who contribute to the United Way, people in the 18 to 30 age group contribute the least. The United Way is attempting to determine why the 18 to 30 age group contributes the least, and how to reach this demographic. Our research attempts to help the United Way better reach this target age group and offer suggestions that may increase this group’s donation level.

Our group conducted research at a bank which had a 95 percent donation participation rate. Before we conducted our actual research, we reviewed eight journal articles and developed research questions to guide our study. We decided to focus our research efforts on the communications topic of compliance-gaining. To do this we administered questionnaires and conducted interviews to gather qualitative and quantitative data regarding this topic. We then analyzed the data that we found and made conclusions to answer our research questions. With our conclusions we were then able to offer recommendations to the United Way. We hope that the information we gathered will be useful to the United Way in strategizing their campaign more effectively.

Andrea Clatterbuck: "NAFTA’s role in the Mexican Financial Crisis of 1994" (Reynold Nesiba)
Session 6 (3:35-5:00, MC 201)

The Mexican Financial Crisis of 1994 represents a culmination of domestic events that just so happened to coincide with the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The decision to elevate economic change over internal political change created damaging economic, political, and social developments in Mexico during the 1994 Financial Crisis. The creation of NAFTA was a component of this demise, although it was not the sole culprit. Topics to defend this position include a timeline leading up to the crisis and a description of the damaging effects of the authoritarian Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) regime. The economic challenges created by NAFTA are explored, although they are not held as the cause of the crisis. The challenges created by NAFTA will be compared with the internal problems of Mexico, especially regarding political corruption. Mostly scholarly journals and reference books written about NAFTA or the Financial Crisis are used to provide substantiation for the paper.