Session 4: Presentations
(1:00-2:00 PM) Lower Cube, OC 106 & 107
Noah Lohar
Chemistry
Studies Towards the Acceleration of Diels-Alder Reactions using η6-metal Arene Complex Substituents
The Diels-Alder (DA) reaction is a cycloaddition reaction between a conjugated diene and a two-atom π system (dienophile) that forms an unsaturated six-membered ring. DA reactions under normal electron demand conditions (diene is electron rich) are limited by the dienophile requiring an electron-withdrawing group (EWG) to proceed at a reasonable rate. These EWGs, in short, are functional groups conjugated with the π system that can act as a π acceptor, most commonly nitriles, carbonyl functional groups (e.g. ketones,esters, etc.), and nitro groups. The complexation of a monocationic (𝜂5-cyclopentadienyl)metal fragment (CpM+) to the π system of a benzenoid compound in an 𝜂6 configuration results in significant electron withdrawal from substituents attached to the aryl ring. This functionality, therefore, may expand the applicability of the Diels-Alder reaction to progress by utilizing the CpM(𝜂6-aryl) substituent to serve as an activating dienophile substituent. The formation of a DA adduct between CpRu(η6-ethyl trans-cinnamate)PF6 and 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene was successful as observed by 1H NMR. Characterization of the adduct has been assigned on the basis of 13C NMR, 1H NMR, and IR spectra. This research also explored the synthesis of an analogous iron complex, CpFe(η6-ethyl trans-cinnamate)PF6, to accelerate DA reactions. Compared to ruthenium, iron offers many advantages primarily due to its abundance compared to ruthenium. Herein we report our progress in synthesizing CpFe(η6-ethyl trans-cinnamate)PF6.
Mikenna Deschamps
Hispanic Studies
Setting Fire to the View of Women in Politics through Ana Mendieta's Silueta en Fuego
Through the Silueta series, a collection of silhouettes crafted in Iowa and Mexico between 1973 and 1978, the Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta tells her personal story of all she endured throughout her childhood while advocating for women’s rights. One of her most influential silhouettes, the Silueta en Fuego (“Silhouette on Fire”), is a powerful depiction of a woman’s body on fire, demonstrating the drive to change how gender is perceived in politics today. Mendieta’s use of natural elements to mold her works demonstrates the connection between women and nature as both are described as symbols of beauty and strength deserving of admiration and respect. Regarding art’s form, in The Aesthetic Dimension Herbert Marcuse argues that “I see the political potential of art in art itself, in the aesthetic form as such. Furthermore, I argue that by virtue of its aesthetic form, art is largely autonomous vis a vis the given social relations.” But how does the aesthetic form of a work of art participate in the political configuration of gender today? In my presentation, I will demonstrate that Ana’s use of the aesthetic form in her Silueta en Fuego personifies the power of nature and women. Also, I will prove that in Silueta en Fuego fire gives women the transformative power to change the ideas of gender diving deeper into the true essence of a woman.
Faith Derby
Nursing
Infection Rates with Urinary Devices
In 2015, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported urinary tract infections (UTI) accounted for 62,700 infections in acute hospitals. Most UTIs are caused from catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) resulting in complications such as prolonged hospital stays, increased cost, and mortality. The Foley catheter is the most common internal urinary catheter (IUC) and consists of a tube that is inserted through the urethra, into the bladder, where urine then drains into a bag outside of the body. In recent years, a new device, a female external urinary device (FEUD), was developed as an alternative to IUCs in women. These external devices adhere to the labia with the use of continuous suction and divert urine away from the body into a canister. The purpose of this Evidence- Based Practice review is to compare infection rates of FEUDs and IUCs on CAUTIs in the female population. The outcome of this study can assist nurses with reducing CAUTIs in female patients needing a urinary device, leading to better patient outcomes.
Ryan Johnson
Data Science
Optimizing College Schedules with Genetic Algorithms
Genetic algorithms are a unique and powerful way to find solutions to problems so complex they are impossible to solve by hand. These algorithms find their inspiration in the field of biology, based upon the concepts of natural selection. Using processes that mimic mating, gene pools, and mutation, these algorithms find a solution close to, if not exactly, an optimal solution. One practical use of these genetic algorithms is to provide better scheduling services for a college attempting to assign courses to classrooms and available time slots. In this project, I will expand upon a basic genetic algorithm to demonstrate how to create a better semester course schedule for Carroll College.
Ryan Cain
Mathematics
An Exploration of Lie Theory
Lie theory involves the study of Lie groups, Lie algebras, and their representations. A Lie group is a manifold G, equipped with a smooth group operation × such that G × G --> G. Some of these groups, such as the orthogonal On(K), special linear SLn(K), special orthogonal SO(n), and special unitary SU(n) groups where K is in {R, C, H}, can be represented as matrices G with G as a subset of the general linear group GLn(R). Generally, such representations of G on a Euclidean space Rn are defined as a group homomorphism from G to GLn(R). A Lie algebra g of these matrix groups G is defined as the tangent space to G at the identity I, denoted g(G)=TI(G). These concepts bridge algebra and geometry, and show up in many places in physics, particularly when studying systems with continuous symmetry.
Alyx Gage
History
Italian Renaissance: The Creation of the Provocative Lucifer
The Italian Renaissance brought forth an explosion of science, invention, literature, and art. The artists wanted to breathe new life into the classical art of the Greeks and Romans. Through this, they found a fascination in the body and proudly displayed what they had deemed the ideal body in their works. This attention to realistic bodies and presentation of them unclothed would still affect artists hundreds of years later. A key example is that of the L'ange du mal and the Genie du mal. This presentation will address the thematic connection between these statutes and Renaissance artwork. Through the press and church’s reaction to the statues, it will also address how the true meaning of art is often overlooked when faced with art that society has deemed ‘provocative’ or ‘inappropriate’ specifically regarding the human body.
Finlay Bates
Political Science
Do Non-Partisan Elections Yield More Qualified Judicial Candidates?
A study involving four states, two with partisan judicial elections and two with non-partisan judicial elections. The comparisons uses 2 large states and two small states: The large states are Texas (partisan) and Minnesota (non-partisan). The small states are New Mexico (partisan) and Montana (non-partisan). It is meant to discern which system for electing candidates results in more qualified elected state supreme court justices. The study was conducted using criteria from the American Bar Association and other third-party judge rating sources. I use a scoring system that takes the following into account: Clerkship, years of practice, education level, School/institution, political experience, supreme court cases, # of won elections at the federal or state supreme court level, and the number of times they were elected to a lower state court. The study adds to the literature on the quality of candidates in our increasingly polarizing world. Some conclusions have been reached about the data collected; in larger states, the difference in scores between the elected candidates and the losing candidates was not significant. But in the small states, where there is less competition, the partisan state elected the less qualified candidate, while in non-partisan Montana, the more qualified candidate was chosen by the vote. The other observation that came from my research is that in states with partisan elections seats on the State Supreme Court were more likely to be contended for.
Josie Gale
Honors Scholar
Challenged by Atrocity: Letting the Holocaust Challenge Our Operative Moral Frameworks
Atrocities like the Holocaust force us as a society to confront who we are and how we understand ourselves. Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz offers us a narrative of his experience as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp. His powerful recollection of daily life in the camp raises critical questions about what it means to be human and compels us to challenge some of our long-standing operative moral frameworks. One example of an operative moral framework comes from Augustine of Hippo, whose understanding of the human condition presented in his autobiography Confessions, has long informed our Western imagination. After contemplating Levi’s experience in Auschwitz, I ask: can Augustine’s take on the human condition, his notion of the good, and the role of free will be applied to all moral situations? What about situations where people are physically enslaved and in bondage or victimhood from serious trauma? Is Augustine’s framework still applicable today? Grappling with these questions in light of these two texts, I hope to demonstrate how the extreme evil witnessed and the trauma caused by the Holocaust must challenge our moral imaginations if we hope to learn from these atrocities and build more just societies.
Andrew Devine
Philosophy
Ignorance is not Bliss, Truth is
We live in a world where learning is increasingly devalued unless it brings about some economic benefit. In this world ignorance is often seen as bliss and knowledge a hindrance to happiness. In my presentation I will seek to answer questions such as, is knowledge good for its own sake or is it only good in so far as it is useful? And, why ignorance seems to be bliss? I will argue that knowledge is good apart from its usefulness because truth is our end and that thing which brings us happiness, and that we are made to both know and love the truth.
Abby Robo
Gender Studies
The Status and Reception of Female Agricultural Workers in ¬1910s Rural Montana
Various research has found a connection between the propagation of Christian values from Western cultures into postcolonial African countries. One such Christian value that has raised various questions is the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, particularly among evangelical Christians in the United States. This research looks to answer the connection between the manifestation of negative opinions on homosexuality in Uganda and U.S. missionaries and Evangelical groups and how this led to the criminalization of LGBTQ+ in Uganda. Specifically, it asks and seeks to answer: The study covers how the globalization of homophobia from American evangelical Christians has changed attitudes toward homosexuality from pre-colonial times through to modern times in postcolonial Uganda. Using textual analysis, the study found a consensus of a strong link between negative opinions from Western Christian missionaries, specifically American evangelical groups, and the passage of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Uganda.
Nathan Hicks
Psychology
Reclaiming Serenity: How outdoor experiences may help improve Veterans' mental health
Many individuals claim that being outdoors can help improve mental health. However, most research focuses on treatment as usual with nature-based therapies as an addition or complement.
Previous research indicates that nature-based therapies may be beneficial in alleviating symptoms associated with trauma, depression, and anxiety (Gelkopf et al., 2013; Merchand et al., 2018). Recently, evidence has suggested that just being in nature may help to reduce anxiety and improve overall mental health symptoms (Wheeler et al., 2020).
The current study analyzed results from 32 Veterans who completed a set of questionnaires both before and after a five-day outdoor adventure at a cabin on the Big Hole River in Montana. Veterans were administered the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25) two weeks before the 5-day trip, and two weeks after the 5-day trip. Preliminary results suggest that overall mental health symptoms significantly improved following the 5-day adventure. Anxiety, both state and trait, significantly improved after the trip. PTSD symptoms significantly improved, and resiliency ratings increased.
This study suggests that a five-day outdoor trip may significantly enhance Veterans' mental health, highlighting nature's role in reducing stress and improving well-being. The findings prompt further investigation into the longevity of these mental health improvements.
June LePage
Honors Scholar
Speaking for Ourselves: Women in History and Literature Rejecting Dominant Narratives on the Human Condition
Until recently, the experiences and voices of women have predominantly been excluded, undermined, and ignored in western discourse on the human condition. The result of this is that men have historically dominated the conversation, and often hijacked the wisdom and contributions of women, making the male experience the normative and narrow definition of what it means to be human. An example of men undermining the narratives of women is illustrated in Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus (1509) and his feminized personification of foolishness. The interjection of a man's thoughts into the image of a woman is not an uncommon phenomenon. Men's portrayal of women as figures such as Lady Liberty, Columbia, Lady Philosophy, or Mother Nature, reflects an idolized version of womanhood that ignores the reality of women's experience and leaves us with a skewed understanding of the human condition. In her 1792 work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Structures on Political and Moral Subjects, Mary Wollstonecraft challenges this narrative. By inserting herself into the European intellectual conversation of the time, Wollstonecraft argues how preempting a woman's experience does a great disservice to her and humanity in general. When Wollstonecraft prompts other authors to write and think in more nuanced and liberated fashions, later authors like Zora Neal Hurston embody the reclaiming of the feminine image and feminine voice by writing to reflect real women’s experiences as complex and dynamic humans. In her narrative Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), she speaks to a woman’s wisdom with the life of her character Janie, whom society tries to constrain as a black woman. Janie’s story illustrates the intersectionality and complexity of human nature that has been ignored for far too long; Wollstonecraft calls all women to help deconstruct the oppressive dominant narratives penned and perpetuated by men. By exploring Hurston’s novel, this presentation will argue that Wollstonecraft’s insightful critique continues to be relevant and challenge us today.
John Paul Robertson
Anthrozoology
Animalistic Desires: An Examination of Wisdom and Knowledge in Creation
Working with the Wisdom Tradition outlined in Elizabeth Johnson’s Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love, this paper is directed By placing the conclusions found within the influential text in contrast to the human knowledge acquired at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, a deeper understanding of wisdom develops, one that initiates an examination into the relationship between humans and the external natural world.
Anzhela Stoliar
Gender Studies
The #MeToo Movement and Its Effect on Women’s Representation in Vogue
Social movements influence mass media and force them to change to stay relevant to their audience. At the same time, mass media shows shifts happening in the world and thus affects how people perceive one issue or another. Vogue is a worldwide popular magazine for women that mostly focuses on fashion but also covers other areas such as culture, TV shows, and so on. The recent research focused on analyzing the representation of women in Vogue in general by discussing under- or misrepresentation. This study seeks to determine if the #MeToo movement, which allowed victims of sexual harassment to get their voices heard, had influenced Vogue's representation of women in their magazines one year after the movement started. The study examines the front page of Vogue magazine from five different countries from different regions of the world. The findings show that the front page of Vogue magazine has not changed since the #MeToo movement started, and the images presented on the front page still reinforce messages of weakness, vulnerability, and sexualization of women.
Martha Schwarz, Chloe Gallagher
Engineering
Lincoln Airport Tie-Downs
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Aeronautics Division brought an airport campground tie-down project to the Carroll College Engineering class, Senior Design Project. MDT Aeronautics was seeking assistance in the design of permanent tie-downs at the grass campground parking area at Lincoln Airport in Lincoln, MT. Within the project description, the team was tasked with determining the location to place tie-downs and quantity to include in the layout, if earthwork is required, and the type of tie-downs. There were two categories of alternatives evaluated by the team to meet the expectations of the project sponsor. The two categories are the method of laying concrete, pre-cast or on-site pour, and the anchor, mooring eye, D-ring, or cable. When determining the method of laying concrete the team looked at the feasibility and cost of both options and determined an on-site pour would be the suitable option for this project. This decision was made on the basis that the quantity of concrete needed per tie-down and the number of tie-downs was too small to justify the cost of custom precast blocks. A part of making the concrete method decision was deciding what style of anchor would be the most appropriate for the parking area. This was determined by cost, design life, and needed maintenance. After an analysis of the three anchors, it was determined that the mooring eye, although slightly more expensive, has the longest design life and the least amount of required maintenance. The mooring eye and on-site pour concrete are the most effective designs to fit the sponsors' needs. The mooring eye is the place for pilots to fasten straps to anchor the aircraft. There is a metal grove with a bar across, acting as a place to feed the tie-down straps through the groove and tie off to the metal bar. Mooring eyes are the most commonly used tie-down at airports. The mooring eyes will need to be purchased and brought to the site. During the time of construction, the mooring eyes will be embedded into the concrete during the on-site pour. The on-site pour of concrete is the most economically feasible option. The pour has less variability and can be customized to meet the needs of the project. The concrete mix and shape of the embedded block will be designed based on the forces the anchors are required to withstand from uplift on the aircraft. The final layout will include at most 6 parking spots, each with three anchoring points. Aircraft will be required to push the aircraft into or out of their respective parking space. The final design will be completed by May 2024. The final design report will include a site map, material quantities, cost evaluation, and design plans.
Megan Olsen
Hispanic Studies
Pablo Neruda: The Power of Words from a Figure of Poetic Political Potential
Pablo Neruda is an internationally recognized poet, accredited especially for his political poetry. His use of poetry to remark on the political environments of Latin America has made his work popular amongst many, in both good and bad ways. This is illustrated in the movie, Neruda, directed by Pablo Larraín, which depicts the story of this controversial poet leadingpoet leading to his desired arrest. Much of this conflict is reflected in his book of poems, canto general. Within this are two poems which specifically demonstrate his strong political stance: los dictadores and La United Fruit Co. This theme of using his artistic status to communicate his political ideas invokes the conversation of political potential in art. Ana María Pérez Rubio explains the rise of the influence of political themes in art, and the power and effect that the use of art can have in political communication. So, I propose the question: what can we learn about the power of words within the works of Neruda? Neruda uses his poetry to present political commentary and critiques of Chilean politics, as demonstrated in his poems, los dictadores and La United Fruit Co, and the power of his works are confirmed in the fear he invokes in the Chilean government, as demonstrated in the Neruda the movie.
Luke Ostberg
Honors Scholar
Only True Love of God Can Set the Human Free
Desiderius Erasmus’s Praise of Folly and the Song of Songs from the Old Testament show love’s capacity for filling life and giving it joyful purpose. In a theme of abandonment, Praise of Folly demonstrates that the most foolish lovers are Christians and that their foolishness makes them the most free people from worldly concerns and misery. In a different manner, the Song of Songs shows two lovers who abandon themselves to each other such that they only care for the other and lose all worries about themselves. This example of perfect abandonment in spousal love is an allegory to the love that exists between Christ and the Church and between Christ and the Christian. In these interpretations, both of these texts imply that the most joyful and free life comes from a giving over of self to the best of lovers, who is God. In giving over ourselves to God, we lose self interest and find ourselves entirely interested in God, who is a lover that does care for and provide for our self. This presentation will demonstrate that only a true and abandoning love of God allows us to be free from the burdens and misery of self-interest, free to live life in joy with God.