Richard Brown - Isn't it Sublime? The Aesthetics and Purposes of Art

Presented by Richard Brown, Faculty Member in English

Friday, October 1st

Noon-12:50 in S1328

"Isn't It Sublime? The Aesthetics and Purposes of Art" 

Abstract:  The concept of "The Sublime" has been a part of the landscape of philosophy and art for centuries, and has been difficult to define with any degree of certainty.  The whole idea of what makes art worthwhile, as well as the purpose and function of art in human experience has perplexed us for ages. This presentation explores "The Sublime" in various social and historical contexts to show those complexities and what they may mean to all of us in the 21st century.

All Colloquium Series talks are free and open to the public. Invite your knowledge-hungry friends, family, coworkers, students, et cetera!

On Publishing - Normandale Faculty Poets and Writers

Welcome back! The colloquium series has a fantastic new schedule of talks for the fall semester, so please stay tuned for upcoming colloquia!

First talk of the semester: On Publishing - presented by Normandale faculty poets and writers
Where: S1328
Time/Date: 12-12:50 on Friday, September 17th

Abstract:

Several Normandale creative writing faculty will discuss their experiences with publishing their work, and will share excerpts from recent publications. 

The participating authors will be…
Matt Mauch (moderator)
John Reimringer
Tom Maltman
Alicia Conroy

All Normandale Colloquium Series talks are free and open to the public.

Michael Bielmeier - The Faces of Evil in American Film

Presented by Michael Bielmeier, Faculty in English
Friday, April 23rd – from noon until 12:50
Room C1016

Abstract:
The Faces of Evil in American Film:  The conflict between Good and Evil has long been at the heart of many a plot within a variety of cinematographic genres.  Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Rocky Balboa are popular choices when it comes to naming heroes who overcome great malevolence in order to insure social well-being.  It is, however, the intriguing and varied face of evil that is the focus of this study.  In a power point presentation employing numerous film stills and video clips, evil will be discussed briefly from theological and philosophic perspectives, and then individual American films, both older and modern, will be examined.  A good time should be had by all (demonic forces notwithstanding).

Presenter Bio:
Dr. Michael Bielmeier has been a college English professor for over twenty years, having happily spent the last four at Normandale.  He earned his B.A. at St. Norbert College, his M.A. at Arizona State, and his Ph.D. at Marquette, specializing in Renaissance literature.  Although Dr. Bielmeier's primary scholarly focus has been Shakespeare, having published and presented on Bard's tragedies and existential philosophy, his academic avocation has always been film.  Dr. B and his wife Kathy, who teaches for NCC's Business Dept., have four children, six grandchildren, and a recently castrated golden doodle puppy who secretly prays for opposable thumbs.

Colloquia Greatest Hits - Tuesday, April 13th

Come one, come all, to five encore performances of past colloquium presentations!

Five colloquia are scheduled for Normandale's Community Success Day, which will be an all-day event on Tuesday, April 13th. Come for the colloquia, stay for all of the other great events on the 13th.

All five talks, below, will take place on the Normandale campus in room S2336.

10-10:50: Dave Lake (Psychology) - "Do Polygraph Lie Detector Tests Work?"

11-11:50: Creative Writing Faculty Members Read Original Poetry and Prose

12-12:50: Richard Brown (English) - "Tolstoy"

1-1:50: Carina Belinco (Biology) - "Do you really want to know your future? Issues surrounding predictive genetic testing in adults"

2-2:50: Tony Dunlop (Mathematics) - "Reason Dethroned: Why Logic Can't Answer Every Question and Computers Can't Solve Every Math Problem" 

"Educational Uses of Second Life"

Presented by: 
Jenny Hanson, Faculty in Theatre
Julie Johnson, Faculty in Physics
Hattie Dambroski, Faculty in Biology

Friday, April 9th, from noon to 12:50

Room C1016

Abstract:

This talk will begin with a brief introduction to the online game, Second Life. Launched in June 2003, Second Life consists of an online virtual world that currently boasts 18 million registered user accounts. Following a brief introduction to this popular game, the presenters will visit MnSCU island within the world of Second Life and meet with the island's administrator, Magdelena Wesley.  From there, they'll take you on a series of virtual field trips.  They'll visit a schizophrenia simulation, German language sims, the Sistene Chapel, one or more science sims, and religious/cultural sims.  If there is time, they'll visit more simulations based on the audience's interests.

Chuck Nikles - "Daydreaming: Worthwhile or Worrisome?"

Chuck Nikles, Ph.D., Faculty in Psychology

Friday, March 26^th - from noon to 12:50

Room C1016

Abstract:

Daydreaming has had a bad reputation throughout much of modern human history.  It’s been viewed as a sign of laziness (at best) and a sign of mental illness (at worst).  This presentation will address the scientific evidence on daydreaming, identifying several benefits of this very common activity and some circumstances under which it may predict disordered thought processes.

Biographical Statement:

Chuck Nikles majored in psychology and philosophy at the University of Minnesota, Morris before continuing on to earn his Ph.D. in personality psychology at the U of M, Twin Cities.  He started at Normandale in spring of 2005 and primarily teaches General Psychology, Personality, and Human Sexuality.  His main area of interest is human consciousness (focusing particularly on daydreaming & night dreaming), and he plans to offer a topics course on the subject in Fall 2010.

Resources from Chuck's talk on daydreaming:
For general audiences:
-Klinger, E (1990). Daydreaming: Using waking fantasy and imagery for self-knowledge and creativity.
-Singer, J.L. (1975). The inner world of daydreaming

For those willing to risk brain explosion (e.g. Honors students):
-Klinger, E. (1971). Structure and functions of fantasy

For those allergic to books:
http://www.philoctetes.org/Past_Programs/Daydreaming_Night_Dreaming_and_Stimulus_Independent_Thought
Roundtable (October 6, 2007): Daydreaming, Night-Dreaming, and Stimulus-Independent Thought (featuring Klinger and Singer)

Questions? Comments? Contact Chuck Nikles at:
Charles.Nikles@Normandale.edu 

Corrinne Bedecarre and Chris Ferro - "Binge Drinking: The Ethics of Choosing to Lose Control"

Presented by Corrinne Bedecarre and Chris Ferro, Faculty in Philosophy
Friday, March 5^th from noon – 12:50 p.m.
Room C1016

Why do people choose to binge drink, and can drinking possibly be a virtue (when done in moderation)? Bedecarre and Ferro's research covers Aristotelian Virtue Theory and action theory, respectively, as methods for exploring the concept of binge drinking. Aristotle tells us that we should follow the "middle way" between virtue and vice - but should we necessarily see drinking as a vice? There are thousands of English words that are synonyms for being drunk - why is drinking so important to us, and what benefit does losing control provide us?

Presenter Bios

Corrinne Bedecarré has been philosophically engaged by questions of rationality, feminism and society for many years. Her presentations and writing began in concerns about critical thinking and pedagogy; in particular how sustained consideration of complex moral and social issues review ideological commitments. The issues which she has found particularly compelling include racism and racial identity and feminist responses to sexuality, sexual assault, mothering and education. For the last few years, Bedecarre’ has been looking at everyday applications of moral reasoning at the level of society moral reasoning.  She examined claims about dieting and problems of female empowerment in “Does the Hag Diet?: Feminist Analysis of Dieting” and the ethics of binge drinking.  She continues in this talk to review how virtue theory provides a useful framework for evaluating the ethical ambiguities of intoxication.

Chris Ferro received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Chicago in 2007, and before moving to Minneapolis this past fall he spent two years teaching for the philosophy department at Tulane University in New Orleans. He is currently a part-time faculty member both here at Normandale and at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. His dissertation work was on the nature of human agency, intention, and practical rationality, and he currently has teaching and research interests in (among other things) the philosophy of mind, ethics, and the history of philosophy.

Linda Armstrong - "The Sun is Not Your Enemy: The Benefits of Vitamin D"

Presented by Linda Armstrong, Faculty in Health

Friday, February 19^th, from noon – 12:50 p.m.

Room C1016 (Please note that this is a room change!)

Abstract:

Hearty Minnesotans have more to worry about than snow shoveling! We aren't getting enough Vitamin D. About 60% of Minnesotans are estimated to be deficient in Vitamin D. Who cares, you ask? You may if you want to decrease your risk for cancer, heart disease, depression and other chronic diseases. Find out more about Vitamin D and what you can do if you can't travel to the beach over spring break!

Bio
Linda is a Registered Dietitian with expertise in clinical nutrition, food service management and online learning. As a nutritionist, preventing chronic disease has always been an interest of Linda's. She likes to spread the prevention message whenever she can. It's her contribution to cutting health care costs!

New Ideas and Discussion

Normandale Colloquium Series 2009 - 2010

Jennifer Isaac - "The Language of Love: How Do I love Thee?"

On Friday, February 5th, from noon to 12:50 in C1016

Abstract:
How do I love thee? I'm not sure...how should I love you?

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, thoughts and expressions of love can be found in the Hallmark card aisle and boxes filled with Godiva chocolates. The varieties of symbols used to express love and affection are often confusing for both the sender and the receiver of the emotions. Chocolate, it turns out, doesn’t always = love. Go figure.

As human beings, we use language and nonverbal expressions to communicate love and affection. Knowing how different people interpret this abstract word and how they show love to others may help minimize confusion and strengthen interpersonal relationships. Learning our own love currency may also help us communicate our needs to others.

Presenter Bio:

Jennifer Thompson Isaac is a faculty member in the Communication department at NCC. She is also a practicing communicator of many emotions, including this one. And she really likes chocolate.

Charlotte Sullivan - “The Frog Prince and Other Dating Advice for the New Millennium”

(Please note that the meeting location for this colloquium is not the same as those held last semester. The room for this colloquium talk is listed below:)

Presented by Charlotte Sullivan, Faculty in English

Friday, January 22nd, from noon – 12:50 p.m.

Room C1018

Abstract:

When your mother told you, “You have to kiss a lot of frogs,” you knew what she was talking about. She, like countless storytellers, artists, and filmmakers before and since, was offering her own vision of The Frog Prince fairy tale, and in so doing, revealing her thoughts about the nature of love and mate selection. Disney’s The Princess and the Frog makes just such a run at reimagining this essential fairy tale. But why are we so obsessed with this story about a disgusting amphibian who won’t take no for an answer?

A look into the evolution of this and other transformation fairy tales, like Beauty and the Beast or The Riquet with the Tuft, reveals our continuing need to explore our cultural ideas about partnering. English, French, German, and American literary and film versions of these stories limn just how much our ideas about gender roles and mate selection have and, in some cases, haven’t changed over the past three centuries. Find out who the Princess will kiss next....

Presenter Bio:

Charlotte E. Sullivan writes children’s fiction, essays, and poetry. Her work has been published or honored by Fourth Genre, Rockford Review, Freshwater, Front Range Review, The StarTribune, a Pushcart nomination, and other publications. She interviews children’s and young adult authors for KFAI’s Write On Radio! and participates in the GLBT Intermedia Arts Reading Series. She earned an MFA in fiction from Hamline University and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction from Mankato State University. Having taught English and Creative Writing for 14 years, she currently works at Normandale Community College, Luther Seminary’s Center for Writing and Research, and The Loft Literary Center. In her spare time she serves as a freelance editor of children’s and young adult novels for The Queue at Scarletta Press.

Lois Schadewald - From the Minds of Pseudo-Scientists

Abstract:

Worlds of Their Own: A Brief History of Misguided Ideas: Creationism, Flat-Earthism, Energy Scams, and the Velikovsky Affair is a collection of writings from the late Robert Schadewald, a science writer who spent much of his time debating with creationists and flat earthers in the name of science. The testimony of a thirty-year expert in the realm of debunking pseudoscience, "Worlds of Their Own" is proof that the world lost a great scientific mind in 2000.” (From Midwest Book Review, Oregon, WI)

“History is written by the winners, including that of science. Unorthodoxies that flourish at the grassroots are often beneath the contempt of historians. Zetetic astronomy (flat-Earth science) was a household term in Victorian England, but not a single reference to it is found in conventional histories. We ignore such histories at our peril. Since the beginning of time, con artists have promoted pseudosciences – these ideas usually die in obscurity. Before they do, they may cause genuine harm. So, how do we discern between pseudo and actual science? To fully understand what science is, we must understand what science is not.”

Source: Book jacket cover for Worlds of Their Own: A Brief History of Misguided Ideas: Creationism, Flat-Earthism, Energy Scams, and the Velikovsky Affair

About the Presenter:

Worlds of Their Own was compiled by Lois Schadewald, Bob's sister, an Iowa State University alum and science educator, and faculty in chemistry here at NCC. She spent her 2003-2004 sabbatical preparing Worlds of Their Own as a fitting tribute to her late brother.

Brian Wolff - Kuznets' Curve and America's Avifauna

Presented by Brian Wolff, Ph.D., Faculty in Biology

This Friday, November 6^th, from noon – 12:50 p.m.

Room C1095

Abstract:

Simon Kuznets won the Nobel Prize in 1971 for his work relating economic growth and development to changing social conditions. Among the many fruits of his labor is Kuznets’ environmental curve, which depicts the hypothetical relationship between environmental quality and economic growth. Proponents of Kuznets’ curve often claim we can grow our way out of our environmental problems. This hypothesis is implied, for example, in President George W. Bush’s claim that economic growth is the solution, not the problem with respect to global warming. I will discuss Kuznets’ environmental curve as it relates to one measure of environmental quality - avian diversity.

Background:

Brian Wolff earned his M.S. in Environmental Biology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and his Ph.D. in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota. He has been teaching biology, environmental biology, and ecology at the University of Minnesota and Normandale Community College since 1994. He is the author of several scholarly papers on topics ranging from acidic precipitation and agriculturally-driven environmental issues to taxonomy and utilitarian environmental ethics. Brian commonly describes himself as a theoretical ecologist, with an eclectic interest in environmental ethics and economics. He has been studying birds and recording his observations in Minnesota since 1977.

James Carr - The Farey Tree

What’s a “vulgar fraction”? Find out!

“The Farey Tree”

Presented by James Carr, Faculty in Mathematics

October 9th - from noon until 12:50

Room C1095

New Ideas and DiscussionNormandale Colloquium Series 2009 - 2010

James Carr's Biographical Statement:

I was born in southern Minnesota in the town of Blue Earth. I did undergraduate work at St. John’s University Collegeville, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Metropolitan University in Minneapolis, Brown Institute (back in its Lake Street days), and St. Cloud State University finally getting a BA in Mathematics with a minor in Earth Science from St. Cloud State. I then worked for thirteen years for NCR Network Products Division in Roseville, Minnesota in communications software programming, technical support for marketing, and several management positions. I twice started in the graduate program in mathematics at the University of Minnesota without finishing anything and later did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) getting an MA in Mathematics. I then continued at UWM in the doctoral program progressing to my current” all but dissertation” status. After that I taught at the Milwaukee School of Engineering for eight years and then returned to Minnesota to teach at Normandale Community College for the last two years. My research interests include the study of low-dimensional dynamics, for which I have some qualifications and little excitement, and questions involving prime number distribution, for which I am woefully under-qualified but have a grand passion. I have always loved the primes, even back when I was a kid in Blue Earth. Trying to understand prime numbers brought me into contact with the Farey mathematics which is the subject of my talk today.

A Celebration of the AFA in Creative Writing

Presented by Normandale Creative Writing Faculty
Friday, September 25^th, from noon – 12:50 p.m.
Room C1095

Abstract:

Join our Fall 2009 Creative Writing Faculty for a sampling of original poetry and prose, along with information on Normandale's newest AFA degree. Kris Bigalk, Alicia Conroy, Matt Mauch, Eric Mein, and Tom Maltman will share their work and host a Q and A session.

The Creative Writing faculty would like to bring to your attention Normandale's student literary magazine, The Paper Lantern.

For those interested in submitting original prose or poetry, please read the following guidelines:

Entrants must be currently enrolled at Normandale Community College.

Put your name and contact information on everything you submit for consideration. Keep your own copy of your work; materials will not be returned to you.

Poetry submissions should consist of one to five poems, typed. They may be single or double spaced.

Fiction submissions should be 10 pages or less, typed and double spaced, with page numbers.

Submissions, with names and contact information removed, will be evaluated by the Creative Writing Club in its bi-weekly meetings. Submissions are read on a rolling basis, and early submissions will receive the most focused attention.

Contributors will be notified whether their work has been accepted for publication shortly before the magazine goes to press late in the term.

For more information, email lynette.reini-grandell@normandale.edu

David Lake - Do Polygraph Lie Detector Tests Work?

Friday, September 11th, from noon – 12:50 p.m.
Room C1095

Abstract:
What do polygraph lie detector tests measure? How do they work? How would you try to beat one? How accurate are they? How are the test results used?

Wonder no more! Dave will explore the answers to these questions on Friday. His interest in polygraph lie detection stems from his graduate work at the University of Minnesota. His graduate advisor, Bill Iacono, is one of the most prominent researchers in the area of polygraph lie detection. David's doctoral thesis examined the degree to which polygraph test results influenced prospective jurors as they evaluated descriptions of criminal cases.

Presenter Bio:
Dave Lake received his B.A. in Psychology from Oberlin College, where he was a research assistant in a laboratory which focused on the processes of face recognition and the recognition of facial displays of emotion. After returning home to his native Madison, WI, in order to work in a medical sociology research lab and pursue as much Ultimate Frisbee as possible in as many states and continents as he could for two years, he moved to the Twin Cities to study Psychology at The University of Minnesota. While pursuing a Ph.D. in the Biological Psychopathology program at the University, he researched the emotional experience of people with schizophrenia and the ways that various physiological and neurological measurements could be used to identify those who have inherited a risk for schizophrenia. When not teaching at Normandale, he spends time with his wife and four cats (he’s not quite sure how they have accumulated so many), and studies Arabic percussion.

Charlotte Sullivan - Fairy Tales: A Wish Our Culture Makes

Abstract:

Heard the one about a girl in a red cape? She walks into the woods and meets a wolf? Or about the sooty servant girl who rides to a ball in a magic coach? Certain fairy tales permeate nearly every corner of our culture. But why have these particular fairy tales survived the centuries? Scholars such as Jack Zipes have recently suggested that these tales, originally transmitted through oral storytelling, behave like genes, which lodge in our brains and cultures as memes. Only the best stories that address specific individual and social needs survive. Like genes, these stories evolve in response to the shifts in the cultures that retell them, be they 17th century French aristocrats or 19th century African American slaves.

But recently, Cinderella and Little Red have had to scoot over to make room for the likes of Harry Potter, Lyra Silvertongue, Percy Jackson, and Meggie of Inkheart. These heroes of contemporary children’s fantasy, though frozen in time in literary texts, still reflect characteristics inherited from their fairy tale ancestors. Charlotte Sullivan, a writer of children’s fantasy (and closet fairy tale addict), will suggest culturally specific reasons why these new tales have not only exploded onto the publishing scene, but locked into our cultural DNA, and what this tells us about the stories of our own lives.

Presenter Bio:

Charlotte Sullivan teaches English at Normandale Community College, tutors at the Luther Seminary Writing Center, and critiques children’s fiction manuscripts for The Queue. Her thirteen-year teaching career includes experience in the Bloomington Public Schools, as well as five years as a faculty member at Crown College. She earned an MFA in fiction from Hamline University, an MS in Curriculum and Instruction (writing focus) from MN State University, Mankato, and has published both literary and personal essays and poetry in a number of journals and newspapers. Ms. Sullivan is currently at work on a middle grade fantasy novel, which may or may not include a toothless pirate ghost.

Kurt Burch - Fossil Fuel Fools: Energy and the Future

Abstract:
What will the energy future look like? Rapid population growth and industrialization means humans will burn ever-growing amounts of energy, thereby depleting existing resources and increasing pollution. Most of this energy in the next 40 years will be from fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas.

• How much fossil fuel is left?

• How long will it last?

• How much pollution will it create?

• Is “going green” the solution?

• What is the cost to begin and complete a transition to the energy sources, storage, distribution, application, and use that will prevail in the future?

Presenter Bio:

Burch earned his PhD in Political Science (Global Affairs) from the University of Minnesota in 1991, and he has been teaching college and university students since 1988. Burch is keenly interested in the global interplay of political and economic conditions/policies. Burch has helped create and refine global political-economic “forecasts” for corporations and authors.

Rodney Raasch - Co-Occurring Disorders, Substance Dependence, and Mental Illness

Abstract:
Recent shootings at various schools around the country have brought to our attention the dangerous mental health of some of our youth. Rates of major depression and suicide have been increasing dramatically. Drug use, after dropping during the early 1990s, is now on the rise, even among middle school age youth.

Individuals with a history of substance dependence, particularly those in early recovery and those who are older, can exhibit significant cognitive deficits. Individuals with major depression also have significant cognitive impairment. Understanding lectures is difficult enough for students with impaired concentration. The two together create twice the difficulties in thinking and learning.


Presenter Bio:
Rodney received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Dakota
and his Masters of Education in Counseling and Guidance, from North Dakota State University.
In addition he has doctoral level course work in Educational Psychology and Counseling from
the University of South Dakota.

He has twenty years professional experience as a Certified/Licensed Chemical Dependency professional. His positions have included direct service, clinical supervision, and program administration. He has been associated with both public and private agencies/programs serving adults, adolescents, families, minorities, homeless, as well as middle and upper socioeconomic levels.

He currently serves as a member of the Mental Health Advisory Committee as well as a past member of the Human Resources Council for Scott County, Minnesota. He also served as a member of a Mental Health Initiatives Committee at Century College. This was an Award for Excellence project designed to research the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency needs and resources of students, staff, and faculty and make recommendations for improvements, additions, and implementation.

He currently is an adjunct instructor at Normandale Community College teaching in Psychology.
Additionally, he teaches at Century College in Psychology and Chemical Dependency and at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, in Psychology.

AnDrea Cleaves - You May Take My Body, But Not My Soul: Sex, Murder, and ‘The Confession of Letitia Wigington…’

Abstract:
17th Century Britain was a deadly era for many of its citizens: Political and criminal violence were rife both on the streets and in the home, and offenses were prosecuted without ample protection for defendants – especially women. It’s no wonder, then, that single mother and businesswoman Letitia Wigington was tried and executed without provision of a forum for response. Yet, does this mean that working-class women were denied all opportunities to have their voices heard?

In this presentation we will consider a 17th century pamphlet, The CONFESSION AND EXECUTION of Letitia Wigington of Ratclif… through the lens of the pamphlet writing genre. In exploration of the possibility of the text’s female authorship, the research establishes a historical context for pamphleteering and provides evidence of middle class literacy. We will examine the 17th century pamphlet genre (specifically, the crime/scaffold speech pamphlet) within its historical context, the connections between women’s literacy and pamphleteering, and apply these connections to the deconstruction of Letitia’s confession pamphlet.

Related Links:

Original Pamphlet Text - "Confession and Execution of Letitia Wigington"
London School of Economics - Pamphlet Collection
Literacy
Feminist Rhetoriticians

Corrinne Bedecarré - Do We Have an Ethical Responsibility to Teach Our Young People How to Drink?

Abstract:

Corrinne Bedecarré is a philosopher of French and Irish heritage. Storytelling, socializing and literature are integral to her life and these cultures. They also bring with them their share of complex relationships with the fruit of the grape and the nectar of hops. As a mother, auntie and college professor, Bedecarré has been painfully and personally aware of the extreme dangers which current drinking practices bring. After determining that binge drinking wasn’t just an extended family systems problem, Bedecarré has been thinking about ways that philosophy can contribute to the contemporary discussions and problem solving about effective approaches to alcohol, especially for the young.

The focus of those inquiries has been her search to provide a viable response to the question:

Do we have an ethical responsibility to teach our young people how to drink?

Presenter Bio:

Bedecarré received her undergraduate philosophy degree at Sonoma State University in California where she, as an undergraduate, helped to organize critical thinking conferences which have continued with great success. Longtime member of the Society for Women in Philosophy, Midwest Division, Bedecarré received her Master’s and Doctorate from the University of Minnesota. A California transplant, she spent her sabbatical, 2007-2008, reviewing applied ethics in Marin County, California.

Related Links:

Scientific Facts on Alcohol

College Drinking Prevention

College Presidents Want to Lower Drinking Age

Ron Ward - Origins, Ecology, and Economy of Invasive Species in Minnesota

Abstract:

“You know, one of the most shocking things about it is to realize how easily we have lost a world that seemed so safe and certain.” (From “Day of the Triffids” by John Wyndham)

Throughout the history of human civilization people have facilitated the spread of many species of plants, animals and fungi, as well as bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.

The necessary conduit for the spread of these organisms, whether intentional or accidental, is the human economy. As global economic trade intensifies increasing numbers of species are moving from place to place. Most introduced species do not become established, or do become established and end up being benign members of their host ecosystems.

However, a small number of species introductions result in established populations of “invasive” pest species. As global economic interconnectedness intensifies, numbers of invasive species are expected to increase exponentially. By definition, invasive species end up “winners”, and in many instances out-compete native species that end up “losers”. In concert with habitat destruction and fragmentation and the loss of many native species, increasing numbers of invasive species represent a transition from the world we know to a world of ragweed, cockroaches, mice and pigeons – a world the natural history author David Quammen calls a “planet of weeds”.

Presenter Bio:

Ron Ward - a native Upper Midwesterner - is originally from Grand Forks. He now hails from Nordeast Minneapolis, where he lives with his wife of 12 years and his 5 year old son. He received his Bachelors in Geography from the University of Minnesota, and his Masters and PhD from the University of Georgia, where he specialized in biogeography and human-environmental relationships. His dissertation research, which he finished in 2002, is titled "Biogeomorphic Effects of Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet) invasion on the Upper Oconee River Floodplain, North Georgia". He is still quite active among invasive plant researchers, but now needs a new project because last summer he finished the last of 7 years of follow-up on his research site at the Georgia State Botanical Gardens.

Related Links:

Minnesota DNR - Invasive Species

Invasive Species Information

Ben Maegi - The Curious Case of the Latvian Cotton Pickers: Writing the History of Immigration, Race and Labor in the Postwar Mississippi Delta

Abstract:

In 1948, hundreds of Latvian refugees arrived in the Mississippi Delta to work as cotton pickers on the region’s plantations. By the mid-1950s, only a handful of Latvians remained in the area. Why did white planters turn to this source of labor? And why did the Latvians leave the Delta so quickly? The refugees had arrived at an unsettled time, as white planters dealt with increasing mechanization, international competition, the out-migration of black labor and above all the growing challenge of the civil rights movement. White planters viewed the Latvian refugees as suitably white citizens who could help create a white majority once segregation and black disenfranchisement ended. The Latvians, for their part, resisted Americanization under the terms set by the white planters, instead forming their own distinctly Latvian-American communities both inside and outside the Delta.

In addition to discussing immigration, race and labor in the postwar Mississippi Delta, attention will also be paid to the process of how History gets written. While historians often claim objectivity and adopt an authoritative tone, privately they admit that their work is quite often subjective and profoundly ambiguous. The case of the Latvian cotton pickers reveals some of the ways in which the biases of historians and the limitations of their craft determine what kind of History gets written and, ultimately, remembered.

Presenter Bio:

Bernard “Ben” Maegi earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2008, where his advisors were the eminent historians of U.S. immigration, Rudolph Vecoli and Donna Gabaccia. A second-generation immigrant, Ben’s interest in History stemmed from his parents’ harrowing stories of their lives as Eastern European refugees during and after the Second World War. Ben has taught U.S., Minnesota and World History at Normandale since 2000.

Related Links:

Displaced Persons Camps

Forced Migration

David Rayson - The Social Justice Fundamentalism of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Abstract:

Beginning in 1980 with the concurrent rise of Protestant fundamentalism in the United States and Islamic fundamentalism in Iran (Shi’a fundamentalism) and Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan (Sunni fundamentalism), the tension between modernism and fundamentalism has been a central focus of both scholars and public policy experts. The idea that this tension only arose in the last quarter of the 20^th century has, however, been largely overturned through the work of religious historians, most notably Karen Armstrong who traced fundamentalist movements in Christianity (mostly Protestantism), Judaism, and Islam from 1492 to the present in her excellent book The Battle for God. Unfortunately, most scholars (including Armstrong) define fundamentalism only in terms of same thinking (orthodoxy) or same ritual practice (orthopraxy). A deeper reading of the historical record, however, quickly reveals that many religious reformers have sought to control the excesses of modernism through a fundamentalism based on the social justice message which is also present in religious texts. Last Spring, I talked about the social justice fundamentalism of Hindu religious leader Mohandas Gandhi and the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and at this colloquium I will focus on the much more difficult task of spiritual preparation for resistance which Martin Luther King, Jr. undertook beginning in Montgomery, Alabama in December of 1955.

Presenter Bio:

David Rayson earned his Ph.D. in History at the University of Minnesota in 1996. From 1996-2001, David was a Teaching Consultant and Instructor in graduate-level courses on pedagogy as part of the University of Minnesota’s Preparing Future Faculty Program during which time he became an advocate of the Universal Design for Learning approach to education. Since coming to Normandale in Fall 2000, he has taught predominantly World History courses where he has increasingly focused on the tension between modernism and fundamentalism, tension which he argues is the central challenge of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Related Links:

Fundamentalism

Relativism vs. Fundamentalism

Susan Krook - Why Do Anthropologists Have All the Fun?

Abstract:

Described as “merchants of astonishment, peddlers of the strange” by Clifford Geertz in 1985, anthropologists have, for the most part, accepted their lot in academia and embraced the subject matter with aplomb. Perhaps what has been described as “having fun” is nothing more than doing what we do best – studying ourselves. One subfield in anthropology, archaeology, has been referred to as the “glitzy” part of the discipline. After all, Hollywood stars have come out of films that show the excitement of discovery. For the past three years, faculty and students (some seasoned and some not-so-seasoned) at Normandale have been diligently working at an archaeological site in southwestern Minnesota on a pre-Contact and post-Contact site. This site is now a registered archaeological site with the State of Minnesota. Our archaeological finds so far, along with plans for future excavation and evaluation at this site, will be shared with others at this colloquium.

Presenter Bio:

Susan Krook completed Ph.D. in Anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1992. She started teaching Anthropology part time at Normandale in 1990 while she was working as a research associate and medical anthropologist at the University of Minnesota's Medical School and completing her dissertation. Susan grew up in Minnesota, attended Edina schools and eventually found her way to Colorado with her husband and three children. She has been fascinated with archaeology since she was a young girl, going to the St. Paul Science Museum many times to stare at the Egyptian mummy that was and still is on display there. Susan taught in California for two years beginning in 2002 and she returned to Minnesota in 2004 after she learned that she was not a California girl. Since her return in 2004, she has been teaching full-time at Normandale in many areas of this broad discipline, but her true love has come back to her in the form of an exciting archaeological discovery in southwestern Minnesota.

Related Links:

Anthropology Tutorials

MPR - Slaughter Slough

Patrick O'Donnell - Soul Image: Explaining Sir Tyrone Guthrie's Fascination with Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

Abstract:

Sir Tyrone Guthrie, founder of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, had a personal psychological fascination with Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." He directed it five times in his long career as a stage director and it was the inaugural production in May, 1963, for the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Guthrie’s investment in the play had deeper roots than its cultural prestige: the prince Hamlet was in some sense a haunted and haunting image of his own identity as a rebellious, non-conformist stage director.

Presenter Bio:

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Patrick O’Donnell has been living in Minnesota since 1994. He joined the Normandale English Department in 1999. He is currently working on his doctoral thesis at University College Dublin. It is titled: ‘The Irish roots of the Guthrie Theatre’ and it explores various biographical and historical contexts of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, the founder of that theatre from 1959- 1963, and Joe Dowling, who orchestrated its re-invention from 1998-2006.

Related Links:

Sir Tyrone Guthrie

Guthrie Theater

Michael Bielmeier - Philosophy for Poets: Hamlet According to Kierkegaard

Abstract:

No writer in the Western World has so fascinated scholars and the public alike as has Shakespeare, nor any of his works so much as Hamlet. Certainly such was the case for the Danish philosopher/theologian/satirist Soren Kierkegaard. In his pseudonymous writings, Kierkegaard makes various references to Shakespeare’s characters, not the least of whom is Hamlet. This presentation will briefly explore the connection between Kierkegaard and Hamlet by looking at Kierkegaard’s concept of the three existential modalities, or ways of living: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious (spiritual). By using Kierkegaard’s existential notions as an analytic framework, we are provided with a remarkable insight into the sometimes mystifying behaviors of the melancholic Prince of Denmark.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Michael Bielmeier has taught in the English Dept. at Normandale since 2005. Previous to this, Dr. Bielmeier taught at Columbus State Community College and Franklin University in Ohio, and prior to that he was many years at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, WI, where he served as Chair of the English Dept. He received his undergraduate degree in English from St. Norbert College, his M.A. in English from Arizona State University, and his Ph.D. from Marquette University, where his English emphasis was Renaissance drama and philosophy. Dr. Bielmeier has presented papers at numerous academic conferences on the subject of Shakespeare and philosophy, and he has had articles published on this topic in scholarly journals. In 1999, Dr. Bielmeier received a post-doctoral fellowship from the International Kierkegaard Society, and in 2000, Mellen Press published his book length study Shakespeare, Kierkegaard, and Existential Tragedy.

Related Links:

Hamlet (Provided by MIT)

Kierkegaard (Provided by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)