Digital Commons Network^™

Personality Profiles Of 2016 Republican Presidential Candidates, Aubrey Immelman

Forum Lectures

Aubrey Immelman and his summer research assistant Joe Trenzeluk present summaries of the psychological profiles of Republican contenders in the 2016 U.S. presidential election (including Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and Scott Walker) and outline the leadership implications of those profiles. In addition, the presenters discuss the personality profile of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and compare the candidates’ scores on the locally developed Personal [Presidential] Electability Index (PEI). The PEI, which has accurately predicted the outcome of every presidential election since 1996, projects that Trump will win the election.

What Is 'Sustainability' And How Do You Know If You're 'Doing It?', Alexandra Miller, Judy Purman

Forum Lectures

Sustainability and 'being green' are common buzz words, but what do they really mean and how do we know if we're 'doing it?' What is a carbon footprint and how does that relate to being sustainable? What initiatives and projects are going on around us? Why should I want to be involved? We addressed these questions and more at this Thursday Forum.

My Husband Is Now A Woman? The Experiences Of Transgender Individuals In Partner Relationships, Lisa Platt

Forum Lectures

How would you react on a first date if the person disclosed they used to be the other gender? Or if your partner/spouse decided to switch genders? This research examines the psychological and social challenges transgender individuals often face when seeking and maintaining romantic partner relationships. The experiences of the transgender community are beginning to receive more attention in both psychological research and mainstream culture. One area conspicuously absent is comprehensive research regarding the nature and challenges of transgender individuals' partner relationships. This study was a qualitative exploration of the transgender partner experience. Participants were recruited nationwide through convenience sampling. …

#Handsonlearning: Lessons From Student "Takeover" Of Csb/Sju Social Media, Tiffany Clements, Kelly Berg

Forum Lectures

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, CSB and SJU communication students "took over" CSB/SJU institutional profiles on Instagram and Vine for six weeks in the spring of 2014. Students in the Communication Department's New Media Applications and Analysis course planned, prepared and shared photos and video for their assigned profile. Groups were responsible for setting goals for their takeover, creating a profile of a target audience and applying lessons learned about effective branding through visual communication.

In this presentation, Associate Professor Kelly Berg and CSB/SJU Social Media Specialist Tiffany Clements discuss learning outcomes from the collaboration and takeaways for future Communications and …

People Of Faith And Prophetic Voices: The Role Of Faith Voters And Activists In Recent Minnesota Political History, Eric S. Fought

Forum Lectures

In November of 2012, political scientists, other experts familiar with Minnesota politics and the general public were stunned by the comfortable defeat of two constitutional amendments by voters. Amendment one, also known as the marriage amendment, would have changed the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Amendment two, known as the voter ID or voter restriction amendment, would have required voters to show a photo ID in order to cast a vote in Minnesota elections. The Voter ID question enjoyed 80% favorability just a year before the election.

In both of the campaigns against these ballot measures, highly …

Sister Remberta Westkaemper: A Fine Lady And Excellent Field Botanist, Stephen G. Saupe

Forum Lectures

Sister Remberta, the first full-time president of Saint Ben's and founding member of the CSB Biology Department, was the preeminent authority on the flora of Stearns County. This presentation will focus on Sister Remberta's botanical activities with an introduction to the CSB|SJU Bailey Herbarium. This work was supported by a Centennial Year Fellowship.

Online Security, Cryptography, And Quantum Computing, Lynn Ziegler

Forum Lectures

Most secure online transactions are handled using RSA encryption for key exchange to prevent interception of private information like credit card numbers, bank accounts, etc. Unfortunately, development of quantum computers could break RSA (and other encryption systems). I will speak about the problem and potential solutions if quantum computers become available.

Assessing A Christian's Response To The Annihilating Self-Communication Of The Suicide Bomber, C. A. Chase

Forum Lectures

A person enters a public space-market, café, church-unnoticed, identity camouflaged against the vernacular of the everyday. In a flash-self-communicating through willful self-annihilation-the anthropology of a hitherto unknown individual is irrevocably imbedded in the history(s) of other human anthropologies without any consent. In the violence of such a moment, against the compelling mystery of the self-erased suicide bomber, a starting point opens up for the Christian witness to the event to enter into, and to begin a radical exploration of mystery, identity, of the other, of the self, framed against the Christian tradition, and reflected against the Christ.

The 'call' of …