Location: Morrie Jones A-B
C29. “Exploring Mental Health Coping Mechanisms Across Different Religious and Spiritual Practices”
1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Panel
Student Presenters: Mame Diarra Bousso, Safiyo Bakar
Mentored by: Dr. Anne Mocko
Abstract
Mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and stress, are common among college students. Religion and spirituality often play an important role in helping individuals cope with these challenges. Many studies suggest that faith-based practices, such as prayer, mindfulness, meditation, or community support, can improve emotional well-being and resilience. Understanding these coping mechanisms is important for creating programs for college students from diverse religious backgrounds. This research project aims to explore mental health awareness and coping strategies across three religious faiths: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Through literature review of peer-reviewed articles, we examine the connection between religion and spirituality in mental health disorders, analyze mental health illness stigma and religiosity, and describe faith-based strategies used to cope with mental health challenges. Empirical research indicates that, for some individuals, religion/spirituality can be a source of mental support and comfort while for others, they may contribute to distress or challenges in coping with mental health. Therefore, while spiritual and religious coping mechanisms can support and strengthen mental care, they should not replace professional mental health treatment.
Location: Morrie Jones C-D
C30. “Values of Peace and Dialogue in Norwegian Upper Secondary Education”
1:45 – 2:05 p.m. | Classic
Student Presenter: Yelitza Hernandez-Guitron
Mentored by: Dr. Erik Cleven
Abstract
Norway is often described as a “peace nation,” with a strong international reputation for diplomacy, conflict mediation, and humanitarian engagement. This project examines how that identity is reflected and sustained through education, focusing on the role of curriculum in promoting values of peace and dialogue. Understanding how these values are embedded in schooling is important for evaluating how education can shape democratic participation, intercultural understanding, and responses to conflict. This study asks: to what extent does Norway’s upper secondary education curriculum, particularly the history curriculum, promote values of peace and dialogue? This research argues that while the curriculum embeds these values through its emphasis on democratic participation, critical reflection, and engagement with conflict and reconciliation, challenges in implementation can limit their full realization in practice. To explore this question, this study uses qualitative content analysis of Norway’s LK20 curriculum, including the general curriculum framework and the History curriculum at the VG2 and VG3 levels. The analysis focuses on curriculum language, competencies, and learning objectives, alongside materials from the Dembra program and academic literature on peace education. The findings show that the LK20 curriculum strongly reflects values such as human dignity, cultural diversity, ethical awareness, and democratic participation, while encouraging engagement with multiple perspectives and historical injustices. However, factors such as teacher preparedness, resource disparities, and time constraints affect how these values are implemented. Programs like Dembra help address these gaps by providing training and resources that support democratic dialogue and inclusive education in practice.
C31. “Friluftsliv & Inclusion; Exploring How Outdoor Spaces and Activities Foster Social Inclusion for Refugees and Immigrants in Norway”
2:05 – 2:25 p.m. | Classic
Student Presenter: Phia Revoir
Mentored by: Dr. Erik Cleven Dr. Jenn Sweatman
Abstract
Norway has a robust integration program in response to the increase in immigration the country has seen in recent years. Immigrants report feeling integrated, but not included, which has caused the Norwegian government to shift its focus to promote inclusion as part of their integration policy. To promote inclusion, a rising number of integration programs utilize friluftsliv—a core part of Norwegian culture centered on direct connection with nature. The main objective of this research paper is to discuss how organizations operating in outdoor spaces can create programs that use practices like friluftsliv to foster social inclusion of refugees and immigrants in Norway. Utilizing a literature review and four qualitative interviews with Oslo-based organizations, this research found that these organizations foster social inclusion for refugee and immigrant groups through practices of friluftsliv in outdoor spaces by creating activities and programs which allow those communities to form social networks, adapt and continue friluftsliv in their own cultural context, and increase representation of immigrants and refugees in the Norwegian wilderness. However, these programs fall short of including refugee and immigrant communities because of structural segregation, lack of awareness of the barriers immigrant and refugee groups face in everyday life, and perpetuation of Norwegian cultural superiority. While this research suggests that nature can be used to promote social inclusion, it also acknowledges that nature is not “culturally neutral.” These findings offer insights for national integration policy and future programs that seek to promote commonality between groups.
Location: ISC 201
C32. “Phones, Fatigue, and Performance: How Screen Time Impacts Athletes”
1:45 – 2:05 p.m. | Classic
Student Presenter: David Johnston
Mentored by: Dominic Meyers
Abstract
Smartphone usage has become nearly constant among college student-athletes, raising concerns about its impact on performance, recovery, and overall safety. This topic addresses a growing quality and safety issue by examining how excessive phone use, particularly before sleep, can negatively affect athletic outcomes. The framework for this analysis draws on principles of quality and improvement science, focusing on measurable performance indicators such as sleep quality, reaction time, and injury risk. This presentation argues that increased smartphone usage is associated with decreased athletic performance due to disrupted sleep patterns, reduced cognitive focus, and impaired physical recovery. To explore this relationship, this study uses a literature review of peer-reviewed research in sports science, sleep medicine, and behavioral health. Scholarly sources examining screen time, sleep disruption, and athletic performance outcomes are synthesized to identify consistent patterns and findings. Improvement science concepts such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles are also applied to evaluate potential interventions. Anticipated results suggest that limiting smartphone use, especially before bedtime, can lead to improved sleep duration and quality, enhanced reaction time, and reduced injury risk. These findings support the implementation of simple, evidence-based interventions such as screen time limits, digital wellness education, and team-based accountability strategies. Overall, this topic highlights how behavioral factors like phone usage can be addressed through structured improvement efforts to enhance both performance and athlete well-being.
C33. “The Three Layers of Extractivism in Artificial Intelligience”
2:05 – 2:25 p.m. | Classic
Student Presenter: Iqra Hassan
Mentored by: Dr. Jan Pranger, Dominic Meyers
Abstract
In 2016, Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), published his book The Fourth Industrial Revolution, coining the term for a new industrial era. He argued that this period is characterized by digital technology that is now a part of our everyday life and has changed global industrial work forever. In this era, industry leaders such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang emphasize that Artificial Intelligence is the breakthrough technology for addressing the global crisis. However, many environmental advocates express concern about AI infrastructures’ contribution to climate change. This presentation will document the real-world price of our digital revolution. I will break this down into three key layers: the extraction of natural resources, digital mining, and the global labor force that maintains these AI data centers. By looking at these layers, we can see the hidden environmental and human costs of the “fourth industrial revolution”.
Location: ISC 260
C34. “How Fracking Reshapes Social Conditions, Water Security, and Gendered Harm in the Bakken Oil Region”
1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Panel
Student Presenters: Delaney Claggett, Lily Medved-Charpentier, Leah Lenz, Naima Sharif
Mentored by: Dr. Jenn Sweatman
Abstract
This paper argues that oil extraction in the Bakken oil field, particularly through hydraulic fracturing (fracking), produces significant socioeconomic and environmental changes that heighten the vulnerability of Indigenous women to exploitation. Population influxes associated with oil booms contribute to increased demand for housing and services, as well as rising crime rates, including gender-based violence. An additional impact of fracking, environmental degradation, disproportionately impacts nearby Indigenous communities, compounding existing structural inequalities. Drawing on existing research, this paper examines the intersection of environmental harm, public health outcomes, and social instability. We analyze data on environmental impacts, mental and physical health trends, crime statistics, and rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) to identify patterns linking extractive industries to increased risk. Additionally, we incorporate reviews of existing literature to contextualize our findings within the broader discourse of resource extraction and systemic marginalization. Our findings suggest that extractive projects located near Native reservations and communities function as a “risk multiplier,” worsening preexisting vulnerabilities, increasing exploitation and violence. We suggest that these outcomes are not isolated but are rather embedded within broader disruptions caused by oil development. This research has important implications for policy. We argue that future oil and gas projects, particularly those involving fracking, should require comprehensive assessments that explicitly address potential increases in crime rates, environmental harm, and gender-based violence prior to approval. Such measures are necessary to promote greater accountability in extractive practices.
Location: ISC 301
C35. “Small Course, Big Impact: Undergraduate Learning in a Week-long Rat Behavior Lab”
1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Panel
Student Presenters: Al Sterling, Brynn Drevlow, Asher Utsch, Kolton Goehring
Mentored by: Dr. Susan Larson
Abstract
Many undergraduate students are interested in research but have limited opportunities to experience the research process in a hands-on and approachable way. This panel presentation explores the value of short-term, immersive laboratory courses as an entry point into undergraduate behavioral research. Using our experience in an animal behavior course working with laboratory rats, we examine how direct observation and interaction with animal models helps students better understand the principles behind behavioral research and experimental design. The purpose of this panel is to highlight how short-term research experiences can support student learning and engagement with scientific research. We argue that even within a condensed timeframe, students can develop a stronger understanding of animal behavior, research methods, and the ethical considerations involved in working with animal models. These experiences help bridge the gap between learning about research in the classroom and actively participating in it. Our presentation will describe the structure of the course and the process of participating in behavioral observation and data collection. As student presenters, we will reflect on our experiences working through the research process, including learning behavioral protocols, interpreting animal behavior, and collaborating with other students. We will also discuss informal feedback from students about how the course shaped their understanding of research. Overall, this panel aims to demonstrate the educational value of short-term research courses and how they can increase student confidence, curiosity, and interest in future research opportunities.
Location: Olin 124
C36. “Locked In: A Proposal for Increased Campus Safety”
1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Panel
Student Presenters: Elise Halvorson, Avalon Hughs, Ben Heil, Megan Greshowak, Evan Froslie
Mentored by: Dominic Meyers
Abstract
In order to increase safety and security on campus, we propose that academic buildings on campus should be exclusively fob-access. In this panel-structured speech, we address the problems of campus safety risks, the causes behind those risks, a proposed solution, as well as its benefits. According to national school violence studies and reports in the field, crime rates on college and academic campuses have increased in recent years, with trends continuing to rise. We aim to examine these occurrences and add a Concordia-specific perspective on the issue. During the process of researching for this speech, we interviewed Mr. MacDonald, the director of security and public safety here on campus. Through the interview, he helped to provide further information about the status of safety at Concordia, explain potential security improvements, and clarify our primary proposal. The implications of our findings will help to create a more secure and stable campus, assuring students, professors, and faculty that our plan will leave Concordia in a safer standing.
Location: Hvidsten Christiansen Recital Hall
C37. “Poetry and Autoperformance – Language as a Means to Communicate Identity”
1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Panel
Student Presenters: Oliver Fluegel-Murray, Saige Mattson
Mentored by: Dr. Darren Valenta
Abstract
In the current sociopolitical climate, silent conformity is often rewarded, with language that breaks this silence remaining a powerful tool for cultivating understanding, empathy, and connection. Autoperformance is an effective way to embody these principles. Grounded in performance theory, autoperformance positions the performer as both researcher and artist, channeling personal experience into performance and offering the audience new insight into lived experience and identity. In these autoperformances, poetic language is used to share experiences of marginalization related to queerness and neurodivergence, relying on poetry’s power to perform and convey identity and meaning. Autoperformance, as both a research method and an aesthetic process, is able to connect personal experiences of marginalization with the broader social context of contemporary society, creating a reciprocal relationship with the audience that allows for empathy and fosters a deeper, mutual understanding of social issues. This process will be presented through original autoperformances accompanied by reflective discussion.
Downloadable PDF of the Concurrent Sessions: