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The number of religious sisters in America has declined precipitously since the mid-1960s, to the point that the continued stability of many traditional orders and their ministries is now in question. The purpose of this paper is to identify the primary sociological and institutional reasons for the collapse of sisterhood in America, to track the current direction of the vocation, and to propose a plan for how religious communities might respond to the current membership crisis.
Honorable Mention
Sellers, Nathan. A First-Amendment Analysis of Hate-Crime Laws: Revisiting Wisconsin v. Mitchell and Recommending Change. 2005.
Pioske, Daniel. American Protestantism and its Impact Upon the Desire of its Members to Seek Congressional Office. 2003.
Religion does influence a member of Congress who claims a religious affiliation, and its impact cannot be neglected. Due to the influence religious beliefs exert on the individual, this study postulates that denomination?s distinctive attributes either enhance or decrease the desire to seek Congressional office. The way in which this relationship will be analyzed is through an investigation into four Protestant denominations. Protestantism in the United States, due to its prominent place in American politics and the plurality of its religious traditions, provides the most compelling evidence of the influence a denomination has upon the political motivations of its members.
1st Honorable Mention
Grace, Andrew. Repentance and the Gothic: Religion in Three Related Novels by the Bronte Sisters. 2003.
2nd Honorable Mention
Hanson, Sarah E. Anti-Judaism and the Gospel of John. 2003.
Reiling, Carrie. Non-Arab Islam in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. 2002.
Because of the high visibility of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the United States? antagonism toward Iraq, the Muslim countries Americans identify more are the Arab countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Arab and Muslim are not synonymous, however, despite the government?s, the media?s, and the people?s perception. Because of these reasons, Western perceptions of Islam are that it is practiced by bearded Arabs who believe that the holy words should be fought for?literally. In fact, the opposite is true. The majority of Muslims live their lives with their religion much as Europeans and Americans live their lives as Christians. Includes brief descriptions of non-Arab Muslim countries and geographical areas, and a bibliography for more in-depth research.
Woolford, Edward Todd. ?Rebuilding a Greater Gustavus?: Opportunities and Enhancements Due to the March 29, 1998 Tornado. 1999.
On March 29, 1998, a tornado hit the town of St. Peter and the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College with a deadly and devastating force. Thankfully, no students or staff were injured, but all 59 buildings were affected in some way and 90% of the trees were destroyed. Amazingly with such devastation, rebuilding efforts began the next day. Many changes across campus occurred primarily because the rebuilding opened up opportunities for the college to move ahead quickly in areas that previously were not feasible or planned. These changes will impact the future of the Gustavus community for years to come. For this reason, data was collected, faculty interviewed and information researched and archived to document the new opportunities and accelerated enhancements the college has gained due to the aftermath of the devastating tornado that struck St. Peter in 1998.
Located in the Archives and in the Oversize Collection at LD2091.C526 W66 1999
Klotzbach, Colin. Group Momentum in the Gustavus Library Associates. 1994.
The Gustavus Library Associates, a friends group, assists the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library strengthen communal bonds and heighten enthusiasm for fundraising activities. Since 1977, GLA has sponsored talks, activities during the St. Lucia festival in December and the annual Nobel Conference. The membership dues and other funds raised through the yearly run of events provide a solid, consistent income for the library acquisitions endowment, but the largest portion of funds produced have come from a major event called A Royal Affair.
An accompanying scrapbook, focusing on the 1993 GLA activities, won the American Libraries Association?s John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award.
Laatsch, Janeen R. Arboreta, Gustavus Adolphus College Campus Development and Linnaeus Arboretum History. 1993.
The Linnaeus Arboretum of Gustavus Adolphus College belongs to a rich heritage of arboreta in our country, and symbolizes the long-term commitment of a community or institution to the care and beautification of a place. This paper will discuss the definition of an arboretum, including the factors involved in defining such an establishment. It will also discuss the considerations which must be made for the continuing support of an arboretum, and will look into the establishment and development of several arboreta which have connections with institutions of higher learning. The tradition of arboreta in our country, as well as the history of Gustavus Adolphus College, has shaped and will continue to shape the Linnaeus Arboretum.
Located in the Oversize Collection at QK480.U62 G875 1993
Walesko, Miriam. Sameatnam [Saamiland and Its People]: An Annotated Bibiography in English. 1989.
Since perhaps a thousand authors have already written about Sameatnam (Lapland), it would be an immense task to compile all of the works. Therefore this bibliography is limited to works in English. Cites works from early 1800s to late 20th century, covering anthropology, geography, history, linguistics, religion, the arts, economics, medicine and law.
Squandrito, Marisa. Women Authors of the Developing World: An Annotated Bibliography. 1989.
Particularly in the last half of this century, women all over the world have been making their voices heard after a very long silence. This bibliography is intended to provide a selective crosssection of literature by women of the developing world, in English or English translation, for professors looking for class materials, librarians building library collections, and people with personal interest. The literature included is comprised mostly of novels and short stories, autobiographical writings, poetry, and a few plays. For each of the four areas dealt with, one author was chosen for more in-depth study?not as a representative author, but as a fairly available author with at least some books still in print.
Located in the Oversize Collection at PN479.S78 1989
Posch, Kim. The U.S. Constitution: An Annotated Bibliography Compiled for Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library. 1987.
Given its awesome role in creating the framework of national government, one would assume the American people to have carefully and diligently examined the history of the Constitution. However, the average citizen seems content to blindly accept the document without reading it or fully understanding its meaning and significance. We can use the resources listed here to learn from the Founding Fathers by understanding both what their intentions were and how they proceeded to implement them. Through tireless persistence and dedication to both practicality and ideals, these hall of fame politicians forged a framework of government strong enough to unify the states, yet malleable enough to permit growth and change.
Located in the General Collection at call number JK146.P6 1987
Reed, Michael. Foreign Students at Gustavus Adolphus College. 1986.
Gustavus Adolphus has always educated students born in foreign countries, beginning with its origins as a preparatory school for Swedish immigrant children in 1862. Copies of Gustaian Weekly articles document the arrival and experiences of a representative portion of college students since 1921. Survey questions answered by contemporary international students give insights into the perceptions of students in an informal setting.
Thompson, Sara. Women at Gustavus Adolphus College 1900-1930. 1984.
After reading material in the Gustavus archive, Thompson decided to initiate research into women on campus during 1900-1930 by conducting oral histories. Violet Mattson Towley, daughter of a former Gustavus president, spoke about her mother, Emma Olson Mattson, who acted as president?s wife with great dignity, endless patience, and a sense of humor. Clara Tederstrom served as preceptress of Johnson Hall, supervising and caring for the young women who lived there. Catherine Towley Chapman and Josephine Osborne revealed much about student life in the late 1920s. In the history of writing history, women have been overlooked as contributing members of society. Their functions, like those of Mattson and Tederstrom, are often private, quiet enterprises, unheralded, and mostly ignored as contributions.
Documents related to Sara's research are located in the College Archives.