"Whose child is this?"
 
 
Now do you recognize these senior Psychology majors??? Since no one guessed the correct identities of these darling children, we will give them the theater tickets! Watch for more baby pictures in future issues of Emil's Epilogue.
BOOK BULLETIN BOARD
The textbook bulletin board is still in place. Remember to post books there which you would like to sell.
Check out the Book Bulletin Board web page for Psychology text books already listed. If you have books to sell, email Brenda DeBlieck in the Psychology office. If the textbook(s) will be used again fall semester, we will post your name on our Book Bulletin Board.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM JANUARY TERM
Jodi Metz, senior Psychology major, shares the following account of her January Term course, Sport and Religion in Australia and New Zealand.
Hello folks! I have just returned from the land Down Under and I thought y’all might like to read about my adventures. There are many stories to tell and many memories were made. Here is an account of the most memorable ones.
We spent our first week on the South Island of New Zealand. Most of our time was spent in a small community called Queenstown. While there, I pretty much signed my life away three times! We went white water rafting, horseback riding in the mountains and...oh yeah...bungy jumping! Bungy jumping was so incredible, I decided to do it again! Only this time, I did it backward. I jumped off a 143-foot bridge into the Shotover River. It was the original bungy-jumping site.
The second week we were in Melbourne, Australia. We attended the Australian Open for the first five days, where we had front row seats in the Centre court. We were very close to Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis, and all the big tennis stars. Next we traveled to Sydney where we saw the famous Opera House and sunbathed on the famous Manly and Bondi beaches. For me, the highlight of Sydney was meeting some of the locals and just hanging out with them and comparing differences between Australia and the U.S. Their culture is very similar, yet there are many subtle differences in the language they use. Combined with some strong Aussie accents, these subtleties were sometimes more difficult than I had anticipated!
We left Sydney for Cairns and the 110-degree weather and 100 percent humidity. Regardless of what anyone else says, I loved the weather. There was no way I was going to be complaining about heat knowing that we could
have been back here in Minnesota in the middle of winter. In Cairns we did a lot of exciting things such as touring the rainforest and dancing with the aborigines. My favorite activity was scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I had never dived before and they were offering a small crash course to go down for about 30 minutes. What a great place to go scuba diving for the first time!
The last week of the trip, we headed back to New Zealand, only this time to Auckland on the North Island. We did a lot of sight seeing and just getting ready to come home. It was a great trip, but I think everyone was ready to come back to the winter of Minnesota. It was not all fun and games. We did do our fair share of homework and class time, so for all of you who were thinking that we were only over there having the time of our lives, think again! It was worth it in the end. Definitely an experience of a lifetime.
---If you would be willing to share your January Term experience with Emil's readers, please contact Brenda, in the Psychology Office.
Dear Emil's E-mail
Dear Emil,
My parents tell me that I must become a responsible adult and earn my own way. My minister tells me I must remain an innocent child and please God. My psychology professors tell me I must be a serious scholar. My friends tell me to be one of the gang. My ego definition is blurring. Help!! Lost in a World of Suggestions
Dear Lost,
Anyone who seriously considers his or her human condition can become confused for a while. Try to relax, be kind to yourself. This will pass. You are not alone. If all else fails, develop a multiple personality and ask one of your other selves for help. Emil
If you have any questions or comments for "Dear Emil," email them to Dear Emil.
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Psi Chi's column-
The Gustavus chapter of Psi Chi recently held its first meeting of spring semester. They met to become acquainted and to make plans for the semester's activities. Those plans include identifying Psychology majors who are eligible to become members of Psi Chi and also to arrange for an induction ceremony for new members. Current requirements include a declared major in Psychology, an overall 3.5 GPA, completion of five Psychology courses and a minimum grade of B in all Psychology courses. Psi Chi is the national honor society in Psychology. For more information, contact officers, Amelia Chan, Kirk Thoreson, Karol Afdahl and Kari Lipke or faculty advisors, Dr. Ackil and Dr. Champion.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
SIGMA XI
RESEARCH GRANT
Students conducting research are invited to apply to the Sigma Xi Research Committee for funding. Proposals will be reviewed by the committee. Funds, up to $400, are expected to be used for supplies. A final written report and an oral presentation of the research accomplished will be required of all recipients. Announcements of this grant opportunity were mailed to all Psychology majors. If you need further information, see Brenda DeBlieck in the Psychology Office. .
RED RIVER
PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE
The 13th Annual Red River Psychology Conference will be held at Concordia College, Moorhead, on April 23 & 24. Psychology Departments of Concordia, Moorhead State University and NDSU invite students to submit abstracts for poster and verbal presentations. See Brenda for details. Deadline for submission of abstracts is March 2nd.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
The Psi Chi Chapter of the University of Wisconsin - Stout invites students to an Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 4th. This is an opportunity to gain experience presenting research in a non-threatening environment. For information, see Brenda. Proposals are due March 14th.
MINNESOTA UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE
Perhaps the most significant research opportunity for Gustavus Psychology students is the Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, to be held at Augsburg College on Saturday, May 9th. Students presently conducting research should be making plans with their advisor to submit a proposal for either a poster or paper presentation. See him or her for details. Deadline for submitting abstracts is April 10th.
ANNUAL KENDALL LECTURE
The 1998 Kendall Annual Lecture in Psychology will be held Thursday, April 16th. Guest lecturer will be Dr. John Cacioppo of The Ohio State University, who will speak on "Autonomic Risk Factors for Illness: Frontiers in Psychoneuroimmunology". He will talk about some of his research on how the autonomic, endocrine, and immune systems are affected by psychological stress.
This annual lecture is sponsored by the Psychology Department and named in honor of Dr. John S. Kendall (‘49), former Gustavus president and emeritus professor of psychology. It recognizes researchers who have made significant contributions early in their academic careers. Dr. Kendall will be our guest that evening, also.
Watch for more information regarding Dr. Cacioppo's lecture and his research in the next issue of Emil's Epilogue. To check out his website click here .
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Several printed resources are available for you to browse in the department's resource center (SSC 24). You will find information about graduate schools and career paths. In this issue of Emil's, we offer this review by the national Psi Chi editors of one title which is available. Graduate School bulletins are also available. See Brenda with any questions.
"If you've made the decision to become a psychologist, you've significantly narrowed your choices. But the question still remains: What kind of psychologist would you like to be? In the book, Career Paths in Psychology: Where Your Degree Can Take You, fourteen prominent psychologists who have achieved great success in a variety of areas discuss their work: what led them into it, how to prepare for it, what they like and don't like about it, and what a typical work week is like. These psychologists offer advice, information, and the inspiration of their own career paths. This book provides a guide for anyone contemplating a career in psychology. The vast range of work available to psychologists is described. Going beyond the traditional stereotypes of laboratory researcher or individual therapist, the book shows how psychologists now work in all areas of education, in the government, and in private industry. They supply research on immunization programs, suggest improvements to airplane cockpit design, conduct studies on why people buy what they buy, and design community programs for reducing crime in neighborhoods."
Reminder
Contributions to "Emil's" are welcomed and appreciated. Contact one of our staff below. |
"How’s That Prof
Treating You?"
Have you ever thought about what qualities a good professor possesses? We all hate classes in which we are required to write paper after paper after paper, but do we really learn more from these more demanding courses? According to a recent study conducted at the University of Washington, when students evaluate their professors they tend to give higher ratings to those that require less work -- such as those in history and sociology -- and lower ratings to those that require more work -- such as those in the sciences. The study goes on to state that this tendency has many unfavorable implications including discouraging professors from setting high standards, a gravitation toward less demanding classes and concurrently a drop in the number of demanding classes offered, and an artificial inflation of grades. So next time those course evaluation sheets come rolling your way, think twice about how you evaluate your prof. If you are interested in learning more about this or other happenings in psychology, check out the American Psychological Association web-page at http://www.apa.org/monitor/studs.html
-Becky Knudsen
"OUR" STUDENTS
PATTY LINDELL AWARD
The Patty Lindell Scholarship was established about twenty years ago by the Gustavus Library Associates to honor one of its founders, Patricia Lindell. It is an annual award made to a student chosen in a competitive process, who then carries out a project that will benefit the library. This year's winner is Sarah Osgood, a junior Psychology major. Her project is to study the campus's need for information on higher education and to create a list of library and web resources that will help answer that need. Sarah will be interviewing faculty and administrators on campus in order to understand their need for institutional research material. She will then write a report on those needs, and put together a resource guide to be included on the library's web page.
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
Michael Strong, senior Psychology major, recently received an award from the Minnesota Newspaper Association. As a staff member for the Gustavian Weekly, he was awarded second place in Sports Photography for his Gustavus versus Carleton men's basketball photograph published March 14, 1997. Judges for the College Better Newspaper Contest said, "A close second. You can see the action close up because of tight cropping. Great action photo." The Weekly also received second place in the Best Use of Photography category.
GUILD OF ST. LUCIA
The Festival of St. Lucia ushered in the Christmas season in the College's Swedish tradition. Jessica Johnson, sophomore Psychology major, was a member of this year's Lucia court. Other Psychology majors who are members of the St. Lucia Guild are Amelia Chan, Leah Heltemes, Kari Lipke, and Becky Vanderwerf. Kelly Kruger, daughter of Dr. Mark Kruger, was one of three "Star Children" in this year's St. Lucia service. Dr. Barbara Simpson serves as an advisor to the Guild.
GUSTAVUS ATHLETICS
The Gustavus Men's Hockey Team clinched a spot in the MIAC playoffs by defeating Hamline University in a two-game sweep. With a regular-season record of 13-11-1 overall and 11-4-1 in the MIAC, the Gusties begin tournament play on Saturday, again against Hamline. Psychology majors Kevin Conrad, John Hirsch and Andy Tripp contributed to the team's successful season. As forwards, they all played a role in the team's scoring - both in goals and assists.
The Gustavus Women's Golf Team earned its first national ranking during the fall season. Team members won two out of the six tournaments in which they participated - the Buena Vista Classic and the Winona State Invitational. Tara Tepley, senior Psychology major, tied for 10th place at the conference tournament, and received all-conference honors. The team hopes to earn the program's first invitation to the national tournament this spring.
"OUR" FACULTY
Dr. Jennifer Ackil gave an invited colloquium at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development on Dec. 4th. The colloquium was titled "The Memorial Consequences of Pressing Child Witnesses to Fabricate Misinformation." In January, Dr. Ackil gave an invited talk, "Eyewitness Memory: Age Differences in Suggestibility and Memory for Source" to psychology students and faculty at Carleton College.
Dr. Mark Kruger, along with other researchers, had his paper, titled "Biomechanics of Music Performance: Moving the Trombone Slide," published in the Winter 1997-98 issue of NACWPI journal (Natl. Assn. of College Wind and Percussion Instructors). The article is an adaptation of a paper read by Dr. Kruger and Dr. Mark Lammers last June at Uppsala University in Sweden for the Third Triennial ESCOM(European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music) Conference and published in the proceedings of that conference.
The new semester has brought us more than new classes and a few new textbooks in the Psychology Department. The new semester has also brought us a new face. Dr. Stephen Bennett has joined the Psychology faculty
and has started his first two classes at Gustavus. Dr. Bennett is teaching the two spring semester sections of Developmental Psychology.
Dr. Bennett comes to us after finishing his Doctorate Dissertation for the Minnesota Professional School of Psychology. He completed much of his research for the project at St. Johns University, where he also earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Dr. Bennett became a Visiting Instructor in Psychology after joining the staff of the Advising and Counseling Center fall semester. His office is located in the counseling center, where he continues to work part-time as a counselor. Dr. Bennett also has one office hour in the Psychology department from 10:30 to 11:30 on Mondays.
So drop by and introduce yourself to our new professor. I am sure that Dr. Bennett will enjoy the chance to meet some new faces.
-Michael Strong
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The Staff of Emil's Epilogue Back Row: Dr. Richard Martin, Emil, Brenda DeBlieck, Jodi Metz Front Row: Rebecca Knudsen, Emil, Michael Strong To Email: Click on name. 