College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
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Imago Dei: Recognizing Divine Dignity and Revitalizing Caritas in the Fight Against Oppression
Full text linkThis paper explores the story of Fainess Lipenga, a resilient survivor of human trafficking. It highlights her journey and its connection to broader social justice themes. Using a theological framework, it examines how ideas of liberation and justice shape our understanding of her resilience. It also emphasizes the role of faith and spirituality in healing for survivors and the need for justice to address the systemic issues behind oppression
Raising Awareness and Taking Practical Actions to Reduce Food Loss and Waste Is Everyone’s Moral Responsibility to Respond to the Cry of the Earth and of the Poor
Full text linkThis paper is a response to the call of Pope Francis as well as the Catholic teaching for global changes to overcome the throwaway culture or culture of waste and care for an integral ecology. The global food system is malfunctioning, leaving large segments of the population undernourished and causing significant environmental damage. Food loss and waste are undoubtedly an ethical issue; however, our awareness of and actions regarding food loss and waste reduction have not been adequate. Therefore, raising awareness and taking practical actions to reduce food loss and waste is everyone’s moral responsibility
The Power of Storytelling in Communication
Full text linkStorytelling is a vital aspect of art and communication. It shapes identity, builds relationships, and conveys complex ideas, engaging audiences emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Scholars recognize the ability of storytelling to capture attention, evoke empathy, and share experiences. Through narratives, whether oral or digital, stories foster connections between storytellers and audiences. Interpersonally, storytelling aids in identity formation and relationship building. Sharing personal stories expresses identity and values while listening fosters empathy by engaging with different perspectives. In intercultural communication, storytelling preserves cultural heritage and promotes empathy. Sharing cultural narratives illuminates community experiences. Digital media revolutionizes storytelling with interactive and multimedia-driven narratives. Social media, blogs, and podcasts enable real-time story sharing. Digital storytelling reaches global audiences, empowers individuals to share stories, and connect across distances
Fish need shelter too! The importance of Mangroves in an aquatic ecosystem
No full textMangrove trees exhibit many adaptations to living in salt water and tend to be found along marine shores. Some of these features include the ability to have their roots constantly submerged in water and stilt roots. Stilt roots are not true roots, instead they grow from the stem to the ground and provide both height and mechanical support in a somewhat fluid soil that the plants grow in. These stilt roots are thought to provide sanctuary for many juvenile fish. During our time on San Salvador Island, Bahamas (March 2025), we hypothesized that there was a relationship between distribution of adult and juvenile and the prevalence of mangrove stilt roots. Based on this hypothesis, we predicted that more juvenile fish would be observed within the roots than adults. Data was collected on Pigeon Tidal Creek. Both red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) and black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) border the creek, with numerous marine fish species residing in these waters. Using 24 randomly appointed sites on the creek shores, we conducted visual surveys of the mangrove trees. We counted and identified both tree and fish species. We did three replicates at each site. Results showed a significantly higher abundance of juvenile (n=827) and larval (n=1239) fish compared to adults (n=30). A chi-square goodness-of-fit test (X^2= 1081.41, p= 1.50 x10^-235) confirmed that these distributions were not due to chance. Size distribution analysis also showed a dominance of smaller fish (0-2 inches), further supported by another chi-square result (X^2= 4583.08, p \u3c 0.0001). A t-test comparing adult and juvenile counts also revealed a significant difference (t= 2.4523, p= 0.0164). Our data results support our hypothesis, and we conclude that mangrove root stilts are important sites that offer structural complexity, food resources, and protection from predators which are key factors for juvenile and larval fish survival
Exercise Physiological Insights into Exercise-Induced Muscle Cramping: Blood Lactate and Creatine Kinase as Biomarkers in College Students
No full textCreatine kinase (CK) is an enzyme that\u27s found in the skeletal muscle, heart muscle and brain. When any of these tissues are damaged, they leak creatine kinase into your bloodstream. Elevated CK levels may indicate muscle injuries, cramping, or disease1. There are different types of CK, which are also known as isozymes for the cytoplasm, CK-MM, CK-MB, and CK-BB. CK-MM focuses on musculoskeletal, CK-MB focuses on heart muscles, and CK-BB focuses on the brain tissue. There are also two isozymes in the mitochondria15. Cramping is common problem amongst runners and can be described as “painful, spasmodic contraction of the skeletal muscle that occurs during or immediately after muscular exercise”4. CK is frequently described as the best indirect marker of damage to muscle tissue, especially after resistance exercise or other exercises that require predominantly eccentric action3. CK has also been associated with muscle cramps2. We want to see the correlation between cramping and CK. CK levels transiently rise after exercise or heavy manual labor. Serum CK levels may increase to as much as 30 times the upper limit of normal within 24 hours of strenuous physical activity, then slowly decline over the next 7 days. The degree of CK elevation depends on the type and duration of exercise, with greater elevation in those who are untrained5. As a runner myself, I am interested in seeing the effects of cramping on the body and hopefully this will help take care of my body for running in the future. If a person exercises and cramps up, then their CK-MM levels should increase because due to the serum levels rising 24 hours post-exercise according to literature
Building Props For She Love Me
No full textThe process of designing and making props. (In this particular case props that were made for she loves me)
Ecological Consequences of Variable Glacial Melting on Arctic Biodiversity: Trophic Shifts and Community Dynamics
Full text linkOur project investigated the profound impacts of increasing glacial melting on various trophic levels, habitats, and other ecological processes