It’s a project that was deeply personal for Diana Rodriguez, and researching it unearthed memories that weren’t necessarily pleasant to revisit.
But the political science major at the College of Saint Benedict is proud of her work – titled “Surviving Rural Minnesota: Latina Representation in Political Science and Creative Writing.”
And she’s looking forward to getting the chance to share it with others as part of Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day, an annual campus-wide showcase sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholars (OURS) that recognizes and honors “the achievements of students, faculty and staff who have undertaken significant research, scholarship or creative works during (each) academic year.”
This year’s event is scheduled for April 30.
“I grew up in rural Southern Minnesota in a small town called Butterfield in Watonwan County,” said Rodriguez, a junior who will graduate early this May. “There’s a big Latina community there, but we very rarely see anyone who looks like us when it comes to politics and other areas. That causes strains on the community in lots of ways – a lack of first responders able to speak Spanish, difficulties accessing food and educational resources and health care. It really affected the way I grew up.
“So when I started researching numbers on a local, state and national level, (political science professor) Pedro dos Santos suggested I approach it as an autoethnography, which means you work your own experiences and story into the process. You still do research and cite statistics. But you take a more personal view than a lot of capstones, which are usually based solely on qualitative and quantitative research.”
Which meant going back and looking at the challenges and obstacles Rodriguez herself faced growing up.
“I think that made it harder,” she said. “I stalled a lot and I procrastinated. When I really did start digging into my early childhood memories, I found a lot of things there I’d never unpacked. It was almost like I broke a dam and all these memories started flowing back. I talked to my sisters about it and we realized we’d shut off bits and pieces of our childhood because they were honestly too painful.
“But that’s what makes this project so important to me. It’s a chance to present the story of my life and the things that shaped me.”
Rodriguez is looking forward to sharing that story with others.
“That’s what’s nice about a day like this,” she said. “You have a chance to share your work with people who might not see it otherwise.
“What I hope people take away from it ultimately is a sense of hope – that no matter what’s going on in your life you can face it and come out better on the other side.”
SJU senior environmental studies major Adam Novak, meanwhile, was inspired to start his project last summer when he worked for a company that conducted research on chemical treatments in a number of different Minnesota lakes,
His work is entitled “Aquatic Invasive Species Control: Minnesota’s Herbicide Problem.”
“I became really interested in the way invasive species spread and how we use herbicides to manage them,” Novak said. “I found that pretty much all herbicide use, but especially use in stagnant and shallow waters, can be really harmful to native plant species. In many cases, the invasive species weren’t harmed at all but there was substantial native species death.
“It led me to conclude that manual removal is better in almost every way.”
Novak hopes to continue such research as he embarks on his post-graduate career path.
“I’d love to go into some kind of aquatic ecology work,” he said. “Marine ecology is something that’s always been super interesting to me. But after last summer – and now this project – I’d really like to focus my work on aquatic vegetation in lakes and streams.
“Although, long-term, ocean research is really appealing to me as well.”
At the moment, though, he too is excited to share his work on CSC Day.
“We all do a lot of independent research in our classes and it’s nice to have a chance to talk about that work outside our own departments,” he said. “An event like this forces you to tailor your presentation for a general audience, and that’s fantastic training for a future career.”