Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI)
St. Olaf students have the opportunity to participate in CURI with frequent projects run through the Kierkegaard Library. Recent research has focused on interdisciplinary projects, the digital humanities, and applications of Kierkegaard’s thought in current times. To view recent projects, see the links below.
For more on upcoming CURI opportunities, visit CURI at St. Olaf College.
Ibsen and Kierkegaard: Norwegian Roots to the Kierkegaard Library
Faculty Advisor: Anna Söderquist
Student: Sophia González
Description: This project explored thematic connections between the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard and the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, while tracing the dramatic history that led the child of Norwegian immigrants Howard V. Hong through his passionate interest in Ibsen to become founder of the Hong Kierkegaard Library at St. Olaf College.
In this interdisciplinary project, Sophia learned to recognize and articulate meaningful questions both in the connected fields of philosophy and literature and in the field of biographical, historical research. Her research methods included reading and interpreting original works by Kierkegaard and Ibsen, investigating the biography of the Hong family, Howard’s education at St. Olaf college (which included the study of Ibsen), and his decision to pursue a translation of Kierkegaard’s complete works from Danish into English (which led to the founding of the Hong Kierkegaard Library). Sophia read deeply, scoured archival materials, conducted personal interviews, and researched the Norwegian inheritance of Ibsen at St. Olaf College.
Sophia gained valuable skills in conducting and disseminating research to various audiences. Her work culminated in several presentation opportunities: at the UCLA National McNair Conference, as well as for the Board of Regents of St. Olaf College, guests at the Kierkegaard Library’s fall banquet, and the Crown Prince of Norway on his campus visit. She also created a visual display, showcased in the Kierkegaard Library. And she completed an article, submitted for publication.
An Online Guide to Kierkegaard’s Copenhagen
Faculty Advisor: Brian Söderquist
Student: Madeline Altman
Description: This project is an interactive webpage that leads the visitor through an online tour of sites in Copenhagen and the greater area of North Sjaelland related to the authorship and biography of Søren Kierkegaard. It provides visitors with a brief background to the biographical significance of the given sites for Kierkegaard and includes, for each site, an introduction to a work from this authorship that is related to the site. Each site also includes a link to a larger section of text from Kierkegaard’s writing for further reading.
Video Creation: Making a Rare Books Collection Come Alive in the Kierkegaard Library
Faculty Advisor: Anna Söderquist
Student: Chloe Revier
Description: This project entails creating and editing a video that showcases the Rare Books Collection in the Kierkegaard Library vault. The central question leading this project is how, in video format, to tell a meaningful story about this collection, using filming of the vault space, interviews, and other images and sounds. The audience for the video spans from Kierkegaard scholars, to students, and a public interested in learning more about Kierkegaard and about rare book collections. The Rare Books Collection consists, among other items, of materials pre-dating 1856 that replicate the personal library of the Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). The project is a collaborative effort with the Kierkegaard Library’s director and assistant director, as well as with the Kierkegaard Library special collections coordinator. Revier will perform research on best practices for creating a story-telling video with content from a special collection; learn to discern and use relevant and compelling content for video storytelling; gain skills in making and editing a video for online sharing; and practice interviewing and information gathering.
Digital Exhibit: From the Archives of the Hong Kierkegaard Library Special Collection “Danica”
- “Between the Lines of Love and Lingering”
- “Discovering Kierkegaard’s Pseudonyms”
- “Kierkegaard’s Philosophy of Music: Sensuous or Spiritual?”
- “Finding Faith in Anxiety”
Students: Vera Sablak, Kiara Fitzpatrick, Ruth Hailey, Elie Kayobe
Existential Prescriptions for Anxiety and Depression
Students: Brennan Brink, Eli Graf, Robert Ireland
Kierkegaard in the Present Age
Students: Anabel Kapelke and Linden Smith