News from Gustavus Adolphus College
Office of Public Relations ~ 800 W. College Ave. ~ St. Peter, MN 56082-1498
News Director Stacia Senne ~ (507) 933-7510 ~ ssenne@gustavus.edu
Gustavus Professor Discusses
the Mailbox Pipe Bomber
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Karen Larson
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ST. PETER, Minn. (May 8, 2002) – Karen Larson, a cultural anthropologist and Gustavus Adolphus College professor, is available to discuss the "mailbox pipe bomber." Larson has expertise in domestic terrorism as well as violence and mental health in America, the criminal justice system, and social issues.
A Professor of Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Larson has studied and published works on Timothy McVeigh, Theodore Kaczynski, and the Sept. 11 attacks. She is currently teaching a "Terrorism" class and writing a book on terrorism, violence, contemporary American culture, and mental health in America. Larson has been a professor at Gustavus since 1977.
To overcome domestic terrorism and violence, Larson says we must realize that it is caused by internal angst and become more proactive socially. She suggests that we start with baby steps by affecting those people who are closest to us and by watching for signs that a person is hurting, which may be hidden behind a brash exterior. "To create a healthier environment we must be more social and less inward," she said. "We need more face-to-face time and less screen time (television and computer)."
Members of the press may arrange interviews with Larson or obtain more information by contacting Gustavus News Director Stacia Senne.
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minn., that prepares 2,500 undergraduates for lives of leadership, service, and lifelong learning. The oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota, Gustavus was founded in 1862 by Swedish immigrants and named for Swedish King Gustav II Adolf. At Gustavus, students receive personal attention in small-sized classes and engage in collaborative research with their professors. Fully accredited and known for its strong science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs, Gustavus hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is internationally recognized for its annual Nobel Conference.