Et cetera : Kelsey Kankelfitz Presents at Buena Vista University's Scholars Day

Buena Vista University's (BVU) eleventh annual Scholars Day was held Friday, April 24. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best presentations, original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.

This year's Scholars Day event featured 43 presentations from 86 students, exploring topics from art and business to science and history.

Kelsey Kankelfitz, a senior athletic training major from Atkins, was one of the students who participated. Kankelfitz's presentation was titled The Effects of Kinesio Tape on Ankle Postural Stability and Balance Faculty, and the project's abstract is as follows:

The purpose of this project is to test the effects of Kinesio tape on balance of the ankle before and after exercise. The significance of this project is to determine the use of Kinesio tape as a prevention tool in order to reduce the rate of ankle sprains during activity. The participants in this study included 17 collegiate athletes. Each participant completed two testing sessions. Each one consisting of the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), 20 minutes of continuous exercise, and then completing the BESS once more. This procedure is completed with Kinesio tape, and without the use of Kinesio tape. The results showed an increase in errors in the non-taped group after activity (compared to the taped group (No tape = 29.71 errors ±7.06; Tape 19.82 errors ±7.60). When examining only the participants who got higher scores from before to after activity, the non-taped group had an increase in errors of 8.25 errors (sd = ±4.96), and the taped group had an increase in errors of 4.11 errors (sd = ±1.90). The lower the error scores, the better their balance. In conclusion, Kinesio taping does show to have a beneficial effect of ankle stability and balance after exercise.

The keynote speaker for the event was Jeff Anderson, Class of 2003, who is the executive director of communications for the Minnesota Vikings. Anderson is entering his thirteenth season with the Vikings and plays a lead role in the organization's external and strategic communications.

"For some Scholars Day is the culmination of their work at BVU, and for others it becomes the springboard that sends them into a field they had not previously anticipated," said Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish and chair of the events committee who organized the event. "Either way, those who participate find in it a valuable growing experience and a strong sense of accomplishment."

Photos from this year's and previous Scholars Day events, along with a video from this year's event, are available online at www.bvu.edu/scholarsday.

About Buena Vista University Founded in 1891, Buena Vista University offers 43 majors and 15 pre-professional programs that blend liberal arts with real-world applications, preparing students for lifelong success. Its quality academic programs, faculty, facilities, and technology result in 94 percent of BVU's recent graduates being employed or enrolled in graduate/professional schools within six months of graduation, based on a 97 percent survey response rate. Generous merit and need-based financial aid programs, and support for academic travel, research, and internships, make BVU an affordable option for all students and, combined with its academic programs, has led U.S. News & World Report to rank BVU as the third best value school among Midwest Regional Colleges and to an A stable rating from Standard & Poor's. Visit www.bvu.edu.