As the title of the work suggests, Burn brings to mind the qualities, characteristics and properties of fire: its volatile, destructive and unpredictable nature, and its often-overlooked sublime and evanescent states. Although I did not set out to programmatically depict the element in Burn, fire provides a metaphor for the compositional process. My objective was to compose a work that is harmonically and motivically rich, and where colour and character are of absolute importance. In turn, the work is explosive and unrelenting, with contrasting moments of subtler music. The complex and volatile personality of fire takes form right from the dramatic and combustible opening of Burn, through to the kaleidoscopic and mercurial textures of its developmental sections, its slow but catastrophic middle section, and its remorseless ending. And like the prodigiously agile nature of this element, I wanted to write a work that is engaging and virtuosic for its players. Burn is a single-movement work cast in three dramatic sections. The opening, spanning from mm. 1-24, establishes the musical material and sets the tone for the work. The music of the introduction gives way, at m. 25, to a developmental section, where varied forms of the introduction appear as structural delineators: mm. 68-71 to close the first part of the development, mm. 98-106 and mm. 131-136. The outer sections of Burn, mm. 1-136 and mm. 188-291, are fast and furious, colourful and nimble, and are similar to each other in character and content. The contrasting middle section, mm. 137-187, gives way to a different music, one that is slow and intense but shares motivic and harmonic attributes with the outer sections. The music climaxes at the return of the Tempo Primo, mm.166-187, with the defining motif of the outer sections superimposed at its original speed over the broad music of the middle section. Burn closes at the end of the third section with a varied return of the introduction.

As the title of the work suggests, Burn brings to mind the qualities, characteristics and properties of fire: its volatile, destructive and unpredictable nature, and its often-overlooked sublime and evanescent states. Although I did not set out to programmatically depict the element in Burn, fire provides a metaphor for the compositional process. My objective was to compose a work that is harmonically and motivically rich, and where colour and character are of absolute importance. In turn, the work is explosive and unrelenting, with contrasting moments of subtler music. The complex and volatile personality of fire takes form right from the dramatic and combustible opening of Burn, through to the kaleidoscopic and mercurial textures of its developmental sections, its slow but catastrophic middle section, and its remorseless ending. And like the prodigiously agile nature of this element, I wanted to write a work that is engaging and virtuosic for its players. Burn is a single-movement work cast in three dramatic sections. The opening, spanning from mm. 1-24, establishes the musical material and sets the tone for the work. The music of the introduction gives way, at m. 25, to a developmental section, where varied forms of the introduction appear as structural delineators: mm. 68-71 to close the first part of the development, mm. 98-106 and mm. 131-136. The outer sections of Burn, mm. 1-136 and mm. 188-291, are fast and furious, colourful and nimble, and are similar to each other in character and content. The contrasting middle section, mm. 137-187, gives way to a different music, one that is slow and intense but shares motivic and harmonic attributes with the outer sections. The music climaxes at the return of the Tempo Primo, mm.166-187, with the defining motif of the outer sections superimposed at its original speed over the broad music of the middle section. Burn closes at the end of the third section with a varied return of the introduction.

Master of Arts / Department of English / Mohammad I. Rahman / This project is a novel-in-stories that revolves around the misadventures and exploits of Povi McDougal, head diversity consultant for G & K, responsible for the aggressive sensitivity training of new hires in the company's bid to avoid future lawsuits. She is a nervy, disenfranchised, high-functioning alcoholic. When you think Povi, think binaries: she's a big-hearted misanthrope. She is furious yet wistful, edgy yet vulnerable, knowing yet obtuse, gas yet electric, etc. The stories are all narrated by Povi and are voice, language and character-driven. As a series of connected stories, the action is not in service to one primary plotline. There is, however, a narrative drive that treats Povi's dawning realization of and efforts to come to grips with, her personal and ethnic identity, her abandonment issues and self-imposed isolation. Central to these stories is a synthetic folklore. As a child, Povi's father enrolled her in the Indian Princesses youth group at the YMCA in a misguided attempt to help her connect more fully with her Native American heritage. Figuring prominently in the girls' mythology was the tale of Falling Rock, the highly sought Indian princess who wanders into the woods to escape the fray of young braves who seek her hand in marriage. "Legend" has it Falling Rock becomes lost and is never heard from again. The group's participants are told to be on the lookout for her whenever they see a yellow road sign bearing her name. In short, Povi is my Princess Falling Rock. Given her sense of disinheritance, it seems fitting that her folklore is synthetic, invented. Basically, I've gotten her to wander off into the woods for a bit of solitude, and have kept her there for a while, as she tries to find her way back to her tribe – or some such suitable substitute for tribal affiliation, community, love, what have you.

Master of Arts / Department of English / Daniel A. Hoyt / In this project, the opening chapters of a novel, a fifty-foot man falls to the ground in Athens, Ohio. He is pronounced dead at the scene. What begins as a bizarre happening in a small college town soon spirals into an event with global repercussions. The federal government puts together a team of four scientists: Peter, a biologist; Jonathon, an archaeologist; Alexa, a forensic scientist; and Carly, a geneticist. As politicians, the media, and religious figures latch on to the giant man, the scientists try to determine if the body is real. Meanwhile, a religious cult develops in Athens. The cult believes the body is the Judeo-Christian God because it resembles images of God in popular and classic works of art. The giant man came from up in the clouds, has a white, billowing beard, and is old. Cult members tie bandanas around their eyes because they believe humans are not meant to look upon the body of God. The novel is told from a third-person omniscient point of view and shows the far-reaching consequences of such a fantastic event in our contemporary world. The novel delves into the mind of the Pope, a mortician, a lawyer, clergymen, students at Ohio University, the mayor of Athens, and a four-year-old boy, among many others. These characters try to come to terms with what it means to have the unreal and the impossible happen in their ordinary lives.

Master of Science / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Sherry J. Haar / The overarching goals of the project were to acknowledge both traditional and modern aspects of Turkish culture, inform designers and researchers of natural dye and screen printing methods, and advance the developing practices of sustainable design. Mixed methodologies of scientific and practice-based research guided the project. A collection of 25 prints inspired by the Anatolian region of Turkey were screen-printed with thickened natural dyes onto sustainable fibered fabrics. The research of traditional Turkish art and culture led to the inspirational concepts and brought the textile prints to fruition. Understanding the dyeing practices, regional traditions, and political rule of this nation informed the design process and directly influenced the composition and imagery of the designs. The final outcomes were exhibited at the Kansas State University student union art gallery. Research was conducted on the use of natural plant-based dyes madder, weld, and woad for screen-printing by determining the most effective thickener and thickening method. Thickening agents gum tragacanth and gum arabic were tested for fabric hand and the printed natural dyes were tested for colorfastness to light. Gum tragacanth at a ratio of .9875 g agent to 10 ml water emerged as the most smooth and pliable when evaluating fabric hand. Colorfastness to light was as expected for madder and woad with excellent to good fastness. Weld had an unexpectedly low rating indicating further study is needed. The developing practices of sustainable design were advanced as I used sustainable materials (natural dyes, natural gums, naturally fibered fabrics) and methods (hand screenprinting) throughout the project. The information from this project may be valuable to artisans to further develop their natural dye and screen-printing techniques; to researchers to provide a foundation for testing additional thickened dyes; and to industry professionals to modify their practices.

Master of Music / Department of Music, Theatre and Dance / Kurt R. Gartner / The current study is an in depth look of the impact of steel pan ensemble within the college curriculum of the Midwest. The goal of the study is to further understand what perceived impacts steel pan ensemble might have on student learning through the perceptions of both instructors and students. The ensemble's impact on the students’ senses of rhythm, ability to listen and balance in an ensemble, their understanding of voicing and harmony, and appreciation of world music were all investigated through both the perceptions of the students as well as the instructors. Other areas investigated were the role of the instructor to determine how their teaching methods and topics covered impacted the students' opinion of the ensemble. This includes, but is not limited to, time spent teaching improvisation, rote teaching versus Western notation, and adding historical context by teaching the students the history of the ensemble. The Midwest region was chosen both for its high density of collegiate steel pan ensembles as well as its encompassing of some of the oldest pan ensembles in the U.S. The study used an explanatory mixed methodology employing two surveys, a student version and an instructor version, distributed to the collegiate steel pan ensembles of the Midwest via the internet. The researcher intends for the current data to serve the music community in several ways: first, by determining exactly what the students and instructors value about the ensemble, we will better understand how an instrument created less than a century ago was able to infiltrate music programs all over the world. Second, giving instructors insight on the students' perspectives will also enable them to create a more effective and enjoyable curriculum. And lastly, with this information, instructors and program supervisors will be better suited to determine just how large of a role the ensemble should play in their students' education.

This thesis is divided into three texts. The first is a compendium, which situates the major themes of the second text (a fictitious novel) into a scholarly context and delves into the broader academic questions that arise from it regarding the treatment and care of people with special needs. Those themes are put into a context that enables special education teachers to expand thier notions about communicating with and understanding their autistic and special needs students. It not only examines my own autobiographical connection to the novel (by the fact that I have a sister with a combination of Down Syndrome and autism) but also extends the themes into a broader context, and looks at typical expectations in families with mentally handicapped members and the various methods and approaches of communicating with them. The third text elaborates on specific aspects of these themes in an endnote format.

This thesis is divided into three texts. The first is a compendium, which situates the major themes of the second text (a fictitious novel) into a scholarly context and delves into the broader academic questions that arise from it regarding the treatment and care of people with special needs. Those themes are put into a context that enables special education teachers to expand thier notions about communicating with and understanding their autistic and special needs students. It not only examines my own autobiographical connection to the novel (by the fact that I have a sister with a combination of Down Syndrome and autism) but also extends the themes into a broader context, and looks at typical expectations in families with mentally handicapped members and the various methods and approaches of communicating with them. The third text elaborates on specific aspects of these themes in an endnote format.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Robert W. Meeds / This report is based on an exhibition of 37 photographs at the Kemper Gallery in the Student Union of Kansas State University. All photographs presented here and in the exhibit were created during the past 28 years of my career. Hence the exhibit is a mid-career retrospective. My photojournalism experience is very unique in that I am the only photojournalist in the world who has worked as a presidential photographer, published photo essays in National Geographic Magazine as a freelancer, and been on the staff of a large metro newspaper. The photographs chosen for the exhibit were highlighted by, but not limited to, assignments from those three experiences. This report mirrors the exhibit except for a few additional photographs that, because of space limitations, didn’t make it into the final edit for the exhibit. There are three sections: Moments from Kansas to Papua New Guinea, The Presidency, and After 9/11. The “moments” section presents a wide variety of photographs from a wide variety of assignments. The “presidency” section focuses on my tenure as Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, and also includes photographs of the Reagan funeral, other presidents, and a possible future president. “After 9/11” begins at the Pentagon on 9/12, and then follows the course of events in Afghanistan during the following weeks. Extensive captions accompany most of the photographs. The captions are written in the third person which is customary for gallery exhibitions. More than the who, what, where and when, they provide some additional context and are intended to inform both the journalism student and the layperson.

Artwork / Streetlives is a community-based, arts-informed, research project which addresses harm reduction amongst street youth in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Nine street-involved participant researchers (supported by a team of researchers and community organizations) used art making and storytelling as ways of understanding the risks specific to street-involved youth in Thunder Bay. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the participant researcher group and a majority of Aboriginal research participants, a novel approach was used to create principles of research collaboration, in pursuit of the principles of ownership, control, access and possession for ethical research with Aboriginal peoples. The participant researchers found that their most common experience was their vulnerability to governmental social services and law enforcement personnel and policies. They further agreed that the risk of losing their children to child protection services is a source of increased vulnerability and a barrier to accessing treatment. They all agreed that the process of art making was fruitful and were surprised by the clarity and evocative nature of their artwork, finding that meeting weekly to do art is gratifying and therapeutic. They were interested to discover that the art they created, just by telling their stories, contained strong prevention messages they would have been influenced by as younger people. As such the participants want to continue making art, and showing their work, particularly to young people, social service providers, and law enforcement officers, who they think are in the best position to learn from it. This project is building capacity in the community (by teaching artmaking, group work, organizing, critical thinking, and presentation skills), is contributing to scholarship, and significantly and positively impacting the lives of the participant researchers. This work is represented in traditional academic prose and as collaborative fiction.