Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Of Seasons Have I Sung, Charlie Leftridge

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This cantata is comprised of seven movements: versus i. the willows (SATB double choir, SSAA antiphonal soli and string quartet); versus ii. we once were (SA and string quartet); versus iii. when at night I see the sky (tenor solo and string quartet); versus iv. of seasons have I sung (unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir); versus v. if you should ask me (soprano solo and string quartet); versus vi. I once was (TB and string quartet); versus vii. in paradisum (SATB double choir, SSAA antiphonal soli and string quartet). The text set to music is the original poetry of the composer. This …

A Performance Guide And Comparison Of Three Works For Flute And Piano By David Maslanka: Duo, Songs Of My Nights, And “...And I Am A Child Before There Are Words...”, Christa K. Krause

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Having written over forty works for wind ensemble, many of which have become part of the standard repertoire, David Maslanka (b. 1943) is known today as one of the leading wind band composers of our time. Maslanka’s compositional output also includes many solo and chamber works for wind and percussion instruments, and several orchestral and choral works. Although Maslanka’s solo and chamber works have become increasingly popular, his three works for flute and piano—Duo (1972), Songs of My Nights (2009), and “…and I am a child before there are words…” (2011), are still relatively unknown to flutists. …

Land And Law In The Age Of Enterprise: A Legal History Of Railroad Land Grants In The Pacific Northwest, 1864–1916, Sean M. Kammer

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Federal land subsidies to railroad corporations comprised an important part of the federal government’s policies towards its western land domain in the middle decades of the nineteenth century. In all, Congress granted over a hundred million acres to railroad corporations to subsidize construction of a transcontinental railway network. Long after the last such grant in 1871, these land grants continued to incite political contests in Congress and state legislatures and legal disputes in communities across the West. By the end of the century, railroad corporations had become manifestations not just of the threatening growth of corporate power in the United …

Beyond Constructing And Capturing: An Aesthetic Analysis Of 1968 Film, Chandler Warren

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study revisits conversations surrounding the global moment of 1968 and the forms of radical filmmaking that occurred during that time. Focusing on the Newsreel collective and the Dziga Vertov Group from the United States and France respectively—groups that utilized very distinct filmmaking methodologies and produced disparate aesthetics—the study argues that traditional leftist film critique must be rethought by acknowledging the revolutionary opportunities afforded to filmmakers through aesthetic elements like voiceovers or intentionally manipulated relationships between image and sound of specific shots. Instead of judging radical films within a spectrum of revolutionary efficacy, the reflexivity afforded to the filmmaker by …

A Deflationary Interpretation Of Locke's Theory Of Ideas, Danielle N. Hampton

Department of Philosophy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation is a defense of a deflationary interpretation of Lockean ideas. The orthodox view is that Locke uses the term ‘idea’ to designate a collection of things that share some philosophically significant characteristic in common. While there is much debate over what this unifying characteristic might be, it is largely agreed upon that there is one, and only one, such characteristic. This is the assumption that I deny. I argue that Locke uses ‘idea’ as an umbrella term to cover several different types of mental items.

In Chapter 1, I look at six non-deflationary interpretations of Locke’s theory of …

The Fable And The Fabulous: The Use Of Traditional Forms In Children's Literature, John Joseph Hill

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To the outside world, Northern California might be trees, granola, hippies, rivers, snowboarders, environmentalists, farming, beaches, diverse wildlife, and wealth. Through a series of loosely interlocking fiction stories, this thesis explores the Northern California below the surface where people work as garbage collectors by day and attend community college by night, where teenage girls scam people in the park for free alcohol, where lovers spend their date night as part of a nude human-chain to protect an old growth redwood from being cut down, and where animal rights activists smoke cigarettes and seek love. Informed by personal experience and a …

The Effects Of Expository Text Structure Instruction On The Reading Outcomes Of 4th And 5th Graders Experiencing Reading Difficulties, Janet J. Bohaty

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a standard protocol supplemental expository text structure intervention (i.e., Structures) on 45 4^th and 5^th graders experiencing reading difficulties. Students were enrolled in six K-8 parochial schools located in a Midwestern suburban city. Within classrooms, students were randomly assigned to Structures intervention or a business-as-usual control condition. Students in the Structures condition were taught to identify and discriminate among the five text structures used by authors of expository text (Meyer, 1975, 1985): description, sequence, cause/effect, compare/contrast, and problem/solution. Students in the business-as-usual control condition participated in the …

Exploring Colonial Identity And A Growing Ecoconsciousness On The Great Plains, Charles Hiebner

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is an exploration of my journey from an unapologetic industrial agriculturalist to a more environmentally sensitive citizen. I now recognize the inescapable relationship between colonialism and environmental issues surrounding water resources on the Great Plains and how these intertwined issues affect both the planet and its inhabitants. Specifically, I look at literature as both the catalyst and sustainer of my still-growing environmental and social consciousness. From important literary works encountered as a youth to the ecocriticism and explorations of social justice of the readings I engage in today, I examine how these literary choices have led me to …

Using Embedded Institutes As Professional Development To Create A Culture Of Writing Excellence, Melanie K. Farber

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The following thesis addresses the problem of creating a culture of writing excellence at a large, urban school. I will show how the Embedded Institute model helped our school to reconsider our professional development model and to create writing leaders across the content areas. The thesis will make the argument for something larger than test scores through qualitative feedback from teacher participants.

Adviser: Robert Brooke

Virtuoso Violinist Maud Powell: Enduring Champion For American Women In Professional Music, Sarah Joy Pizzichemi

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Maud Powell, the first great American virtuoso violinist, sparked a change in the spirit of the advancement of classical music throughout North America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This document addresses gender inequality present in the classical music profession during Powell’s lifetime. It also explores the roles women occupied in the public and private spheres in Western art music of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. More specifically, it investigates the life of virtuoso violinist Maud Powell through her activism and interest in American women in professional music.

The document is divided into three parts. After a …

A Contextually Defined Approach To Appalachian Spring, Stanley V. Kleppinger

Glenn Korff School of Music: Faculty Publications

This essay provides analysis of the first Allegro (“Eden Valley”) and the coda from Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Following Joseph Straus and Arthur Berger, this investigation traces the correspondences of the work’s pitch centers with other pitch components of the music’s surface. The varied musical approaches of the Allegro—functional progressions, polychords, quartal trichords, chains of triads related by half or whole step, and pandiatonic melodies—coalesce to create a multi-faceted movement from centricity on A to centricity on F, while also presenting unique, individual narratives of that procession to F. In Appalachian Spring’s coda, both A and F reappear in …

Half-Light, Kelly A. Stading

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

My work explores concealed emotions such as fear, disgust, rage, resentment and shame. This emotional darkness is the underbelly of life, resulting from situations where people are victims of social pressure, trying to survive with what they have, while trying to achieve social norms. The comfort of a home allows these emotional responses to surface. “Half-Light” focuses on my concealed emotions, bringing them out of the dark to be confronted.

Adviser: Santiago Cal

Constructing Helen Frankenthaler: Redefining A 'Woman' Artist Since 1960, Alexandra P. Alberda

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

This thesis addresses how academics, curators, and art writers in the popular press reviewed Helen Frankenthaler during her major retrospectives of 1960 (The Jewish Museum), 1969 (The Whitney Museum of American Art), and 1989 (The Museum of Modern Art). Included is an examination of how she has been written about after her death in 2012, with analysis of the changes in the language used to critique the artist and her work as influenced by the advent of feminist theory, social history, and gender theory. I examine recent exhibitions on Frankenthaler at the Gagosian Gallery, New York City, and the Albright-Knox …

‘I Am Not Your Justification For Existence:’ Mourning, Fascism, Feminism And The Amputation Of Mothers And Daughters In Atwood, Ziervogel, And Ozick, Mitchell C. Hobza

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the complexities of mother-daughter relationships in twentieth-century women’s literature that includes themes about fascism and totalitarianism. Of central concern is how mothers and daughters are separated, both physically and psychically, in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Meike Ziervogel’s Magda and Cynthia Ozick’s The Shawl. Adrienne Rich’s Of Woman Born provides the theoretical framework for considering maternity and the institution of motherhood. These separations occur through two modes: physical separation by political force; and psychical separation through ideological difference and what Rich terms as “Matrophobia.” The physical separation is analyzed through a synthesis of Rich’s theory …

The Evolution Of The Cello Endpin And Its Effect On Technique And Repertoire, William Braun

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

This document investigates how the concept of a lifting device has evolved into the modern endpin that is a now a standard part of the cello. The endpin has a unique history that, prior to this writing, has not yet been fully documented. The evolution of the endpin has caused significant changes to cello technique, as its use, or lack of, alters the basic posture and setup of the instrument on the cellist’s body. Written and iconographic evidence show that endpins and other lifting devices have been used throughout all eras of the cello’s history. There are many instances when …

Blame Within Reason, Adam R. Thompson

Department of Philosophy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

My dissertation develops a novel response to global skepticism about responsibility—the view that no one is fit to be held responsible for anything. Though P.F. Strawson offered a highly influential account of holding and being responsible, his argument is widely considered to fail as a response to global skepticism. The primary worry is that he only describes our practice of holding responsible but does not justify it. I propose an unorthodox Strawson-style account of holding and being responsible and employ that account to offer an argument against global skepticism which not only describes but also justifies our practice of holding …

The Double Bass As A Solo Voice In Flamenco Music, Jeffery M. Utter

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Flamenco music is an emotional and energetic art form that has developed naturally over centuries by Gypsy people of Spain, primarily in the area known as Andalusia. Historically the music has been solely transmitted aurally and generally not accessible to formally trained musicians. The double bass is a versatile instrument that maintains roles in nearly all genres of music with flamenco being an exception until recently. Even with the contemporary addition of bass to flamenco music, the role of the double bass has been purely accompanimental. This document; through transcription, analysis, and arrangement, presents flamenco music in a way that …

In(Di)Visible Dream: Rhetoric, Myth, And The Road In America, Raymond Blanton

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation takes a rhetorical approach in exploring the mythology of the road in American culture, and in particular the road as an encounter with the other. Specifically, I argue for the road as a mythic archetype, developing an ultimate vocabulary of the road as an Upward/Downward Way in an effort to transcend the dialectical tensions inherent in extant discourse of the road as rebellion. I begin by situating the road as psychagogic rhetoric, a leading of the soul, in Plato’s Phaedrus, to delineate a fixed and reasoned progression of an ultimate order of the road. Then, I extend these …

Suite For The Forgotten, Masayoshi Ishikawa

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

Suite For The Forgotten is an original composition that is dedicated to people who are currently living in Fukushima and its surrounding areas. The piece is comprised of three movements (“I. Grief and Wrath,” “II. Wasururuka,” “III. A Song for Children.”) The tragic Great East Earth Quake and tsunami occurred in Japan March 11, 2011. The disaster not only took thousands people’s lives away but also caused Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown.

Due to high radioactive leakage from the plants, thousands of people had to leave their hometowns. It has been said that some of those areas that have …

Spider In The River: A Comparative Environmental History Of The Impact Of The Cache La Poudre Watershed On Cheyennes And Euro-Americans, 1830–1880, John J. Buchkoski

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is a case study of the Cache la Poudre watershed in Colorado in the mid-nineteenth century and how it contributed to cultural transformations of both Cheyennes and Euro-Americans. This research follows the relationship that developed between Cheyennes and rivers since they inhabited Mille de Lacs in Minnesota in the seventeenth century. It examines the creation of settler-colonialism through the formation of boundaries and colonies in Colorado through the use of rivers. This further illustrates the connectedness of both Euro-Americans and Cheyennes to the rivers and argues that there were battles over these rivers and not only over the …

Between Historical Truth And Story-Telling: The Twentieth-Century Fabrication Of “Artemisia”, Britiany Daugherty

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

This research focuses on the twentieth century rediscovery of the seventeenth-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi by scholars, novelists, playwrights, filmmakers, and artists. I argue that the various authors who told her story constructed two distinct “Artemisias,” what I identify as the “Academic Artemisia” and the “Celebrity Artemisia.” The “Academic Artemisia” results from writings by scholars focused on her 1610 Susanna and the Elders, who used approaches from formalism and connoisseurship, to feminism and iconography. The “Celebrity Artemisia” stems from popular fictions that refashioned the life and art of Artemisia according to pop culture tastes. Studying what has been said about …

Designing An Opera: A Wedding, Victoria Halverson

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis’ purpose is to provide research, photographs and other materials that document the scenic design process of the Glenn Korff School of Music’s opera production titled A Wedding. Included in this thesis are the following: research images used to convey ideas about location, time period, mood, scale, and textures to the director; visual tools used to communicate the scenic design: early sketches, renderings, and photos of the ¼” scale white and color models; a complete set of drafting plates and painter elevations used to communicate the look of each scenic element to the technical director and paint charge; …

Inner Struggle, Hiromi Iyoda

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

My work is about the journey of discovering my identity, confronting my past memories and trying to find where I belong. This is also part of a human process that helps with healing oneself, moving through pain and to ultimately transcend and grow.

The process of art making for me has become a way of finding my own identity. Images that come into my mind and that are made by my hands may seem to have no connection at the beginning, but they all start making sense towards the end, like solving a mystery novel. War was always in my …

Love’S Labor’S Lost: A Scenic Design, David B. Tousley Iii

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis describes the research and production processes of the set design for the play, Love’s Labor’s Lost by William Shakespeare, performed in the Howell Memorial Theatre, from November 13^th through November 23^rd at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska. Love’s Labor’s Lost was directed by Melora Kordos. David Tousley acted as the production’s set designer, Sarah Resch designed the lighting, Katie Davis designed the costumes, Lucas Dunwoody designed the sound, Vicki Halverson acted as the props mistress, and Greg Rishoi was the acting technical director.

This thesis contains the entire …

2014 Journalism Graduate Skills For The Professional Workplace: Expectations From Journalism Professionals And Educators, Bernard R. Mccoy

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

With 2015 graduations approaching, accuracy, ethical principles, and good news judgment were identified as top skills college journalism graduates should possess for the professional workplace, according to a national survey of journalism educators and professionals. There are sharp differences, though, between respondent groups over how well college journalism programs are doing preparing journalism graduates for journalism careers, as well as the perceived importance of social media, mobile, and digital reporting skills. The survey asked journalism professionals and educators to rank skills and experiences journalism graduates need for the professional workplace. Respondents included 665 professional journalism managers, non-managers, and educators. Respondents …

Unity (1918): The Lighting Of A Modern Dark Comedy With Gothic Elements, Steven J. Miller

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

This thesis is a reflection on the research and production process of the lighting design of the play Unity (1918) by Kevin Kerr, performed in the Studio Theatre at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film from October 9 to 11 and October 14 to 19, 2014. The play was directed by Ian Borden with scenic design by Vicki Halverson, costume design by Megan Cudd, lighting design by Steven J. Miller and technical direction provided by A.J. Lowery. This thesis documents the lighting design process including initial meetings, research, conceptualization, paperwork, technical rehearsals, critical response, and production photos.

Adviser: …

Philanthropy And The New England Emigrant Aid Company, 1854–1900, Courtney Elizabeth Buchkoski

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project examines the New England Emigrant Aid Company colonization of Kansas in 1854 as a solution to the growing debate over popular sovereignty and slave labor. It uses the Company as a lens to reinterpret the intellectual history of philanthropy, tracing its roots from Puritan ideas of charity to the capitalistic giving of the nineteenth century.

It argues that the Company’s vision was simultaneously capitalistic and moralistic, for it served both as an imposition of “proper” society upon the West and South, but also had the potential to benefit the donors financially and politically. Using a settler colonial framework, …

John Collier And Mexico In The Shaping Of U.S. Indian Policy: 1934–1945, Wilbert Terry Ahlstedt

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Relations between Mexico and the United States have often been tense and yet they have always been interrelated. In the nineteenth century Mexicans were viewed by their northern neighbors as degenerate racial hybrids. In terms of Native Americans and their relationship to land, Mexico was seen as an example of how not to conduct Indian policy. But during the 1930s, significant numbers of officials within the Roosevelt administration expressed interest in and admiration for Mexican domestic policy, especially in relation to Indian policy. One of the most enthusiastic proponents of Mexico’s federal Indian policy was U.S. Indian Commissioner John Collier. …

Everything Is Not What It Seems Allegory Analysis, Jamie Bautista

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Have you ever woken up from a nightmare, only to find the heart-pounding terror stayed with you long after the dream was over? This was the case in Young Goodman Brown, where a kind-hearted man is exposed to the evil in people. Allegory is a reference to a certain scenario or theme with a hidden meaning.Throughout this story, a great deal of allegory is used to expose the flaws in mankind.

Two Minds - Two Stories, Matthew Vazquez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This is a project about two separate writers from two different eras that have one main thing in common, the conflict. The two short stories show how each writer uses their literary elements to portray a stunning masterpiece. This gets the reader thinking about what type of connection can be made and the relations between them.