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Master's Piano Recital, Yuhua Zhou

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Yu-Hua Chou presented a graduate recital at 6 p.m. on March 22nd , 2004, in Davis Hall at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music. The recital was presented in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree requirements in piano performance. The recital program consisted of pieces by Domenico Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms.

A Look At The Little Rock Nine, Stacey Noble

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The sun beat down on fields of puffy white clouds as glistening backs reaped the new harvest. At the end of the long, grueling day, the people known as slaves returned to their cabins to sleep until the early morning call once again beckoned them to the fields. As the white owners spent their evenings reading books, writing letters, updating the accounts, the people they owned may have sung or told stories, but they did not read. They did not write, and they did not update any accounts. They did not show any sign of education. To be educated and …

The Welsh Language: Cultural Preservation Or A Losing Battle?, Kim Mercer

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Wales, the tiny country that along with Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England makes up the United Kingdom, has always been a land of great contrasts and conflicts. From the rocky northern crags of Snowdonia to the sunny (for Britain) beaches of South Wales, the land itself seems to foster divisions, cultural and political as well as physical. The Welsh are likewise a mixed population, containing major populations of English immigrants and other "foreigners" drawn to the country for job opportunities, political refuge, as well as retirees enthralled with the landscape and change of pace from the rapid urbanization of much …

Trying Not To Flinch: A Collection Of Short Fiction, Jody Lee Goodman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis contains a collection of six works of short fiction. The stories revolve around working-class elements, childhood experiences, and the relationships among men, women, and children.

The Sounds Of Silence : Music Education And Academic Achievement, Donny Brazile

Graduate Research Papers

This research began with the author's firsthand experience with regard to the value of music education. Very few deny the benefits of music education and its connection to academic achievement. In a recent poll administered by the Gallup Organization, 95 percent of Americans believe music to be a cornerstone of a quality education, and over 75 percent of those polled suggested that music education should be mandated by the schools. However, far too many music education programs are being cut, or are in grave danger of being cut, from the curriculum nationwide. Research clearly shows the importance of music education: …

An Investigation Of The Instrument Selection Processes Used By Directors Of Beginning Bands, Dale Edward Bazan

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The goal of a musical instrument selection process is to have an organized, efficient, and effective method that ensures the best match of student and instrument. Research has suggested that a carefully planned instrument selection process aids recruitment and retention by heightening pre-beginning band students' awareness of the band program and musical instruments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing student instrument choices and the instrument selection tests and procedures used by band directors. Also examined were differences in the instrument selection processes between groups determined by: (a) level of teacher education, (b) teacher experience, ( …

A Guide For Standards-Based, Interdisciplinary, Elementary Art Activities For Cultural Institutions, Carolyn L. W. Carpenter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research is to provide a guide for educators in cultural institutions to develop interdisciplinary programs that meet the national education standards, using meaningful objects from their collections and hands-on art experiences for grades K-5. A survey by the Iowa Museum Association (heretofore to be referred to as IMA) provides justification for this research. The survey was presented at the IMA/NMA (Nebraska Museum Association) Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, in October 2002. The survey gives a synopsis of the educational programming and staffing in over 140 cultural institutions of Iowa. The results reveal a number of areas …

Master's Piano Recital, Kirstin Marie Dyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Kirstin Marie Dyer, pianist, presented her graduate piano recital on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 6:00 in the evening in Davis Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This recital was given in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Piano Performance. Ms. Dyer's program included works by Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Barber, and Rachmaninov

Competition And Success In Secondary School Drama Programs: A Comparative Study, Lisa Lenstra-Norman

Graduate Research Papers

Among the participants in secondary school drama programs, indirect competition, with its emphasis on mastery and personal achievement, may promote the development of successful behaviors such as having the ability to perform tasks skillfully, revealing a commitment to setting and reaching high expectations, showing responsibility, possessing self-esteem and caring for others. Therefore the purpose of this study is to determine an answer to the following question: does indirect competition enhance the success of participants in a secondary school drama program? Because one of the two schools studied does not take part in large group or individual speech contests, this study …

Adventures With Kel In Des Moines, Gail E. Hackett

Graduate Research Papers

There are no picture books about the mandated third grade unit in Des Moines that study the capital city's major historic sites. The purpose of this research is to provide a new age-appropriate illustrated informational book to be used with the Des Moines capital city unit. The format will contain photographs of the historical sights that are studied in third grade as well as multicultural locations and events enriching the city's diversity.

The template for this project will be shared with the original developers of the project, 3 third grade teachers involved in teaching the unit, and five students entering …

Gender Assignment To English Words In The Spanish Of Southern Arizona, Elise M. Dubord

Faculty Work

This paper examines the gender assignment of English words in the Spanish of Southern Arizona based on the categories of biological sex, phonological gender, and analogical gender. It is determined that biological sex is the greatest indicator of gender assignment, followed by phonological gender and lastly by analogical gender. There was a small (7.9%) proportion of variation in gender assignment to English words in the corpus that is attributed to a combination of words that are neither phonologically nor socially integrated into the Spanish lexicon and the linguistic insecurity of the participants.

The Formation Of The Bible, Steve Allen

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

How could such a diverse group of books written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 different authors from all walks of life on three different continents and in three different languages be included in one single compilation (McDowell, 4)? Yet, this is what the present day Bible consists of The New Testament and the Old Testament were brought together by different means and at different times, but both have been declared complete and exhaustive by the early church and most people today. So, the main question revolves around how these particular sixty-six books (see chart 5) were …

Isaiah And The Suffering Servant: A Look At Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (Biblical References: English Standard Version), Laura Helmke

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

As I read the book of lsaiah and the prophecy it holds, it gives a certain insight into something much bigger than my own understanding. As an Orthodox Jewish man once spoke about prophecy, Isaiah takes the viewpoint as one looking down from a precipice. It isn't necessarily looking directly into the future; instead, it takes the divine big picture and tries to explain it in human terms. So, when looking through the 66 chapters of Isaiah, I understand why this section of Scripture draws curiosity, debate, and passion.

As a child growing up with the Bible as a common …

Similarities And Differences In Perception And Production Of Diphthong Sounds Among Native Speakers Of Spanish And English, Kelley Wilkinson

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

This thesis studies the similarities and differences between native speakers of the Spanish and English languages in the pronunciation of diphthong sounds, both the speakers' perception of such sounds as well as the actual sound produced. Two methods were used in determining trends and dissimilarities. Participants were asked to identify how many distinct segments they perceived in each of four test words. The results were then calculated and compared to seek common trends between the languages. The second method of determining similarities and differences involved measuring voice samples from the participants with a spectrograph. The end results were that while …

The Transformation Of A Middle School Industrial Shop To A Modular Industrial Technology Lab And Communicating This Transformation To The Local Community, Lynn Figg

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this graduate project was to describe the transformation of a middle school industrial arts shop to a modular industrial technology lab and the subsequent public relations effort to communicate this transformation to the local community. This project facilitated a better understanding of what a modular industrial technology lab is, what it looks like, and how it meets the needs of the industrial technology curriculum.

A PowerPoint presentation was created to explain to the diverse audiences how the change from a traditional industrial arts "shop" class to a modular industrial technology lab at an intermediate school took place, …

Content Analysis Of The Changing Roles Of Female Protagonists In Girls Series Novels Written After The Women's Movement, Tina Kathryn Ristau

Graduate Research Papers

While series novels have been popular for many years, the actual roles of females have changed through time. Series novels written in recent years may not reflect the changes women's roles have undergone. Nancy Drew acted as one of the first female protagonists in girls' series novels and provided an intelligent, independent role model for young girls. Series novels written after the Women's Movement in the 1980s and 1990s may not reflect the changing role of women in society.

While researching this problem a content analysis form was used to evaluate five series novels each, from five different girls series. …

Valley Of The Wave, Alissa Dian Burger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Valley of the Wave is a novella about friendship, loss, and letting go. Anna and Samantha are best friends when Anna commits suicide, and the story follows Sam as she struggles to learn the truth behind her friend's death. This is a project I have been working on for several years, through several forms and formats, and it holds a special place in my heart.

Music That Teaches, Susan L. Carroll

Graduate Research Papers

Not many materials for librarians are available in a participatory form. Most materials are available for presentation. But research has shown that affective learning, which allows students to participate, has had a positive effect on young children learning their basic skills. This research project will be used for participation. The research project used the standards, benchmarks, and objectives found in library curricula for kindergarten through third graders. These standards were the basis of the lyrics to the songs. Music was composed to complement the lyrics and a songbook was designed which included these songs, illustrations, and suggestions for activities to …

Using Young Adult Literature : A Classic Way To Teach English, Matt B. Pries

Graduate Research Papers

Students are reading less, and enjoying reading less. Sticking to the same curriculum year after year in the hope that student attitude will suddenly change, that there will be an awakening in the classroom, and students will read the classics with enthusiasm cannot be done. It is a false hope. But there can be an awakening.

Using young adult literature in the high school English classroom is the solution. It will give new hope to teachers that as students come to enjoy reading, they will be more apt to, not only read more, but eventually come to read the classics. …

Dig Deep: From Down Under, So Shall I Emerge, Lori Ann Dale

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

"Dig Deep: From Down Under So Shall I Emerge" is a celebration of who I am; culturally, spiritually, and historically. This body of ceramic sculptures, inclusive of five connected works, has allowed me to better understand myself, my surroundings, and my purpose in life. Through talking to other African American women my age, I have come to realize we are all dealing with similar feelings of displacement. Some stereotypes rooted in oppression have depicted Black Women as being loud angry and having negative attitudes. So being aware of such stereotypes, in the presence of other cultures many Black Women find …

Waiting For Eve, Claire Elizabeth Davis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The collection of short stories bound here have many threads in common-though they vary in significant ways. The mood of each story is somber, yet poignant. Characters and objects come together to create moments of subtle epiphany, or marry two opposites giving birth to a perspective both new and different. It would seem death, dying, and blood pervade the text when in actuality, the maternal, mothers, and mothering are what signal these stories as a complete collection. There is the mother that wonders if she is still a mother when her children are dead; the teenager who becomes both mother …

Morbidity: Poetry And Prose, Robert P. Hansen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Freudian concept of thanatos, the death instinct, plays a pivotal role in the following collection of fiction and poetry, and also in the nonfictional introductory chapter. In the tradition of Poe, unreliable narrators of questionable morality are used to explore, through fiction, the psychological characteristics of this death instinct, while in the poetry, the subject matter and perspective has been strongly influenced by Ai's work. Each story reflects in some way death, destruction, or criminal activity, and, as might be expected, dead bodies tend to show up in various and sundry places, sometimes where they would be expected, and …

Renting And Other Short Stories, Wade Thomas Geary

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When I ran track in high school, I always ran the 400 meter dash, also known as the quarter mile. This race was the least favorite of the members of the team, as it was considered the hardest race to run. For the most part, people avoided running this race if they could. The sprinters would prefer to the shorter sprints and long distance runners would stick to the mile and two mile races. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by the quarter mile. It seemed to me like it was a combination of the two extremes, uniting the …

An Overview Of A Jazz Recital And Related Pedagogy, Duncan William Bamsey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Master of Music Jazz Pedagogy recital and abstract serve as a capstone to the program's curriculum. The recital provides the student the opportunity to apply and demonstrate his/her knowledge through performance. The recital abstract records the pedagogical approaches, techniques, and resources. This recitalist was required to perform selected compositions on his principle instrument and the following rhythm section instruments: piano, bass guitar, and drum set. The selections performed on the primary instrument, the E-flat alto saxophone, emphasized improvisation in relation to correct style, harmonic accuracy, and time-feel. Performances on the rhythm section instruments demonstrated a functional playing ability and …

Master’S Recital In Piano, Hye Kyoung Jeong

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Hye Kyoung Jeong presented a graduate recital at 6 pm on April 9, 2004, in Davis Hall at the University of Northern Iowa. The recital was presented in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree requirements in piano performance. The recital program consisted of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Threshold, Clifford Lavelle Blodgett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Clifford L. Blodgett mixes the worlds of Psychological Realism, Technology and Humor. His ingenious blend of modern prose and cinematic techniques makes this piece a page turning adventure. With the swagger representing the new generation of authors, Blodgett's first attempt at longer fiction is in one word, riveting. In Threshold a young Midwestern man, obsessed with the new trends of technology, finds a job in New York City. Worlds collide as the man attempts to extract revenge against his now former employer and the greatest figurehead ever, West-Coast rapping sensation C Ryder G.

A Master’S Recital In Cello, Suzanne Bullard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

On February 10, 2004 at 6:00 pm, Suzanne Bullard presented a recital in Davis Hall at the University of Northern Iowa. It was presented in partial fulfillment of the Master of Music degree in performance. The program consisted of J.S. Bach's Suite in C Minor for Solo Cello, BWV 1011, Prokofiev's Sonata in C Major for Cello and Piano, Opus 119, and Dvorak's Concerto in B Minor for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 104. University of Northern Iowa faculty pianist Dr. Robin Guy collaborated in the performances of the works by Prokofiev and Dvorak.

Master's Flute Recital, Kylie Kay Anderson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The graduate flute recital for Kylie Kay Anderson was presented at 6:00 p.m. on April 8, 2004 in Davis Hall at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, University of Northern Iowa. This recital was presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Music degree in flute performance. The repertoire represented a variety of challenging pieces from German Classical to Twentieth Century: 0istein Sommerfeldt's Vårlåter, Op. 44, Olivier Messiaen's Le Merle Nair pour Flute et Piano, Alfredo Casella's Sicilienne et Burlesque, and Ludwig Van Beethoven's Serenade, Op. 25.

Ballast Quarterly Review, V19n1, Autumn 2003, Roy R. Behrens

Ballast Quarterly Review

A journal devoted to wit, the contents of which are intended to be insightful, amusing, or thought provoking.