04/13/11 kb

HAYS, Kan. -- Six seniors seeking degrees in philosophy at Fort Hays State University will present their senior theses in the Hays Public Library Gallery, two on April 20, two more on April 21 and the final two on April 26.

Chris Rohr, Colby, will present "Should Tainted Evidence Be Admissible as Evidence? A Defense of the Exclusionary Rule" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 20. Rohr earned a B.A. in political science in the spring 2010 semester and is completing his B.A. in philosophy this spring.

Mitchell Sahlfeld, Beloit, will follow at 5 p.m. with "Meaningful Experiences: A Dewey-Inspired Account of Personal Growth."

On Thursday, April 21, Jean Meckenstock, Hays, will present "Art, Creativity, and the Absurd" at 4 p.m. Meckenstock earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design in the fall 2010 semester and is completing his B.A. in philosophy this spring.

At 5 p.m., Cassy Vopat, Plainville, will present "What is True Religion? Lessons from Hume." She is majoring in political science and philosophy.

David Cross, Abilene, will be the first presenter, at 4 p.m., on Tuesday, April 26, with "Can Functionalism Account for Human Feelings: The Problem of Qualia." He is majoring in philosophy and English.

At 5, Timothy Northrup, a graduate of Abilene High School, Abilene, whose permanent residence is now in Phoenix, Ariz., will present "The Human Response to Natural Beauty as a Reason for its Preservation." Northrup is a double-major in history and philosophy.

The senior philosophy thesis, required for the Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, is a major paper in the 30-page range, the product of a three-credit-hour thesis course spent working with the thesis advisor on a topic pre-determined by the student and the advisor.