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“Mimicking Straights”: the Legacy of Conservatism in Homophile Activism, 1950-60s
Get PDFIn this thesis I explore historical misconceptions about the homophile movement that was active during the sixties and 1950s. Scholarly narratives have borrowed Gay Liberation’s perspective that narrowly defined homophiles as conservative, respectable, and tied to gendered roles. This representation only reflects the ideas of leadership, rather than the membership. Homophiles were a highly diverse group of people, both intellectually and demographically. Assumptions about their politics and practices began in straight society but did come to be repeated by their critics. In truth, homophiles included radicals and conservatives and their publications served as the stage on which to debate the fine details of their methods. Marriage was a common example of homophiles’ tendency to import oppressive gender roles into their relationships, but this is founded on a pervasive heteronormative myth, rather than reflecting practice. Instead, homophiles were more likely to become involved in long term relationships than their peers, but those relationships were informal, private, and did not feature a ceremony or other traditional performances. The later years of homophile activism, 1960 to 1969, was characterized by a shift in the publicity of militant politics, but not the emergence of those politics. Frank Kameny’s Washington Mattachine Society was one of the first homophile organizations to push for a radical approach at the leadership level, but much of their politics matched the homophile platform to that point. This is counter to the argument presented by the oversimplified historical narrative, which held that East Coast militancy presented a break in tradition for the movement. Instead, it existed as an iteration of the homophile practice of extensive internal debate. The incremental decline of homophile relevance in the late 1960s and immediately following the Stonewall Riots of 1969 signaled the beginning of a different era of politics. To establish their new movement, early writers like Wittman used the political memory of the homophiles to define their bounds. That is where this account ends, as the relationship between homophile politics and Gay Liberation’s politics is a subject too extensive to be fully covered here. I suggest that future research can resolve some of these enduring questions and further explore the rich intellectual culture of the homophiles
The Effects of Daily Beef Consumption on Sleep, Mood, and Wellbeing in Postmenopausal Women
Get PDFMenopause is often accompanied by changes in sleep, mood, and overall well-being, partly due to hormonal shifts and loss of muscle mass. Protein intake, especially from nutrient-rich sources like beef, may help address these changes, but research in postmenopausal women remains limited. This study explored how daily beef consumption, as part of a higher-protein diet, affected sleep quality, mood, and well-being over eight weeks. Ten active postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a control group (meeting standard protein recommendations) or a treatment group consuming twice that amount, including one serving of lean beef per day. Sleep was measured using both the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and wrist actigraphy, while mood and well-being were assessed through the POMS and SF-36 questionnaires. The beef group reported significantly better subjective sleep quality by the end of the study (p = 0.040), though no meaningful changes were observed in objective sleep data, mood, or quality of life scores. These early findings suggest that higher protein intake from beef may help improve how postmenopausal women perceive their sleep, though more research is needed to understand the broader effects
Introduction to Building Energy Modeling and Analysis using EnergyPlus
Get PDFRetail stores are dynamic environments where human activities significantly influence energy consumption patterns, particularly affecting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) demands. Existing energy models, such as those developed using EnergyPlus, often rely on generalized assumptions about human occupancy and behavior, leading to discrepancies between predicted and actual energy usage. This research aimed to enhance the accuracy of energy modeling for retail stores by conducting a sensitivity analysis of occupancy using EnergyPlus simulations. The study investigated how variations in occupancy levels impact HVAC loads, cooling and heating demands, and overall energy use. Results showed that increasing occupancy leads to higher internal heat gains, which elevated annual cooling electricity demand by approximately 11.4% and fan energy electricity demand by 12.7%. Higher occupancy also necessitated increased outdoor air intake, resulting in greater heating penalties during winter months, with natural gas consumption for heating increasing by about 2.3%. These heating penalties indicated that the potential wintertime energy savings from occupant-generated heat gains are offset in the mixed-humid climate studied. By varying occupancy-related parameters, the research identified the impact that occupancy has on retail store building energy use. Overall, the study provides insights into the effects of occupancy in retail environments and supports the development of more reliable, energy-efficient management practices for large commercial spaces
The Straining Effect of House v NCAA on College Athletics Departments
Get PDFThis thesis examines the implications of the House v. NCAA ruling on collegiate athletic departments, particularly in light of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation and the NCAA\u27s new revenue-sharing model. Through analysis of programs like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Auburn, this research reveals how schools are attempting to rethink revenue strategies, leveraging corporate partnerships, subscription models, and donor collectives to remain competitive. It also highlights disparities between Power 4 programs and smaller Division I schools, raising concerns over widening resource gaps, Title IX compliance, and roster reductions. Ultimately, this study concludes that while NIL reforms address athlete equity, they also create significant financial strain and ethical tensions, forcing universities to reevaluate the sustainability and mission of collegiate athletics in a newly commercialized environment
Balancing Tradition and Tourism: Crafting an Effective Marketing Strategy for Belize\u27s National Parks
Get PDFThis thesis reflects on a summer internship in the small town of Dangriga, Belize. The author interned at Mayflower Bocawina National Park, a role made possible through Dr. Amy Farmer and Mr. Steve Darr. While tourism plays a significant role in Belize’s economic development, communities like Dangriga remain underdeveloped in their tourism strategies. The author and her partner collaborated to design a targeted marketing plan for Mayflower Bocawina National Park, aimed at increasing visitor engagement and boosting local tourism revenue
Comparative Analysis of the Community Reinvestment Act and the B Impact Assessment
Get PDFThis thesis presents a comparative analysis of the Community Reinvestment (CRA) and the B Corp Certification through the B-Impact Assessment (BIA). The CRA was enacted in 1977 and is a mandatory regulatory measure aimed at addressing discriminatory lending practices and encouraging equitable credit distribution in underserved communities. In contrast, the BIA is a voluntary assessment developed by the nonprofit B Lab to evaluate a company’s social, environmental and governance practices, which lead to B Corp Certification. This analysis explores the historical background, mission, methodology, success metrics and financial costs associated with each framework. Ultimately, this thesis highlights how both models, despite their differences in origin and application, contribute meaningfully to fostering responsible corporate behavior and community development
Prosecuting the Material Support of Terrorism in the Post-9/11 Era
Get PDFBefore the attacks of September 11th, material support of terrorism using the 18 U.S.C § 2339B statute was hardly investigated and prosecuted. In the years following 9/11, however, the government began to charge and prosecute material support offenders at an increasing rate. Structural-contextual theory is used to explain this phenomenon by analyzing how the government utilized tightened coupling to expand what they looked for and charged under 18 U.S.C § 2339B. The current study furthers past literature by analyzing 2339B offender demographics, case outcomes, counts outcomes, conviction rates, and the length of sentences. The findings solve discrepancies in past literature regarding sentence length and the use of the statute in federal courts before 9/11. The results demonstrate that defendant\u27s demographics vary in 2339B cases. Additionally, the findings show that case outcomes and average sentence length can be predicted after 9/11. Conviction rates under the 18 U.S.C § 2339B material support statute can be expected to increase after 2001. Ultimately, it is found that the widening of what the government was investigating and prosecuting as material support affected conviction outcomes, sentence lengths, and count outcomes. These findings suggest that future research should analyze the effects that terrorist group category and the type of material support provided have on outcome variables