Gender non-conformity in science fiction: interrogating gender as language in The First Sister trilogy

This project seeks to analyze gender through the lens of a language within the First Sister Trilogy. The purpose of this approach is to interrogate the multitude of ways in which gender is performed, experienced, and read, in order to create a consistent and coherent framework with which to articulate the fluid and multifaceted nature of gender. More specifically, it seeks to investigate the ways that science fiction, as well as other forms of speculative fiction, may be used in order to improve reader understanding of gender as a construct, making them more able to grasp and articulate the ways in which gender exists as a fluid and nuanced structure

How propaganda and intersectionality influenced the American Revolution

The overall research question for this thesis is how both propaganda and intersectionality play their respective roles within the American Revolution era in the American colonies. Many historians have brought forward different aspects of this era, ranging from 1763 through 1783, and give others a more well-rounded perspective of this time. Other historians have also discussed some of the propaganda, while others have focused on bringing forward the discussion of the biographies of those involved, specifically Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley and Molly Brant.There was the possibility of not finding the information regarding propaganda and intersectionality playing roles within the American Revolution, and if that had been the case, this would be an entirely different thesis. The research shows that both propaganda and intersectionality played different roles within this era, as primary and secondary sources show the usage of both persuasion through propaganda and the roles that Adams, Wheatley, and Brant found themselves in throughout this time. Both propaganda and intersectionality played roles in decisions that were made as the years continued towards and through the American Revolution. This research is important as it expands the overall knowledge and understanding of the American Revolution era, and how other factors played a role in the outcome of the war

Faculty and Staff Publications Test Submission

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The influence of peak force, rate of force development, and countermovement jump metrics in Division II collegiate football players

Introduction: Sports performance has been a widely discussed subject as the need for athletes to be not only more efficient but safer in their training and testing. While alternative methods for determining athletic performance have been used, the ability to appropriately test the athlete’s peak force (PF) and rate of force development (RFD) can aid with the athlete’s development. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of PF and RFD (early and late) within collegiate level football athletes, and to see if these performance measurements relate to playing time and/or offensive and defensive roles. Additionally, the present study examined the potential relationships between isometric force, RFD, countermovement jump metrics, and strength (bench, squat, power clean) in collegiate football players. Methods: Thirty-eight male collegiate football athletes (mean ± SD: 20.37 ± 1.62 years, height 185.37 ± 5.04 cm, and weight 101.89 ± 20.13 kg) participated in the study. All testing procedures were completed on wireless dual force plates. The first test consisted of three countermovement jumps (CMJ) with hands on hips, fifteen to thirty seconds of rest between attempts. The second part of the testing procedure was the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP). Participants were instructed to pull for three seconds, with three minutes of rest provided between the three attempts. Results: The present study observed significant differences with peak force, and peak force at certain time points of the force time curve, additionally there were differences seen for early RFD when comparing positions (line, big skill, skill). Specifically, line and big skill had greater PF and force at all time points compared to skill players (p = <0.001 – 0.028). Lineman had greater PF compared to big skill (p = 0.020). For rate of force development, differences were only seen for early RFD (RFD 0-50 ms), where big skill had greater RFD50 compared to line and skill (p = 0.006 - 0.029). For the countermovement jump, jump height, average and peak velocity were greater for skill compared to line (p = 0.017 – 0.018), average power was greater for line vs. skill (p = 0.006) and peak power were greater for line and big skill compared to skill (p = <0.001 – 0.025). No differences were seen for any variables when comparing the offense vs. defense (p = 0.244 - 0.954). No differences were observed for any variable when comparing starters vs. non-starters (p = 0.167 – 0.757). No differences were seen for lower vs. upperclassmen (p = 0.490 – 0.995). Significant correlations were seen for strength and all force values (PF – PF250) (r = 0.490 – 0.947). For strength and RFD, RFD200 saw a significant correlation for the power clean (r = 0.348), RFD 250 had a significant correlation for bench press and power clean (r = 0.364 - 0.592). For maximum strength and countermovement jump metrics, significant correlations were observed for the strength with AP and PP (r = 0.695 – 0.769, p = <0.001). There were significant positive correlations for CMJH and the velocity variables (r = 0.877 – 0.998, p = <0.001). No differences were observed for power and CMJH (r = 0.257 – 0.258, p = 0.129 – 0.131). Discussion: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between field tests and one repetition maximum strength for squat, bench press, and power clean. Additionally, another aim of the study was to determine the influence of PF and RFD on performance measurements between starters and non-starters, and offense vs. defense and lower vs. upperclassmen. Determining these aspects can help to further evaluate the athlete and make progressions accordingly. The main findings saw positive correlations with maximal strength values and force development (PF – PF250), correlations of bench press and power clean with RFD200, and RFD250, and positive correlations with strength values and average and peak power from the CMJH. Furthermore, for the IMTP, no differences were observed between playing status (starter vs. non-starter) or position (offense vs. defense), or class (under vs. upper). However, when breaking the groups down into position (line, big skill, skill) lineman and big skill players showed to have higher values of force production compared to skill players. Additionally, big skill players had better early RFD compared to other positions, and skill players possessing greater jump height and velocity compared to lineman

Investigating the Ballistics IQ Triage

Ballistics IQ (BIQ) is one of several instruments used to assist forensic practitioners in making comparisons about cartridge cases along with indicating the possible number of firearms used on scene. BIQ came to fruition in 2019; however, there are very few published articles discussing its triage capabilities or performance at comparing cartridge cases. With that, this study focused on evaluating the performance of the BIQ Crime Scene Analysis (CSA) Triage Report by using three hundred (300) cartridge cases, ten (10) firearms, and six (6) brands of 9mm ammunition. Each firearm was shot thirty (30) times using five (5) shots each of six (6) ammunition brands. This study started off by conducting several tests on the metadata information that users enter when imaging cartridge cases. After evaluating the metadata effects, the CSA Triage algorithm was tested. A CSA Triage report was conducted for all three hundred (300) cartridge cases used throughout this study and the BIQ Triage concluded that all cartridge cases originated from seven (7) firearms; however, the ground truth was that there were ten (10) firearms. This output caused further analysis to take place which resulted in ten (10) additional CSA Triage reports being conducted. Each CSA Triage report contained thirty (30) cartridge cases from each firearm. Interpretation of these CSA Triage reports concluded that the BIQ Triage had difficulty with three (3) firearms (Ruger LC9, Ruger P89, and Springfield XD9) which resulted in another breakdown. Furthermore, it was concluded that the BIQ Triage had difficulty with cartridge cases of Remington and Winchester ammunition. These results indicate that forensic practitioners should use caution when using BIQ to analyze their cartridge cases as the algorithm had difficulty analyzing ten (10) commonly available firearms, as well as two (2) commonly available ammunition brands, meaning the triage algorithm may provide misleading information

Back to the land of exclusion: a history of lesbian separatism, community, and trans marginalization in the United States, 1970s-2020s

Modern feminist and queer scholars often dismiss lesbian separatism as an antiquated,essentialist practice that serves little purpose for feminists today. Due to the exclusionary nature of the movement, it is easy to understand why. Many individuals and organizations associated with lesbian separatism display anti-queer and anti-trans identity tendencies that receive justified criticism from today’s inclusionary perspectives. However, lesbian separatist and feminist communities were prolific in the 1970s and 80s, and they provided crucial space for self- discovery and consciousness-raising. Not only were lesbians creating collectively owned urban businesses, such as coffee shops, bookstores, and record labels, but they also represented a contingent of the back-to-the-land movement, attempting to create rural utopias in places like northwest Arkansas. Those who have written about lesbian separatism often have ties to the movement itself, and they rarely dedicate much analysis to the issues of gender identity within these spaces. Additionally, the scholarly work analyzing this movement does not often extend its analysis beyond the 1980s. Although lesbian separatism was arguably at its height in the 1970s and early 1980s, many organizations and ideologies associated with the movement remained prevalent in the 1990s and 2000s. This period is when we begin to see an increase in discourse about transgender individuals’ roles within the movement. Much of the criticism aimed at lesbian separatists comes from internet users in the form of blogs or social media posts. While some article-length essays that analyze trans-exclusionary practices within lesbian organizations have been written, this thesis will bridge the gap between the scholarly work of authors like Dana R. Shugar, Bonnie J. Morris, and others who have documented the history of lesbian separatism with the more recent developments and critiques of the movement. My work argues that while separatism provided crucial space for lesbian women to better understand their identities and escape societal pressures, issues of race, class, and gender identity caused conflict in many separatist communities that ultimately led to their diminishment in size and scope

Brewing national identity: coffee consumption as a marker of cultural identity

Just as food serves as a conduit for cultural exchange and identity, coffee too, as a culturally-infused substance, reflects the intricate ways in which shared beliefs and social practices shape the meanings we attach to everyday rituals. This project investigates the role of coffee in shaping and expressing national identity across different countries, exploring how individuals use coffee consumption as a means of finding a sense of identity and belonging within their cultural contexts. Coffee, as a culturally charged substance and ritualized practice, functions as a rhetorical tool through which individuals and communities construct, express, and negotiate national identity and belonging--particularly within the context of Jordanian coffee culture, where traditional practices and global influences intersect in meaningful ways