Grandma Clancy\u27s Cootherman Box

As a child I was often fascinated by a small wooden box in which my grandmother kept her costume jewelry. She referred to it as her Cootherman box. It was not until recently that I decided to investigate the possible origin and meaning behind the word cootherman in an effort to understand its significance in relation to that mysterious box of jewelry

Point/Counterpoint: Blanks Fired

The following post is part of a series meant to conduct and spark a friendly philosophical discussion of broadly visible themes. It is not our intent to single out any one group or person, and by no means should the points expressed herein be regarded as any kind of attack on either the reenacting community or academia. [excerpt

Point/Counterpoint: Insidious Cycle

Heather: In our last post, Bryan and I explored the unique challenges that the reenacting hobby poses to the interpretation and public understanding of the American Civil War. In it, we touched on just a few of the many motivations that inspire individuals to reenact. As we continue our Point/Counterpoint series below, we look to explore the relationship of the reenacting hobby with a particularly complex and problematic ideology–the Lost Cause. [excerpt

Point/Counterpoint: Anchoring Historical Memory

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 saw citizens and students of Gettysburg crowd into the Majestic Theater for the fifty-third annual Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture. The audience listened attentively as Dr. Nina Silber, a renowned historian of the American Civil War, explored the nuanced application of the memory of Abraham Lincoln during the 1930s and ‘40s, especially as associated with the figure of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. [excerpt

Do Didymosphenia Geminata Blooms Affect Fishes in the Kootenai River Basin?

Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) is a nuisance algae that can cover entire streambeds under certain environmental conditions. Numerous studies have shown that it changes the composition of stream invertebrates. Fishes in many headwaters are known to feed almost exclusively on invertebrates. Thus, there is concern changes to the amount or type of invertebrates caused by Didymo blooms will impact fishes such as trout, charr, and sculpin. In the Kootenai River basin of Montana and British Columbia, we examined stream invertebrates and fish diets, condition, and growth across 25 streams during the summers of 2018 and 2019. The severity of Didymo blooms in these streams ranged from 0 – 80% coverage of the entire streambed. In 2018, we observed significant shifts in the types of stream invertebrates available to trout in Didymo-affected streams. However, trout diets and growth rate were not affected. In 2019, trout, charr, and sculpin diets in streams with severe Didymo blooms were similar to streams with little to no Didymo. Condition of all three types of fish were unaffected. We therefore conclude that summer Didymo blooms have no obvious impacts on the diet, condition, or growth of these fishes. We suggest further studies document potential impacts during winter months and on sensitive invertebrates such as freshwater mussels

Financial Education in a Children and Youth Savings Account Policy Demonstration: Issues and Options

Financial Education in a Children and Youth Savings Account Policy Demonstration: Issues and Option

Asset Limits for Means-Tested Public Assistance: Considerations for Child Development Account Proponents

If low-income families believe that having savings will jeopardize their public assistance benefits, they are unlikely to participate in Child Development Account (CDA) programs. This policy brief (1) documents the impact of CDA savings on five public assistance programs (Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, LIHEAP, and TANF) and (2) identifies opportunities for policy change at the state level. CDA savings held in agency-owned accounts do not affect public assistance because students and families do not own the savings. Personal deposits held in individually-owned CDAs may affect assistance, but our review shows that they often do not, especially when held in 529 college savings plans. Yet, most states have at least one asset limit, and the perception that assets reduce assistance probably still exists. Thus, an important goal remains to abolish asset limits in means-tested assistance programs

Do Savings and Assets Reduce Need-Based Aid for Dependent Students?

Federal programs such as Pell Grants provide financial aid for college according to need. Although the federal government is the principal source of need-based student aid, almost all states offer assistance. Rules governing student aid designate income as the primary indicator of ability to pay but assets are also considered. This policy brief documents the impact of assets on need-based aid for dependent students under current rules and formulas. The main observation is that savings and assets do not affect need-based aid for most dependent students. When assets count toward the EFC, savings held in 529 plan accounts have less impact on need-based aid than savings held in basic savings accounts