What is your major? What extracurriculars are you involved in?
I’m double majoring in English and Geography. Outside of going to classes, I’m involved in the Geography Club, the CU Honors Journal, and I work as a Peer Advisor for ACE peer advising (geography, environmental studies, environmental design).
What is your honors thesis about? (Include which department you wrote it under, who you worked with (if you want), and a brief summary of the thesis)
I wrote a General Honors thesis about the perpetuation of whiteness, masculinity, and nationalism in the outdoor movement and environmentalism through a case study of Philmont Scout Ranch. I further informed this research with the works of famous environmental writers like Thoreau, Muir, Leopold, and Abbey. My argument is that the outdoor recreation movement, as well as environmentalism as a whole, was rooted in nationalistic and contructed ideas of white racial purity and hegemonic masculinity. Though the movement parades itself as progressive, these themes remain constant today. Philmont Scout Ranch acts as an important aspect of the history and future of the outdoor recreation movement and environmental awareness, through its roots in the Boy Scouts of America.
My primary advisor was Abby Hickcox. Paul Strom (honors), Jennifer Fluri (Geography), and Kelly Hurley (Literature) also served on my defense committee.
Where did the inspiration for this topic come from?
Philmont has been integral to my growth as a leader and as a fan of nature. I worked in the Ranger department for four summers and participated in two treks beforehand.
My summers on the Ranch encompass the vast majority of my most difficult growth periods, my strongest friendships, and my most remembered adventures.
However, Philmont has also made me more aware of how pervasively sexism continues to impact the lives of female outdoor leaders, as well as both participants and educators in the outdoors who aren’t white. I love the Boy Scouts and I love Philmont, so I want both of these organizations to do better.
Why did you want to write an honors thesis?
Many of my friends and I have agreed that beginning the thesis project feels less like you’re choosing to write an honors thesis, and more like the honors thesis decided it was going to be written and that you were going to write it. In other words, I didn’t choose the thesis life; the thesis life chose me.
In all seriousness, Abby encouraged me to pursue a more formal and thorough analysis of the culture of Philmont, which would be the most feasible in the form of a thesis.
What was the research process like?
I started my research earlier than most, as my original plan was to interview the majority of my participants over two summers. In the spring of my sophomore year, I sought and was granted IRB approval. The IRB process wasn’t too bad for me. I specifically requested permission to do “semi-structured interviews” which allowed for variation from the set list of questions, and a more conversational interview process. I did not in fact conduct the majority of my interviews over the summer, however, and the fall of my senior year is when I truly put the pedal to the metal and finished the remaining eight of twelve interviews via FaceTime and Zoom. Nearly all of my interviews were recorded on my phone and coded appropriately. This gave me grandiose illusions of being on NPR as a side effect, which has stuck with me since, and now has factored into my LifePlan™.
What was the biggest challenge writing an honors thesis?
Writer’s Block. Writer’s Block was REAL. I think the scope of the project was so intimidating that I would often come to a starting point on an aspect of it and I would want to just avoid it. So I often did just avoid it. Thankfully, my self-prescribed timeline was ambitious to start, so when I had to continually adjust my timeline, I was still in pretty good shape. I don’t have a lot of advice for avoiding Writer’s Block, but one thing that helped me was taking small bites at a time, and opening up new documents that were separate from the piles and pages of notes that I was working from. This was less terrifying, as I could work without staring at what lies ahead.
What was your experience defending your thesis?
The defense was much less scary than the majority of the process. If you put in the time, effort, and attention to detail that a thesis deserves, then your defense will be relatively smooth. As long as you practice and prepare, and your passion for the project shines through your defense, you’ve done what you can to ensure success. A killer PowerPoint design definitely helps.
What is one piece of advice you would give to students interested in writing an honors thesis?
Just don’t do it. Kidding! Mostly. I definitely recommend picking a topic that you’re passionate about enough to have the stamina to keep going through deadlines and life problems that arise.
Try and pick an idea or a topic that you feel like you could write a whole book about. Write about something that continually makes your blood boil, whatever that means.
Also, ask for help.
Interested in learning more about writing an Honors Thesis? Check out the Honors Thesis Symposium Thursday, April 26 at 5:00 in Hale 211.
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