4,011 research outputs found
Ruth Demissie Interview
No full textRuth Demissie (Class of 2021) was interviewed by Ruchi Ranganathan in the Norwick Center for Digital Solutions on April 4, 2023. Ms. Demissie was born in Ethiopia where she lived until her family moved to the United States when she was six. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 10 which shaped her ambition to become a doctor. She earned her associate's degree concurrently with her high school diploma at Richland Collegiate High School in Dallas. She began her career at SMU in the Cox School of Business, but ultimately graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Science in Health and Society. While at SMU, she worked as a Resident Assistant, served on the Human Rights Council, and was an ambassador for RLSH. She was a McNair Scholar, and discussed her experiences in an Engaged Learning Fellowship conducting diabetes research in Ethiopia. She discussed becoming desensitized to being the only Black person in her classes and noticing an influx of students of color during her final semester. Since graduating, she has taken a gap year to travel and apply for graduate programs to pursue a Master's in Public Health. She hopes to go to medical school following her master's program
Reading Ruth : towards a postmodernist, literary and womanist analysis
No full textBibliography: leaves 132-140.This dissertation examines the book of Ruth from a postmodemist, literary and womanist perspective. The main methodology is postmodemist literary criticism, but it employs intertextual and autobiographical approaches as well. Chapter 1 is an exploration of the plot of Ruth and reveals that in order for the end goal of the plot to be achieved "emptiness has to return to fullness." It is shown that Ruth's action (her decision to return with Naomi) is the catalyst that begins the process that ultimately leads to the denouement of the plot. The fact that it is the two women, Ruth and Naomi, who drive the plot forward, indicates that the Book of Ruth is a woman's story. Chapter 2 demonstrates that the significance of narrative time for any literary analysis lies in the fact that the amount of time allowed for the retelling of the events rarely corresponds to the time it took for the events to happen. Since Ruth is a short story, the choice of what to tell, what to omit as well as how long to dwell on details are indeed significant. In other words it is shown that literary time is only spent on those aspects which are crucial for the advancement of the narrative. Since the reader's main goal is to see how the conflicts are resolved, the literary time spent on the resolution of the conflicts is an indication of where the weight of the story needs to lie. In this case, it is certainly with Ruth and Naomi judging from the amount of time spent on dialogues between the two women. They are therefore the ones that contribute to the resolution of the conflicts of the plot. Chapter 3 reveals that in the book of Ruth the narrative voice or the perspective of attitudes, conceptions and worldview are those of a woman. The fact that the book of Ruth is named after a woman; the fact that at the very outset all the males in the story die and it is the women that take over the narrative; the fact that in the end the women of Bethlehem declare that Ruth is better to Naomi than seven sons are just some of the reasons that substantiate the argument that the narrative voice in the book of Ruth was that of a woman. It is also shown that this narrative voice (whether overt or covert) subverts gender and ethnic expectations. Chapter 4 outlines the way in which biblical characters are portrayed. The subsections of chapter 4 deal with the characterisation of each major character: Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth. Chapter 4 is the longest chapter since it is difficult to evaluate characterisation without engaging the other facets of literary criticism as well, such as plot and dialogue
Audrey Ngo Interview
No full textAudrey Ngo (Class of 2020) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on June 8, 2020. Ms. Ngo was born and raised in the DFW area and triple majored in Public Policy, Health and Society, and French. She grew up speaking English, French, and Vietnamese, which framed her understanding of culture and its role in personal and academic growth. She was involved on campus as the Diversity Chair in Student Senate, SMU Democrats, SMU Debate and served as the president of her sorority, Sigma Lambda Gamma. In this interview, Ms. Ngo discusses her experience as an Asian American queer woman on campus and the journey of discovering her passions, creating safe spaces, and building relevant friendships. Ms. Ngo intends to complete a master's in Public Health and attend law school to pursue bioethics and health insurance policy
Trina Sriram Interview
No full textTrina Sriram (Class of 2019) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on June 12, 2020. She describes her happy upbringing, growing up in Milwaukee as well as Plano, TX. Ms. Sriram majored in Electrical Engineering and Spanish and began working at Accenture on Cloud-based data. Ms. Sriram explained her interest in literature, human rights, and technology engineering and how she found ways to bridge these areas of study to achieve her goals. She discussed her positive experiences at SMU, including building relationships with faculty, students, and alumni; enjoying the beauty of the campus and the excitement of being in Dallas; participating in numerous student organizations; taking advantage of myriad experiences available through the university; and making many friends from diverse backgrounds. At the time of the interview, Ms. Sriram was continuing her education at SMU through the Master of Liberal Studies graduate program that allows her to intersect many of her interests with applicable knowledge
Damon Hurst Interview
No full textDamon Hurst (Class of 2007) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on July 16, 2020. During his interview, Mr. Hurst discusses his childhood growing up in a close-knit neighborhood in Waco, Texas and playing sports throughout middle and high school. Mr. Hurst completed his first two years playing football at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas, so that he could ultimately fulfill his goal of playing Division One football. During his time at SMU, Mr. Hurst majored in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. He also played on the football team and discusses how his discipline and commitment to athletics had a positive impact on his academics. In this interview, Mr. Hurst discusses his experiences as a Black student athlete at SMU. At the time of the interview, Mr. Hurst was working in the finance industry
Mario Gonzalez Interview
No full textMario Gonzalez (M.B.A. 2020) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on June 26, 2020. The son of immigrants, Mr. Gonzalez grew up in Michigan before coming to Dallas and completing his high school at Townview. He went on to Rice University and received a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, after which he worked for six years before coming to SMU to pursue his MBA in Finance. In this interview, he discusses his experiences within the MBA program, including his participating in the the global leadership program, which allowed him to visit Tokyo. He discusses representation in the MBA program and the differences he perceived between his undergraduate experience at Rice vs. his graduate experience at SMU. At the time of the interview, Mr. Gonzalez was looking for a career associated with his graduate degree
Sydney Clark Interview
No full textSydney Clark (Class of 2018) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via Zoom, an internet-based video conferencing software on November 6, 2020. A first-generation graduate, Ms. Clark double-majored in English and Anthropology. In this interview, she discusses her experience of being in Mustang Band as a Black woman and the set of challenges she faced with racism and racial tensions from her classmates, director, and some members of the SMU community. She also describes the importance of having Black professors and mentors on campus, and her experience navigating SMU with their help. At the time of the interview, Ms. Clark was working as an associate director for a disability rights organization in New Orleans, Louisiana
Laurence Lundy Interview
No full textLaurence Lundy (Class of 2020) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via Zoom, the internet-based video conferencing software on February 8, 2021. While at SMU, Mr. Lundy majored in History. He was also involved in Black Lives Matter SMU, where he helped organize protests and advocated for Black students through Black at SMU. Laurence also served as a research assistant for the Voices of SMU oral history project. In this interview, he discusses the Black community at SMU, the personal struggles he faced as a Black student, and shared his thoughts on SMU's administration. Mr. Lundy also described how the journalism department assumed the Daily Campus' operations, causing the newspaper to change. At the time of the interview, Mr. Lundy was applying to law school in hopes of pursuing civic law
Reverend Todd Atkins Interview
No full textRev. Todd Atkins (M.T.S. 2007) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on July 3, 2020. Rev. Atkins earned a bachelor's degree from Dallas Baptist University (DBU) before earning a Master of Theological Studies at Perkins School of Theology. In this interview, Rev. Atkins discusses his experiences studying within predominantly white institutions (PWIs) that hold different theological perspectives and the ways in which this exposure personally impacted him. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of understanding the various schools of thought regarding Christian doctrine. Rev. Atkins graduated from SMU in 2007 and, at the time of the interview, was the pastor for the Salem Institutional Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
Wallace Wyatt Interview
No full textWallace Wyatt III (M.Div. 2020) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on August 5, 2020. Wallace Wyatt was born and raised in Orlando, Florida and, at the time of the interview, was completing his master's degree at the Perkins School of Theology. In this interview, Mr. Wyatt discusses his experiences of what led him to pursue seminary at Perkins, the challenges he overcame, and the opportunities presented to him. Mr. Wyatt also describes his experience at SMU regarding administrators, professors, and the treatment among peers. He recently authored a book called He's Worth The Weight, an autobiographical text that tells the story of his upbringing and the lessons learned through it
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