Originally Posted: May 29, 2020
As a professor at SMU Dallas, I am saddened by mainstream media’s myopic view of pandemic-induced online education.
Whether it be op-eds about students receiving inferior educations in virtual classrooms or stories about parents suing colleges for “not getting their money’s worth,” public discourse lacks an alternative perspective.
My own experience is quite the opposite. I witnessed an increase in student engagement and performance in my admittedly small classes afforded by a private university for my students who were unburdened by medical or socio-economic stress. My experience is not isolated but is echoed anecdotally by numerous colleagues in various parts of the nation. Deprived of non-academic distractions, many of my students became virtually monastic (pun intended). With more attention focused on their schoolwork, their work was more thoughtful, introspective, and contemplative. Deep thinking became the norm rather than the exception.
Consider the iconic Zoom class, which became the symbol of education in the age of coronavirus. The awkwardness of me fumbling with the technology elicited forbearance and support from students who never used to speak up.
In an online class of fewer than 25 students, all of them have front row seats; there is no escaping to the back of the room for anonymity. With college students, it turns out, a healthy measure of surveillance actually works. READ MORE
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 pm, DLSB 110
“That’s Fashionating: The History of Israeli Fashion From the Kibbutz to the City” by Liraz Cohen Mordechai, fashion lecturer and blogger with a Master’s degree in Global Fashion Management from FIT, manager of the NY- Israel Fash&Tech Meetup community, and certified stylist in the fashion industry of NYC. Co-sponsored with Hillel at SMU.
For more information email: jewishstudies@smu.edu.
Sunday Feb. 2, 1:00-5:30, Dallas Hall, McCord Auditorium
7th annual Ladino Day celebration featuring Dr. Rey Romero, U. of Houston lecturing on “The Role of Ladino in Sustaining Sephardic Communities,” Student readings of Sephardic folktales, Film screening and discussion of “Song of the Sephardi” by David Raphael, and Kosher Sephardic Sweets. Free and Open to the Public. READ MORE
Event Date: May 5, 2019
Location: Dallas Hall
Time: 12:30-5:00
A day of learning with mini-courses taught by SMU faculty and a film screening of “My So Called Enemy” and film director talk-back with Lisa Gossels. Spanning seven years, the film follows six Israeli and Palestinian teenage girls committed to justice and mutual understanding after participating in a cross-cultural women’s leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace. Co-sponsored with Perkins School of Theology, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and The Embrey Human Rights Program.
For more information: smu.edu/odju
Event Date: Sunday, Jan. 20
Location: McCord Auditorium
Time: 1:30-4:30 pm
This one-day celebration of Judeo-Spanish culture will feature personal Sephardic stories, an update on Ladino studies, and a concert of Ladino music. Ladino is an historic Jewish language with a geographically diverse distribution that developed a rich cultural heritage since its emergence in medieval Spain. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information contact Shira Lander at jewishstudies@smu.edu.
The Nate and Ann Levine Lecture Series
Mark your calendar:
Thursday, October 25, 2018 7:30 pm
Doron Ben-Atar and Andrew Pessin, co-authors of Campus Anti-Zionism: The University, Free Speech, and BDS
“Israel, BDS, and Campus Life: Complexities of Jewish Identity in the American Academy”
SMU Jewish Studies 2018 Newsletter
Originally Posted: June 25, 2018
This is an excerpt from the 2018 Jewish Studies Newsletter. Read the full newsletter here: SMU Jewish Studies 2018 Newsletter.
Student Spotlight
2018 JEWISH STUDIES MINORS
Rob Shapiro, BA Psychology
A graduate of the San Diego Jewish Academy, Rob elected the minor in Jewish Studies to deepen his already rich knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and religion. He earned distinction in his ma-jor, as recognized by induction into the Psi Chi psychology hon-ors society.
Rob has a passion for wrist-watches, and gained extensive knowledge about premium time pieces while working in sales at Bachendorf’s Jeweler. He plans to attend law school to focus on oil and gas.
Chandler Snipes, BBA Finance
Chandler’s interests range from music to sky-diving. As a senior in high school, he founded the Ruux Music Group, which he grew into a nationally-recognized business during his un-dergraduate career. Despite spending most weekends performing at music festivals around the country, he maintained a rigorous pro-gram of study. Chandler participated in the first SMU-in-Israel experience, where he ex-tended his trip to network with business asso-ciates in Tel Aviv.
Chandler undertook an independent study of Israeli music, tracing its evolution from the pioneer days of European folk music to its international recognition in the annual Euro-vision Song Contest. He will continue his stud-ies at the Cox School of Business in the fall to pursue a Master of Science in Accounting.
