The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

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Campus Profiles

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SMU student reporters spread across campus recently asking students, faculty, staff and administrators what inspires them. Answers ranged from family members to movies, books to plays. Each revealed how one person, place or thing can make an impact on an individual’s life and that lessons are learned even in the most unassuming places.

A collection of their responses is below.


Carol Dickson-Carr by Trevor Cadigan

Carol Dickson-Carr, an SMU economics professor, looks at the positive side of life according to many of her students. That may be because Oprah Winfrey, the person who most inspires her, does the same. Carr said the talk show host and entrepreneur, who had a tough life as a child, taught her to dream big, believe in herself, and not let people tell her she can’t do something.

“I’m always on a constant learning journey,” Carr said. “You accomplish a dream and move onto the next one.”


Vanessa Marsden by CarleeAnn Allen

Vanessa Marsden, a junior at Southern Methodist University, claims that her inspiration and values were instilled early in life by her parents. Marsden is in an art history class this semester and, like many of us, is sometimes confused by the abstract thoughts in the lectures. She keeps her parents voice in her head when she feels discouraged.

“If you put the work into it, you can achieve anything,” she said.


Nick Perez by Christina Cox

Nick Perez spends his Wednesday afternoons like most students: behind a desk. But, his desk is different than most.

Instead of sitting in a classroom or lecture hall, Perez works as a box office attendant at the Meadows Museum where he is surrounded by paintings and drawings; however, it is cinematic art that truly inspires him.

A favorite of his is “Almost Famous,” a movie from 2000 that sparked his interest in film almost six years ago.

“Ever since then I’ve become a film buff,” he said. “I just developed an appreciation for the art form.”


Rick Halperin by Taylor Hardy

Rick Halperin, the director of SMU’s Embrey Human Rights Program, dedicates his life to fighting for the rights of others. From a young age, his mother instilled in him the importance of showing love, respect, and kindness to everyone, regardless of who they are or what they may have done.

Halperin said he has tried to remain true to his mother’s teachings, and uses her guidelines to shape the Embrey Program as well as his own life.

“Always try to help others, to do good, and to make the world around you better at all times,” he said.


Karen L. Click by Cassandra Mlynarek

Karen L. Click, the director of The Women’s and LGBT Center, is most influenced by her mother. Click sat looking fondly at the photographs strewn across her old desk one day recently. She said her mother passed away when Click was only 21.

Her mother attended college during a time period when most women didn’t have careers. Because of that, she encouraged Click to have fun in school but also to remain focused. Click said her mother encouraged all women to go for it and do it all.

“Our mothers have a powerful influence,” Click said. “Mothers teach girls to be women and she taught me to be a woman.”


Tallbott Zink by Ashley Almquist

Talbott Zink is inspired by his parents. Along with a full schedule of classes, the finance major is a member of both the Mock Trial team and the Sigma Chi Fraternity. With a fast-paced lifestyle, Zink welcomes his folks’ support.

He recently took a break between classes in the basement of The Cox School of Business to reflect on the influence his parents have had on his life.

“They have been really involved in my upbringing and the development of who I am,” he said. “Their place in my life has been huge.”


Karen Leeseberg by Adriana Fernandez

At the age of three, Karen Leeseberg’s mother made her learn to write her name just so she could have a library card. Now a librarian and teacher at the Cox Business School Library, Leeseberg looks back and values her mother’s teachings more than anything. A devotion to her family, Christ and being friendly to everyone are paramount characteristics of her late mother’s that she would like emulate.

More than anything, Leeseberg remembers her mother’s original personality as something special, since she could make friends in a heartbeat.

“Sometimes we put too much emphasis on education, or money or prestige, and in the end those really don’t matter,” she said.


Moez Janmohammad by Mallory Paul

Moez Janmohammad, a junior mechanical engineering and physics double major, was standing in the Lyle School’s Innovation Gym in blue jeans and a polo one day recently. He said he is most inspired by the movie “3 Idiots.” The movie, made in India, tells the story of three engineers who seek excellence above anything else.

The film is a comedy-drama and is loosely based off of Chetan Bhagat’s novel “Five Point Someone.” It was released in 2009.

Janmohammad said the movie’s inspiration is,“ always pushing me to, like, be excellent rather than just search for money.”


Nathan Cortez by Maria Cross

Nathan Cortez, associate professor and associate dean for research at Dedman Law, credits his wife as being a tremendous influence on him.

In an email interview, Cortez time traveled to 15 years ago — a 22 year-old law student at Stanford — when he first met his wife, Natalie. Aside from being book smart, Cortez said his future wife was also smart about people.

“People always love her for this reason,” Cortez said.

Cortez’s wife, also a lawyer, provides constructive criticism on his articles, helps polish his speeches and sometimes offers opinions he otherwise wouldn’t want to hear.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to pay for that advice like her clients ,” he said. “Her billing rate is too high for me to afford.”


Kerry Dunn by Brandon Brigham

Kerry Dunn, 20, was outside of Cox School of Business waiting for her boyfriend to finish class one day recently. She’s always been a big reader so she didn’t have a problem chatting with me about her favorite biography.

Kerry, an SMU sophomore, read ‘”A Million Little Pieces” by James Frey in high school and fell in love with the book. The book, published in 2003, is about a man who is an alcoholic and drug abuser writing about his unexpected experience in rehab.

“It’s relatable,” she said. “Not because I do drugs but because he was a train wreck trying to put his life back together.”


Thomas Tunks by Campbell Flemmons

Thomas Tunks, a professor of music, has had many influences in his life. He reflected recently from his office in Owen Arts Center on the person who shaped him the most: his father. His father taught him how to be responsible, tolerant, kind, loving, have a sense of humor and to constantly question things.

“He provided for me a model of what it is to be an adult male,” he said. “There’s a lot of dimensions to that, but taking all those dimensions and putting them together, he provided for me that model that I base my behavior on.”


Lisa I. Joyner by Zoë Mattioli

Lisa I. Joyner, assistant director of Health Education at the SMU Health Center, is a woman of faith. Her Christian beliefs inspire and drive her to lead a life full of purpose. Joyner is the coordinator for numerous on-campus health programs including SMU Students in Recovery and Training Intervention Procedures (TIPS).

Her role model is Dr. Alice Fisher, chair of the Department of Health & Kinesiology at Sam Houston State University. Joyner worked with her there and remembers her for her “go-getter attitude, really wanting to serve individuals.”


Maya Barrett by Halle Levitt

Maya Barrett is a senior, graduating in December with a dual degree in mechanical engineering and math. Sitting next to a sunny window in Caruth Hall one day recently, Barrett said her favorite movie is “The Pianist.” No matter how many times she watches, she always cries.

“The Pianist” was released in 2002 and follows the story of a Polish Jewish musician as he tries to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of WWII.

“It’s a good reminder of what people [went] through in other time periods and other countries,” Barrett said.


Mony Gonzalez by Chloe Dinsdale

Mony Gonzalez, a sophomore dance major at Meadows School of the Arts, said the biggest influence in her life as a dancer is hip-hop all-star Stephen “tWitch” Boss from Season 4 of “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Mony used to be an ice skater until tWitch inspired her to be free and let the movement take over her.

“Sometimes you have to let go and just have fun,” she said.


Jennifer Chickering by Daniela Huebner

Jennifer Chickering, co-president of the Affirming Religious Community (ARC) group on campus, has a deeply rooted passion for helping members of the LGBT community. She said she is devoted to helping these students find their voices within the religious community and allowing them to reach their full potential, regardless of sexual orientation.

“I witness so many wonderfully gifted people who are called to ministry, whose voices have been silenced or who have been forced to hide part of their identity,” Chickering said. “I think the Church is doing a disservice by not embracing these people.”


Charlie Weber by Savannah Louie

Charlie Weber is president of the student-run organization Program Council, playing a key role in several events for SMU students. Weber said he learned his leadership skills from his mentor, Allison Basinger.

Weber worked with Basinger in an educational theatre performance dubbed “The Outrage,” which tackled sensitive topics like teen dating violence and sexual assault.

Charlie said that Allison showed him that, “anyone can make a change, it just requires hard work and dedication, but also a motivation and passion for what you are doing.”

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