Meet some of our 美国研究 majors.
米凯拉·伍兹25岁
家乡:加州旧金山
专业:美国研究; 黑人研究; minor: 英语
Can you describe your working relationships with 美国研究 professors?
I have had such a positive experience with the 美国研究 professors. 我的导师, Prebel教授, has assisted me with professional development, writing skills, and extracurricular opportunities. I am constantly in the 美国研究 office hours, and I love catching up with the professors. One of the standout classes I have taken has been "Feminist Rhetorics." I loved this class because it taught me how to read sources against the grain and critically look at the way women’s voices are being represented.
Have you taken part in any student research opportunities at Oxy or elsewhere?
At Oxy, I conducted undergraduate research in Spring 2022, and I was recently granted the Ray A. Billington Fellowship for this summer. 去年春天我和 福特教授对这本书进行研究 Sentient Flesh: Thinking in Disorder, Poiesis in Black 用R.A. 朱迪. This summer I will be working under the mentorship of Prebel教授 conducting research on Sojourner Truth’s 1828 court case where she sues for the freedom of her son, 彼得. I am conducting this research with the goal of getting an article published on Black Motherhood within the Antebellum Legal System: The Legal History of Sojourner Truth.
I find 美国研究 compelling because of its diverse and interdisciplinary nature. This diversity keeps me extremely engaged, and it allows me to explore all of my passions.
What do you find most compelling about studying 美国研究?
I find 美国研究 compelling because of its diverse and interdisciplinary nature. 通过美国研究, I am able to take classes that intersect with 黑人研究, 英语, 社会学, 以及更多的领域. This diversity keeps me extremely engaged, and it allows me to explore all of my passions.
离开奥施康定后，你的抱负是什么 and how has the liberal arts approach helped to shape these ambitions?
After graduating from Occidental I plan on attending a Ph.D. 黑人研究或历史专业. 在这个节目之后, I want to become a 黑人研究 professor with a specialization on enslaved women.
Do you have any advice for a student considering a major in 美国研究?
My advice would be to take as wide a range of classes as possible. Something great about the 美国研究 program is that we have such a diverse range of courses, so I would recommend taking the class that might be out of your comfort zone. In my experience, those have been some of the most impactful.
奥利维亚·洛斯卡维奥24岁
家乡:加州旧金山
Major: 美国研究; minor: 文学比较研究 & 文化, 跨学科写作
What was your motivation to major in 美国研究? Was there a specific inspirational moment or experience?
My motivation to join the 美国研究 department came from my research interests. I knew that I wanted to study the far-Right and right-wing conspiracy theories, and this was the major that most readily allowed access to those areas of study. I took a class my first year called “Origins of the New Right”, in which I had the opportunity to study right-wing propaganda and paranoia. Additionally, I liked the professors and other students in the major, so it felt like a great fit!
Have you taken part in any student research opportunities at Oxy or elsewhere?
I have taken part in three separate research projects at Oxy, two of which were under the direction of the 美国研究 department. 在2022年春天，我和 卢克斯教授 on a project attempting to explain the unexpected coalition of the religious Right, 自由意志主义, and alternative spiritual communities that make up the New Right. My second project in the department was also under the advisement of 卢克斯教授, but I got to create my research focus. I studied the ways in which members of online QAnon communities interacted with each other in order to produce new interpretations of the conspiracy.
One of the things I wish more students knew about this major is how many fascinating classes 美国研究 offers!
Are there any standout classes you’ve taken?
是的, one of the things I wish more students knew about this major is how many fascinating classes 美国研究 offers! My favorites have been “Origins of the New Right,” “Feminist Rhetorics of Social Change,和《正规博彩十大网站排名推荐》.在《十大正规网赌平台》一书中,“我们看了看历史, 社会, and political formations that have constructed what we think of as “The Right” in American politics. In “Feminist Rhetorics of Social Change,” we learned about the history of feminist rhetorics and how different traditions of feminist rhetorics came out of different cultural struggles. My current favorite class is “Psychic Life of Violence;” in that class we examine modern instances of racial and political violence in America through the lens of psychoanalysis.
离开奥施康定后，你的抱负是什么?
My ambition post-Oxy is to get my Ph.D. in either 美国研究 or literature. If I continue my education in the field of 美国研究, I want to continue my work in conspiracy theories. 在我获得博士学位之后.D.我的梦想是成为一名教授!
What is the “vibe” of the 美国研究 department?
美国研究 has the best vibes :) It’s a really close-knit group of students and professors. I love my major and wouldn’t change it for anything!
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