Categories
General Life Around Dallas

Texas State Fair

SMU’s location in Dallas, Texas has many perks.  There is always new food, music and entertainment to enjoy in the big city.  One of the most famous events is the world-famous Texas State Fair.  At the end of September each year, the fairgrounds come alive as vendors flock towards Dallas to show and sell everything from fried Oreos to fried jello. One of my favorite parts about going to the Texas State Fair each year is listening to the live music.  Surprisingly, there’s more than just country music to enjoy! I’ve seen everything from pop singers to Irish rock bands perform.  There are endless rides, games and performances to enjoy. One of the busiest days at the fairgrounds is when more than 100,000 people travel to the State Fair for the AT&T Red River Showdown game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners.  These rivals have met at the fairgrounds each year since 1929!  

As an SMU student, it’s impossible to miss the Texas State Fair.  Some classes will have projects that involve the fair and many student groups attend together throughout the season.  One of the easiest ways to get to the Texas State Fair is through the Dallas Area Rapid Transit transportation network.  As a benefit of enrollment at SMU, students may obtain an Annual DART Local Pass for a one-time fee of $5.00.  This is one of my favorite perks as an SMU student.  The DART goes to areas downtown, the American Airlines Center, the DFW airport and many more places.  Most importantly, it goes directly to the Texas State Fair!

Caroline Gurley

Categories
Athletics Campus Life Student Organizations

Rising in Ranks from Varsity to Club Sports

Four year varsity football. Four year varsity track and field. First Team All-State athlete. And after all that in high school, NOT a collegiate varsity athlete. Why?

Near the end of high school, I was seriously considering the possibility of playing varsity football at my future college. Every time I weighed the pros and cons, no matter how I spun it, I realized that there were not enough benefits to outweigh the drawbacks. As a mechanical engineering and mathematics double major, I am very studious and prioritize my academics above all else. Coming from an intensive and structured high school experience in my hometown of Las Vegas, NV, I saw college as the time for me to experience freedom in a variety of aspects. The time commitment of varsity sport practices every day, multiple times a day, was something that I couldn’t justify to myself since it would dictate my entire schedule. While I arrived at SMU with no intentions of joining varsity sports there was still a missing piece. Health and fitness are integral to my identity so I always knew that I wanted to continue that in one way, shape or form. However, simply going to the gym did not fill the void of being a part of a team.

Each year, SMU holds a club fair the Saturday before classes start where new students can learn about the various organizations on campus. My freshman year at the club fair, a few guys yanked me aside and asked, “Did you play football in high school? Because you’re playing Rugby now.” Unsure of whether to commit or not, I signed up for the first practice. By the end of the first week of practice, I was hooked to this novel sport. On and off the field, I have made some of my best friends through Rugby.

As a Club Sport that only practices 3 times a week, Rugby allows me the flexibility to attend practices at my own decision while still being able to compete against other schools and represent SMU like a varsity sport does. This is something true about all club sports here at SMU!

If you’re someone who was a student athlete in high school, can’t see yourself doing the same in college, but want to continue with your athletic endeavors, I highly suggest club sports as an alternative. They strike a perfect balance between a hard-working team that competes for SMU and a relaxed club that fosters lifelong friendships.

Nathan DeVera

Categories
Campus Life General Residence Life and Student Housing

My Favorite Dining Hall Hacks

I have been on an SMU meal plan for the past three years and I can genuinely say there are some undeniable perks involved with eating on campus. First and foremost, there is absolutely no required cooking. SMU offers all the home cooked meals a student could want in both dining hall locations, Umphrey Lee and Arnold. Their convenient locations allow students to easily walk in and grab food to go or sit down and enjoy a meal with friends. The best part of eating in the dining halls is that you will never have to wash a single dish.

I love to eat, and over the years I have spent countless hours in the dining halls, picking up some skills and tricks that help me to make the most of SMU’s dining hall offerings, so here’s a list of my top three favorite Umph/Arnold hacks.

VEGGIE WRAP I love a good veggie wrap, and with a little initiative, you upgrade the typical sandwich station offerings to make your perfect veggie combo. Just take a bowl and grab whatever vegetables you enjoy from the salad bar. If you make your way over to the sandwich station and ask very nicely, SMU Dining staff will take the bowl of vegetables and wrap them up for you, adding whatever sandwich condiments you’d like. Bonus tip: add hummus.

SWEET POTATO BOWL Sweet potatoes are my favorite food and you can find them in the grill section at any time of the day. Grab a sweet potato and cut it open then head over to the salad and fruit stations. I like to put a little Greek yogurt and peanut butter into my sweet potatoes. Bonus tip: add granola, bananas, and cinnamon for a sweet and savory combo.

BROWNIE SUNDAE Take a brownie from the dessert section (stressed spelled backward is dessert) and pop it in the microwave. Heat it up for 45 secs. then take it straight to the frozen yogurt machine. Take as much frozen yogurt as you please and then enjoy! Bonus tip: sprinkles.

Susie Kim

Categories
Life Around Dallas

Benefits of the Dallas Arts District

Just a ten-minute drive from SMU’s campus is a hub for visual and performing arts known as the Dallas Arts District. As a lover of all things performance, this is my favorite part of downtown—whether it be theater, opera, concerts, musical theater, dance or classical music—there are so many performance experiences to take advantage of.

In May 2016, I decided to combine my love of performing arts with service and completed training as a volunteer usher for the AT&T Performing Arts Center, which encompasses the Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, Strauss Square, and Sammons Park. As a volunteer, I scan tickets, assisting patrons to their seat, direct people to the bathroom and concessions during intermission, and help exit traffic after the show. In between all of that, I get to watch the performances for free! In my time volunteering, I’ve gotten to see wonderful performances through Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Opera and national tours featured as part of the Broadway Series. For a college student on a budget, it’s been a great way to see some of the highest quality entertainment in town for free and also feel good by getting in volunteer hours. I love working with AT&T Performing Arts Center because I get to mesh my passions with service.

As a double major in music and biology with a minor in musical theatre, having the Arts District so close has really enhanced my learning in the classroom at SMU. For my Evolution of American Musical Theatre class sophomore year, we did an in-depth research paper on Bob Fosse and the previous summer I got to usher for Cabaret at the Center. As a result, I came in with background knowledge of his choreography style, which was incredibly helpful for the initial class discussions on the topic. This semester, I am in Seminar of Opera History, and not only will we study the score as a class, but we also get to experience a live production of Samson et Dalila at the Dallas Opera this October. Even better, SMU Chair of Voice, Clifton Forbis, is starring as Samson (more SMU connections)!

Even if you can’t volunteer like I do, most productions have discounted “student rush” tickets available with a valid student ID if you show up an hour before show time. I encourage you to check out a performance and explore my favorite part of the city—there’s always something happening in the Arts District!

Jackie Malish

Categories
Academics Campus Life Lyle School of Engineering

An English Major among Engineers

I can remember the first time I heard the job title “Maker.” It was from a friend who referenced a man he knew who would make custom objects for a living.

“What!?” I asked, “you can make a living off of just making random things for people?”

To say I’m a handy person is an exaggeration of my actual skill, but most of my childhood was spent playing with Legos and building popsicle stick castles with hot glue cobwebs. My inner child squirmed at the idea of taking these little projects to the next level, so I bought a sketchbook and began to doodle every idea that popped into my head. Fueled by a Pinterest inspired mania of design ideas – I know, I’m shaking my head, too – the pages quickly filled up. With more than a little disappointment, I began to realize the limitations of my ability to create; equipment and materials aren’t cheap, especially for a college student.

Fortunately, I had the Deason Innovation Gym, SMU’s proud maker space. Located in the Caruth building of the Lyle School of Engineering, the innovation gym is a place for ALL students at SMU to design and create, regardless of major. The only thing between me and a wood shop, laser cutter, multiple 3D printers, a vinyl cutter and a Carvey – Google it if you don’t know what it is; it’s really cool – was a 45-minute safety course supplemented by orientations for each piece of equipment.

My first project was for a friend who found that the peephole in his apartment was a bit too high for him to reasonably reach.

“One of my friend’s joked that he could build me a periscope,” He laughed.

“I can build you a periscope!”

It wasn’t a simple project by any means, but the trained staff at the Deason Innovation Gym was there to help. After sketching my plans on paper, I was able to use Adobe Illustrator – conveniently available to me through Fondren Library computers – to create the design for the Innovation Gym’s laser cutter. After that, a little paint, wood glue and a few mirrors were all that it took to make my design a reality, all thanks to the materials and equipment provided to my by SMU.

With such a repertoire of tools and materials at my disposal, my only problem is finding the time to bring my designs into three dimensions. Good thing the Innovation Gym is open 24/7!

Stephen Chamberlain

Categories
Ambassadors Life Around Dallas

Enjoying Winter in Dallas

Forget the cold of the north! Nothing beats cool days in Dallas – especially a winter day at The Rustic.  The Rustic is an indoor and outdoor restaurant that is located in the Uptown of Dallas.  With its warm atmosphere, it pairs phenomenally with a brisk winter morning. Days become even more enjoyable at the Rustic every Saturday and Sunday, when bands come and play on a stage that plays to both of the indoor/outdoor environments.  This restaurant is family friendly so you will always see a wide range of ages; from the cutest baby crawling on the grass to college students to prominent members within the Dallas community, the Rustic is full of people.

The restaurant is celebrated for its authentic southern-style menu and array of creative drinks such as the frozen popsicle drink.  I have been there more times than I can count and it is still my favorite place to go on an away-game-Saturday.  In fact, I love this restaurant so much that I have also taken my parents there on multiple occasions during parent’s weekend.  If you are ever in the area, or know someone that will be, The Rustic is a sure fire recommendation to give that you won’t be worried about living up to its hype. Enjoy!

– Baxter Cantrell

Categories
SMU Abroad

The Benefits of Studying Abroad

kaleb-leeThis past semester, I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia at the University of Sydney. This was my third abroad experience and I could not have had a more enjoyable time. I lived in Newtown, Sydney right off of campus and was taking classes on Australian culture. I learned how to surf on Bondi Beach, ate tons of kangaroos and spent many afternoons by the Sydney Opera House. While living in Sydney, I traveled to Melbourne, Thailand, the Whitsundays, Singapore, Cambodia, and Indonesia. I joined a competitive lifting team and competed in an Australian fitness competition called “F45”.

I left Australia in May to travel to South America for an internship with an MBB consulting firm in Bogota, Colombia. I stayed in Colombia over three months before returning to Dallas in late August. These past few months were absolutely incredible and I encourage every student to go abroad, not just once… but as many times as possible. Living outside of America is the one of the greatest learning opportunities an SMU partake in and I definitely consider my experiences in Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Sydney and Bogota to be the highlight of my college career.

-Kaleb Lee

Categories
Campus Life General

Tips For College as I Graduate

austin-whittle-3Now that fall break just ended and my friends are getting emails about spring enrollment, the reality of my early graduation is sinking in. Two months from now my chapter at SMU will end and a new one will begin. Looking back on my time, I’ve come up with some tips for those about to embark on their own collegiate journeys.

Be shamelessly yourself.
Coming into college, I was not true to myself. I wore what I thought others expected me to wear, studied subjects people told me would lead to high-paying jobs and created an identity for myself that was anything but me. I’m not entirely sure at what point it clicked, but I no longer feared being different with the amazing friends I made at SMU. I changed my majors, and the university resoundingly supported me in further discovering my sense of self.

Surround yourself with people who challenge you.
Going to school with people from all different backgrounds is one of the most humbling experiences. Be vulnerable to the diverse ideas people will pose in the classroom, and it will benefit you the truest form of education. SMU is full of some of the most ambitious people I have encountered to date, and they have helped reshape my perceptions of what is possible.

austin-whittle-2Ask questions.
I realized the times that yielded the most valuable learning experiences thus far were times that I dared to ask questions. Many come into college with the fear of raising hands, but now is the most important time to question “why?”

Study abroad.
One of the most formative experiences I’ve had in the past three and a half years was studying abroad. Immersing myself in a new culture taught me as much about my own culture as it did about the new. It also led to my dream of working in London after graduation.

Eat as many tacos as you can.
This one speaks for itself. The majority of my remaining time will be well-spent in line at Velvet Taco.

Keep these in mind and the opportunities at SMU will be endless!

-Austin Whittle

Categories
Life Around Dallas Student Organizations

Serving the Dallas Community

10-16-carlyle-riedSMU has over 180 different student organizations to get involved in, which became perfectly clear when I attended SMU’s student involvement fair, “Night at the Club” my freshman year. During that fateful night, I signed my name on probably 20 different organizations that I was interested in. However, although I would like to, I don’t have infinite time, so I took my four years to get involved in a few organizations. One of my favorite experiences at SMU is getting involved in various service organizations. Although I’ve been able to get involved in service through the classroom and in other organizations, I’ve also been involved in exclusively service organizations. Particularly, I am a member of SMU’s largest service organization, Mustang Heroes, which hosts over 20 different weekly, bi-weekly and monthly trips around the Dallas community and have gotten very involved in my sorority’s philanthropy.

This year, I have the pleasure to be the Extended Service Committee Chair for Mustang Heroes. My co-chair, Brandon, and I plan monthly Saturday trips to different organizations around the Dallas area. Although this is only once per month, we have over 40 different members, which means that we get to see how awesome the Mustangs are at giving back. This semester, we are going on trips to serve at The Special Olympics, CitySquare, a Dallas food pantry, and Mosaic Family Services, an organization that helps to serve immigrants, refugees, at-risk youths, and those at risk of HIV or AIDS. In addition, the Executive Board goes on monthly trips to bond with one another, and our organization holds monthly awareness meetings. Awareness meetings host a speaker from a nonprofit organization around the Dallas area to come help students learn how they can help change an important social or health issue.

I am also Fundraising Director for my sorority’s philanthropy. Our philanthropy is Service for Sight, which benefits the blind and visually impaired. This year, I had the pleasure to lead a group of my sorority sisters to get donations for our various philanthropy events and helped lead a letter campaign. Although this has been a rewarding experience, the best part of my entire sorority experience isn’t just fundraising; it’s actually volunteering. Every month, I’ve been attending Friday night Bingo, where we bond with the blind and visually impaired in the Dallas area and play some Bingo. Additionally, I’ve been able to help out with schooling events for the blind and visually impaired children in the Dallas community.

No matter what issue you are interested in, SMU has a plethora of service organizations for you to get involved in. Many student organizations that don’t have to do with service add a service element inside of them; whether that be a donation drive, donating profits from events or planning bonding trips to volunteer. So when you come to SMU, it’s very easy to Pony Up and do some good!

-Carlyle Reid

Categories
Athletics Campus Life Student Organizations

Intramural Sports

jack-studentI love playing Intramural sports. Every season, I’m always involved in one event or another. Intramurals are a great way to get involved at college as well as creating a great environment for teamwork, cooperation, and motivation. For the past four years, I have been involved with an intramural team at any given point in time during the school year. Ranging from flag football, to indoor soccer, to beach volleyball and softball, I have played them all, some more competitively than others. In flag football, nothing is left to chance; from making playbooks, to snap counts, to defensive schemes, we have everything covered. Compared to softball where it is much more of a bonding experience with the guys than it is a competition we need to win. The best part about intramurals is the ability to play with and compete against friends. Not only will you become closer with those friends you’ve played with but also you will guarantee eternal bragging rights for the ones you beat. This will be my fourth year competing in intramurals, and I have yet to win a single championship. Although I have many successful seasons, resulting in second and third place finishes; I have yet to win the infamous Intramural Championship t-shirt. Hopefully, that will change soon, as I am beginning to run out of time. However, if I do not win, I will still have the memories of playing with friends that I won’t soon forget. See you on the field.

-Jack Student

Categories
Academics Uncategorized

Undergraduate Research at SMU

10-16-yassi-sahbaWhenever people ask me why I chose SMU, my answer is pretty simple. I wanted a school with a strong electrical engineering program, the ability to study abroad for a semester and still graduate on time, and the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research. I’m excited to say that after this fall semester, I will have checked all three of those boxes at SMU.

As a part of the University Honors Program, I had the opportunity to submit a proposal for a Richter Fellowship last year. SMU is one of only 12 schools offering Richter Fellowships, so this was an amazing opportunity. I received funding to investigate rural electrification, a subject I am extremely passionate about. For the last half of October, I will be traveling with my mentor and a graduate student to conduct our individual research projects in Bolivia. I will be determining the impact of several rural electrification projects the Bolivian government has recently implemented and identifying further opportunities to bring clean, reliable power to rural communities.

In preparing for the trip I have learned a lot about alternative energy and grid infrastructure, which was the main goal of my project, but I have also become aware of the nuances of conducting research in another country. Thankfully, I have had the support of my faculty advisor, Engineers without Borders at SMU, and the Lyle School of Engineering, all of whom I can definitely say has prepared me to work with people, and not just numbers, as an engineer.

I’m very excited to realize my goal of conducting research during my time at SMU, and I am one step closer to getting a paper published. This experience, and studying abroad, might have not been possible had I not come to SMU. I’m truly thankful everyday that I go to such an amazing school filled with so many great opportunities. Pony Up!

-Yassi Sahba

Categories
Life Around Dallas

From a Tour Guide on Campus to a Tourist in a Carriage

10-16-taylor-nickens-1This semester, as a senior, I had the privilege of spending Family Weekend with my mom and sisters! Despite the distance from Philadelphia, they flew over 1,400 miles to enjoy my final SMU Family Weekend with me. After class on Friday I introduced them to the football traditions on the boulevard, and SMU’s mascot, Peruna, on the football field. My younger sister fell in love with SMU’s spirit and Peruna’s spunk!

10-16-taylor-nickens-3After giving my family a tour of SMU, as I would to aspiring students, we enjoyed some lunch and a stroll in the beautiful city of downtown Dallas. We visited the historic JFK memorial and walked through Dealey Plaza next to the JFK museum. En route to the aquarium was the moment I became a tourist rather than a tour guide. While waiting at a red light we realized a beautiful black horse pulling a Cinderella carriage stood to our left. Within minutes, my family and I were touring downtown Dallas by the majestic Bella and her handler.

I enjoyed learning the history of the modernized and continuously growing city of Dallas, Texas. To any families looking to explore the wonders of downtown Dallas that surround the SMU community, I highly recommend a horse and carriage ride. It’s such a treat to still find new and interesting things to do in Dallas after spending the past three years here. The many diverse communities surrounding SMU give its students endless options. As a whole, my senior Family weekend was a huge success, and I found a new activity to add to my recommendation list!

-Taylor Nickens.

Categories
Life Around Dallas

Texas’s Taco Obsession

Dallas’s history with Tex-Mex cuisine dates back almost 100 years. The nation’s oldest chain of Mexican restaurants, El Fenix, was founded here in 1916 and began serving a unique Mexican-American culinary experience in 1918. Since then, our city’s love affair with Tex-Mex and tacos in particular has only grown. The tortilla-wrapped dish can be purchased everywhere from food trucks to bistro-style restaurants and SMU is situated in a prime location in Dallas to explore all of the choices. Below are some of my favorite spots!

  • Torchy’s Tacos – Located right across North Central Expressway on SMU Boulevard, Torchy’s Tacos is a staple in the taco community. Start your meal with an order of the Green Chile Queso (comes with a delicious dollop of guac!) and choose 2-3 tacos to round out your meal. The “Trashy Trailer Park” is a huge crowd-pleaser and the featured Tacos of the Month are usually worth a try. If you have any room at the end of your meal, the Lil Nookies (deep-friend chocolate chip cookie balls topped with powdered sugar) are a heavenly way to wrap up your experience.

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  • El Come Taco – This family-owned taqueria is less than 3 miles from campus and offers a strong selection of authentic street-style tacos. The cozy establishment is the perfect place to relax after a long day and enjoy some of the freshest tacos Dallas has to offer! You can’t go wrong with the Tacos de Pescado (Fish Tacos) or Tacos Al Pastor accompanied by Valentina hot sauce (pictured below).

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  • Chile Pepper Grill – Every Tuesday and Thursday of the school year, food trucks set up on campus at the Flagpole and one of the best is Chile Pepper Grill. The Fort Worth-based food truck serves up delicious street-style tacos and torta sandwiches that make for a flavorful and filling lunch. The Suadero (Mexican Brisket) and Hawaiian tacos are unique choices that never get tired.

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-Jessica Mitchell

Categories
Campus Life Life Around Dallas Uncategorized

My Favorite Apps to Stay Healthy on Campus

10-16-caroline-gurleyEating, sleeping, and procrastinating. These are a few of the biggest challenges once you come to college. All of the sudden, you have more time on your hands than you’ve ever had before. What do you do with it? After you are finished studying, joining as many extracurricular activities as possible, and hanging out with your best friends, it’s time to eat, sleep, and, of course, procrastinate.

Eating in college is the best. It’s so great, actually, that you may even do too much of it. The unlimited fro-yo machine at the dining hall will quickly start calling your name three times a day before you know it. Like everything in college, it’s all about balance. I have found a few new apps that have made eating treats and staying healthy at the same time a little bit easier. The first app is Google Calendar. Open up the app, click the “+” icon, select goal, and input it in with a date and time you want to achieve it by! There are not only goals premade for exercising, but also building a skill, spending time with friends and family, setting aside “me time”, and organizing your life! Another app is called Fooducate. You can scan any food with a barcode and it will display the nutritional information on your phone. If you’re interested, it can also log what you eat and how much you exercise. Another helpful app is called Microsoft HealthVault. This app stores health data from the apps on your devices and makes accessing the information super easy in case you need to visit the health center.

Another fun part of college is sleeping. The key to successful sleeping is at least trying to get the same amount of sleep each night. One app that will help you wake up after a great nights rest is called Sleep Cycle. Sleep Cycle is an app that analyzes your sleep and wakes you during your lightest phase of sleep. FitBit also tracks how well you sleep. That is another great way to set sleeping goals for yourself.

The never-ending struggle of college is procrastination. Why write your paper that is due for a month when Gilmore Girls and Game of Thrones is calling your name? Well, to be successful in college of course! If you spend too much time on social media apps on your phone, give the app called Rescue Time a try. This app limits the amount of time you can spend on certain apps. Self-control is also a great tool to stay focused. Download self-control and create a list of websites that you need to take a break from. You customize the amount of time that the websites will be blocked, so you can watch that episode of Orange is the New Black right after you finish your homework!

College really is a fantastic time in your life. You learn as much outside of the classroom as you do within it. These tools and resources may just make the learning curve of setting your own boundaries a little bit easier!

-Caroline Gurley

Categories
Campus Life Residence Life and Student Housing

The Fourth Lasso

10-16-jacqui-jacoby-1Before school starts every semester, a program called “Mustang Corral” takes place. This program consists of programming on campus, an excursion in Dallas (touring Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium, taking a Dallas Trolley Tour, doing community service at Bonton Farms, and more), and an overnight program at an off-campus campsite. Every year, I’ve grown to appreciate Mustang Corral more and more. The bonds that are made between first-years are invaluable, of course, but the memories I’ve made as a Mustang Corral Guide are some that I will cherish forever.

As a senior, all Corral guides that participated in Corral for at least 3 summers get to give a “senior speech” at a special ceremony that concludes the camp portion of Mustang Corral. This year, I was incredibly nervous to get up and speak in front of almost 2000 students, faculty, and staff members. It took forever for me to figure out just the right advice to give, but I landed on advising the first-years to create an SMU bucket list.

Some sample items for their bucket lists were to jump in all 11 fountains we have on campus before graduation and to meet former President of the United States and frequent SMU visitor, George W. Bush. Being at SMU has afforded me many exciting opportunities like these and more.

Standing backstage, the few senior Corral guides and I were feeling nostalgic, nervous, excited, and bound together by the spirit of SMU. We nervously chattered about what we were going to talk about, joking about the craziness surrounding the fact that we were actually seniors, about to spend our last year on campus.10-16-jacqui-jacoby-2

When we all got on stage, I looked around and felt overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for SMU.

I was surrounded by some of SMU’s brightest, most involved, and most impactful leaders on campus. I was sharing the stage with people who would go on to be “world changers,” and we were all able to make a lasting impact on the class of 2020 with our speeches.

At SMU, I’ve found that although opportunities for greatness are present all over the nation, there seems to be a disproportionate amount at SMU (in a good way). Not only this, but being a mid-size university allowed myself and my classmates onstage at Corral to actually have access to the resources and opportunities, and to be able to talk about them to incoming first-years, prospective students, professors, friends, family members, and future employers.

Although we were all emotional after the speeches, we looked at each other knowing that this wasn’t the end of our collegiate journey, but the beginning of our lives that were now filled with connections, networks, and opportunities that only SMU could have ever given us.

-Jacqui Jacoby