Twenty-one students are traveling this weekend to Washington, D.C., where they not only are participating in Inaugural events, but also will be working as journalists and communicators.

The group of communication studies and journalism students are in the nation’s capital as part of the Meadows School of the Arts’ Hilltop on the Hill program. Endowed by the Bauer Foundation, the program takes students studying political communication to political party conventions, the Presidential Inauguration and the G8 Economic Summit.

“This is the fifth time we have attended an Inauguration since 1996,” says Rita Kirk, professor of communication studies, director of the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, and founder of the Hilltop on the Hill program.

Kirk is leading the trip with Daniel Schill, assistant professor of communication studies, and Carolyn Barta, journalism professor. “We want the students to learn about D.C., meet alumni who are thriving in D.C., learn the political ropes and consider the wide range of career opportunities available there,” Kirk says.

Follow the students in Washington: They are reporting about Inaugural events on smudailycampus.com, on SMU Adventures and on Twitter, where journalism students are using the hashtag #SMUinDC and communication studies students are Tweeting @SMUHilltop1

During their four-day trip, the students will volunteer at Texas State Society’s Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball, visit media and government sites, and meet with policy analysts, political communicators and journalists, in addition to SMU alumni. The group plans to watch President Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony from the Mall and from ticketed seats.

Marc Bullard, a sophomore communication studies major, says he’s looking forward to experiencing the energy and “general chaos” in Washington this weekend. “For someone interested in political communication, this entire trip is something akin to being a ball boy at Wimbledon,” he says. “We will be on the sidelines watching some of the biggest political players in the country. This trip to Washington also brings a wave of reality to my studies. Seeing the political world up-close and meeting the many alumni in D.C., we can see what life after SMU will look like.”

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During winter break, students and faculty have conducted research and performed community service in the United States and abroad. They blogged about their experiences on SMU Adventures. Their trips include:

Earth Sciences in Jamaica

SMU students in Port Royal, Jamaica.

During J Term 2013, nine students traveled to Jamaica as part of a multidisciplinary Earth Sciences course to conduct geophysical research on earthquake risks. During their trip, the students collected and analyzed geophysical data on land and at sea, and presented their results to Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

Taught by SMU Earth Sciences Associate Professor Matt Hornbach and Lyndon Brown of the University of the West Indies, the course is funded in part by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ Geoscientists Without Borders program and The Institute for the Study of Earth and Man in SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

“It was a great feeling knowing that by the end of the day, we would have enough data collected to begin piecing together the puzzle of how Earth’s tectonic forces shaped the area and how they might continue to shape the landscape of Jamaica for years to come,” wrote Earth Sciences graduate student Cliff Mauroner. Read their blog.

Human Rights in El Salvador

Eight SMU students, led by Perkins School of Theology Professor Harold J. Recinos and Embrey Human Rights Program Coordinator Sherry Aikman, traveled to El Salvador in January. The group studied human rights atrocities that have occurred in the Central American country during the last 40 years, including the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Zona Rosa guerrilla attack.

“Today is the day that we visited the site of El Mozote, where in December of 1981, around 1,000 men, women, and children of the village were massacred by the Atlacatl Battalion army in the span of three days,” wrote Emily Mankowski, a junior majoring in human rights and political science. “I have not been able to comprehend how someone would be able to take the lives of innocent people, nor do I think I will ever understand. One thing that I do know is that the memory of those who died must live on.”  Read their blog.

Read about trips to Poland and New Orleans below.

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Students begin every term with the potential to earn a 4.0 grade point average, says Patricia Feldman, associate director of SMU’s Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center (or A-LEC). “When we see students acting like 4.0 students, we see them reaching their academic goals,” she says.

She adds that one high-achieving senior recommends getting one assignment ahead of the syllabus. “That way, you will always know what’s coming up next in class, allowing you to take better notes, clarify confusing points and more easily master the material,” she says.

Here are more tips from Feldman for students as they begin the spring term:

• Go to every class. Arrive on time. Sit in front.
• Complete reading or homework assignments before class so you are fully prepared to learn.
• Go to each professor’s office hours to get acquainted and to ask for advice on how to excel in the course.
• After each class, edit and review your notes.
• Every week, review all reading and notes in your hardest course or two.

A-LEC offers workshops throughout the term to support students, including on textbook study reading, taking notes and preparing for the first round of tests and test anxiety. Find the workshop schedule here.
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Think of it as the ultimate growth opportunity. Within SMU’s Community Garden, budding “eco-evangelists” from Perkins School of Theology and a diverse mix of SMU students and staffers share the same mission: To cultivate environmental, spiritual and physical well-being by sowing the seeds of fresh food and fellowship.

Communal gardens are increasingly sustainable platforms for bringing produce and simple farming skills to urban “food deserts,” economically disadvantaged areas where nutritional foods are lacking. But such gardens can have a profound impact on even deeper levels, says Elaine Heath, director of SMU’s Community Garden and McCreless Associate Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology.

From left: Professor Elaine A. Heath, Katrina Culberson, Benjamin Bagley and Larry Crudup at SMU’s Community Garden.

“They can bring together people who’ve been hurt or are afraid of each other,” Heath says, “and, in their process of tending the garden, they can connect to what really matters in life — and their hearts can knit together.” Environment-friendly gardening also can help heal other types of wounds, such as from pollution, “and salvation can be found in taking care of God’s gift of creation.”

While SMU’s Community Garden got its start four years ago, it moved to its current, larger space only a year ago. There, at the corner of Dublin and Daniel Avenues, the soil recently bore its first full harvest, allowing Heath’s Missional Wisdom and Evangelism students to gather and pick okra, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts and more to share with people in need.

With support from SMU Facility Services and the Office of the Provost, the garden is part of six Perkins School of Theology class assignments and is of interest to people in other disciplines, from members of the sustainability-minded Environmental Society to Lyle School of Engineering students testing irrigation methods, to those in the SMU community curious about homeopathic medicine.  “We’ve had a wonderfully eclectic mix of people,” Heath says of the garden’s volunteer help, ranging from the Bhakti Yoga Club to a sizable group of librarians.

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2012 Hawaii Bowl champions

The following is from the December 24, 2012, edition of The Dallas Morning News:

SMU coach June Jones walked out of Aloha Stadium with another win December 24, thanks largely to a disruptive performance by defensive end Margus Hunt that set the tone for the Mustangs’ 43-10 win over Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.

• View more photos of the Hawaii Bowl on SMU Facebook. 

Hunt, the 6-foot-8 senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Mustangs also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, giving them eight for the season to tie the NCAA record set last year by Southern Miss. Hayden Greenbauer picked off Carr and returned it 83 yards with 1:14 left, the final blow to a miserable night for the Bulldogs (9-4). SMU had seven sacks, the most Fresno State has given up all year.

Read more from SMU Athletics.

SMU has accepted an invitation to play in the 2012 Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl, Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl Executive Director David A. K. Matlin announced November 26.

The Mustangs, winners of four of their last six football games, will represent Conference USA and will meet a team from the Mountain West on Christmas Eve at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

“The SMU Mustangs finished their season strong by handing C-USA’s West Division champion, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, their first conference loss,” said Matlin. “Coach Jones and the Mustangs represented themselves well as our 2009 C-USA representative and we are looking forward to welcoming the Mustangs and their fans back to Honolulu for the 11th annual Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl.”

“This bowl berth is a tremendous reward for our football team,” said SMU Athletic Director Rick Hart. “We’re excited about this opportunity and look forward to a tremendous experience and great game in Hawaii.”

SMU Head Coach June Jones added, “Having been affiliated with this bowl since its inception, I know that it is one of the best bowl experiences in college football. I’m very excited for our players, staff and fans. This is a special experience.”

SMU will be making its 15th bowl appearance and third bowl appearance in Honolulu (1984 Aloha and 2009 Sheraton Hawai`i). Under Jones, SMU will be making its school-record fourth consecutive bowl appearance.

In the 2009 Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl, the Mustangs raced out to a 31-0 halftime lead en route to a 45-10 victory over Nevada. SMU, which was making its first postseason appearance in 25 years, amassed 534 yards of total offense and held Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick to just 23 yards rushing and 177 yards through the air.

The 2012 Sheraton Hawai`i Bowl will be played on Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST/3 p.m. HST) and will be telecast by ESPN from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

For full bowl information, see Mustangs’ Bowl Central.