SMU alumni, parents and friends gathered in Los Angeles October 11 to hear the latest campus news and a pre-election survey of the political landscape by Matt Wilson, associate professor of political science in Dedman College, and John S. Thomas ’07, a political consultant. Among those attending were (from left) Kelly Allen Welsh ’78, Karin Clark Ott ’82, Thomas and Wilson. Thomas was profiled by the Los Angeles Times October 8 as a rising star in Southern California politics. The 27-year-old strategist has worked on several winning campaigns in L.A. County and is currently advising L.A. mayoral candidate Kevin James, an attorney and former talk-show host. Thomas earned a degree in advertising from SMU and is a past president of the L.A. alumni chapter.