A Growing University

I like to say that while SMU’s main mascot is the Mustang, our unofficial mascot is the crane. No, not the long necked birds, but tall construction equipment. At your time at SMU, you might see your fair share of cranes, bulldozers, excavators, and the red and blue fences that try to mask the work behind them. Mid semester, you may find that your usual route to class is now under construction, challenging you to get creative and find a new path.
The crane is a symbol of our university. It represents SMU’s constant improvement with multiple projects completed ever year. After my four undergraduate years with SMU, we opened the Mustang Band Hall, expanded our Simmons School of Education with another building facility, adopted the residential commons system, built 5 new residential buildings, built a center to house our new $6.5 million supercomputer, renovated Moody Coliseum to be a state of the art facility for our championship basketball and volleyball teams, upgraded Fondren Library, built a 12-court state-of-the-art tennis complex, a two story dining hall, a brand new health center and the George W. Bush presidential library bringing tons of visitors scholars to campus every year.
As SMU continues to change, so will the students. This school will continue break milestones, set records, top rankings, and amaze you. I challenge you when looking for your future university to look for cranes and fences. Find a university that strives to improve itself because a school that is always growing will see its students grow as well. Use SMU and its resources to construct a better you. I have and I hope you will too!
-Jack Murphy