Categories
Life Around Dallas

Everything’s Bigger in Texas

big texBy Erin Robbins

October is my favorite time of year for many reasons; I love everything pumpkin flavored, the weather in Dallas is perfect, football season is in full swing, my birthday is coincidentally at the end of the month, AND it’s Texas State Fair time!

For three weeks, the Texas State Fair comes to life in Dallas. The fairgrounds are only a fifteen minute train ride south of SMU’s campus via the Dallas public transportation and is a great weekend activity.  With midterms finishing last week, I decided that a trip to the fair was the perfect way to enjoy the cooler Dallas weather and treat myself to a few hours away from the library!

downtownRight when you walk in you are greeted by Big Tex, the iconic symbol of the fair (shown in the first picture).

Each year new fried creations compete for one of the coveted Big Tex Choice Awards.  This year the winner of the best tasting was deep-fried Cuban roll and the most creative was fried Thanksgiving.  My personal favorite is fried butter, and until you’ve tried it for yourself I guarantee you won’t understand.  Making sure you don’t eat too much is the hardest part of the fair, especially if you want to enjoy some of the rides.  The Texas Star is the biggest Ferris wheel in North America and can be seen from the entrance into the fair.  It is always one of the busiest rides because it has some of the most spectacular views of downtown Dallas!  I took a picture from the top of the Ferris wheel and had to share how cool it looked.  The Texas State Fair is quite a unique experience and is definitely a must-see during your time as a Mustang!

 

Categories
Academics

Election Day on the Hilltop!

By Katelyn Hall

Hello everyone! Whether Republican or Democrat, SMU students are excited for Election Day! All of my friends have either cast their absentee ballots or are headed to the polling stations today to participate in electing our next President!

I’m actually in a political science class on presidential elections right now. In that class, we analyze different polling techniques, campaigns, the structure of the Electoral College, etc. It’s especially interesting to learn about these things during the election season.

Today was my first time voting for president, and I have to say, it was really exciting! Tonight the excitement will continue on campus as we watch the votes roll in at election night watch parties. I live on campus in Virginia Snider Hall, and we’re having a watch party with lots of food and friends.

I can’t wait to watch the results come in tonight and talk about them in my presidential elections class tomorrow!