Katie Maiers – SMU Ambassadors

Homecoming 2014: Winter is Coming

By Katie Maiers

This past weekend, I experienced two special occasions here at SMU; it was a weekend of welcoming alumni, but it was also a weekend of welcoming some the coldest temperatures this season. Sun or snow, the weekend was full of excitement and energy as campus welcomed alumni, families, and friends to campus for the traditional Homecoming festivities. My parents also came up from Austin for the weekend, and it was actually the first time that they’ve seen campus aside from move-in days!

Before the Homecoming activities kicked off on Saturday afternoon, I took my parents around campus and showed them some of my favorite features about SMU. Naturally, I took them up to the 3rd floor of Dallas Hall to show them my favorite view of Dallas. I also took them into the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum where they were amazed by the beautiful design, architecture, and content. We then fueled up for the Homecoming Parade by stocking up on carbs at one of my favorite Dallas pizzerias, Olivella’s.

The parade this year was my favorite one yet. The floats were incredible, and they included special guests such as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, Aladdin and Jasmine, and even Jay-Z and Beyoncé to coincide with this year’s theme, “Dynamic Duos.” It’s always amazing to see the results of the countless hours that students put in in order to create the floats.

We then ventured to the boulevard where I was able to introduce my parents to my friends and their families. My favorite part of this boulevard, however, was being able to introduce my parents to an SMU alum who provided me with an amazing internship this past summer at a local advertising agency. It was great to connect my parents with someone who is not only a former boss, but also a great friend and fellow Mustang. After cheering on our Mustangs and the Homecoming candidates at an especially chilly Ford Stadium, it was time to call it a night and a day well spent.

I’ve always enjoyed Homecoming weekend because I consider it to be a weekend that celebrates SMU’s past, present, and future by continuing and creating traditions. This year, Homecoming definitely lived up to its expectations!

Put On Your Creative Hat

By Katie Maiers

As an advertising student, I often forget that research papers, minimum word requirements, and the typical academic fears that loom over many college students continue to exist. Don’t get me wrong: I still write an occasional paper now and then, but for the most part, my assigned work tends to feel more like assigned freedom.

My recent assignment in my Introduction to Creativity course was to make a “creative hat.” The only instruction was to make a hat, and the grade would depend on the creativity and execution of the idea. Yes, that’s it, and yes, that was my homework. Although it seems simple, it truly was a challenge. I went through countless ideas and totally failed, and the deadline was coming closer and closer each day.

I ended up making a hat out of a shoebox lid, real grass, and my own shoe. My inspiration came from one of my favorite things to do when I’m in need of inspiration: take a walk. I glued real grass from the nearby park where I usually walk onto the hat chunk by chunk, and I topped it all off with my own personal shoe.

Like many of the classes that I’ve been able to take at SMU, this course has taught me that when you’re having fun and enjoying yourself, work doesn’t even feel like work. I’ve been given a multitude of opportunities to take risks in the classroom and stretch my brain in ways that I would’ve never imagined, and all that I had to do was put on my creative hat!