Adjunct professor Chris Coats, who teaches an Introduction to Newswriting class in the Division of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, put together an “SMU Strong” video with the help of her class to encourage them during the pandemic. Students shared video clips of themselves at home during quarantine – baking, singing, playing with pets – and these were interspersed with film clips and stills of myriad campus activities over the school year along with new footage shot by Coats.  

“This message of never giving up was important to me to share with my students,” she said. “I told them that there are times life can give you a blow, but the best thing to do is stand up, dust yourselves off and keep moving forward. That is something you can control. And look for ways you can help others get back up, too. That’s what many in the community have also done during all of this – help our students and others get back up.  And for that, I’m eternally grateful!” 

Coats, who is a friend of Justin Timberlake’s family, set the video to his hit song Can’t Stop the Feeling, and dedicated it to the frontline employees working to keep everyone safe.