Freshman members of the Mustang Band partake in the annual homecoming tradition of painting the concrete leading to the band hall in spirited red and blue colors. MICHAEL DANSER/The Daily Campus

Homecoming is a time to welcome back alumni and honor traditions. Among the customs at SMU, the Mustang Band is one of the biggest at the games. However, within the Mustang Band exist several traditions that are honored throughout the year, as well as during Homecoming.

As students approach the band hall, they step across four cement blocks with the painted names of Mustang Band members. These blocks represent the current freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior classes.

Leading up to the Homecoming game this Saturday, the freshmen members of the band scrape off the paint of last year’s senior class’ block before beginning their own. The current senior class sets up a list of decorations that must be included on the block to reflect events from that year.

The class of 2012 decorated their block with candy stripes, the figure of Peruna and a star for playing in the Cowboys stadium, along with the slogan “June Cometh.” The cement block project is a week-long effort, causing many students to stay up working on it until early in the autumn morning.

“I remember staying up one night until 4 a.m. to do the finishing touches,” Schafer said. “There were a bunch of freshmen and two or three upperclassmen standing around with blowdryers to dry the cement.”

In the end, they can all stand back and admire their work. Leah Barnett, a Mustang Band first-year, is eager to take part in this tradition and document every step.

“I’ve been taking pictures the past couple days; that’s been my help so far,” Barnett said.

Similar to these blocks, the band’s beanies physically identify the members of Mustang Band to the rest of the student body.

Inside each band member’s beanie is a written slogan, chosen by their class that includes the name of the team SMU plays at homecoming during their freshman year. For example, the class of 2012 chose the phrase, “Remember playing this together.”

Within the words, ReMEMber Playing tHIS together, you can see the name “Memphis” spelled out. They chose this slogan as a group, Cooper Brown said.

“I can remember being with a big group of people, bouncing ideas around,” Brown said.

Eventually they decided on this quote because they wanted a slogan that would be more significant, as opposed to a parody of the school’s name.

While some traditions continue to flourish and retain their original purpose, others fade away. The Pigskin Review, a production put on by the band for 76 years, will not occur this year.

Ordinarily, it would show the night before the game, with skits, comedic performances and music. Sophomore Rachelle Schafer remembers last year’s performances with admiration.

This tradition also brought people together as they worked hard to put on a great production. Schafer said she was dissappointed that such an extended tradition was discontinued.

“There are so many great traditions, and it just feels like one’s being taken away,” she said.