Friday’s Residential Commons (RC) Olympics promises to be an entertaining and spirited competition between on-campus residents. But this event isn’t the only tradition being formed this year at SMU.

With the introduction of the RC system comes several new rivalries and rituals for each commons. All year long, commons will be competing with each other through a point system. Residents gain points for their commons by earning high GPAs, attending sporting events and participating in homecoming festivities, to name a few.

The commons also have unique opening ceremonies at the beginning of each school year. The types of festivities were decided by each commons’ faculty-in-residence (FiR), residential community director (RCD) and three members of the Residential Commons Leadership Core (RCLC).

Senior Jamie Hinz, an RA in Ware Commons, helped plan her commons’ opening ceremony, named “The Conclave,” and was delighted when the building’s namesake family showed up to the event.

Hinz is looking forward to the future of traditions like these and hopes to see them form and evolve in the years to come, whether they are planned events or spontaneous pranks.

“The first night before Mustang Corral, Armstrong and Crum had a big water balloon fight. Next year, everyone’s going to say, ‘Let’s do that again this year,’” said Hinz. “I’m excited about the idea that the traditions SMU is forming right now are going to be happening hundreds of years from now.”

According to Hinz, first-year residents have been identifying strongly with their commons, even forming alliances and rivalries between them.

“They feel more a part of it than anything I’ve ever seen before,” she said.

Hinz believes that these traditions will bring students together like nothing else has.

“The Residential Commons takes people from all different sects of SMU and puts them together and says, ‘here’s something for you to bond over.’”