SMU’s incoming students got the opportunity to smooth over any inklings of apprehension last weekend at Mustang Corral, where more than 950 first-year and transfer students participated in special events designed to connect them with the school.
About 300 more students than usual attended the three-day, two-night retreat at two camps in the Texas Hill Country, about two hours outside of Dallas.
Students were divided into round-up groups and paired up with student and faculty leaders. Students participated Olympic-style events, square dancing and learned the Mustang Shuffle, along with SMU cheers and chants.
Around 19 faculty and staff members attended Corral, many of whom were more enthusiastic about the camp-like events than the students themselves.
“Mustang Corral made SMU my school, because before, it was just a place I worked,” said SMU Spanish professor, Jackie Wald, who went on her fourth Corral camp-out this year.
Also new to Corral this year was Sneak Preview – an event where students met with staff and faculty members (many of whom made the trip specially to either the Glenlake or Lakeview campsites for this particular event), and were able to get a glimpse into academic life at SMU and what will be expected of them as first-year students.
“It was really informative for me,” said first-year student Caitlin Anthony. Anthony said that one of her Sneak Preview sessions with a rhetoric professor was extra beneficial because the professor was “very direct about what was expected and didn’t sugar coat anything.”
Mustang Corral student directors Erin Ramaker, Hillary Barnard and Victoria Steible noticed the high comfort level between students and faculty members that will surely make the students’ transition on the first day of class much easier.
“It was such a wonderful exploration, and really truly educated these incoming students on what it means to be a Mustang,” said Director of Development for the Southeast Mandi Capiletti, who attended Corral for the first time. “It truly gives [students] a stake in what’s going on, on campus.”
A highlight for everyone at Corral was Club Corral-a nighttime dance event that allowed students to interact on his or her own. The Lakeview camp was treated to a performance of the “SMU Song” by SMU alum and staff member, Flip Caderao.
On the last night of Corral, everyone participated in a candlelight ceremony, where some young alumni reflected on their time at SMU.
At the ceremonies, many students also expressed their newly found connection with SMU after only a short time.
Transfer student and Corral participant Vernon B. Washington II said that at the beginning of Corral, “we were lost ponies, but now we found our way home.”
New to Mustang Corral this year was a program called StrengthsQuest, an online survey that Corral attendees filled out during the summer. The personality survey gave students their top five individual strengths from a list of 34, which they then discussed in their round-up groups to get a better understanding of themselves, in preparation for starting college.
