1. Mustangs’ Bowl Bid. After a whopping 25 years of fumbles, sacks, interceptions, and holds, the SMU Mustangs have finally worked out most of their kinks, strapping seven wins under their belt. Winning the last game of the season against Tulane this holiday break sealed the deal for our wild horses, potentially sending them to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. It’s almost time for June Jones to take his Hawaiian shirts out of storage. Get that victory in sight!
2. The Presidential Library. If SMU’s plethora of libraries wasn’t enough for you, just add another one to the collection. Currently, DeGolyer Library houses one of the best collections on the Spanish borderlands, transportation, business history, and Texas. The Edwin J Foscue Map Library is one of the largest map collections in the southwest. Bridwell Library is home to one of the leading theological research collections in the United States. And now, SMU will be the home of the George W. Bush Presidential library and think tank. Talk about book smarts; now we house our very own former president.
3. New Study Abroad Programs. SMU has launched 100 new study abroad programs this year, ranging from England and Paris to Russia, South Africa, and Jamaica. New internship, service, and study opportunities for the 500 students that participate each year make our study abroad program one of the country’s best.
4. Real Mustangs. As our football team’s ego gets a little bigger, so does our mascot. Thanks to the National Wild Horse Foundation and Mr. and Mrs. T. Boone Pickens, SMU can finally live up to its name. Peruna has been a faithful steed, willing to preserve and protect the hilltop while fulfilling his duty of leading the team to the field. And on occasion our little Shetland pushes those short little legs to the max as he runs across the field after an SMU touchdown. However, if one wild horse wasn’t intimidating enough, now we have two and a half. Strength in numbers and speed in strides. Ponies up Mustangs!
5. Cox Top 20 rankings. Yet again, Cox Business School has come out near the top. Various reports by The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Forbes, and the Princeton Review have ranked Cox in the top twenty for excellence. For all you non-business majors, just hit up Einstein’s Bagels.
6.Val and Frank Late Fountain. Last March, President R. Gerald Turner and Late family members added a new fountain to SMU’s many attractions and college playgrounds. Located near the future site of the Annette Calwell Simmons Hall and Airline Parking Garage, this beauty sure adds some color to the east side of campus. Other special features include bubbles, convenient late night swimming accessibility, and a light show.
7.Task Force Crack Down. The number of alcohol violations this year has skyrocketed, along with the number of hospitalizations. However, some Mustangs have taken matters into their own hands as Mustangs Who Care, teaching trainees how to call for help and recognize signs of alcohol poisoning. Now all we have to do is watch out for having our purses stolen.
8. Fashion Forward. SMU has maintained its fashion forward approach on both the Boulevard and nights out on the town. The College Prowler has given SMU looks an A. Despite the current economic crisis, SMU still dresses with class as we strut our stuff, decked out in Michael Kors, David Yurman, and Vineyard Vines on our very own runway, also known as the boulevard. The Hilltop Glossy has pictures to prove it.
9. Wonderful Weather. While Dallas’s temperature fluctuates as much as many freshmen’s weight, we cannot ignore how lucky we are to still be wearing shorts and T-shirts in early December.
10. Each Other. This year we can be thankful for our 6,240 undergrad students, our near 11,000 total enrollments, our 12:1 student to staff ratio, and our estimated billion dollar endowment.
Jordan Jennings is a sophomore journalism major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
