When the sun is at its peak and the lawn is full of students, you know it’s going to be a good day—SMU’s Mustang Market took advantage of it for their Spring Market on Monday, March 10, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to commemorate the changing season.
When approaching the market, a welcome sign caught the attention of attendees. There was a QR code plastered to the left side of the foldable asking, “Are you a student with a small business?” followed by “We can help you!” The code takes anyone who scans it to the “Mustang Market Small-Business Interest Form,” where one could describe their business, clarify their specialties and tell the club more about themselves.
Vice President Karina Rodgerson said that the club wants to “give student businesses a kickstart on campus and to get their name out there without having all of this red tape around them.”
A sophomore, Rodgerson took on the role because of her close friendship with sophomore Elaine Aredo, the club’s president, but it soon became much more.
“It was a favor to her, but since then, it’s blossomed into our baby almost,” Rodgerson said. “I’m very proud of how far we’ve come.”
There were many activities to partake in, including bracelet, tote and soap making, a classic game of cornhole, creating flower bouquets, and dancing to the live band.
Sophomore Gillian Rodriguez wishes she got there earlier.
“Everything looks pretty much gone, but I’m still going to make my way around and see what was here,” she said. “It definitely seems like it was popping.”
The Market collaborates with other clubs to help give their organization traction. In November 2024, they hosted a fall-themed event in partnership with the Earth First club. There were locally made honeys and jams, pumpkin painting, La Madeleine coffee and soap-making.
The Market doesn’t just gather on the lawn—some meetings happen indoors as well. In January, the Mustang Market teamed up with Lead@SMU—a leadership seminar for first-year students in the Hilltop Scholars Program—to make crafts out of recycled materials. This collaboration not only promoted sustainability but also encouraged student engagement in creative and impactful ways.
The Mustang Market is also slowly bridging the gap between the SMU community and Dallas locals. It provides a space for local businesses to engage with students and showcase their products.
“We actually had a vendor from Hippos and Hashbrowns, which is a vendor from the White Rock Lake Farmers market,” Aredo said.
Aredo loves supporting and shopping locally, which is initially where the inspiration for the club came from.
“I wanted to bring more awareness to the Dallas Farmers Markets in the area,” she said.
