SMU-in-Taos offers escape

Some students are already planning their summer vacations. One option is the SMU-in-Taos program at Fort Burgwin in New Mexico.

The subjects offered range from natural sciences, visual and performance arts to wellness activities.

The program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Paula Martin, SMU-in-Taos director, said that Taos is nothing like the Dallas campus.

“[It is] a retreat from civilization . . . you can’t walk down the street and get a latte, that’s for sure,” Martin said.

Fort Burgwin is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and is surrounded by the Carson National Forest. The campus is about 10 miles outside of Taos.

Allison Harper, a senior English major, enjoyed the program so much that she is moving to Taos when she graduates in May.

Harper attended the program in both 2001 and 2002 summers. During the two summers, Harper studied art and photography and took a cultural formations course on women of the Southwest.

Harper’s favorite aspect of the program is how peaceful and beautiful the campus is.

“It’s so quiet out there. You can’t hear cars [go by],” Harper said.

Harper advises prospective students to take any class in the program because it is more about the experience, not as much about the class.

“When you get there, take advantage of what you have, don’t always try to figure out what to do [socially]. Be content with what you have,” Harper said.

Curt Sumner, a senior economics major, recommends every SMU student take part in the program.

Taos is an opportunity to meet people students might not have interacted with ordinarily. Sumner compares it to a summer camp where students are bunked with people they do not know.

Sumner took a culture formations course on Native Americans in May 2001. During the course, students got to visit Native American sites.

In May of 2002, Sumner took the plant life biology class. He liked that because everything is taught firsthand through fieldwork.

Sumner says that there is a decent nightlife in Taos with two bars. However, a lot of the students go to Santa Fe, an hour from Burgwin, on the weekends.

Clay Oehlschlaeger, a senior art history major, is sad that he will not be able to go to Taos this summer.

Oehlschlaeger, a transfer student, went to Taos both in August 2002 and the summer of 2001 for both the Summer I and August terms.

Oehlschlaeger’s favorite aspect of the program was meeting new people.

He said that going to Taos the summer after he transferred was great, because when he got back to the Dallas campus he knew more people.

He recommends students take their science credits at Taos. He took archaeology and biology courses. The classes were not necessarily easy but the fieldwork is beneficial, Oehlschlaeger said.

He suggests that if students are thinking of taking mountain sports for their wellness credits they should pick two sports they have not tried before.

The sports offered include hiking, white-water rafting and rock climbing. Since it is an SMU program, students should feel a safety net.

Some other universities with similar programs include the universities of Oregon and Wyoming. They have biology and geological field stations, respectively, for undergraduate and graduate students, Martin said.

These are mostly semester and year-long programs. Martin said she does not know of any other university that has a summer program like Taos.

Students who go to Taos have two transportation options. They could drive for about 11 hours from Dallas to Fort Burgwin.

Another option is to fly into Albuquerque. Then either rent a car or take a shuttle to the campus. It is a two and half-hour drive.

Applications for the SMU-in-Taos May term are due on Friday, Feb. 7. The Summer I and August term applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The application includes three forms, a transcript and a $200 deposit. The deposit goes toward the program and will be refunded to students who do not get into the program, Martin said.

There is also the Clements Tuition Assistance Scholarship, which is offered for the Summer I, and August terms.

Applications are online at www.smu.edu/taos.