SMU has attempted to make its young alumni a key fundraising base. (Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)

The young alumni of Southern Methodist University are on track to once again fry those Frogs from Fort Worth, Texas. Last year SMU beat out Texas Christian University in just about everything, including the young alumni giving challenge.

The challenge, issued by TCU, is to reach 1,500 donations by young alumni donors between Sept. 10 and Sept. 27.

“I hope they reach their goal, but I doubt beating young alumni down with constant emails in which there is no option to unsubscribe is the right way to do that,” Jessica Huseman Ehmke, a December 2011 graduate from SMU now living in New York City, said.

Huseman Ehmke added that the multiple email campaign was reminiscent of “SMU’s constant emails while we were students.”

She also said neither herself nor her husband, the 2011-2012 SMU Student Senate VP, Alex Ehmke have participated in the young alumni giving challenge.

Other recent young alumni who did not wish to speak on the record gave other reasons – reasons that mostly fell in two categories.

Some are still attending and paying for graduate school. Others are still looking at years and years of student loan payments they accumulated while on the Hilltop.

While the primary purpose of the young alumni giving challenge is to raise funds for the SMU Scholarship Fund, donors can specify other funds such as the Second Century Celebration, the Parent Fund, the Central University Libraries Fund, the Mustang Club, the Student Affairs Fund and college specific funds.

The first school to reach the goal gets bragging rights.

The winner will be announced at half time during the Iron Skillet Classic at Ford Stadium. As of Thursday afternoon the Mustangs were leading the alumni donation count 1,435 to 1,117.