For seniors, the month before graduation is ripe with SMU tradition. To name just a few: getting your SMU Ring, attending Honors Convocation and the Awards Extravaganza, Mane Event, the Baccalaureate Ceremony followed by the Rotunda Recessional and then Commencement and the departmental ceremonies.

I have spent the last two days pondering the history and impact of SMU traditions. If you ask most students what traditions come to mind when they think of SMU, they will tell you one of three: tailgating on the Boulevard, Celebration of Lights and Homecoming. Some other answers include Mustang Corral, Relay for Life and fraternity-themed parties. SMU traditions are plentiful and some are awesome, but many are very weak.

Why are hanging out on the Boulevard, Celebration of Lights and Homecoming the three most memorable traditions at SMU?

First, all three of these events include the whole community. All students can appreciate and embrace these traditions. Participating in these traditions does not ask you to be Greek or not affiliated, living on- or off-campus, or even involved in any organizations.

Second, these events are easy to understand. Tailgating before football games makes total sense. Singing Christmas carols in December? Radio stations start pre-gaming that stuff post-Thanksgiving. Even Homecoming is a well-appreciated American tradition.

Here are my problems with these traditions:

First, Celebration of Lights and Homecoming only happen once a year. Second, the Boulevard only happens when there are home games. Last year we had six home games. Pause and count the number of times that campus-wide traditions bring students together. I count 10. Eight in the fall and two in the spring. Now you might say, “Wait a minute. SMU provides numerous opportunities and events. No doubt, the SMU calendar provides a plethora of activities for students and others.”

However, the caveat is “campus-wide.” Things like the Tate Lecture Series, Mustang Corral and even Commencement are great events and traditions. But they do not necessarily include everyone in the campus community. Not everyone goes to Mustang Corral. While Rotunda Passage is one of my personal favorites, only first-years and alumni parents attend.

We also have many traditions like Peruna and our fight songs. How many students actually know the fight songs? How many students even know the words to the Varsity? Or even the motto of SMU? It’s “Veritas Liberabit Vos.” And then there is the issue with our school colors; we borrow those from Harvard and Yale.

Clearly, students want to participate in traditions and rituals. The Virginia Snyder Hall Olympics and Shuttles Love are fine examples of traditions that were started by students and staff. I particularly like these two traditions because they create spirit, pride and tradition for an entire residence hall.

Unfortunately, many of the first traditions shoved in many students’ faces are fraternity parties and not University-centered events. We must work together to figure out a better way to engage every student at SMU. Not every student wants to go out every weekend, so why do we not have more events or traditions within our residence halls and campus community?

If you know me, you know how much I care about our traditions. But we desperately need something new for the second century of SMU.

I think that what we really need is a reality check. Schools like Kansas or Notre Dame do not sit smack-dab in the middle of a large metroplex like DFW. Not all traditions have to be centered on a winning athletics program. Traditions need not be very old either. For example, in a 1998 game against Purdue, the University of Wisconsin’s athletic marketing department decided to play House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” A new tradition was born that night when fans all started jumping. Now, every third quarter the song is played and the fans just start jumping.

SMU is a young, growing university. We have time to explore new traditions. We need more than a campaign like June Cometh. We desperately need something more than Relay for Life and Sing Song in the spring semester.

I got so excited seeing the tents set up for Barefoot on the Boulevard. That got me thinking. Why don’t we have more things happening on the Boulevard? I see a lot of untapped potential in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports and most importantly, the residence halls.

Creating a unified SMU community will require us to clearly identify specific traditions that will constantly draw students together. What will you remember in ten years?

Daniel Liu is a graduate engineering management student. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].