How to make your Halloween more green

10/31/11 11:31 AM

By Chandler Schlegel/ Pony Post cschlegel@smu.edu Happy Halloween! If you get excited about Halloween like I do, then I am sure you have already planned out your outfit for the big night. However, if you haven’t chosen out your costume and decorated your place, then I have some suggestions to keep this holiday more environmentally-friendly. Costumes: Secondhand costumes are a great, affordable way to create a costume that others’ just might not have. Go to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army and find the outfit you want. You can find 80’s prom dresses or go as a parody of a political figure. Check out suggestions from a Goodwill store in New Jersey. While it is a little far away to think about next Halloween, keep your Halloween costume for National...

George W. Bush Presidential Center Will Benefit SMU Students

10/27/11 10:03 AM

By Sara Carabasi/ Pony Post Blog scarabasi@smu.edu The addition of the George W. Bush Presidential Center to SMU’s campus will be more than another beautiful building. While the notoriously beautiful campus will certainly benefit from the library, students will benefit as well. Having a presidential center on campus will attract prominent figures and important scholars from all around the world. The decisions of the former president, which have shaped the lives of previous, present and future students, will be featured throughout the library. For instance, a 9/11 exhibit will be permanently featured. Displaying Bush’s presidential decisions will definitely impact campus life. Students will be exposed to leading scholars and an abundance of incredible resources. What...

Apple’s Next Big Product: An Apple Television?

10/27/11 09:36 AM

By Laura C. Murphy/Pony Post Blog lmurphy@smu.edu Apple fans may have something to look forward to in the near future, and I’m not talking about the iPhone 5. Word on the street is that a full-blown Apple television might be on the way soon. Apparently, the recently released biography of the late Apple co-founder triggered the gossip. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to read “Steve Jobs” yet, here’s the scoop: author Walter Isaacson wrote that Jobs told him he had finally figured out a way to make a television practical. In his book, Isaacson quotes Jobs: “It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud.’ No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels....

Greek Life: Become a Member of the Panhellenic Council

10/26/11 08:38 AM

By Meghan Garlich/ Pony Post Blog mgarlich@smu.edu If you’re like me, then you are super involved in your sorority or fraternity and you are looking for even more ways to participate. Have you ever considered joining SMU’s Panhellenic Council? This would allow you to connect with not just your chapter, but our Greek community. You might be wondering who exactly the Panhellenic Council is, and what they do. The Council is made up delegates from the eight sororities on campus. These women seek to unite all the chapters and encourage Greek unity. It is not an easy task to be a member of the Panhellenic Council, but it sure is a respected position. As a member, you contribute to all the decisions that effect sorority recruitment and guidelines. It is not all about...

Work abroad panel comes Tuesday to SMU

10/24/11 22:52 PM

By Natalie Posgate/ Pony Post Blog nposgate@smu.edu   So, let’s face it: The American economy is not doing too hot right now. And if you’re graduating within the next year, this little life fact is pretty terrifying. Many seniors are worried that they won’t get hired in their specialized field when May rolls around since the job market isn’t looking very promising. You might have been planning to resort to flipping hamburgers if you can’t immediately put your SMU degree to use upon graduation, but maybe there’s another solution. You could move to another country. The Career Center will present a work abroad panel Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Promenades AB of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. The panel will include employers who have experience...

Greek Life: Give Back at Chi O’s Fashion with a Passion

10/20/11 21:49 PM

By Meghan Garlich mgarlich@smu.edu There are all sorts of ways to get involved in the Greek community at SMU, regardless of what house you are in. One of my favorite events during the school year is Chi Omega’s annual philanthropic event Fashion with a Passion. This year’s fashion show is on Tuesday, October 27th in the Hughes-Trigg Ball room, and I know I’ll be there. Why should you go? Not only will you get to see the Chi-Os exhibit this season’s hottest ensembles, but you will also benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas. Additionally, kids from the Make-A-Wish Foundation participate in walking the runway. All members and nonmembers of the Greek community are encouraged to watch the show, mingle with friends, and give back to a great cause. It...

Heading Home: Is it worth the money?

10/19/11 22:27 PM

By Christine Jonas/ Pony Post Blog Cjonas@smu.edu Well, it is about that time kids. We have finally hit midterms and the middle of the fall semester. Fall break was a great relief from school and the hustle and bustle of all things “real life,” but is it just me or was that the biggest tease ever? I know we are in college and supposed to be preparing ourselves for the “real world,” and less vacations, but come on, I am tired. As I think ahead to Thanksgiving break, I sense that anxious feeling creeping up; it is just too far away! As I put on my thinking cap, I come up with an idea; a weekend trip, destination: HOME! Distance, Time and Money For those of you lucky enough to live a couple hours away from school, the decision is simple: Fill your car tank for...

Ford vehicles will now recite text messages while you drive

10/19/11 08:55 AM

By Laura C. Murphy/Pony Post Blog lmurphy@smu.edu Attention Ford car owners: you may now be able to read text messages and send a response hands-free. In an attempt to reduce texting while driving, Ford is installing a feature in many of its new and old vehicles that can read text messages aloud while users drive. The feature is a part of the Ford Sync technology and is already installed on all model 2012 Ford vehicles except for the Ranger. The voice-activated technology works with most phones that have Bluetooth. With this new feature, Sync can read incoming text messages out loud and provides the driver with a selection of pre-written responses to choose from. It even recognizes abbreviations and emoticons. On Tuesday, the feature will be made available as an upgrade to Sync...

How to avoid expensive roaming charges abroad

10/19/11 08:53 AM

By Natalie Posgate/Pony Post Blog nposgate@smu.edu If there’s one thing that many people complain about missing when they go abroad, it’s not their family, friends, pets, or greasy American food; it’s their cell phones. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. USA Today tells you how to beat expensive wireless roaming charges so that you can keep using your phone while you travel overseas. Here’s a summary: •Get an international plan before you leave. Many wireless carriers offer reduced rates for calls, text messages, and data streaming. AT&T, for example, has a World Traveler program that charges its customers $5.99 a month for reduced rates in more than 150 countries. •Download money-saving apps. If you have a smartphone, you can download...

Frito-Lays Company Produces Chips with Near- Zero Waste Facility

10/17/11 15:01 PM

By Chandler Schlegel/ Pony Post cschlegel@smu.edu The chips you pick up when you go to the local deli are getting more environmentally healthy. Frito Lays Company, which produces such snacks as Doritos, Lays, and Sun Chips and Frito, is converting a 30-year-old manufacturing facility into a LEED gold certification building. The company, based out of Casa Grande, Ariz, is also researching additional ways to reduce unnecessary waste at the facility. The near net-zero facility will run almost entirely on solar power and will use recycle water, which will produce little landfill waste. Infact, the plant is expected to reuse 75 percent of water it uses. Director of Enivronmental Sustainability at Frito- Lays Al Halvorsen said the Casa Grande plant is a laboratory to test what approaches...