Graduation Guru: Confused about choosing a career path? Here’s how.

02/28/12 23:23 PM

By Meghan Sikkel, msikkel@smu.edu If you attended last week’s grad fair, then you should have the graduation basics covered. The next step, then, is to prepare for the task that will inevitably follow the long-awaited ceremony: finding a J-O-B. The thought of applying for jobs really shouldn’t scare college seniors, given that our entire lives thus far have been geared towards the ultimate goal of employment. But despite enduring years of education to prepare for life after graduation, many seniors feel less than confident about their chosen career paths when the time to get a job nears. Thankfully, there’s a solution for those unsure undergrads. (And it’s not unemployment.) It’s a website called Gradspot.com, the ultimate guide for college grads. Here are some...

Mustang Sports Weekly: The importance of communication

02/28/12 18:56 PM

By Brooke Williamson, kbwilliamson@smu.edu    On Monday, we gave a rundown of the weekend scores, a recap of the games and what to look out for this coming week. While all the information is needed and important, I believe sports are more profound than stats and scores alone. Something often left out in conversations concerning team success is communication. Arguably one of the most important factors in creating a successful team. Communication success is measured in results. Sunday, the women’s basketball team played their final home game while honoring their seniors. The team won against Tulane, a top Conference USA team, after a few tough losses. As if a big win wasn’t enough, it was quite a way for the seniors to finish their tenure at...

Return on investment of being an RA

02/28/12 18:51 PM

 By Mark Agnew,  magnew@smu.edu   Resident assistants (RA) are charged with the duty of helping their residents adjust to college life in whatever capacity that may entail. Whether students are homesick, struggling with a class or stumbling in from a party, resident assistants are there to help their residents. A group of around 30 individuals who applied to be RAs got offer letters this past weekend. Aside from being a selective leadership opportunity, the position offers free room and board as compensation. Average housing cost for a single occupancy room next school year is $10,489, up 3.6 percent from this year’s rate, according to SMU housing data. For current RAs, this 3.6 percent raise isn’t too shabby given that The Conference...

Police Blotter: New semester, new crime

02/28/12 18:37 PM

By Mackenzie O'Hara, mohara@smu.edu  As SMU students return to the classroom, campus police are busy fighting crime on campus this semester. • Hughes-Trigg Student Center experienced some criminal mischief on Jan. 7 at 7:01 p.m. when “an unknown person damaged a concrete trash container.” • About three hours later, police were called because an unknown person caused damage to the fountain in front of the Dedman Life Sciences Building by pouring Dawn dishwashing liquid into the water fountain - the case is still open. • On Jan. 17 a police officer was doing hall checks in Boaz Hall and observed damaged ceiling tiles. • On Feb. 11, police were told that someone threw a brick through a bedroom window at the Lambda Chi Alpha...

Furry Fridays: Deep Doo-Doo

02/23/12 23:44 PM

By Bridget Bennett, brekow@smu.edu  It’s that time again... Your furry friend is scratching at the door, waiting for you to grab his leash and take him outside to do his business. In my home, this routine is practiced several times a day — grab the leash, a plastic bag, and we’re out the door. But for some apartment dwellers, that second step is too often omitted. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Lisa Liston, an apartment manager for Midwest Property Services in Sioux Falls, S.D. is fed up with poo on her property. She established dog poop DNA testing to find the culprits leaving dog excrement on the grounds of her apartment buildings. Every dog in the apartment complex was DNA tested and the...

Curtains Up: Play Explores Intertwining Lives of Nanny, Boss

02/23/12 23:40 PM

By Ben Ateku, bateku@smu.edu Curtains rose at Owen Arts Center's Margo Jones Theatre last Tuesday to Lisa Loom’s play “Living Out!” The play sheds light into the lives of a Salvadorian nanny and her boss, a white lawyer. The two come from different cultures, which form the basis on which their cultural misconceptions and prejudices are examined. The play is directed by Aneesha Kudtarkar, and runs until Saturday, March 3. Given America's history as a melting pot where immigrants new and old rub shoulders in every facet of life, “Living Out” should have something for everyone to laugh at or scorn at. A promotional listing describes the play as "searingly funny, disturbing, generous, merciless, sympathetic and engrossing." Come...

Mustang sports weekly

02/22/12 14:35 PM

By Brooke Williamson, kbwilliamson@smu.edu  Every once in a while, something big happens. Whether that be a job promotion, an award or in this case a Conference USA title. This past weekend, both men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled to Houston to participate in the C-USA Championships-and what a successful trip it was. Both teams swept the medal stand on multiple occasions, bringing home the gold, silver, and bronze in several categories. The women won the title in a glorious fashion beating defending champion Rice by over 100 points. The men’s and women’s teams will continue on with the season with a little more hardware around their necks, however, I doubt that will slow them down. While winning in the pool, on the...

IT Training: Lunch-and-Learn sessions for all!

02/21/12 16:32 PM

By Charles Scott, clscott@smu.edu If you haven’t taken advantage of the free IT Training offered by SMUs Tech Series Lunch-and-Learn sessions, do not fret, there is still time.  Many probably rolled their eyes at that last sentence—I would have too. But to be honest, some of these upcoming opportunities seem pretty interesting; and yes, kind of cool too. Your options: Well for starters, I bet you didn’t know SMU students have access to a campus wide instant messaging service! Well now you do, and on March 8 you can come out to the session at noon in the Hughes Trigg Forum and learn about Microsoft Lync, the program that seems to want to take us back to the less-than-sexy days of America Online, more commonly known for its service called AIM. ...

Graduation Guru: SMU seniors, it’s time to prepare.

02/21/12 16:29 PM

By Meghan Sikkel, msikkel@smu.edu   Attention all SMU seniors. The countdown to graduation has officially begun. In approximately two and a half months (80 days to be exact), you will be cruising down the wide-open road that is adulthood, free from college and the baggage that comes with it. No more homework, no more tests and no more classes. Sounds exhilarating, right? Not exactly. Now that it’s almost time to make the so-called “real world” a reality, many seniors are less than eager to start the journey. And some seniors, myself included, are terrified. But now is not the time to panic; it’s the time to prepare. So shake off those post-grad worries (you can deal with them later), and focus on the task at hand: making...

Shillings and Sen$e: Dinner party delight

02/21/12 10:09 AM

By Mark Agnew, magnew@smu.edu  According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, young adults (ages 18 to 34) are having the hardest time in today’s economy. Cutting expenditures is a sure-fire way to survive in the current economic climate. Food and entertainment expenditures are intrinsically variable. They are not like rent that is a fixed amount every month. It can be easier to cut back in this “fun” category. While everyone needs sustenance, going out can be expensive. Why not skip the dinner out and bring the party home? Divvying up appetizers, drinks, sides, dessert and a main course among guests can be substantially cheaper than each person running up their own tab. Potluck dinners do not have to be synonymous with casseroles or dishes...