During times of tragedy, focus on the good in society

04/29/13 16:37 PM

By Lucy Sosa / lsosa@smu.edu A wave of bad news shook the nation last week. Bombings at the Boston Marathon finish line, a drawn out manhunt for the suspects, and an explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas left many people feeling cynical about the world. “To be honest, I’m just overwhelmed. I don’t know what to think about the world at this point!” said senior advertising major Katie Roberts. During tragic times like these, solace can be found in the notion that “good” still exists. For a reminder, take a look at BuzzFeed’s recently published article, “24 Small, Meaningful Acts of Kindness”. Some of the acts of kindness include: Reddit users coordinating the delivery of hundreds of letters and packages to a dying man, a driver who gets out of his car to assist an...

Sneak Peek: SMU-in-Switzerland spring 2014 program

04/23/13 12:18 PM

By Brooke Reagan / breagan@smu.edu Located hillside in the Italian-speaking province Lugano, Switzerland, Franklin College offers students an unparalleled abroad experience. “Swiss Alps. Glacial lakes. Mediterranean climate. An Italian flavor. An international population. This is the city we call home: Lugano, Switzerland. On the map, Lugano is the central point of departure for all of Europe and it is central to the experience of being a Franklin student,” reads the college’s website. In addition to the trips students will plan themselves, SMU-in-Switzerland also offers the Academic Travel program, which is a credited international study course. The two-week course is related to your field of study. One can study political and economic developments in China, travel...

Welcome Ceremony for Presidential Library

04/20/13 01:22 AM

By Akil Simpson / aisimpson@smu.edu The Presidential Library is opening officially on April 29, 2013 on the campus of SMU. SMU is preparing for the grand opening everyday from the 19th up until opening day. Friday the 19th, the SMU Founders’ Day, there was a SMU Welcome Ceremony for the Library. In order to attend, you would have had to have your SMU ID and a special printed pass. For more information on other events held on campus for students and faculty, visit the SMU website. Be apart of a historical time here at SMU. See you there, at all of the events!  ...

Gaming Guru: Free Xbox Live Gold Membership This Weekend

04/19/13 16:14 PM

By Willow Blythe / wblythe@smu.edu / @willowblythe Have you logged into Xbox Live today? If you’re a Silver member, you may have noticed that you suddenly have access to Gold features. Don’t worry, it isn’t a mistake either. Xbox Live is currently running a weekend promotion for Silver members to experience the virtual luxuries of Gold for free. Did I mention that games including Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Far Cry 3 will be holding special double XP promotions for multiplayer? If you haven’t had your chance to explore what makes Gold so special, now is your chance. The Xbox Live Gold promotion ends Monday at noon (Central Time) and after that will no longer be available. Unlike Silver, Gold membership allows you to take your play online with features like...

Willie Baronet’s Intro to Creativity class Changes the way SMUdents Think

04/18/13 13:05 PM

By Valerie Thompson / vthompson@smu.edu “Society doesn’t want us to be creative; it wants us to follow the rules,” says SMU creative advertising professor Willie Baronet on the Meadows website. This may be true, but Baronet works in an industry that at its very heart demands creativity. As the former owner and creative director of advertising group MasonBaronet, he gained much experience in the creative advertising field before pursuing his interest in art at UT-Dallas, where he earned his M.F.A. in 2011. Baronet’s entry-level class, Intro to Creativity, aims to show that it is not just certain people who are creative, but that everybody can be creative if they are willing to push the boundaries a little. Baronet does this through living by his own philosophy. “There was...