SMU hosted a special guest for the Advertising Campaigns class in front of the flagpole Thursday. Two Mini Coopers drove down The Boulevard and parked right in front of the flagpole. Each semester, the Temerlin Advertising Institute's advertising campaigns course takes on a client and builds an ad campaign.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was legal in 1976, the state of Texas has executed 978 people. For many Americans, the death penalty is seen as a part of a complex judicial system that ultimately protects the majority from a dangerous minority.

There's a fresh and innovative new dining option for SMU students every Thursday starting Feb. 16. Ruthie's Rolling Café hosted a kick-off event with free samples for students on Thursday at the flagpole. "I think students love food trucks because it's different from cafeteria food.

In 1960, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their nation in the name of peace by working and living in developing countries. His goal became a reality in 1961 when he became president and established the Peace Corps.

In the 1980s, one TV show symbolized Dallas more than any other. The glitzy oil-rich Ewing family entertained audiences week after week on CBS for 13 years. The series gave people around the country a view of Dallas not tied to what happened one sad day in the fall of 1963.

Facing the Dallas skyline, members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community stood outside City Hall Friday night, protesting Mayor Mike Rawlings' refusal to sign the "Freedom to Marry pledge." "We want him [Rawlings] to sign the pledge.

Students and academics alike bustled into Hughes-Trigg Student Center to observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day Friday. The SMU office of the Chaplain, Hillel of Dallas and the Embrey Human Rights Program sponsored the event. In a room seasoned with artwork both educational and evocative of concentration camps, the audience sat in deliberate attention waiting for the ceremony to commence, catalyzed with a prayer led by Dr.

The results are in and the readers have spoken. 

Voting for the The Daily Campus' third annual "Best of SMU & The Park Cities" was conducted Dec. 7-17, 2011,  through online polling at smudailycampus.com. Approximately 297 respondents participated in the survey, with the top three responses in each of the 100 categories as follows:

Organizations pioneering new means of improving children's education were honored at the 2012 Simmons Luminary Awards by the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Joan Ganz Cooney and Sesame Workshop, AVANCE and Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers have created evidence-based research and innovative programs, which served as longtime models for improving education, encouraging hope in communities and strengthening at-risk communities.

This month marks the 35th anniversary since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty with the execution of Gary Gilmore by firing squad in Utah in 1977. Since then, 36 states have reimposed the death penalty, with Texas leading the way by far with the largest number of executions carried out since 1977.

Best-selling author Michael Lewis brought his wit and humor to McCord Auditorium on Tuesday as a part of the Tate Lecture series sponsored by the Omni Hotels. He explained complex economic topics like the European debt crisis and the subprime mortgage crisis in everyday language.

Members of SMU sororities and fraternities gathered Sunday outside Sorority Row to celebrate Panhellenic Bid Day. After a week of chants, bump groups and long nights, sorority girls met their new pledge classes. "My favorite part about bid day is waiting for all the new members to come," junior Pi Beta Phi member Kristin Miller said.

Crowds cheered and tubas bellowed as Hughes Trigg Student Center filled with more than 100 people to celebrate SMU's joining the Big East Conference Thursday afternoon. For the first time since the days of the Southwest Conference, SMU will be playing against prominent athletic competition.

  While most students spend their winter break catching up on sleep, skiing and spending time with family and friends, SMU journalism major Summer Dashe decided to visit Rwanda alone. While Dashe's parents were supportive of the trip, other family members and friends questioned her choice.

Technology companies and consumers have been lobbying against online piracy for weeks. However, it wasn't brought to the majority of American's attention until Wikipedia announced its 24-hour blackout on Jan. 18, just days before SOPA and PIPA were set to be debated in Senate.