Huzzah! Huzzah! Not only is SMU officially 100 year old, but school officials announced that our infamously large endowment has officially reach $1 billion dollars.
“The Second Century Campaign is the largest in the private university’s history. The money will be used for the school’s endowment, scholarships, academic positions and campus construction,” The Dallas Morning News wrote Thursday.
Coach Morris is so happy to celebrate. Courtsey of The Dallas Morning News.
So how should we spend that $1 billion? Well, here’s a shopping list for RGT and the OE2C team’s consideration.
1. A New Student CenterBless Hughes-Trigg Student Center’s heart, but it fails to be functional in this day and age of SMU. While we are proud of the number and diversity of student activities we have, the organizations struggle to find meeting, storage, and office space that would truly help them thrive. Moreover, the living room concept is well intentioned but is ultimately an awkward space to try and use in between classes.
2. Skype Interview RoomsSo many students could benefit from some rentabale sound-proof rooms with perhaps some impressive mahogany bookshelves and REALLY REALLY good internet access so there is no chance of noisy roomates walking in or flaky internet wrecking a perfect interview.
3. Funds to Implement Sexual Assault Prevention ProgramsIf we really are the place where world changers are shaped, we should take a hint from our great student leaders and use our resources to tackle the national epidemic head on. #NotOnMyCampus
4. More FountainsIn 100 years, the school has managed to build a reputations for many things, including its 11 fountains. It seems reasonable to carry this tradtion on for the next cenntenial.
Courtsey of SMU Campus Weekly
5. More Student ParkingIf you have every tried to park your car in the commuter lot after 9 a.m. on a weekday, you know how frustrating the lack of parking can be. Although we appericate the new buildings, the various construction zones consume parking spaces and fail to accomidate this impotant aspect of students’ morning routines.
6. Scholarships for a Wide Variety of PeopleSpeaking from experiance, undecided majors are at a distinct disadvantage in the race for scholarships. Most SMU scholarships are currently focused on certain fields, yet it’s estimated that 80 percent of U.S. college students change their major and the average student is predicted to do so three times during their college career.
7. Renovated apartment style housingDaniel House is getting kind of decrepit, and Hawk Hall and Moore Hall could use an intensive facelift, but off campus rent is still pricy. Maybe someone should look into buying Hillcrest Manor while we are at it, since it is so nicely located behind Dallas Hall
8. A Flight FundSimillar to increasing the number of scholarships, SMU should look into creating a contest based scholarship, specificly focused on reducing the cost of air travel for out-of-state students. Flying home after an exhausting finals week isn’t as fun as it should be when you know how pricy it was to get there.
9. A Dating Show for PerunaForget Sean Lowe. Dallas has an adorable and overlooked bachelor. Peruna, our black Shetland pony, has been serving SMU as the mascot for over 70 years. He does so much promotional work for the university, doesn’t he deserve a personal life?
Courtsey of amazonaws.com
10. A Mini PerunaSpeaking of Peruna’s personal life, picture this: a miniature, miniature, Shetland pony. He can be Peruna’s son and carry on the tradition of looking super angsty at every football game.
11. A Block of Tickets for Students At Away GamesTCU isn’t too far away. Wouldn’t it look awesome if we had a sizable chunk of their stadium outfitted in red and blue?
12. Lower Tuition CostsUltimately, we live in a reality of staggeringly high tuition rates and looming student loans. While the “Country Club College” with every amazing amenities is fun, I personally believe one of the best ways SMU can give its graduate an advantage for the future is to send them into the world with as little debt as possible. As future alumni, it’s sad that we have to wonder if we will be able to send our kids to the school we love. *insert money flying away emoji here*
Feature image courtsey of Redbubble