The SMU Spirit and Traditions Committee 'Smokescreen'

[MrMustang1965]

http://www.smudailycampus.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/08/16/3f3eba7149ed4?in_archive=1

http://www.smudailycampus.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/23/3f6fc551b6118?in_archive=1

http://www.smudailycampus.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/09/24/3f712b4b35d2a?in_archive=1

Response to last link from Mr. J. Redwine Patterson that you will, most likely, not see in The Daily Campus.

Mr. Jeremy Roebuck, Editor
The Daily Campus
SMU Box 456
Dallas, TX 75275

Re: Opinion - September 24, 2003 Daily Campus
The claim that SMU lacks spirit
by David R. Hayden, Hughes-Trigg Business Manager

Dear Mr. Roebuck:

In the captioned letter, David R. Hayden (not an SMU graduate) mentioned the Spirit and Traditions Committee created by Dr. James E. Caswell, Vice-President for Student Affairs. Mr. Hayden stated this committee would revitalize our school spirit by having everyone wear red and blue on Friday, and "with the 'red sea' of shirts packed into Ford Stadium with cheers led from the field and echoed from both sides of the stands..."

By that, I presume he meant that we would somehow fill Ford Stadium with SMU students, alumni and fans who wear red shirts and encourage our team on to victory with cheers led by the cheerleaders.

After this letter was published, we played UTEP and Boise State at Ford Stadium. Before each game there was a pre-game purported "pep rally" at the Walker Plaza Memorial, which was attended by no one other than the band and the cheerleaders. There was no "red sea" of students, alumni and fans filling the stadium, nor were there any cheers echoing from both sides of the stands. Of the few students who were present at these games, most left at halftime as did many of the alumni and fans. The UTEP supporters almost outnumbered the SMU fans and the attendance at the Boise State game was the smallest since Ford Stadium opened in 2000.

So much for the Caswell/Hayden Spirit and Traditions Committee and the so-called school spirit revitalization program.

The Daily Campus should publish the mandate of this committee and list all the members and their jobs. Under the direction of Dr. Caswell as Vice-President of Student Affairs, his mechanism for our school spirit - or the lack thereof - is and has been a total disaster.

SMU is in dire straits. It is sending out an SOS, Save Our Spirit, but neither Dr. Caswell nor his Spirit and Traditions Committee have a clue as to how to do it!

The first step in this rescue is to place our school spirit mechanism under the control and supervision of our Athletic Department, who know and understand the dynamic relationship between our teams, the student body, alumni, fans, faculty and administration - and the cheerleaders and our great Mustang Band.

Sincerely,
J. Redwine Patterson, Class of 1948
Head Yell Leader, 1947-48
Student Council President, 1948-49

cc: Dr. Gerald R. Turner,
President, SMU

Dr. James Caswell
Vice-President of Student Affairs, SMU

Mr. Gerald J. Ford
Chairman, Board of Trustees, SMU

Coach Phil Bennett
Head football coach, SMU

Ms. Judith Banes
Director, Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, SMU

Mr. Jim Copeland
Director of Athletics, SMU

Mr. David Hayden
Hughes-Trigg Business Manager

<small>[ 10-28-2003, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: MrMustang1965 ]</small>

[Spaz]

HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA

[leadpony]

Stop namedropping.

I know from working with all those people which you mentioned above, that they all care deeply about SMU.

You have to start somewhere. And I applaud them for trying to start something.

Do you have any great ideas that you have had on the back-burner since 1967? If so please share and I am sure that all the people who you mentioned about, who work at SMU to make it a great place for students to enjoy their college experience to the fullest, will be happy to take note.

I graduated last year, and know that those people would do just about anything to transfer the spirit that they have for the school, into its students.

[MrMustang1965]

Originally posted by leadpony:
"Stop namedropping."

I quote or give credit to make sure that there's no mistake where the information is coming from.

"I know from working with all those people which you mentioned above, that they all care deeply about SMU."

I'm sure they do. It's just that their 'caring' is ill-conceived, in my opinion. Also, you work or have worked at SMU. You're biased.

"You have to start somewhere. And I applaud them for trying to start something."

What they've 'started' is the decline of student/fan participation.

"Do you have any great ideas that you have had on the back-burner since 1967? If so please share and I am sure that all the people who you mentioned about, who work at SMU to make it a great place for students to enjoy their college experience to the fullest, will be happy to take note."

Mr. Patterson has made suggestions to the parties mentioned. His suggestions, for the most part, have been ignored. My suggestion/idea/proposal parallels his: put the cheerleaders, SMU band, pom pom squad, etc. (all 'spirit-related' groups) under the Athletic Department. That's for starters.

"I graduated last year, and know that those people would do just about anything to transfer the spirit that they have for the school, into its students."

Congratulations on being in the 'workforce'. There is no 'orientation of spirit' for incoming students at SMU anymore. Incoming freshman are now whisked away to - of all places - GLEN ROSE,TX for their student orientation. Dr. Caswell believes that getting the new students 'off campus' and into a 'comfortable surrounding' is more beneficial to their overall orientation into SMU. There is no 'orientation' of SMU's traditions or heritage for them. Not that I'm advocating a 'history lesson on SMU' curriculum but do you know I've talked to students who don't even know who Doak Walker was and what he did? That's pitiful. I think The Daily Campus editorial board's ridiculous piece earlier this semester on changing the school's mascot to a 'bigger horse' was a mirror of just how far removed from the school's traditions and heritage the students have become.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Why the hell would the fans wear red if the
team wears navy?

:devil:

[PonySnob]

The only tradirion that has been established in the last 14 years is that we play very bad football.

[MrMustang1965]

Originally posted by DanFreibergerForHeisman:
Why the hell would the fans wear red if the
team wears navy?

:devil:

Go ask Dr. Caswell or David Hayden. They apparently 'know it all'! :wacko: (Maybe they want us to 'wear red' because we're also 'seeing red'!) :whistling:

[Ikus]

Originally posted by DanFreibergerForHeisman:
Why the hell would the fans wear red if the
team wears navy?

:devil:

Especially when the opponent wears red! Make it a sea of blue, if anything....

[Bergermeister]

because the TEAM wears navy. Get it?