The Pony Pod

On this episode of Ask the Expert, Remington Black sits down with Alex Alarcón, student body president at Southern Methodist University. Alex is a Hunt Scholar majoring in history and political science with minors in business and philosophy. In this conversation, Alex dives into what it's like to run for a student body president and offers advice to students wanting to join SMU Student Senate.

On this first episode of the Money Talks Podcast, Katie Bergelin is discussing all things girl math. Katie ventured around campus to ask students at SMU about their latest girl math purchases. She also sits down with Sydni Walker to talk about the unifying power of girl math, and Dr. Prasanthi Ramakrishnan helps Katie understand some of the economic terms that overlap in girl math.

On the inaugural episode of The Reel Deal, Katie Bergelin sits down with Chef Luke Froeb. Chef Froeb is a student at SMU and the founder of Pozzo Loco, a food truck that makes handcrafted pizzas for its patrons. Listen to this episode to learn more about the process of starting your own business and the behind-the-scenes of working in the restaurant industry.

In this episode, Hope Whitcraft sits down with one of SMU's Peruna handlers, Harrison Buecking. Their talk dives into what it means to be a Peruna handler, the process of becoming a handler, and some of the many misconceptions about what the job entails.

Join Zoë Rodriguez as she sits down with Olivia Arratia, a photographer and professor at SMU. Olivia Arratia received her AA from Brookhaven College, her BFA in photography and business from Texas Womens University and her MFA from SMU. Arratia’s work reflects the social, cultural, and religious aspect of Hispanic culture through photographic prints, sculptures and book art. We discuss her family life, her journey from Southern California to Texas, how she became a professor, her artistic journey, and a quick chat about roosters.

On this episode of Ask the Expert, join Bella Edmondson as she sits down with Will Brett, a current SMU junior, Mississippi native, and piano professional. They deep dive into the countless hours of practice and guidance that have helped propel him to achieve performing in front of an audience of 200 people. Will talks about the most challenging part of pursing a passion in college and offers advice to those who are doing the same. Finally, we discuss whats ahead for the young pianist and hear an excerpt of Will's talent.

Summer is coming and so are summer internships. Here's a story about an SMU student who landed her dream internship for this episode of Ask the Expert.

Student Leader Norma Elias is an eager, passionate, and optimistic SMU transfer student from Chihuahua, Mexico, who has nailed her dream internship. She shares how she worked up to get an internship with Bain and Company. Not only does Norma get her dream internship, but she has always been a go-getter. She is president of the ALPFA club and is in leadership positions in many others. She also had her entrepreneurship in 2020. Learn more about Norma and her love for working hard.

Cosplay is more than dressing up. It's an outlet that transitions a virtual love to tangible talent for gaming and anime. Anna Iorio began her journey in high school once she understood the purpose of what it meant to accept an idea others may think is weird. She wanted to show that she could bring virtual interests into the real world. Lorio separates herself from the herd by curating her creations through the arts of design and technology of computers. SMU Daily Campus's Saki Teng brings Anna Iorio, Gaming Cosplayer, to the Pony Pod's newest series, "Change the Game."

SMU Guildhall professor, esports founder and investor, David "Panda" Chen, discusses the business and development of organizations in esports like FaZe and Cloud 9. He touches up on his journey as an esports professional and the multiple outlooks that evolve within the industry.

Mary Price talks about what it's like to work as an advertising professional. She explained how she knew she wanted to work in advertising, how she got her first job, what it is like to work at different agencies, and what she has learned after years of experience in the field. I learned about her day-to-day as a Media Director and about some of the ups and downs of working in the industry. We discussed the most important skills to have in order to be successful in the ad industry and why she chose TRG. Lastly, I learned about what inspired Mary Price to want to teach at SMU.
Location: Zoom

Maddie Crisp is a driven and creative student who entered college with a goal: become Editor in Chief for SMU Look Magazine. From high school yearbook to her first year entry level position on the staff as Digital Writer, Maddie had her eye on the top position and fabulously climbed the ropes throughout her three years. Now that she has achieved this goal, Maddie discusses the path she took to pursue her dream, as well as how others can follow in her footsteps. Editor in Chief is not an easy position. Listen to hear how Maddie makes it seem so effortless.

At Prairie View A&M, it was three straight tournament appearances. At Baylor, it was a national championship. At Michigan, it was the team's best finish ever. Now, at SMU, women's basketball head coach Toyelle Wilson has began the turnaround of the SMU women's basketball program. With a new defensive identity and excellent recruiting, she has quickly placed the team on the doorstep of conference championship contention. Today, I talked with Coach Wilson about the lessons she has learned from basketball both on and off the court, her influences in coaching and the current state of the Mustangs.

Isolated narratives from transfer students are individual stories. However, these personal stories indicate collective concerns about SMU and what motivates students to leave. In this special episode of The Pony Pod, the DC's Simone Melvin talks to three former students about transferring from SMU.

What reasons do people have for leaving? And what can the school do better?

For the final episode of The Fine Print, the DC's Simone Melvin talks to SMU alumna and professor, Samantha Mabry. Her most recent novel, "Tigers, Not Daughters" is a BCCB Blue Ribbon List title and was awarded Best Young Adult Book by Kirkus Reviews, SLJ, and Shelf Awareness.

"Tigers, Not Daughters" weaves a complex story about grief, family, and ghosts. The narrative is told from the point-of-view of three sisters in San Antonio as they navigate the loss of their oldest sister who comes back to haunt them. Mabry talks about the novel, her writing process, and her theories on ghosts in the finale episode of The Fine Print on The Pony Pod. 

In this episode of “Ask the Expert,” Mary Palmer Roberts talks to Professor Brenda Demith as she discusses her experience in the marketing field. 

Demith is an adjunct professor of marketing at SMU. Before teaching part-time, she had 20 years of experience in the professional marketing field. Demith has worked for brands such as Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, along with larger marketing agencies. Demith explains the different niches of a marketing career, such as branding or marketing research through her own involvement in the field.

Thinking of joining a service organization on campus? Mustangs for Hope is the perfect way to get involved.
In this episode of Ask the Expert, Ariana Aswari talks to Lily Hendricks, a senior at SMU and president of Mustangs for Hope. Hendricks talks about her position in the organization, communicates the challenges she's faced, and gives advice to anyone aspiring to be in a leadership position. The senior is a third-year member at Mustangs for Hope, a non-profit organization that tutors kids virtually over zoom. The organization has seen its impact within the South and West Dallas schools. In the club, a tutor and a student are paired and meet once a week for an hour over zoom. SMU students serve as mentors to give these kids educational skills and guidance outside of the classroom to help further their academic skills.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the DC's Simone Melvin talks to Dallas-based author Alex Temblador about her newest gritty fantasy, "Half Outlaw." Motorcycles, magical realism, and a main character with a mixed identity – Temblador about these themes and more in her debut into Adult Fiction. 

The start of a college school year often means meeting new people and exploring new relationships. Ali Drucker, author and former sex and relationships editor at Cosmo and Maxim, offers a judgment-free guide to sex and relationships for young women in "Do As I Say, Not Who I Did." The DC's Simone Melvin talks to Drucker about consent, sexual health, and feeling in control of one's own bodily decisions.

SMU alumna Averie Bishop makes history as the first Asian American to be crowned Miss Texas. The Daily Campus talked to Bishop about everything from her experience in the competition, to her favorite Filipino food, to her next steps as a Miss America competitor.

Hunter S. Thompson's "The Rum Diary" is, in many ways, the Wolf of Wall Street for journalism. Its hedonistic, alcohol-drenched characters are allegedly based off Thompson's real-life escapades as a young reporter - and the book's 2011 movie adaptation was the catalyst for Johnny Depp (a close friend of Thompson) and Amber Heard's relationship. 

For the season finale of Book Blab, Simone and Audrey dive into Thompson's story of freelance American journalist Paul Kemp in 1950's Puerto Rico and all of its rum-induced, outrageous, and often reprehensible glory.

CW: Discussion of sexual violence

Few books are as enduring as Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" – first published in 1813. The DC's Simone Melvin and SMU Senior Elizabeth Hamill dive into why Austen's most-loved book refuses to fade into obscurity, the best Pride and Prejudice movie (Keira Knightley isn't everyone's favorite), and why series like Bridgerton keep pulling us back in to the world of Regency England.

Pearl S. Buck’s “The Good Earth” – the story of a turn-of-the-century Chinese farmer's tumultuous rise to luxuriant prosperity – attracted readers of all kinds during the book’s 1931 publication.

The DC's Simone Melvin speaks with DC Editor-in-Chief Audrey McClure about the novel's ability to inspire solidarity between its protagonist Wang Lung and readers across borders, race and time. 

James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” routinely tops lists of Baldwin must-reads – and yet, it seems to be the work that the 21st century is least interested in.

The DC’s Simone Melvin speaks with SMU Senior Caroline Roman about “Giovanni’s Room’s” powerful treatment of self-discovery and queer identity through its protagonist David, a young, closeted American in France who enters into a relationship with an Italian bartender, Giovanni. 

Tanya Foster talks about what it means to be an influencer and reflects on the pandemic. Wardrobe stylist and personal shopper Tenni King discusses her role as a personal shopper, and Jeremy Edge, LPC explains the effects behind increased screen-use and online shopping addiction.

College admissions are more competitive than ever, and SMU is no exception. So, who gets into SMU and why?

SMU’s dean of undergraduate admission Elena D. Hicks gives a behind the scenes glimpse into admitting the newest classes of incoming Mustangs and how diverse classes come together at SMU each year. Hicks, who has over 30 years of admissions experience, points out that there are many types of diversity.

As SMU strives to be a global university, Hicks and her team seek to bring in students that represent a range of ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic diversities. Hicks also touches on the recent affirmative action Supreme Court cases, which is once again drawing into question the role of race-conscious admissions practices and their value to college campuses across the United States.

SMU celebrates its 57th annual Women’s Symposium on March 2 in celebration of Women’s History Month. The Symposium is organized by members of CORE, the student planning committee. This year’s theme is “Lift As We Climb,” a phrase that originates with Black women’s fight for the right to vote. The keynote speaker this year is Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement.

In this episode of Ask the Expert, Simone Melvin talks with CORE chair Sylvia Bloom about her role and insight on the Symposium.

Sylvia is a senior transfer student at SMU. She served as the Community Outreach Coordinator for CORE last year and is currently working with the Women and LGBT Center director, Dr. Sidney Gardner, and the rest of the student organization to plan the event.

Simone and Sylvia discuss the importance of understanding the history of the phrase, “Lift As We Climb.” They consider the role that Tarana plays in the theme, and what this phrase means for the future of the Symposium.

Simone Melvin is a member of CORE.

Recorded in Fondren Library at SMU.

It's been 1 year since the world as we know it has been changed by COVID-19. Join Daily Campus writer Lauren Rangel as she explores personal stories from the past year about life amidst the pandemic. This episode will be discussing phase 5: The Frontlines. Thank you for tuning into this series. Stay tuned for next month, where we will be debunking myths at SMU!

It's been 1 year since the world as we know it has been changed by COVID-19. Join Daily Campus writer Lauren Rangel as she explores personal stories from the past year about life amidst the pandemic. This episode will be discussing phase 4: Disparities. Tune back in next Monday for phase 5!

It's been 1 year since the world as we know it has been changed by COVID-19. Join Daily Campus writer Lauren Rangel as she explores personal stories from the  past year about life amidst the pandemic. This episode will be discussing phase 3: Relationships. Tune back in next Monday for phase 4!

It's been 1 year since the world as we know it has been changed by COVID-19. Join Daily Campus writer Lauren Rangel as she explores personal stories from the past year about life amidst the pandemic. This episode will be discussing phase 2: Mental Health. Tune back in next Monday for phase 3!

It's been 1 year since the world as we know it has been changed by COVID-19. Join Daily Campus writer Lauren Rangel as she explores personal stories from the past year about life amidst the pandemic. This episode will be discussing phase 1: the lockdown. Tune back in next Monday for phase 2!