I was asked recently to speak at an SMU J-Term luncheon. They wanted me to give a mini-ad for the store, but I was more interested in encouraging students to take advantage of what’s available to them while at SMU. After all, we wouldn’t be near as successful as a store without the support of the local alumni groups and SMU supporters!

What was supposed to be a brief two-minute store promotion turned into a five-minute lecture on attending football games. The statement “Put down your beer and go to the game” might have been made. But what is true is that you can’t sit in your student section and get away with being that outrageous and spirited forever. That guy is so annoying sitting with the grown ups on the other side of the stadium. I know. I was chastised for holding a sign at a game. It annoyed those around me. But the apathy of the alumni side of SMU’s stadium is an entirely different post.

Truly – what I said to those 200 J-Term students is true. This is such an amazing time in your life to be a student. You don’t get it back. I went to nearly every game in the Cotton Bowl, sat with the Kappa Sigma’s and cheered my heart out. I may or may not have attended my first game in khaki shorts, an SMU tee and ball cap from the bookstore. But that, my friends, is part of why I now own the store. I promise to be your sporty personal shopper and you can not only cheer for SMU, but look good doing it. And that does mean wearing something other than the standard issue uniform of short dress and cowboy boots. You can keep the boots. They’re cute, but I’ve got quite a few other fun things for you.

As I step off my soapbox, please hear me: Be stylish, be cute, flirt with a boy or girl, but go to the game! You only get a few of them in your life as a student and there’s truly nothing like being a part of the crowd.