An evening filled with the Stampede of Mustang Spirit

DALLAS (SMU) – Glow sticks, music by the SMU Mustang Band and shining cupolas lit up the campus on Sept. 19 at the first Friday Night Stampede, a block party celebrating 100 years of SMU spirit.

SMU students, alumni, families and friends enjoyed an evening of fun and festivities before SMU football's first home game on Saturday against Texas A&M.

SMU cheerleaders and Peruna were on hand to welcome fans to the stampede on Mustang Mall, located east of Westcott Field between the Doak Walker Plaza and the Mustangs sculpture. The evening also featured food trucks, giveaways and special recognition of student and alumni donors. Mustangs and friends were encouraged to wear red SMU spirit wear.

The evening's events included:

Dedication of new Mustang Band Hall: Five times larger than its previous space, the new band hall features an expanded rehearsal hall, enhanced practice rooms and an outdoor performance plaza designed to showcase SMU's traditional hub of campus spirit, the Mustang Band.

Block Party: Face painting, food trucks, pompoms, popsicles, popcorn, Peruna, glow sticks, music and plenty of Mustang spirit were available.

Mustang Band Concert

Pep rally at Doak Walker Plaza

Ceremonial cupola lighting at Armstrong Commons and Laura Lee Blanton Building: Two campus cupolas were lit for the first time, the beginning of a new campus celebratory tradition. In addition, alumni and student donors who have joined the 2014-15 Mustang Stampede were honored.

The Mustang Stampede is SMU’s opportunity during The Second Century Campaign to set a new record for alumni giving and join the elite company of only 25 schools with both a top-60 U.S. News ranking and an undergraduate alumni giving rate higher than 25 percent. To meet the Stampede goal, SMU is seeking 13,625 alumni donors by May 31, 2015.

For more information, visit http://blog.smu.edu/community/2014/08/07/mustang-stampede-2014/.