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    The Hilltop Diaries

    SMU Cox students know that classmates who play together stay together

    Jennifer Kesterson
    Apr 9, 2014 | 10:02 am
    SMU Cox students at happy hour
    SMU Cox students enjoying happy hour.
    Photo courtesy of Jennifer Kesterson

    Hello again. The past two weeks have definitely been busy. We have hit the halfway mark of our last module this semester (our semesters are divided into two eight-week mods, so, lucky us, we have to go through two sets of midterms and final exams each semester), and things are starting to wind down for the school year.

    The life of a business school student, as I’ve told you before, is busy with crazy amounts of schoolwork, projects and everything in between. But weekly social events also fill up our calendars.

    March has been the busiest month socially since starting school back in August. We kicked off the month with spring break, moved into St. Patty’s Day with plenty of gatherings along Greenville Avenue, did a little two-stepping with our classmates at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth (which included an organized bus ride there and back with dinner at the famous Joe T. Garcia’s), and then wrapped up the month with an incredible time at a classmate’s gorgeous spot out on Possum Kingdom Lake. I looked at my calendar this week, and all of the sudden the month of March was gone.

    Being social, networking and creating long-lasting relationships are all things I feel are just as important as making good grades.

    School was extremely hectic, but so was life outside the classroom. One thing I really love about business school is that we all work hard every day during the week, but when the weekend hits, we definitely know how to relax and enjoy life.

    April has pretty much started off the same way. Midterms wrapped up last Thursday, and we got together with all of SMU at Barley House to cheer on our Mustangs in the NIT Basketball Championship. It was pretty incredible to see what our basketball program has become since I was an undergrad, and I can't wait to see what the next season brings.

    On top of our weekend social activities, we also participate in SMU Cox sponsored events. Two weekends ago Cox hosted the annual International Festival, where we dressed up in our favorite cultural clothes, enjoyed food from various continents and watched performances by our classmates. It was an incredible party to say the least!

    This past Friday we participated in the annual “sneak preview” weekend for the incoming class. We gave them more insight into our program and everything that SMU Cox offers. The day was jam packed with staff introductions, student panels giving advice and answering questions, information sessions about various programs offered to all students, and a farewell cocktail party to close out the day.

    Being social, networking and creating long-lasting relationships are all things I feel are just as important as making good grades. As I said in my last post, the people you see every day in the classroom are not only your friends, but also your new professional network. We are headed down different professional paths, and it’s great to know that we have contacts across various industries and functions.

    Who knows when we will need to pick up the phone and call a classmate for a favor, a lead or an introduction in the future? It’s all about building personal and professional networks, and I definitely feel SMU Cox has ensured solid ones for all of us.

    SMU Cox students enjoying happy hour.

    SMU Cox students at happy hour
    Photo courtesy of Jennifer Kesterson
    SMU Cox students enjoying happy hour.
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    Merry & bright news

    Dallas makes Santa's nice list as 2nd most festive U.S. city in 2025

    Amber Heckler
    Nov 28, 2025 | 11:15 am
    Klyde Warren Park Christmas tree
    Getty Images
    Dallas sparkles and shines for the holidays.

    In merry and bright news, Dallas has landed a coveted spot near the top of a 2025 ranking of America's most festive cities.

    Home services platform Thumbtack analyzed holiday light installation requests from customers from October 2024 to 2025 to determine the most festive U.S. cities. Rankings were based on the "relative frequency" of requests after being adjusted for the population of each state and metro area.

    Dallas comes in at No. 2.

    Dallas has been resting easy at the top of Santa's nice list since 2022. But the city's festive spirit has yet to dethrone Austin, which has held on to the top spot for four years in a row.

    There's plenty of dazzling shows illuminating Dallas-Fort Worth for the holidays, including drive-thru light parks and CultureMap's very own ice rink at Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas.

    Other festive holiday events happening around Dallas include many more local ice rinks, pop-up bars, plus volunteer opportunities to give back to the local community. Readers can also keep up with all of Dallas' holiday happenings in CultureMap's season-long editorial series.

    Other big Texas cities like Houston and San Antonio also all landed top-10 spots, proving the Lone Star State is much more festive than the rest of the country.

    "From Texas to Florida, the South is setting the standard for holiday spirit, and in true Texas fashion, bigger is definitely brighter," the report said. "Mild winters and a strong sense of community keep the Lone Star State shining at the top."

    Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

    • No. 1 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
    • No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
    • No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
    • No. 5 – Sacramento, California
    • No. 6 – Houston, Texas
    • No. 7 – San Francisco, California
    • No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
    • No. 9 – San Antonio, Texas
    • No. 10 – Atlanta, Georgia
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