The loud slam of a dresser drawer echoes throughout the hallway of the Chi Omega sorority house as senior Claire Schmidt looks for her well-worn, lucky, game-day jersey. The framed picture of Southern Methodist University’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium on her wall clatters from the force of her frustration. Two hours stand between her and kickoff.
Known for never missing an SMU football game, Claire’s face burns a fiery color as she continues to drudge through her clothes. After spending four years on campus, she refused to be marked absent for her last, on-campus SMU football game against the University of Houston.