The SMSU Podcast

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Julie Walker, alongside SMSU Senior Morgan Hughes, recaps their experience attending one of SMSU's study abroad programs in San Salvador, Bahamas.
SMSU students registered in SMSU Marine & Island Ecology in the Bahamas (GLBL 499/499L) with Drs. Alyssa Anderson and Shelby Flint. Students registered during the Fall semester for this study abroad program, which took place during spring break, paying a $3,000 program fee, plus regular tuition and fees. Three Faculty members and nine SMSU students from various backgrounds formed this incredible group to do different activities, including research, exploring new spaces in the ocean and caves, snorkeling, along with many more exciting experiences.
For more information about SMSU abroad program in the Bahamas, contact Dr. Alyssa Anderson by email at Alyssa.Anderson@smsu.edu or by phone at (507) 537-6443.

SMSU Forensics/Speech Team Member, Jenna Zeug, and Associate Professor of Communications, Benjamin Walker, gives us an update on SMSU's Forensics Team and its most recent trip to Mankato for the annual Minnesota State Speech and Debate championship.
SMSU Forensics Team members won many accolades with Jenna Zeug being 4th in the After Dinner Speaking, 4th in Dramatic Interpretation, and was the Minnesota State Champion in Informative Speaking. Zeug was also named to the Minnesota All-State Team. Team members Nedoh Gyi and Lexi Weber were also finalists, taking 3rd place in Duo Interpretation. 
The SMSU Forensic Team provides students with an opportunity to expand and develop critical thinking, presentation, research, interpretation, leadership and social skills.  The activity is open to all students enrolled at the university regardless of major or previous experience.
The team attends approximately twenty intercollegiate competitions throughout the academic year from late September through April. In addition, the team hosts two high school tournaments (one in March and the other in April) each year. High School speech workshops, activity fairs, showcase performances, and other student activities have also been part of the team’s activities.
The Forensics Team wraps up their regular season competition and will be competing at the Asynchronous Speech Championship, March 22-25 and the National Forensic Association Championship, April 13-15 at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. 
For more information about SMSU's Forensics Team please contact Benjamin Walker by e-mail, Benjamin.Walker@smsu.edu or by phone (507)-537-6126. 

Regional Consumer Banking Director and Member of the Steering Committee for SMSU's Foundation Women's Leadership Conference, Cindy Verschaetse, gives us a preview on this year's Women's Leadership Conference. The conference theme is "Flourish, Grow, and Lead", with guest keynote speaker, Jennifer Fauz, an equipment and finance industry veteran. Jennifer is an experienced sales leader with demonstrated success in the financial services industry. The conference also hosts different guest speakers during the day. 
This year's conference was first schedule for March 16, 2023; however, due to weather, the conference was postponed to October 25, 2023. 
Join women in leveraging strengths, building networks, and growing communities. This in-person Women's Leadership Conference gathers women in all stages of their leadership journey for a day that energizes and inspires!
For more information about the event, please contact the SMSU Alumni office by e-mail SMSU.Alumni@smsu.edu or (507)-537-6483.
 

Director of Bands and Professor of Music, John Ginocchio, gives us a preview on the SMSU Ensemble upcoming concert and tour.  The SMSU Jazz Ensemble with guest artist, Tom "Bones" Malone with the Worthington High School Jazz Band will perform at the Memorial Auditorium in Worthington, MN at 7:00pm on March 27, 2023, and at 7:30pm at SMSU Fine Arts Theatre on March 28. 
The SMSU Ensemble will also perform at our Spring Concert featuring new works and several favorites of the year on April 17, 2023. 
The SMSU Jazz Ensemble performs a variety of standard and new jazz works of all difficulty levels and styles. Emphasis is placed on the authentic performance of this truly American style of music and enhancing technical and theoretical skills associated with playing this music. 
As part of the SMSU Band's Guest Artist Series the Jazz Ensemble hosts and performs with guest jazz performers from around the country. Recent guest-clinicians have included:Larry McWilliams, trumpet (2007); Dr. Michael Flack, piano (2008); Jim Snidero, alto saxophone (2009); Dennis Wilson, trombone (2010); Dr. Matthew Murdock, trumpet (2010); Rodney Whitaker, bass (2011); Michael Philip Mossman, trumpet (2012); Antonio Hart, alto saxophone (2013); Dr. Bill Prince, multi-instrumentalist (2014); Conrad Herwig, trombone (2015); Mike Clark, drum set (2016); Larry McWilliams, trumpet (2016); Rob Dixon, tenor saxophone (2017); Eduardo Tami, flute (2017); the Dakota Jazz Collective (2017); Denis DiBlasio, bari sax/flute (2019); Bill Huber, trombone (2020); Dr. Oliver Nelson, flute (2021); and Allison Miller. drum set (2022).
This year the Jazz Ensemble will host Tom "Bones" Malone, Trombone, Multi-instrumentalist and Arranger -- Jazz Residency -- March 26-28, 2023. 
For more information about SMSU Jazz Ensemble contact Dr. John Ginocchio by email john.ginocchio@smsu.edu or by phone at (507) 537-7209

Director of the TRIO Upward Bound Program, Amy Nemitz, gives us an update on SMSU's Upward Bound Program grant awards totaling nearly $3M from the Department of Education, and the program's ultimate goal: to get High school students into college, either a 2-year or 4-year school. 
The Mission of Southwest Minnesota State University's Upward Bound Program is to increase the college entrance and completion rates among our community's youth & inspire them to become responsible community leaders & contributors. Our program seeks to achieve this by instilling academic skills, motivation, and college readiness in our program participants. We will focus on the importance of "five wells".  SMSU's Upward Bound students will be WELL read, WELL spoken, WELL traveled, WELL dressed, and WELL balanced!
TRIO Upward Bound is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of TRIO Upward Bound is to provide participants with college preparation and opportunities that will enhance their ability to succeed in their higher education endeavors. The Upward Bound Program of SMSU serves Marshall High School, Yellow Medicine East High School, and Worthington High School grades 9-12. Participants in the Upward Bound program receive academic tutoring in all core subject areas from math and science to English and literature, as well as, additional opportunities to take part in college visits, environmental learning, cultural enrichment, and career exploration. In the summer, Upward Bound offers a 6-week program at SMSU where students take part in summer classes Monday-Friday and have planned trips to colleges, museums, environmental centers, and other destinations that offer educational and cultural experiences to broaden their understanding of the world they live in.
Upward Bound strives to assist underrepresented students in postsecondary education and offer them positive academic and cultural experiences that encourage the continuation of education beyond high school. It is the honor of the Upward Bound staff at SMSU to help students achieve their dreams and succeed in all they wish to do. The Upward Bound staff at SMSU have a passion for working with new generations of students and watching them thrive as they continue their participation in the TRIO Upward Bound Program.
For more information about the TRIO Upward Bound Program, contact the TRIO Office at Amy.Nemitz@smsu.edu or 507-537-7376

SAAC Committee members Lexy Gilbert and Emily Van Roekel, alongside SMSU soccer coach Clayson Glasgow talked about SMSU's Student Athlete Advisory Committee and its initiatives: It's A Slam Dunk-Don't Drive Drunk, It's on Us-Sexual Assault Awareness, Make-A-Wish support, Mental Health Awareness, and the Green Bandana Project. 
The student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) is made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight into the student-athlete experience. SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses.SMSU's SAAC advisor is Clayson Glasgow. For more information on SMSU SAAC, e-mail clayson.glasgow@smsu.edu or call 507-537-6648.Presently, there are separate national SAACs for NCAA Divisions I, II and III. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses. Further, NCAA legislation requires that all member conferences have SAACs
 

Associate Professor of Agricultural Education Dr. Kristin Kovar previews the upcoming Ag Bowl Scholarship Invite.
SMSU will host the 12th Annual Ag Bowl Scholarship Invitational, presented by Ralco Nutrition of Marshall, on Friday, February 3, 2023. SMSU will welcome close to 1,000 FFA students from across the state back to the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University for this year’s invitational. 
The Ag Bowl Scholarship Invite is a competition for FFA members to participate in FFA-certified Career Development Events (CDEs). Students can compete individually and as a team. The top FFA chapter will receive $500, the second-place chapter will receive $300, and a randomly selected chapter will receive $200. In team competition, each member of the first-place team will be awarded $500 in scholarship dollars and each member on the second-place team will receive $250 in scholarship dollars to SMSU. Individual CDE winners will receive scholarship dollars to SMSU: $500 to first-place winners and $250 to second-place winners.  The goal is to bring more awareness to high school students through this invitational, while giving them the opportunity to challenge themselves in several different CDEs. Proceeds from Ag Bowl and the Ag Bowl Scholarship Invitational help to fund scholarships and programming to SMSU students and young people who dedicate their careers to business success in agriculture, environmental science, and the food industries. SMSU's educational programs in agriculture, environmental science, and food arts & sciences develop young people who spend their careers working to grow the economic success of the agricultural industry.
In addition to the title sponsor, Ralco Nutrition of Marshall, this year’s sponsors include: AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Lyon County Corn & Soybean Growers, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council.
For information on the Ag Bowl Scholarship Invitational, contact the SMSU Foundation at  agbowlsi@smsu.edu or (507)537-6266.
#DiscoverEngageLead

Dean of Students/Associate VP of Student Affairs Scott Crowell gives us an update as Tropical Night approaches. SMSU celebrates Winter Meltdown with a series of events Feb. 6-11, 2023. This year’s theme is “It’s Time to BeReal at SMSU.”
Winter Meltdown is an annual SMSU tradition. A time for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to participate in fun activities to help beat the ‘winter blues.’ The week culminates with the traditional Tropical Night basketball games and alumni social.
SMSU is a four-year public university offering a high quality education in the liberal arts and professions to prepare you for a life that is successful both personally and professionally. SMSU has grown into a university of choice with high national rankings, producing scholars who become the leaders, thinkers, and entrepreneurs of the future.#DiscoverEngageLead #M4L #LetsRide
 

20 sports | 1 team.
Southwest Minnesota State University's Director of Athletics Jen Flowers provides an update as the winter seasons of Mustang Athletics continues, while the spring competition schedule is fast approaching. 
Flowers, who began her duties on July 1, recently completed her third season as the commissioner of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and has spent 15 years in administrative roles at the intercollegiate level. She becomes the first female Director of Athletics in University history to oversee both the women’s and men’s programs.
SMSU is a four-year public university offering a high quality education in the liberal arts and professions to prepare you for a life that is successful both personally and professionally. SMSU has grown into a university of choice with high national rankings, producing scholars who become the leaders, thinkers, and entrepreneurs of the future.#DiscoverEngageLead #M4L #LetsRide

Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra explains the $350 million funding request the system is proposing during the 2023 legislation session for the FY2024-2025 biennial budget.
Chancellor Malhotra engaged with campus leaders, stakeholders and community members at 12 different listening sessions across the state to help understand and formulate the proposal.
The resounding theme derived from the sessions was that investing in Minnesota State is an investment in the future economic vitality of the region and prosperity of the communities in which the system’s colleges and universities are located in. 
The $350 million dollar proposal focuses on three main efforts:
A tuition freeze and an expansion of open education resources
Growth & advancement of Minnesota's workforce development
Student support & closing the equity gap
 The upcoming legislation session presents a unique opportunity for the state to make an investment in higher education and make direct impact on Minnesota State’s ability to meet the need of students and workforce needs across the state of Minnesota. Southwest Minnesota State University is a four-year public university offering a high quality education in the liberal arts and professions to prepare you for a life that is successful both personally and professionally. SMSU has grown into a university of choice with high national rankings, producing scholars who become the leaders, thinkers, and entrepreneurs of the future.
#DiscoverEngageLead | #LetsRide