The SMSU Podcast
The official podcast of Southwest Minnesota State University. A curated catalog of academics, athletics and alumni.
Episodes
In this episode, Dr. Daniel Rieppel previews the upcoming Southwest Minnesota Orchestra concert, highlighting the musical selections and themes that will shape the performance. He discusses the significance of the featured composers, the emotional and historical context behind the music, and what audiences can expect from this season’s opening concert.
The episode also celebrates Dr. Rieppel’s 25th anniversary as the orchestra’s ...
In this episode, Charlotte Wahle, Director of Admissions at SMSU, joins the show to ease the worries of going through the college admissions journey. Whether you're a high school student, parent, or educator, this conversation offers valuable insights into:
- What students should know before applying to college
- Key deadlines and tips for navigating the admissions timeline
- How SMSU supports prospective students through personaliz...
The SMSU Creative Writing and English Program hosts prominent authors on campus as part of its ongoing Visiting Writers Series. This semester, SMSU is proud to welcome Heid E. Erdrich for a public reading on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 7:00 pm in Charter Hall 201. Erdrich is the author of nine books of poetry and prose as well as a teacher and curator.
Her reading is the first installment of the visiting writer series for the 2025-26 ac...
Homecoming 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting celebrations yet at Southwest Minnesota State University! In this episode, Hannah Abel, Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, joins us to preview the full slate of events happening on campus.
🏟️ Highlights include:
- Saturday Morning Mustang Radio Show – Kick off the day with live updates from Mustang Athletics coaches and staff at Extra Innings & Varsity Pub...
This week, SMSU highlights Cecelia Parmeter, a dedicated Culinology student, who shares her experience helping launch this semester's Mustang Kitchen on campus. The episode explores:
- Cecelia’s journey through the Culinology program at SMSU.
- The vision and purpose behind the Mustang Kitchen.
- Insights into the hands-on learning opportunities the kitchen pr...
This week, we have Ashton Ayres, Assistant Director of the Student Center at Southwest Minnesota State University, join us to talk about Family Weekend and other exciting campus events. Ashton highlights the variety of activities planned for students and their families, including:
- Athletic events like football, volleyball, and soccer games.
- Student-led entertainment, su...
This week we have Nadine Purvis Schmidt, SMSU Theatre Professor, to talk about her performance during her sabbatical this semester! The show is titled “Apples in Winter“, written by Jennifer Faucet, and is a single performer show, and Nadine goes over what all goes into preparing for a one performer show. The show is free admission with a free-will donation and will be performed on September 24th and 25th at 7:30 pm i...
This week, we have Hannah Abel joining us to cover a few of the events happening on campus that the community should definitely be aware of!
First, we discuss the incredible opportunity presented by the Women’s Leadership Conference and its impressive lineup of speakers. The conference will be held on September 18, 2025, starting at 8:00 a.m. If any SMSU students are interested in attending, the sign-up ...
This week, we introduce SMSU’s Interim President, Dr. David Jones, who brings 14 years of experience from Minnesota State University and looks to continue the success that SMSU has had over the past few years in enrollment. Dr. Jones reviews his journey that has led him to SMSU and what he and his family are excited about in Marshall, Minnesota.
This week, President Kumara Jayasuriya has served as Southwest Minnesota State University’s president for six years, starting in 2019. We discussed his successes at SMSU with him and what he will miss most. He will retire after the 2025 spring commencement. President Jayasuriya will be greatly missed here on campus as he helped grow SMSU during his tenure.
This week, we have Alyssa Miessner, Assistant Director of Development, on to talk about the Fourth Annual M4L Day of Giving. The event is to call upon the Mustang Family to support current Mustangs in a variety of different ways! There are timed challenges, matching goals, and so many other opportunities to support SMSU!
This week, the first STEM Symposium will be taking place on campus, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Trachette Jackson, Associate Vice President for Research, DEI Initiatives, and University Diversity and Social Transformation at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The topic of her keynote is “Mobilizing Mathematics”.
The Natural History Museum is located in the Science and Math building on SMSU's campus. The Museum recently underwent a facelift with the help of both Katie and Alyssa, who gathered funding and helped see the completion of the new Natural History Museum.
The Museum has many more interactive spaces and engaging displays that you won't be able to keep your eyes off—ranging from usable microscopes to a sma...
The English department puts on the creative writing series to showcase what students can do once they earn their degree at SMSU. Nick Northrup, aka Crowfather, is this year’s featured guest.
Nick and Jesse go over how SMSU can help students make a career with a creative writing degree, along with Nick’s journey at SMSU and how his experiences here have helped him get to where he is today!
Throughout April, SMSU hosts events featuring many of our different programs, including English, Music, Theatre, and more! Each area on campus has different events to highlight the work students do!
This week we get a preview of this spring's Theatre performance, “SHOUT The MOD Musical”. Sheila and Olivia go through the process of what it takes to get a musical up and running, talking about everything from costumes to stage direction and choreography!
This week, we walk through the different concerts that will be put on with Dr. Daniel Rieppel and the Music Department as a whole! We also go over some work that Dr. Rieppel has been working on with the Bill Holmes Documentary
This week, we go over questions you might have about the FAFSA and what you’ll need to do in preparing for college! We also discuss other options besides just filling out the FAFSA.
This week, Housing sign-up has opened for on-campus residents starting on the 25th with Juniors and moving down through future students. Jerry goes over everything students need to know and may have questions about when it comes to living on campus and how many opportunities students have to save money while living on campus through the opt-on advantage plan!
This week, SMSU has brought back one of our alumni, Cassie Williams ‘07/’16, for a poetry reading on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6:30 in the Whipple Gallery on campus! Cassie’s writing covers all aspects of her life, from her work advocating for marginalized groups to her life as a woman of color and mother to five children. Michele spoke about her work in Access Opportunity Success and supporting students during their SMSU jour...
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