After delays from winter weather and COVID-19, Speaking of Simpson is back with new episodes for the Spring 2022 term. This week's guest is Leigh Mlodzik, vice president of enrollment at Simpson, who talks about the process of recruiting and enrolling new students at Simpson — and how technology and data are changing the competitive world of college admissions in the third decade of the 21st Century.

In the program's 11th year, Simpson's Speech, Debate & Mock Trial programs already are off to a terrific start of the season and looking to build on winning yet another national championship in debate — and becoming national powers in speech and mock trial. Director Spencer Waugh and Assistant Director Marisa Mayo are guests this week to talk about the season and how it's helping students prepare their professional lives.

'I don't get much sleep that's for sure,' laughs Jesse Allen. And who can blame the Simpson '13 grad? He's developing a career as a podcaster and farm broadcaster, being heard on a national network and on SiriusXM, working out of Nashville. And he's also a rising independent country music singer-songwriter and touring musician. Allen comes on the podcast this week to talk about how Simpson helped him grow as a professional and risk-taker.

Simpson College students turned out to vote at a record-high 75.3% rate in 2020, according to data from from the National Study of Learning, Voting & Engagement. Seth Andersen of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center and Elise Sturgeon, a student ambassador with the Andrew Goodman Foundation, stop by the podcast to talk about Simpson's successes in promoting civic engagement and student voting rates.

The study of history at Simpson College isn't dry professors lecturing to passive students. it's an active process in which students play the roles of historical figures to learn how history might have turned out. Nick Proctor, one of the Simpson professors who teaches with the Reacting To The Past method, comes on the podcast this week to talk about how Simpson students learn that history is much more than the simply recitation of names, dates and events.

Simpson College is launching its new academic program for first-year students this fall. Simpson Foundations is a two-semester experience focusing on civic engagement and student well-being in the fall semester, and on diversity, equity and inclusion in the spring term. Foundations Director Sal Meyers comes on the podcast this week to talk about the program and how it fits into Simpson's mission and core values.

Simpson College not only offers an outstanding liberal arts education for traditional students, but it also reaches out to non-traditional learners with continuing, graduate and online programs. New CG&O Dean Jennifer Miller joins the podcast this week to talk about what she brings to her leadership of the program as well as its hopes for the future.

Simpson's growing Honors program is the focus of this week's podcast, with Director Katie Smith joining us to talk about the functions of the program and what students can get by taking part.

Simpson College recently announced it would add men's and women's gymnastics and men's volleyball to its roster of NCAA Division III sports starting in Fall 2022. Athletic Director Marty Bell comes on the podcast this week to discuss those new athletic opportunities, along with other initiatives inn Simpson's athletic programs.