The SMSU Podcast

This week, we bring on the Director of the show, “Come From Away”, Professor of Theatre Shelia Tabaka, and cast member and SMSU student, JJ Ostenson, to talk through what went into the decision to perform “Come From Away”, and all the work in and out of the theatre!  With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 this fall, the Entertainment and Theatre Arts program felt it necessary to perform a show about the aftermath of 9/11.

This week, we're joined by Director of Admissions Charlotte Wahle to walk through how SMSU is making the college admissions process easier for future Mustangs! We have a big admissions event coming up on Friday, October 16th, where you can register here: https://www.smsu.edu/admission/discover-day.html. You’ll get a sense of what day-to-day life at SMSU will be like! You’ll tour campus, experience what a lecture feels like, and enjoy a free lunch in our cafeteria!

This week, we bring on Assistant Professor of English/Director of Creative Writing Jessica Hennen to talk about a series the creative writing program puts on once a semester titled “Creative Conversations.” For the fall semester, the Creative Writing program partnered with the Entertainment and Theatre Arts Program and brought in Stephen Markley, an author and writer for Only Murders in the Building, to talk with current SMSU students who have an interest in creative writing and all the different ways you can use that degree to fuel your passion!    

This week, Jasmine DeSmet, Director of Alumni Relations, joins the Campus Update to go over the exciting activities planned for Homecoming week at Southwest Minnesota State University! For a full breakdown of the week's activities go to: https://www.smsualumni.com/homecoming/homecoming-schedule.html

This week we're talking about another SMSU tradition: Family Weekend! It’s an opportunity for family and friends to experience campus and the community your student enjoys while attending SMSU. The weekend is packed with events. Check out the full breakdown here ➡️ https://www.smsu.edu/family/weekend.html

This week, we discuss one of SMSU’s volunteer days during homecoming, September 30th! The Mustangs Give SMSU Day of Service offers a wide variety of projects throughout Marshall and is open to anyone who wants to help out! Melissa also oversees the SMSU Careers in Agriculture, Business, and Tech Career Fair. This will take place on October 20th, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Upper Student Center.

This week, we look at what SMSU does on campus in the world of agriculture with Sarah Jacobs, Agriculture & Business Outreach Coordinator, and SMSU student Lauren Hunt, majoring in Agricultural Education with a minor in Agricultural Business. Our Agriculture programs are worth looking into for a variety of reasons, starting with our faculty-to-student ratio! You work one-on-one with your ag professors in class and build connections that will help you long after graduation.

Last week, Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications at Southwest Initiative Foundation and Cindy Verschaetse, Board Chair of the SMSU Foundation, highlighted the Women's Leadership Conference, Lead with Intention: Clearing the Noise, Claiming Your Power. The conference aims to empower women of all ages by building networks and connections! The speakers at the event are Rachel Raths, Senior Director of Innovation at Ralco; Stacy Frost, SMSU graduate of 1993 and Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications at Southwest Initiative Foundation; and Keynote Speaker Ginny Priem, who is a #1 best-selling author and a leadership and performance expert with over 20 years of corporate experience.

Make sure to sign up to experience this annual event hosted on SMSU’s campus in the Upper Conference Center from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. https://www.smsualumni.com/events/annual/womensleadershipconference/index.html?utm_source=go_link&utm_medium=urlshortener

This week, SMSU’s Vice President of Athletics, Travis Whipple, highlights the wide variety of momentum athletics has moving into the Fall sports season. Soccer takes on Ferris State at 1 pm, and then Football goes head-to-head against Valley City State at 7 p.m., with the game-day roundup starting at 5 pm. Make sure to get out to the games and show your support for Mustang Athletics!

This week is Gold Rush Days! The weekend kicks off with move-in on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Mustang Movers helping students move into their rooms from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The weekend doesn’t stop there, though! The full list of weekend events is linked below! Sarah, JJ, and Emily go through the weekend and what to expect, along with what brought them to SMSU! We are all excited to see students back on campus and to grow the Mustang Family!

https://www.smsu.edu/events/grd/index.html