Midterm elections are just a couple of weeks away, so Adrienne Gathman of Simpson's political science faculty stops by to talk about what's at stake in the voting, what polling is telling us about who's likely to win, and how she's teaching her courses this fall in this time of political division.

The 2022 Matthew Simpson Lecture in Religion was an in-person event at Simpson for the first time since 2019, and Dartmouth's Randall Balmer came to speak on the origins of the rise of the Religious Right as a political force in America. Balmer argues that it wasn't abortion that provided the issue that galvanized evangelical leaders, but rather their desire to protect segregated private religious schools. Balmer is nationally known for his research and expertise on the Religious Right in America.

Constitution Day 2022 at Simpson College features a lecture from Aaron Terr, senior program officer for campus rights advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression, a nonpartisan group that promotes freedom of expression on college campuses and beyond. Terr talks not only about the legal basis for freedom of expression but also its necessity as a core value at Simpson and in all higher education.

It's a big time for the education program at Simpson College, not only preparing the next generation of teachers in Iowa and beyond but also readying for a new education center to be located in Dunn Library and opening in August 2023. Barb Ramos, long-time education faculty member and leader in education at Simpson, joins us this week to talk about the new center plus the challenges of educating educators at this moment in American history.

Graduated from Simpson College? You're automatically a member of the Simpson Alumni Association. President Matt DeWolf is this week's guest to talk about his Simpson story and how he got involved in the alumni association — and how alumni can continue to give to Simpson in many ways.

Jared Bienemann is the new vice president of advancement at Simpson College, and he stops by the podcast to talk about his role and the work of his office. As the pandemic subsides, Simpson will be starting in-person alumni events on campus and around the country, as well as changing its way of going about its annual-giving program.

Summer is over, the students are back on campus, and President Marsha Kelliher is here to talk about the new academic year at Simpson College. The campus is seeing new construction, new athletic programs and initiatives, and a new optimism that Simpson will thrive now that the worst of the pandemic has passed.

The final podcast of the 2021-22 academic year features a debate on the ways free speech can and should be protected on university campuses. Keith Whittington of Princeton University, author of Speak Freely, and Anthony Leaker of Brighton University in the United Kingdom, author of the polemic Against Free Speech, join Simpson's Brian Steffen to debate the role of 'free' speech in the 21st Century.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is of special importance to Vasiliy Safin, a visiting professor of psychology at Simpson College and a citizen of Ukraine. Safin guests on this week's podcast episode to talk about the impact of the war on his family and himself and on the international order.

John Nichols, author of The Fight For The Soul of The Democratic Party, will deliver the annual Culver Lecture at Simpson College on Thursday, April 14. Nichols' book is a political biography of Henry A. Wallace, the namesake of Simpson College's Wallace Hall who was a progressive vice president of the United States from 1941 to 1945. He joins the podcast this week to discuss his book and to preview his upcoming talk at Simpson.

Retired education professor Alan Magruder guests this week as part of the 'Legends of Simpson' series. He talks about his post-Simpson years, the joys of living they've brought about, and offers advice on when you know it's time to retire.

Emeritus sociology professor Ev Laning revisits one of the legacies of Simpson in the 1960s and 1970s — its willingness to admit students of color during a time when many were denied admission at other colleges due to systemic racism. Laning spoke recently as part of Simpson's recent Legends of Simpson lecture series.

Three seasons ago, Dylan Peters took over a Simpson men's wrestling program that had won only one dual meet in the previous season and had no juniors or seniors on the team. This season, Peters got the team back to 7-7 in dual meets with three wrestlers earning place finishes in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet in Division III. Simpson's wrestling coach guests on the podcast to talk about his leadership of the wrestling turnaround at Simpson.

'I really look forward to talking about the future of science,' says Ron Warnet, professor emeritus of chemistry, on the 100th episode of Speaking of Simpson, 'because I sort of know about its past.' Warnet is the latest speaker in the 'Legends of Simpson' lecture series, this week talking about the role of science in technology, medicine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the 1980s, Simpson students have had charge of the Eberhart Student Aid Fund, putting real money into real equity markets and learning the ropes of investing. Todd Kielkopf, who teaches the students who invest the money, and student Brooke Tucker are guests on the podcasts to talk about their experiences with the fund, which recent crept above $1 million in market value for the first time.

The spring series of Legends of Simpson College speakers is underway, and the first legend is Jan Everhart, professor emeritus of religion. She's speaking on 'Say Her Name: The Story of Jerena Lee,' an early lay preacher of color in the African Methodist Church. She's joined in conversation by Andy English, director of alumni relations at Simpson.

Simpson has made a commitment to a competitive esports program by bringing on Hubert Whan Tong as director of esports. Hubert recruits and coaches the 35+ students who compete for Simpson, which has joined the National Association for Competitive ESports.

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.

Iowa is redrawing its state and federal congressional and state legislative districts, and Adrienne Gathman of Simpson's political science program is on top of the politics of Iowa's nonpartisan process. Gathman guests on this week's podcast to talk about the impacts on Iowans in Washington, in Des Moines, and at Simpson College.

The new executive director of Simpson's Center for Academic Resources, Corey Landstrom, talks about what the office offers all students to help them get the most of their academic career at the college. CAR isn't simply for students struggling in classes; it can help those students who excel with resources to get even more out of their work.

Simpson alumna Andrea Frantz '86, now a professor of digital media at Buena Vista University, returned to campus to deliver the 2021 Constitution Day lecture. In her talk, Frantz shows why the First Amendment, despite frequent and increasing attacks on the media, is more important now than ever.

Simpson's first full-time director of teaching and learning, Mark Pleiss, joins the podcast this week to talk about his role in helping Simpson faculty and stuff sharpen their classroom skills — and help students get the full benefit of learning at the college.

The new vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, Keyah Levy, joins the podcast this week to discuss her efforts to help Simpson — a predominantly white institution of higher education — make the college a more welcoming environment for students, faculty and employees of marginalized backgrounds.

We kick off the fourth season of Speaking of Simpson with a chat with President Marsha Kelliher, entering her second year leading the college. President Kelliher talks about her plans and hopes for the academic year, as well as steps Simpson continues to take to make for a 'normal' higher education for its students as we continue to fight the pandemic.

As we wind down the academic year at Simpson College, this week's podcast episode features the work of students who've recorded podcasts as part of the Mobile & Social Media course this spring. We'll hear from Colbee Cunningham, with a mini-episode on international education during the pandemic; Paul Hyatt, with a podcast on e-sports at Simpson College; and Paige O'Connor, who investigates the intersection between work and gaming.

Simpson College students are podcasters, too, and this week's edition features some of those voice: Seth Howard, podcasting about personal fitness in a pandemic; Corinne Howard, with an episode on stress and anxiety; and Taylor Hoffman, who has a conversation on multicultural literature. We'll be hearing from a number of student podcasters in the weeks to come.

Simpson has been affiliated with Methodism since its founding in 1860, but the United Methodist Church's decision two years ago to reaffirm its ban on LGBTQ clergy and marriages has put the college in conflict with Simpson's efforts to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community. College Chaplain Mara Bailey stops by for a chat about the college's proposed new affiliation with the Reconciling Ministries Network, which will help the college support LGBTQ students, faculty and staff.

This will go down as the academic year that Simpson College and other colleges and universities have begun thorough conversations on cultural diversity, equity and inclusion on their campuses. This week's episode feature a panel discussion on DEI issues features Simpson students, faculty and staff.

Freedom of Assembly is one of the core protections of the First Amendment, and yet that seems more contentious today in our politically polarized times. That’s topic this week, as Pam Parry of Southeast Missouri State, Ken Paulsen of the Free Speech Center in Tennessee and Mark Stringer of the ACLU of Iowa join us to talk about why taking to the streets is an important civil liberty and yet why many Americans, politicians and law enforcement make it difficult to exercise that right.

With demographics shrinking and traditional business models evaporating, newspapers across the nation are trying to find ways of staying alive and vibrant. Art Cullen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of the Storm Lake Times in Iowa, is trying a new approach by building the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation to create a tax-deductible mechanism for supporting local journalism. Cullen recently appeared with Simpson's seniors in Multimedia Communication to talk about the new models, and this week's podcast is an edited version of that discussion.

Simpson College's debate team just won its fourth Pi Kappa Delta national championship in the past five years. Spencer Waugh, the director of Simpson's Speech, Debate & Mock Trial programs comes on the podcast to talk about how the team won its national title in a pandemic season — and how Simpson students overcame a midseason slump to finish once again on top.

Simpson's women's basketball team is the champion of the American Rivers Conference for 2021. The Storm knocked off Coe, 89-84 in OT, to win its first title since 2013 and finish the COVID-shortened season at 12-0. Coach Brian Niemuth joins the podcast, along with standout players Jenna Taylor and Cassie Nash, to talk about the challenges and pressures of playing during the pandemic — and provide an outlook on the program's future.

How did our politics become so polarized? Author Marc C. Johnson offers his answer in his talk on his new book, 'Tuesday Night Massacre: Four Senate Elections & The Radicalization of the Republic Party.' 1980 was the year that the party of Lincoln veered right, and outside interests helped defeat four Senate liberals — including John C. Culver, the namesake of the Culver Center for Public Policy at Simpson College. Johnson argues that Republicans have stayed on that rightward track for more than 40 years, climaxing in the presidency of Donald Trump.

With the pandemic easing its grip on the world, other issues are coming back on the public agenda. One is climate change, which is the topic on this edition. 'Healing The Planet: Climate Action as a Religious & Moral Imperative' is a recording of a recent panel discussion sponsored by several Simpson programs and offices. Taking part are Simpson staff and faculty, joined by climate activists from around the United States.

Sexual violence is one of the biggest challenges facing U.S. colleges in the 21st Century, and Simpson College will soon be bringing to campus the authors of a new study that hopes to reframe the conversations on the issue. Sexual Citizens: Sex, Power & Assault on Campus is authored by Jennifer Hirsch of Columbia University and Shamus Khan of Princeton University. Both authors are guests on this edition of the podcast to talk about their work and how their findings can create safer campuses at Simpson and nationwide. Consider joining Simpson for a campus-wide talk by Hirsch and Khan on March 17. One warning: This podcast episode includes explicit sexual language and descriptions of sexual situations.

As part of Simpson's ongoing conversations on improving diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, Emily Radke '08, now assistant director of admissions at Simpson, leads a panel discussion with Mekisha Barnes '96, Adrian Hawkins '14, and Shanice Whitley '14 on their experiences as Black students and alumni of the college.

Simpson's Culver Center for Public Policy is now in its 11th year, and alumni fellows are giving back by starting the Culver Center Fellows Alumni Association. Two of those alumni, Des Moines lobbyist Nick Laning '17 and Mackenzie Bills '16 of the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., join us to talk about how the center helped start their careers and how the alumni association will support the center in the years to come. We're also joined by Seth Andersen, director of the Culver Center.

Simpson College's online-education programs have just been named by U.S. News & World Report to the Top 10% of all programs in the United States and among the best in Iowa. Denise Leifker, the interim director of continuing and graduate education at Simpson, including its online programs, is a guest on the podcast this week to talk about Simpson's dedicated to online learning and how the programs support the college's mission and core values.