STATE Stories

Andi Fouberg

Hello and welcome back to the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, traditions, and experiences that make South Dakota State University such a special place. I'm Andi.

Travis Jensen

And I'm Travis. We're excited to welcome you to season three of STATE Stories podcast. Whether you've been listening since our very first episode or you're joining us for the first time, we're glad you're here. 

Andi Fouberg

Before we jump into this season, we want to take a moment to acknowledge an exciting new chapter for the Jackrabbit community. Since our last season, the SDSU Alumni Association and SDSU Foundation came together as one organization, the SDSU Alumni and Foundation. While our name has changed, our mission remains the same: connecting alumni, friends, and supporters to the university we all care so deeply about. And that's exactly what this podcast is all about. 

Travis Jensen

Every episode reminds us that there isn't just one Jackrabbit story. Some come from the classroom, others from the athletic field, a residence hall, or even an interaction with a mentor. No matter where they begin, they all lead back to the people and experiences that make South Dakota State such a special place. 

Andi Fouberg

So Travis, without giving too much away, what can listeners expect this season? 

Travis Jensen

This season, we're talking with guests whose stories span generations of Jackrabbits. We'll hear from alumni who turned an idea into an organization that's changing lives, families whose connection to SDSU has become a lasting tradition, leaders who helped shape the university's future, and people whose impact on the Jackrabbit community continues long after graduation. 

Andi Fouberg

We'll also celebrate the people behind some of SDSU's most memorable moments. Explore what it means to build a legacy and hear stories that remind us why this university feels like home to so many. If there's one theme that ties this podcast together, it's this. The relationships we build at SDSU have a way of lasting a lifetime. 

Travis Jensen

I think that's one of the things that makes the SDSU community different. It's not just where people earn a degree; it's where they discover lifelong friends, career opportunities, and a community that stays with them wherever life takes them. So, Andi, what excites you most when you think about the guests that we have for season three of the podcast?

Andi Fouberg

I think that people are really going to enjoy hearing the stories of people who have been at South Dakota State at very different time periods. Many of their experiences have lasted well beyond the four years, but certainly when they were here or when they, uh, the stories that they tell throughout their kind of time period associated with South Dakota State University varies greatly, I think, more than any other season we've had. There's just a bigger range in those. And so it makes for very unique stories in terms of just people's ability to maybe relate to what was happening at SDSU at that time. So, Travis, what are you excited about?

Travis Jensen

Well, kind of to the point that you were making the stories that we have for this season. I mean, every season now, we've had really great storytellers. I think that's certainly the case for season three. But the thing that I really appreciate about that is we have guests with different backgrounds, different interests, certainly different experiences. But the one common thread, the common theme across season three, is that each of those guests have found a way, their own unique way to make an impact back onto the SDSU community. I think that's really special. That has been a theme across all three seasons, but that is especially the case for season three.

Andi Fouberg

I think people are really going to enjoy this season.

Travis Jensen

I know I have. That's really what this podcast is about, Andi, right? I mean, every guest has a different story, but they all remind us that being a Jackrabbit doesn't end at graduation. It's something that you carry with you your entire life.

Andi Fouberg

Thanks for joining us for the first episode of season three. New episodes will be released every other week, so be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a great conversation.

Travis Jensen

And if you enjoy what you hear, we would love for you to share STATE Stories with a fellow Jackrabbit, whether that's a current student or anyone who loves South Dakota State University. Thanks for listening. And as always,

Andi Fouberg and Travis Jensen

Go Jacks!

Andi Fouberg

Hey there, Jackrabbits! Welcome to another episode of the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, traditions, and experiences that make South Dakota State University such a special place.

Today’s guest is someone whose connection to SDSU spans nearly a lifetime. He’s a three-time graduate of South Dakota State University, earning his bachelor's degree in 1975, his master’s degree in 1977, and his Ph.D. in 2000. Along the way, he met his wife Jane here at State, built a distinguished career in agriculture and higher education, and is the 20^th president of South Dakota State University.

Travis Jensen

Under his leadership, SDSU has continued to grow in enrollment, academic excellence, research impact, and national recognition while remaining deeply rooted in the land grant mission that defines this university. 

President Barry Dunn, welcome to the podcast. 

Barry Dunn

Thank you very much, Travis and Andi. It's great to be with you. I've listened to several of the podcasts, and I feel very special here to be with you today. 

Travis Jensen

So, President Dunn, let's start at the beginning. Before the titles and leadership roles, you were a student here at SDSU. Maybe take a moment to reflect and share with us. What are some of your fondest memories from your time as a student on campus? 

Barry Dunn

You know, I had an incredible experience from 1971 to ‘75. I built lifelong friends, met Jane and, you know, played countless pickup basketball games. Countless classes, countless labs. It took 132 credits to graduate back then. I tested out of a lot of courses, so when I came in but didn't get credit for them back then. So, I took a lot of kind of eclectic courses. I took poetry. I took political science. And so I had a really exciting, I think as I look back, course schedules every semester and I had to work hard. I say I'm kind of smart, but not real smart. So I had to work really hard. So spent a lot of time, a very serious student. But I also had a lot of fun, but healthy, good fun. I was young, so couldn't get into some of the other troubles that were available, but, you know, lots of playing football on green space, which there was a lot more of back then. The campus green was really important. It's hard for people, for some people to imagine that the union that we all know wasn't here in 1971. Frost Arena wasn't here. Animal Science Building wasn't there. So it was a much different campus. A lot of activity at Pugsley with the Christie Ballroom and the Bunny Ballroom. And that's where the Collegian was. Pugsley was, you know, the Jungle was where you went and got a hamburger. So it was a very different experience than most people remember now. But just I can't tell you how important that freshman year in Matthews Hall, Third East was and how important those people I met. There was a whole group of all boys then, we weren't young men, from Estelline, and they were so kind to me. I was kind of a loner and didn't know really anybody on campus. And they were really tight click. They kind of adopted me and we had a lot of fun together playing ping pong, doing just all kinds of things. So, I had a fantastic undergraduate experience here. 

Andi Fouberg

You said kind of smart. Travis, did you test out of a lot of classes, too?

Travis Jensen

No, I didn’t test out of anything.

Andi Fouberg

I did not test out of any classes. One of the things that many people love about your story is that SDSU is also where you met your wife, Jane. Tell us about how the two of you met and what you remember most about those days together at State. 

Barry Dunn

Well, I spent my junior year in Pierson Hall, and I didn't get an application in for Matthews early enough, so a lot of friends in Matthews still. I was kind of going back and forth between third East and first floor Pierson. But I had seen Jane was a freshman and I had seen Jane a lot on in Pierson, had gotten to know her roommate a little bit, just walking back from class and trying to figure out a way to meet her. Her sister was here, her sister Sue and I started together, so I kind of knew the story that she was from Edina and surely was looking for a way to introduce myself to her, to get to know her. And my younger brother Roger was coming to spend the weekend with me, and I needed to feed him, and so there was a kind of a what’s now looks like an odd system where you could have a like a block. You could eat as much as you wanted to on one side of Grove Commons and on the other side it was a kind of a ticket-based system, and so I needed to buy tickets to feed Roger. So I went up to her after one afternoon and asked her if she had any food tickets for sale because lots of girls weren't using them all. We had kind of a black market, to tell you the truth. And a lot of us boys were buying cheap food. She just abruptly said no and walked away. So I thought, well, that wasn't good. But she went to her room and I went to my room and then she called me and we had phones in every room back then. She called me and said, yeah, I do have some, I'll meet you downstairs. So we had a nice conversation. I asked her to go for ice cream, of course. And just got to know her through that. Then that summer, we were both students here for summer school. I think we went to one of the Butch Cassidy movies or one of those. I can't remember the stars, Robert Redford. That was our first date, so it was a memorable summer and we got to know each other and it was a lot of fun.

Travis Jensen

The rest is history. 

Barry Dunn

Yeah. You know, she tested me pretty well. She had, she had a lot of good friends in nursing. So there were six nurses on that fourth South. I kind of, if I was going to be friends with Jane, I was going to be friends with all six of them. So and I was pretty good in science. So I was coaching them. I was tutoring some of them in Bio Chem. I was doing everything I could to get on the good side of Jane, which I think made her uncomfortable sometimes, but I was kind of persistent, I guess. 

Travis Jensen 

You talked a little earlier about how things have changed on campus since the time when you were a student, but I imagine there are some things that still feel very familiar for you when you walk around campus today. What still reminds you of the SDSU you experienced as a student? 

Barry Dunn

You know, there's some intangible feeling, Travis, for me back then, and it's still today where there's a warmth, there's a friendship. I think that group of friends that Jane described, I just described for Jane, was that group of guys from Estelline that helped me. I think that just remains true. And you can see you can see it in students as they come across campus as kind of a in their nursing uniforms or their athletic teams hanging out together, sometimes over in the union or clubs. I think there's a warmth and personal relationships are really strong here. And it's always been small enough to, and remains, small enough to be very personable, but it's large enough to be very dynamic and exciting. I don't think that's changed. It was true. We were probably half the size we are now, but there are so many things about the feel that are just kind of intangibles, but they're still here.

Travis Jensen

It's kind of fun when you encounter a fellow Jackrabbit in the wild, right? Like it's a it's almost like a family reunion. And Andi has shared stories of times where she would be traveling around the world, and you'll encounter other Jackrabbits.

Andi Fouberg

It's like you where you wear Jackrabbit clothes in the airport and someone is going to yell “Go Jacks” at you! I mean, and not in Sioux Falls, right? So, you'll be on the moving walkway in Denver or something, and they'll all of a sudden, and it'll take you that minute, right? And it's a moving walkway. So, you've gone past one another by the time it registers what has just happened.

Travis Jensen

And it's those relationships that you were talking about. 

Barry Dunn 

Yeah, and Andi, I had that same experience now and after, I guess ten years at a pretty high profile as I go now, someone will yell out President Dunn! Go, Jacks! So, it's really fun. 

Andi Fouberg

President Dunn, you've spent much of your career connected to agriculture, education and service to South Dakota. How did your experience at SDSU help shape the person and the leader you are today?

Barry Dunn

I think SDSU gave me, and I think it gives people, an unusual opportunity for leadership. I'm not sure, going back that eighteen-year-old self, there's plenty of coaching tips that I have for him. But I was able to, you know, be on the Harding Lecture Committee at SDSU and meet Dan Rather and had dinner with him before the meeting. During that time, I got to meet some pretty interesting people. It exposed me to a lot of people ended up as a student chairman of the Harding Lecture Committee. I certainly wasn't as involved as many of my friends were who have gone on to an awful lot of high-profile positions. Then when I was ranching, I just had, I think that land grant mission, whether everybody fully understands the history. When I got back to Todd County, I was on the extension board, I was on the conservation board, I went to a lot of, I didn't run for school board, but I went to school board meetings. I was very, very active in church and leadership roles in our church, but I understood that the importance of community in a little town like Mission. I saw those important opportunities from a state and local government course from JP Hendrickson, and it just opened my eyes to so many things. Back in the 1960s and 70s there were a lot going on the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon. So there was an awful lot going on, but I think what SDSU helped me become was grounded in the community. So, when I was in Mission and those twenty years, very engaged in the community, then became engaged in the cattle industry, both South Dakota Stockgrowers and the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, became very engaged in those organizations. But that understanding of the importance of it really did come through my experience here at SDSU. 

Andi Fouberg 

I think community and engagement would be two words that I would absolutely use to describe SDSU. It's almost sneaky. You don't realize it when you're doing it as a student, right? And you don't kind of maybe realize all the ways you're being exposed to ways that eventually will lead to, hopefully, you becoming an engaged community member, a leader in whatever that industry is, whatever that community is long after college.

Barry Dunn

Right? I certainly see that in the, you know, thousands of alums that I've been able to meet and interact with and just so incredibly proud of their leadership and their engagement at all levels, whether it's Senator Rounds, who we were here at the same time, I'm a couple of years older than he is, but from Senator Rounds, who was governor and legislator to just in in multiple industries, especially for me, especially around agriculture. So, it's an amazing kind of path that SDSU puts one on, and it manifests itself in many different ways. It could be very successful alums from large organizations and companies to still deeply engage in small communities. A really good friend of mine, Lyle Perman, has decided that it's time to give back. Lyle, again, a couple of years younger, but he's now a county commissioner. There he is, deciding to continue to give back. 

Andi Fouberg 

Since becoming president, SDSU has experienced a lot of momentum from enrollment growth and campus improvements to athletic success and national recognition. When you reflect on your tenure at South Dakota State, what accomplishments are you most proud of? 

Barry Dunn 

I think the thing that I'm most proud of is that I have about fifteen direct reports, people that I work with one-on-one and I'm responsible for, from athletic director to the provost who's in charge of all of academics, or vice president for finance and budget is a direct report. So I have fifteen direct reports, and twelve of them have been with me for ten years. And many of them I knew when I was the Dean of Agriculture and worked with them. I really think that the things that we've accomplished as a team really lies in those deep, friendly personal relationships with that team. The other three, one of them was nine years. A couple of them, one is six, one is five. So, working together with the same people. We meet every Monday morning at nine o'clock. We are deeply engaged with each other as colleagues and certainly have a lot of respect for each other. And I think we've been able to accomplish, whether it was the capital campaign of six hundred and four million dollars, or some of the building project's, First Bank and Trust, or the Performing Arts Center. They all turn on the strength of those relationships, because no one does anything alone. And I've just had an incredible team of people that I've been privileged to work with. As I reflected on that possible question, I really do think it all goes back to that team that I've been part of.

Andi Fouberg

The Alumni and Foundation lean into the tagline “Where Loyalty Lives.” And I think SDSU has benefited from that loyalty and longevity and people staying here and really committing to making SDSU better. You're a great example of that. We have people everywhere from, you know, the women's basketball coach going into the 27^th season, right? To professors who spend their entire careers here after graduate school. And so, I think SDSU is better because of those decisions to commit for the long term to making this place great and special. 

Barry Dunn 

Yeah, I'd like to pick up on that because it wasn't that 15-member team. We didn't stay together because it was comfortable. We stayed together out of a commitment to continuous improvement towards a vision of becoming the, you can use these words, the best version of yourself or the best version of the campus but we use the word premier. We stayed together for ten years since I became president to make this place not only better, but to make it a premier university. You know, we'll never be the largest, and we'll never be the smallest, but we can do things really well here. And I think that commitment is unique. There’s a lot of teams that have been together for ten years, and you might roll your eyes and, well, it was comfortable, but did you do anything? You know, I guess I'm kind of excited to say we stayed together and we got a lot done and we got it done for the right reasons. And that was student success, become an R1 university with much better research and economic development impact for the state. So I think we stayed together for the right reasons, and we accomplished things for the right reasons. 

Travis Jensen 

You touched a little bit with your commitment to being premier, right? So, with that thought in mind, you know, one thing that we hear people consistently mention about SDSU is the balance between innovation and tradition. How do you think the university has managed to grow and evolve while staying true to its land grant mission and culture? 

Barry Dunn 

Yeah, that's a fantastic question. And one of the things I hope that is viewed as a positive thing is that I love history and I've read a lot. So, I continue to read a lot and on a variety of topics, but I became a certainly not an expert, but a student of the land grant system and public higher education. I do think that I was able to emphasize that at a at a level and help people understand it, whether it's I have kind of a routine I go through with our new faculty and employment welcome that I give every year, and a little history lesson on the land grant. And most people don't realize it's a term that's thrown around a lot. There's 52 large land grants in the United States. Very, very important. But that history rooted in Lincoln and others commitment to providing access to, in this case, the benefit of higher education is unique in human history. It's unique in today's world. And I think I brought forward that commitment to providing access. And that's what it was founded on. He and Justin Morrill, the congressmen who got it through the legislation, talk about this. Serving the sons and daughters of toil, and the serving from an extension perspective or research perspective, the yeoman farmer. So, this is not egalitarian. This was for our parents or our grandparents or our great grandparents. I describe my grandfather as living a life of scarcity, but his daughter got to go to a land grant university and her son got to go to a land grant university because of that access mission, only because of that access mission. I think I've brought that greater awareness of how unique that is and how special and important that is. I think we all have a little better understanding of it and how important it is, how unique and human history it is. It's a privilege to open the door, have this incredible story, if you don't mind about that, kind of emerged over the last couple of weeks. Six years ago, an employee on campus wrote to me and I knew the person I'd go in and give him an attaboy. Not a high-level position at all. Not a well-paid position at all. But he always did a really good job in his work. And he wrote to me as beautiful email, extremely well written, and basically said, I have terminal cancer, and I have a few months to live. And I have a twelve-year-old and an eight-year-old daughter. I didn't get to go to college, but would you promise to help my daughters get to college when they are ready. I know, I teared up and I responded immediately that we would do everything we could to help his widow and those two youngsters get to college at SDSU if they wanted to. Well, six years later, one of them is ready for college, and she's coming next fall. And we honestly didn't do anything we haven't done for every other student, but her mom contacted us and said, do you remember? And of course we remembered. And so we've helped them work through what it means to go to college. So, the sons and daughters of toil, a daughter of toil, a daughter of extreme hardship, can't imagine what that young girl went through. Now able to come to a top university for a great education. I can tell that story a thousand times with a different twist, but that's a really beautiful story about how this university opened its door to a dying man and promised to help his daughters. And that's pretty cool, because I immediately turned to teammates on campus and said, I might not even be president when they come but keep this file. We're going to help those youngsters when they get here. And so, we're able to do that. But again, we've done that. We do that every day. We do that for every child. We honestly didn't do anything special, but it would be special compared to what the experience would be at other universities, I can tell you that. So I'm really proud of how our team reacted and kept that family in. It's kind of in its heart, and when it was ready, we were able to respond. 

Andi Fouberg 

That's a hard story to follow. There's moments like that. There are big moments in being a university president, right? And then there are quiet moments. And so, I want you to think about your time as president. What are some of the most memorable or especially meaningful moments from your time? 

Barry Dunn 

Yeah. Just wow. Just so many fantastic pinch-yourself moments. I can't believe I had the honor to do this. So, humbling. So many great achievements from, of course, the national championships in football. One thing that will always be a big time for me was the WNIT championship, where on Frost Arena's home court, we beat, you know, UCLA, University of Minnesota, Alabama. I can't remember them all. We beat every one of these top-tier schools. It was so fun to participate, pack Frost Arena five or six times, and watch them get better and better and bring home a national championship. Never forget that. We were reaching for Premier at that point. 

Andi Fouberg 

You may not have played in the game, but, those games happened here because you committed to us playing at home during the WNIT. 

Barry Dunn 

Absolutely. I guess that's true. But then the Macy's Day Parade was actually the flag team that comes first, and their smiles were as big as New York. And it was a thrilling. I was sitting with you, Andi, and I will just never forget that experience. But those are those are the big ones. Some really important ones, getting through the Regents, a degree for business economics, for finance, and for accounting. I mean, I had never one hundred and forty plus year university could not teach those degree programs. And so getting elementary ed through the Regents was, and I again, this was a big team of people who made that happen. But those things are so important for the future of this university. They're not as fancy and bright as shiny as national championships, but in the long-term academic life of this university, they changed it forever. And we will serve our constituents in this state and the region differently and much, much better than we've been able to in the past. So that's on the academic side. It's got to be those degree programs. From a student life perspective, I think the emergence of the Wintrode Student Success Center. It's kind of been around, but a huge team of people made it happen. Five thousand individual students use the services of that student support system, so they didn't have a guy like me trying to get to know Jane, tutoring her friends. That's kind of a lame tutoring system compared to what we have now. We have this relatively sophisticated tutoring and student support system that is unmatched, certainly in the region. And that's one of the reasons we have got to eighty-four percent retention. Our six-year graduation rate is really increasing. So again, from student life to academics to these external things like sports and The Pride of the Dakotas, I could go on for hours, I think. 

Travis Jensen 

You see this every day as the university president, the changing landscapes, the new opportunities, the emerging technologies. Students today are entering a world that looks very different from when you attended SDSU. What excites you most about the future of higher education and the role SDSU will play in shaping that future? 

Barry Dunn 

Well, we're at a tipping point in human history with the emergence of artificial intelligence. And so that, I think for us, that early, how we manage that early adoption into education is going to be extremely important and right out of the gate, we've got to be the words ethics and integrity better be front of mind with artificial intelligence. Then it becomes a tool to help a researcher on campus study cancer or vaccines for livestock in our diagnostic lab. So, very exciting, you know, a little scary, honestly, I'm sure, you know, this nearly one hundred-and-fifty-year-old university has seen revolutionary things, has seen enormous changes in society. So, I know we're special, but we're never really special because lots of generations have faced big challenges. But for the next twenty years, how that new technology is used appropriately and effectively in education, but then in society as part of our responsibility, kind of whether we wanted it or not. That's going to take a lot of oxygen here over the next few years. 

Andi Fouberg 

So, you kind of alluded to it at the beginning, but if you could go back and give young Barry Dunn a piece of advice during your time at SDSU, what would it be?

Barry Dunn

There were lots of things he needed to do better. His mom wanted him to cut his hair more and stand up straighter, lots of things like that. Real simple one, I needed to get more involved. I should have gotten more involved. I encourage young people to get more involved. I think most eighteen-year-olds now, there's these superstars that, that we could all name, but I think most eighteen-year-olds coming out of a high school experience, I've said this to young people a lot. You're just as pretty or just as handsome as your grandma tells you are. And you're just as smart and have just as much kind of potential to work hard and achieve things as your grandfather or your father has told you and encourage you to express. So, I'd go back and tell Barry, stand up straighter. You know, you're not a movie star here, but my self-esteem was not very high back then. And I look at kids today, and I just think they're all beautiful. They're trying so hard, and I know it with social media, it's even harder than it was for me. So, I just want them to know, I want Barry to know that, and I'd love to have every, every eighteen-year-old who walks on this campus next fall to know they're smarter than they think they are. They're handsomer and prettier than they think, than somebody just teased them about. And they can do great things that that just exactly like their grandparents or parents hope for them and they might not realize it. And that's the that's the challenge, I think, for an eighteen-year-old that that I needed to hear. An alum came up to me and said, this was a choker here. Brings tears to my eyes. So at graduation, I shake two thousand hands on that Saturday. And one of these days we're going to be quite a bit over that. But, as fast as I can, I tell them congratulations and I am proud of you and this young person, this now, you know, five or six years out of college came up to me as I was traveling and said you were the first person to tell me that you were proud of me in my whole life, nobody had told me they were proud of me until you did. And boy, that took me back. So I think we need to tell each other a lot, how proud of each other we are. That should not have been the first time as that person graduated from college. I think we could help each other, express our confidence in these young people, whether it be a researcher, for me, they're all young now, or a student that they're smarter than they think they are. They can work harder and achieve more than they think they are. And forget about all those nasty things from junior high and about your appearance and go do some great things because you're capable of it. What we want to do is unleash that human spirit of self-assurance and a strong work ethic and, and then that putting the pieces intellectually together of all those things I've learned here, whether it was from chemistry or poetry or history course or a statistical analysis, you know, we want them to put all those magical things together and have a great life. 

Travis Jensen 

President Dunn, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, for your commitment to the university, for your willingness to be here today to share your stories. You know, Andi and I always appreciate the opportunity to be able to visit with you and listen to the stories that you have to share. And now our listeners have had an opportunity to experience that as well. Your journey is such a great reminder that SDSU is more than a university. It's a place that shapes lives, it builds relationships, and it creates opportunities that last a lifetime. So thank you. 

Barry Dunn 

Well thank you. It's been fun to be with you. 

Travis Jensen 

Thank you to everyone listening for joining us for another episode of STATE Stories. We'll see you next time.

Andi Fouberg

If you’ve enjoyed today’s conversation, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us continue sharing these inspiring stories and experiences of SDSU alumni. You can explore more episodes at sdstatealumnifoundation.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!

Andi Fouberg

Welcome to another episode of the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, experiences, and connections that make the Jackrabbit community so special. Today, we're joined by Ryan and Brittany McKnight, two proud SDSU alumni whose lives became deeply rooted in the university community. What started as their college experience at SDSU grew into something much bigger. A place to build careers, relationships, and a lasting sense of home. After meeting as students and attending law school together, Ryan and Brittany returned to SDSU, where they now both serve as faculty members. Ryan also leads the Jackrabbit Football Players Association following his time as a student-athlete, while Brittany has made a significant impact through her leadership and involvement with Women in Business. Ryan and Brittany, welcome to the show.

Travis Jensen

Let's start at the beginning. How did the two of you meet? Was it an instant connection, or did your relationship grow over time?

Brittany McKnight

Well, I can start with how we met. Ryan and I met in law school, actually. We did not meet in undergrad here at SDSU, even though we are both alum. We had a lot of mutual friends. We were in the same circle, but somehow our paths never crossed. The first McKnight I met was actually Kelly McKnight. I met her at an SDSU volleyball camp here when I was still in high school. She was actually a really good friend of mine. We were bumping partners. We got to know each other really well. I met his mom, but somehow, we never really crossed paths there. But, Ryan, do you want to tell them about your experience?

Ryan McKnight

Yeah, so we did actually meet in law school, but I actually knew both of her brothers in undergrad, as well as I played football with Conrad, who was her cousin. And when I actually first heard of her name, we were out at Conrad's wedding, and her mom stopped me and said, "Hey, my daughter's also going to law school." So it was crazy. It kind of worked out, the circles of life bringing us together, I guess.

Travis Jensen

So you were in law school at the time, and that's when you first met. Who approached who?

Ryan McKnight

Oh, absolutely, it was me. I saw her the very first day, actually, the very first day we met. She was sitting right in front of us. You had to do this introduction to welcome to law school. Tell us about yourself real quick. And the Kjerstad last name is pretty unique and at least pretty custom to Wall or at least West River or something. That’s definitely her right there. So yeah, from there on out, very first day we met, very first day we started hitting it off. And I guess really the rest is history.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah, I would say it was an instant connection. I don't know if it's because of all the similarities we had. I think it probably was. But I remember, you know, it was nerves as the first day of law school. Everyone's kind of scared, and we're just going around the room, saying your name, saying something interesting about yourself. So we're just kind of all checking out the vibe, trying to see who's all here. And I just remember Ryan stood up and he's like, "My name's Ryan McKnight from SDSU, and I played in the NFL," and he just sat down, and everyone's like, "Okay, I don't really know how to follow that up," but I was like, "Okay, that's Ryan." And I had knew who he was. Then you just came and introduced yourself to me. And yeah, we were kind of inseparable after that.

Ryan McKnight

Yeah. Harassed her pretty much every single day because her cubicle was two doors away from mine or whatever. So I always found an excuse to come down and talk to her, I guess.

Travis Jensen

Yeah. Imagine that.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah. I would say he pursued me. I'm more reserved, a little more quiet, but he just kept coming to talk to me, just over and over. It was like every day you were just there.

Ryan McKnight

So persistence. Persistence.

Andi Fouberg

It seems to have worked out, so congratulations. Talk a little bit about your time here on campus. Kind of what were you involved in, and then maybe, how did that help you establish in your careers? Are there things that you look back and go, "Oh, this was definitely an influence or helped me get to this point?"

Ryan McKnight

Yeah, obviously for me, I came up here to play football. My old man played football up here. My brother-in-law played football up here. Obviously, Britt's cousin played football up here. I guess even his brother played football up here. So my biggest influence here is football. And Coach Stig, Coach Meadows, all my coaches and teammates that I've got to know over the years, I know really shaped who I was here. And then obviously in undergrad, I was a business econ at that time. It was econ with a specialization in business, but now it's business econ, and the friends you meet from college, Alex and Mike Stephan, a whole bunch of the same guys that really shaped me and my impact on SDSU and the love for the blue and yellow started to grow from there.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah. I had a very different experience from him. But equally…

Andi Fouberg

You didn't play football?

Brittany McKnight

No, I did not. I attended football games, and I am sure I watched you. Ryan is actually a couple years older than me. So I graduated high school in 2008, and he graduated in 2006. So we were here at the same time. And I know I watched you play. I just didn't know who you were. But for me, my undergrad was actually in English literature, is what I majored in. And I loved my experience at SDSU. I felt like I learned so much. My professors were amazing, and I never had any intention to go to law school. It was nothing I had ever really considered until probably my junior year. And I remember I was talking to my advisor. I remember to this day, Doctor Bruce Brandt. He taught Shakespeare. He was incredible. And I was talking to him about my future and what I was going to do. And I just loved what I learned here. I loved literature, I loved reading, and I was considering moving on to grad school with that. And he supported me in it. But he said, "Have you ever considered law school? You're just very good with analysis. And a lot of those skills will carry over into law." And it just had a light bulb going off. And to hear that from him, that he believed it was something I could do, was really powerful to me. So after that, I took the LSAT and just decided I was going to go to law school, and the rest was history. It was an amazing experience.

Ryan McKnight

I'll add a little bit too, because from an English side, remarkable. Obviously, it prepped you really well for law school. From my perspective, there was a guy that really shaped me. I think a lot of Jackrabbit lawyers who went to the business school, who went to law school afterwards, a guy named Pat Lyons. And I know he passed away, but his class, his demeanor, his character, his attitude, really shaped me. I never once thought about law school, even though my dad went to law school. He was a lawyer in Sioux Falls. Having Pat Lyons in your corner saying, "Yeah, why don't you think about it? Why don't you go to it?" He was a remarkable guy. Just a great dude, great dude. 

Andi Fouberg

His personal finance class will forever be. I still think about things from those classes, but just also a gentleman all around. A wonderful man. 

Ryan McKnight

That's how he treated kids, just with respect. And there was no dumb questions. He would just walk you through it. He'd talk to you. And I don't know, maybe it's personal finance or personal selling I took with me, where he taught you how to do a handshake.

Andi Fouberg

I think that might have been a precursor for it. I think all of his classes started with the handshake, right? Because it starts strong. Strong start.

Ryan McKnight

It is. And he made every kid get up and do it. It was just such a small little thing. But you're like, "Wow, I actually learned how to do a handshake properly." He was just a great guy. And that's literally what got me thinking about law school.

Andi Fouberg

Do you run across people now who you're like, "You should have had Pat Lyons as a professor because this handshake was..."

Ryan McKnight

Well, so if you get this, we were out west deer hunting right after we took these jobs, probably 2016, 2017, 2018, and we were out there in the middle of nowhere. I'm not wearing any SDSU garb. I'm just at this random little hole-in-the-wall bar, and sure enough, some guy walks up to me and says, "Hey, I heard you're the new Pat Lyons." I said, "Yeah, you got big shoes to fill." And I was like, "I know." I mean, it's the truth of it, but this one guy out there saw me and knew me, and he still remembers his time with Pat Lyons. That's really special. Really special.

Travis Jensen

There's something unique about relationships that begin during college because you're growing and you're figuring life out at the same time. Was there a moment when you realized this relationship was becoming something long-term?

Ryan McKnight

Yeah. I mean, I think right away, when we first started talking, first started hanging out. Our very first date, we went to the river in Yankton, did a little fishing, just bs’d a little bit. That's where her and I are complete opposites on every single thing known to man. We started doing some of these personality studies, and she is one hundred percent different than me. But for whatever reason, opposites attract and they kind of click. And really from there, how she conducts herself and has a very high standard for literally everything, it made me get better. It made me get smarter. And where she could read all these cases in like twenty minutes and be done, it would take me two hours. But still, she was still helping us out, still caring about me. And yeah, that's where I would say it really started to blossom into something cool. Then we moved in together our second year of law school. Then our third year, even my sister moved in with us because she was starting medical school. So yeah, it was a really, really special time.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah. I would agree with his statement that we are very opposite in our personalities, but what I think brings us together is we have a lot of the same values. Even though we express ourselves differently, we value a lot of the same things as far as like working hard and integrity and doing the right thing. So I think that's what brings us together.

I think you told me, I know within the first year of dating, that you wanted to marry me. That's when I was like, "Okay, this is getting long-term." I was like, "What? What do you see for us?" And you just automatically said, "Well, I plan to marry you." And I'm like, "Okay." It was just not really any hesitation. So that I remember distinctly. I was like, "Wow, that's cool. I'm excited."

Andi Fouberg

Well, at some point, right, so you have most of your classes together, I would imagine. Right? You are living together. That's a lot of time and a lot of pressure, right? So kind of talk maybe just a little bit about that season of life and how it prepared you for kind of raising a family and having kids and working together now on campus.

Ryan McKnight

From my perspective, law school is stressful. It's supposed to be stressful. It's supposed to be hard. And they always want to make sure that you have a buddy system, or at least someone to go to it with, just so that way to lean on and whatever. For our sake, we lived together. We studied together. We worked out. We did all this stuff together, and then studying for the bar exam, it's eight weeks straight, eight hours a day of studying. At least it was nice to have somebody there that was also doing it with you. So now when you have the chaos of taking your kid to a basketball camp on campus or taking the kids to daycare and moving and whatever, kind of rely on the grit and the toughness that you had then to get through it today.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah, I agree with that. These are interesting questions because they're making me reflect more deeply on this in a way I haven't maybe before. I think going through law school together and meeting in that environment is interesting for how it's shaped our relationship, but we have done a lot of high-stress things together, and I think that could probably make or break a relationship. Like if we, you know, we were able to get through all of that and not really get through it but enjoy it together, I think that makes it even better for us now knowing we did that. And that was hard. We can do really anything together.

Travis Jensen

Well, then the two of you decided, let's double down. We went through a really challenging time together through law school. It's very difficult. Let's work together. Right? I think a lot of couples probably wonder if they could do that with their significant other. But you two are here at SDSU. What is it like balancing family, careers, campus life together?

Ryan McKnight

And sometimes it is stressful. Sometimes it is hard, especially when you're in the middle of the school year. You got tests, you got papers, you got sick kids. Because that's just what happens when the weather changes and all that kind of stuff. But what I would say is I absolutely love teaching with her and working with her. And it's not like teaching is fun. Being a faculty member is fun because you're not always in one spot. You're not always in the office doing meetings. You're kind of out and about teaching and doing that type of stuff. And I teach a lot of the intro to business law courses. When I get them excited about law, get them laughing at least a little bit, and then Britt does a lot more of the upper-level law courses, construction law, business law one. So we even wrote a paper together that's been kind of fun. So it's a cool way for us to bounce ideas off of each other, talk about teaching and how to really make a big impact for these students out there.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah, I would agree with all of that. And I think it's just because of our relationship being really solid. I would say you're my best friend. I love you, and I love talking to you. And I just am so happy I have someone built in that I can just constantly bounce ideas off of for work because we teach a lot of the same classes, same subjects. So we talk about that. We say, "Here's an interesting case," or "This is something cool I'm doing," or "This is what I'm updating my Power Points with." And we kind of bounce ideas off of one another. And yeah, we just had a paper published together, which was really fun. A law review article that we did. So I feel really lucky and grateful to work with him. It's been a blessing.

Andi Fouberg

Ryan, you've remained connected to Jackrabbit athletics through the JFPA, and Brittany, you've created opportunities for students with Women in Business. Why has it been important for both of you to continue investing in SDSU students beyond your own college experience?

Brittany McKnight

For me, thank you for bringing up the Women in Business Club. That's something I'm really excited about and love being a part of. And for me, the motivation is, again, I think back to my experiences here. I think of my professors, the story I told you about Doctor Brandt and the huge impact he had on my life. I feel like that's a responsibility I have. It's something I want to do as well. It makes my life more meaningful and my job more enjoyable to do something that matters a lot to me, to mentor students beyond the classroom. I also was inspired by Ryan's nonprofit with the JFPA, where he brings together alumni, and I'm sure he'll talk to you about that in a second, but I just saw the community aspect of that and the positive impact it was having on those. So, I wanted to do something that equally mattered to me through Women in Business and start that club with the students. So that's been a lot of fun, a really rewarding part of my job.

Ryan McKnight

And for the JFPA too. When we got that going back in 2018, people kind of wonder how it got started. And we've talked to a lot of different programs across the United States about, "Hey, how did this thing get going? And how do we push it?" Blake Day pulled me into his office one day and said, "Hey, you know, we're trying to get a hold of some folks and trying to get people back here. What are your thoughts on doing something like this?" And when we started this, the whole point was you make your best friends here. You make your lifelong friends; you have great memories. Whether or not the games won or lost or catches dropped and caught, whatever. I wanted to make sure that I could still talk to my friends. We have a spot to hang out. We get connected once a year because having that friendship, having that bond does matter. And more importantly, too, I remember leaving my last game UND and there was like four thousand fans in the stands because we weren't very good and it was cold and whatever. Well, the doors shut. And then what? You know, what do I do now? What do I do for a job? What do I do for a career? And for my sake, we're trying to do a mentorship side, and we're trying to make sure that we get. We help these young guys out, not only while they're here with food and help with nutrition and help them with weight and stuff, but more importantly, helping them find a career, helping being that big brother to really give back and support. Because as you said, the community, the community is all bought in. They know what those four letters mean. And I just want to make sure when we do retire, when I stop doing the JFPA and have someone else take over, that they know, "Hey, that made a difference. You made a difference for this one kid. You made a difference for a couple kids. You made a huge difference for the community, for their health and whatever." I think that's how you want to be remembered, right? I mean, you want to make sure that it might be cool to make a billion dollars and do all this, but if you didn't really make a difference, you didn't really change anything. I don't know, there was a quote that I heard once, and I think this is really why the JFPA matters, is if you make a little effort to help somebody out, you can actually change the trajectory of their entire life and not only just their life and their family's lives and then their family's lives. I mean, if you just do a little bit, it could have a huge ripple effect.

Travis Jensen

You're both trying to leave the place a little bit better than when you found it, right? You both touched on people that have been influential to you, some of your fond memories, whether it's as undergrad students or coming back here as alumni and also as faculty. Are there other special moments, traditions, memories that you have that really stand out that you're like, "Wow, how fortunate are we to be associated with this university?"

Ryan McKnight

That's a very good question because, like, in my head, I could think of five hundred different things. I could think of football games. I could think of getting an award from a student about the Naval Cross and some of these cool, impactful things that have really been a memory for me. I would say the one that stands out the most, or at least the two, both national championship games, is being down there seeing the — I mean, people flew in from all over to watch this, and it was so cool because where we were fifteen years ago, where people said, "Don't go to Division One," to where it is now. And like, we're up there, we're winning a title. We got guys going to the NFL. We got all these cool things, and Stig's last game. I mean, it was just so many cool things with that. And that's one, obviously, that that'll always stick with me.

Brittany McKnight

It's hard to say just one thing, but something about SDSU, I think, is that it gives you this traditional college experience that is maybe portrayed in movies or literature that you don't get everywhere else. Not everywhere has Hobo Day. Not everywhere has this huge athletic program with the football team, women's basketball, volleyball, men's basketball, all the sports. And just kind of like the culture that SDSU has, I think is very unique and special across the country. I would say you get this really amazing college experience, whether you are a football player or you're into poetry and you like English literature. There's something for everybody in that way. Not saying football player couldn't like poetry, but yeah, it just really is a cool college experience.

Ryan McKnight

I would say the community. I think the community is a big influence in this town. And there's a lot of towns that have a university that are not like this. And people, when they come here, they don't realize it is a small town, but at the same time, you have everything you really need in a small town. You could get all the way across the town in ten minutes, versus if you're in Sioux Falls, it'll take you an hour and a half just to get the east side to the west side. That's what's cool about the size of it. But how they all buy in, they all buy in. They all appreciate what the students are about. They'll appreciate trying to help find careers and jobs and sponsor stuff. And just because they know the better the university is, the better the town is, the better the community is as well.

Andi Fouberg

We use a football term, right? We kind of say Brookings outkicks its coverage because we have so much. SDSU brings so much to offer you. You're talking, you're raising your kids here right now, you’re raising your family. Maybe just talk a little bit more about what makes Brookings so special, why you chose to do that here, because you could teach here and commute from somewhere else, right? You could teach anywhere else. But you've chosen to invest in Brookings and SDSU. So what made that the choice?

Brittany McKnight

Yeah, we love raising our daughters here. We have a nine-year-old and a five-year-old, two girls. The school system has been great. The children's museum is amazing. We go there all the time. There's just great facilities for kids. Our daughters love going to the football games. They love going to the basketball games. Volleyball. They're involved. My daughter right now, Bryn, is at the SDSU women's basketball camp. She just thinks they are celebrities. They are like rock stars to her. And the fact that she gets to just see them and they know her name is amazing. 

Travis Jensen

I mean, they are a rock stars.

Brittany McKnight 

Oh yeah. Oh yeah, for sure. She is just mesmerized. So it's just incredible to be able to raise kids here. And again, like Ryan said, it is a smaller town. I mean, I'm from Wall, so Brookings was like a big town to me coming here.

Andi Fouberg

Preach.

Brittany McKnight

But it's not, you know, huge. And it gives you everything you need. And there's just really great, kind people. Our neighbors are amazing. I just have so many good things I could say.

Ryan McKnight

To echo what you said to, the community, the school system, the fact that my kids can walk home and they can just go out and about and have fun. The worry is kind of gone. It's such a nice community, such a nice town. People around are also from. They all want to help. The city council has done a really good job to bringing in businesses, bringing in different companies, bringing in those amenities that you need to have a quasi-big town. But at the same time, you got everything you need. But it's not overburdensome.And so, shout out to Ope Niemeyer. I used to lay carpet for a couple years in college, so I know him, know him real well, but I think he's done a really good job with this town and this community.

Travis Jensen

I would like to think that there are some couples that are listening right now who met in a residence hall or at a student organization, or maybe even at a football game, right, watching their future spouse. What advice would you give to students that are building relationships during their time here at State?

Ryan McKnight

Oh, man, you guys got some good questions in here. And I know you sent me the email with some pre-loaded questions, right?

Travis Jensen

You have to read the email.

Andi Fouberg

Takes the newness away from it when you do that.

Ryan McKnight

I would say to anybody, it's better to go through something hard like college, anything — law school, sports. It's better to have someone that you can lean on, someone that you can talk to. And I know you have teammates, and I know you have your friends and your high school buddies and your parents. Do not be afraid to jump in. Do not be afraid to make a fool, make a mistake. Do whatever. Trust yourself. Trust the process. The cold water won't get warmer if you jump late, so you might as well go and talk to that person. Have a great relationship. Do fun things, man. At some point, college will be over and you'll be working eight to five every single day, so like you might as well enjoy it while you're here and go fishing. Go to a lake, go to the bars, whatever it is. I would say just trust your gut and go and have some fun.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah, I would agree with all of that. And also make sure to do your own thing also. Be yourself. Be in a relationship, but don't lose yourself in the relationship because, again, opposites attract. You bring your own unique quirks and self to the relationship. So make sure you graduate college and pursue your interests as well.

Andi Fouberg

Well, Brittany, Ryan, thank you. Thank you for joining us and sharing your story. It's always special to hear how SDSU alums' lives are shaped well after graduation. And your journey together is a wonderful example of that. We appreciate your investment in students, and you're willing to spend your careers here and your time here giving back to SDSU. So thanks for joining us.

Ryan McKnight

Yeah, thanks for the opportunity, guys. We appreciate it.

Brittany McKnight

Yeah. Thank you. It was a lot of fun.

Travis Jensen

Thanks for joining us for another episode of STATE Stories podcast. Like what you heard? Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us continue sharing these inspiring stories from our legendary SDSU alumni. You can find all episodes at sdstatealumnifoundation.org/podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

Travis Jensen

Welcome to another episode of the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, traditions, and experiences that make South Dakota State University so special. Today, we're talking about one of the biggest celebrations of Jackrabbit pride all year long, One Day for STATE. For our listeners unfamiliar, One Day for STATE is a university-wide day of giving where Jackrabbits come together to celebrate SDSU and the incredible impact of philanthropy. Joining us are two outstanding members of the SDSU community from the School of Communication and Journalism. Dr. Joshua Westwick serves as director of the school, and Erica Quam is a professional advisor who works closely with students every day. Both have become passionate advocates for One Day for STATE and understand firsthand the impact donor support has on SDSU students. Josh and Erica, welcome to the podcast. 

Joshua Westwick

Thanks for having us. 

Andi Fouberg

So let me start. One of the things that makes One Day for STATE unique is that it feels less like a fundraising campaign and more like a celebration of the jackrabbit community. What do you think that makes that resonate with so many people? Maybe I should ask first if you agree with that assessment. 

Erica Quam

Absolutely. 

Joshua Westwick

Yeah, I do. I think it is. It is more than just a development event. It truly is a celebration. And I think that's how we've approached it from day one and as a special opportunity to really celebrate all the excellent things that are happening within the school of communication and journalism. But SDSU in general, and we just tend to have a lot of fun in putting together the videos and the content. And it's a great opportunity to reminisce about the time that we had here as students and to celebrate what's next for our current students in a really joyous way. 

Erica Quam

Yeah, I would echo that. It's just a really neat way to celebrate all that's happened. In thinking about what is yet to come for all our future jackrabbits too. 

Travis Jensen

Now you both work closely with students every day. How do you help them understand that philanthropy isn't just about the dollars, right? It's about opportunities. It's about creating experiences. It's about people investing in their success. 

Joshua Westwick

Yeah, I think we approach that from a sort of indirect perspective. I think we try to be very transparent with our students about how the activities that we're able to provide them are supported by donors, right, and talk about the broader impact of One Day for STATE rather than just saying to a student, “Would you like to write us a check today?” Right. We prefer to approach it as this is how these gifts are helping you, right, in hopes that they will hear that year after year. And at some point, later in life, they will be able to say, gosh, I really had an incredible experience at SDSU because of someone else's support. Now it's my turn to pay it back to the university. Say as a thank you and an opportunity to support future students. I think that's the culture we've really tried to create with our current students. 

Erica Quam

And we teach them to tell stories. So, it's thinking about how for them to tell their own story, which can tie back to all of that too, in such a meaningful way. 

Andi Fouberg

The SDSU community has really embraced One Day for STATE over the years. I think across campus, we've seen colleges, departments, and student organizations get incredibly creative, often tapping into a little friendly competition to raise awareness and rally support for causes they care about. The School of Communication and Journalism has become one of the great examples. Give our listeners a sneak peek into your approach and how you've built excitement. I know you do some work kind of throughout the year, thinking about what's going to be a great way to do One Day for STATE each year. 

Erica Quam

Some years we have a theme, right? We've had different themes that help guide what we do. You know, for a while we thought we could do tons and tons of content and just be having fun all day long consistently. And now we've shifted into a little bit more of like deeper, meaningful storytelling, which has been really cool to see. So, we've done it all the ways. All the ways are fun. But yeah, it's fun to have a little bit of playfulness with the day, but at the end of the day, share the meaningful work that we're all doing, that our students are doing and kind of the bigger picture of One Day for STATE, too.

Joshua Westwick

To your question, the thing that immediately came to my mind even before you did the setup was about the competitiveness of it. And for me, I tend to be really competitive. I want us to do well, I want us to get the most clicks, to have the most views, to have the most dollars raised. And so I'm always pushing Erica like, well, what can we do that's sort of outside of the box or different or creative that not everyone else is going to do. And so some years we've done a lot of planning, which is paid off, I think. But it's also a little bit taxing too. And so some years we sort of just kind of back off and approach it with a more casual approach, like we did last year, where just kind of spur of the moment and, and off the cuff and have a little bit of fun with it. But it's, I think the fun piece is probably the key aspect for, for us in terms of our approach to One Day for STATE, because it is such a fun day for all of us across campus and even in the community of Brookings, right? To really come together to rally about a place that is so dear to, to all of us. But the approach has been very, I don't know where the ideas sometimes come from.

Andi Fouberg 

You're also very good at celebrating what other people are doing on that day, though, right? You do you do the work, and you do tell the story about your department, your school, but you also do a great job of celebrating just SDSU and other people's work. So that's it's a fun way to see how you all kind of approach this again, this is your field. So, you have the advantage of going in and it's fun to watch that day. 

Erica Quam 

And we tried to bring in the student aspect in terms of them, creating some of the work or some of the content that goes out as well. And that's really neat. And they've been really proud to not only be a student here and be doing this every day, but then to show like a product of their learning to and share it on that day and tag their family and friends. That's been a neat turn that we've taken. 

Joshua Westwick 

Yeah. So let me just talk about that for a second, because we actually started that last year. And the students who are enrolled in the digital content production course are creating some of the student profile and alumni profile videos that we're using for One Day for STATE. So indirectly, we're getting them involved in One Day for STATE. And they know that upfront, but then they're getting that opportunity to share that work and tell those stories in a meaningful way, which of course ties back to what we do and the mission of that we have within the school. 

Travis Jensen 

Well, knowing that you're getting the students involved, obviously the two of you are involved. I imagine there are others within your team that are also contributing to this. One Day for STATE typically happens at the beginning of September. When does the planning and then ultimately the execution of that plan take place for you?

Erica Quam

 It feels like we're thinking about it all year long in some capacity, just even if it's quick side conversations. But for sure, the summer, the entire summer. 

Joshua Westwick 

Yeah, I'd say primarily in the summer. We actually, well because we were talking a little bit about this conversation today, we actually already had a conversation about what is coming up. And we're talking about this is the tenth year, tenth anniversary of One Day for STATE. And so just having some brainstorming on how we might celebrate that and maybe sort of tap into some of our favorite memories of different videos or content that we've put together over the years. So, you know, when it first started, it was sort of last minute; it was sort of like, oh, this is tomorrow. We better get something put together, right? But if you want to be really good at it, and you want to make a difference and have you get the views and the clicks and the gifts, it requires a little bit more strategy. 

Travis Jensen 

One thing of many that makes the SDSU community so special is the support that we receive from alumni. It really is special, right? Like they rally around jackrabbits and that jackrabbit pride. Can you share some examples of how donor support has impacted students in the School of Communication and Journalism, or even across the campus for that matter?

Erica Quam

I mean, one thing that comes to mind for me is just it sounds really simple, but the opportunity for students to say yes to professional development opportunities, like there's an advertising professional day for students in Sioux Falls, and it costs money to register for that. Then they have to travel. And being so close with students, I know that even a fifty, sixty dollar registration sometimes is too much. And in the years past, we've been able to use funds to cover that, and so they can just say, yes, I just have to be there versus I can't afford that. It shows up in big and small ways, but those small ways really add up for them and ignite a fire for the next thing. That's just one quick thing that comes to mind is something like that.

Joshua Westwick

It's expanded access and opportunity for our students, right? We've been able to send students before to the ad day experience in Sioux Falls. Maybe a van load, right? Now we take a tour bus down to Sioux Falls, right. It's that expanded access. It's given more opportunity to our students. It gives us the ability to send students to regional and national conferences to share their scholarship, to get them engaged in their professional disciplines early. Those are incredibly transformative experiences for our students that pay off in dividends that we would not be able to do without the generous support of our alumni and friends who give on One Day for STATE. And indirectly, those funds also help support our faculty and their professional development, which impacts the work they're doing in the classroom and the experiences our students have. So the gifts really do transcend across our programs and have significant impact. 

Andi Fouberg 

Every year, there seem to be some kind of memorable moments and stories of generosity that emerge from One Day for STATE. Do either of you have a favorite memory? And I can say that in terms of whether it's something one of your posts and interactions you had from it, a student's aha moment, if you will, or, we haven't heard from this person for a while, and now they've re-engaged because of this. It can be kind of anything, but are there any kind of moments that stand out from One Day for STATE that you'd like to share?

Joshua Westwick

One that comes to mind for me is, I think it was not last year, but the year before. Erica had created some content highlighting a couple of our alums that included video and images from when they were students. They were so touching and meaningful and that the response to the videos, I mean, got a ton of views, and a ton of likes, and a ton of engagement. But I also think it was a great opportunity for those particular alums to get reconnected to us in the school. And, you know, I don't know that there was a direct financial impact from that experience, but the connection, the extended relationship, I think, was really, really important. So actually, those videos and that interaction has kind of shifted our lens and our approach to One Day for STATE. If you kind of go back and look at our content over the years, it started out quite silly and it was. Silly is fun. We really embrace silliness.

Andi Fouberg 

But it's matured. 

Joshua Westwick 

Yes, it has matured and it's a deeper level of storytelling that I think more closely aligns with our mission and the goals of the institution. In a way that is memorable for our audience. It's a lasting impression, not a snapshot in time. 

Erica Quam 

Yeah, I completely agree. And we did another one where students shared their dream careers and just asked them to think big. And it's that sort of more deeper reach than we like the fun trending goofiness, but this is more lasting and ties back to the mission like you said.

Travis Jensen 

You talked about earlier, how you involve the students in this process. You allow them to help in the execution. And Erica, you work with the students every single day. Are there moments in working with them, particularly regarding One Day for STATE, that really stand out to you that like you really appreciate that's one of those favorite memories.

Erica Quam 

I mean, I think just in general, I hear them talk about, I need to get this paid for, or this has been a struggle to cover and so I think they're really eager to take part in these things because they know really what it means at the end of the day, like they see the full picture of how it supports them in those ways. So, they're very eager to participate, put their skills to use, right. They enjoy what they're doing, but they see the value of it. And they're so appreciative of it. And so not one specific, but just overarching, that's what comes to my mind is, it's a big deal. 

Joshua Westwick 

So I think a student group in the school of communication and journalism that really has also embraced One Day for STATE as Jackrabbits Forensics. They firsthand benefit from the direct gifts that are made on One Day for STATE. They would not be able to travel to and have the level of national success that they have had without the contributions of our generous supporters on One Day for STATE. And so the students know that. They're actively engaged. They look forward to participating in the content creation and telling the stories. And you don’t have to just see that across campus. That's not just limited to COJO, right? I mean, I look at what's happening with the number of our athletic teams, The Pride of the Dakotas, right. The students are engaged in that content creation and taking part in this, which I also think helps make the whole day more memorable and special. It's not a faculty or staff-led effort. It is the entire community coming together. I think that's what makes it so fun. 

Andi Fouberg 

Well and they directly impacted and benefited. I mean forensics is a great example, right? The growth of that program in the last six years, let's say. I think a lot of people would be surprised at the stride they've hit that they really have. That team has really not only embraced this but seen a lot of success. And you can kind of put the two hand in hand. That's created those opportunities, which is really exciting. So, if you were to advise someone on how to get involved in One Day for STATE, whether it's someone on campus, whether it's an alum, like what would be your advice to people about embracing One Day for STATE because you've seen the impact that it can make?

Joshua Westwick 

Well, first, and maybe we can tag team this a little bit. I would say first give if you can give. Right? That's important. Every gift matters. No discrimination on the gift amount but give to an entity that's close to your heart, an activity you are involved in a program that means something to you. That's where I would start. 

Erica Quam 

And I think too, it's a day where we can think if there's not a monetary donation, that you can still share your jackrabbit story, you can share the pages and posts of the areas that are special to you. Become the ambassador, advocate, you know, type of thing. Just make sure that everyone can find a place to be involved that day. If they're newer to donating or they never have, there's kind of a spot for everybody. And I think that's one thing that I like to approach is that this day is for everyone, not just a select group of types of donors or whomever. It's everybody. Yeah, and come up with a little bit of a plan in terms of like, what is special to you in your department, well if you are coming from a department I guess if you’re not just an individual. Yeah but think about those things that are meaningful to you and there's a way you're going to be able to contribute in some way.

Joshua Westwick 

And then use those resources that are available, too.

Andi Fouberg

You're probably talking about the Jackrabbit Philanthropy Center. They are very helpful in preparing folks to be partners in One Day for STATE. 

Joshua Westwick 

Great. Thank you. Yeah. The templates, the resources, the ideas, the examples to get the wheels spinning. And then just do it. Just jump in and do it and support and have fun. 

Andi Fouberg 

So I appreciate thee as we get ready to kind of close out this episode, you have been very intentional about maturing the storytelling, but you've also had a lot of fun. And maybe Erica, specifically, you have had a lot of fun in some of the efforts that you've made over the years. Would you care to share some of the best examples, knowing that you also are sitting next to the person who's going to clean up anything if you fail to, if you leave out, if you have omissions for this? 

Erica Quam 

Yes, definitely a memorable one is Dr. Westwick revealed to me he'd never been to the top of the Campanile and we said that's on him then we better do that than. So yeah, we arranged it and then, the dean of the college at the time was with us too. And we all climbed and trekked up there together and had some laughs along the way. It wasn't that bad in the end.

Joshua Westwick 

Not bad at all.

Andi Fouberg

Your story.

Erica Quam 

Yes. But that was really neat. But it was a metaphor for, you know, going to the top and doing a hard thing and meaningful work. 

Joshua Westwick

We had a lot of fun that day. What she's not telling you about that day because she and our former dean Lynn Sargeant were sworn to secrecy, is that when we came down on the steps right over there, I actually tripped and literally flew forward off the steps. And I caught myself, fortunately, because it could have ended quite tragically. And I think there may be some video of this.

Erica Quam

Some video. I forgot.

Andi Fouberg 

Oh, so you climbed up one hundred and eighty stairs. You came down one hundred and seventy-seven stairs and then that was the end. Like you face planted.

Erica Quam

Floated.

Joshua Westwick 

I caught myself, but I almost did, which is sort of symbolic for me. 

Andi Fouberg 

I knew there had to be stories. Again, you have been great partners and celebrated in such fun ways that I knew there had to have been a story or two that we're leaving out. Dr. Westwick, thank you for being the person who let it fly, so to speak. You didn't keep that under wraps. I'm guessing you have some stories about Erica, but it looks like we're out of time. Josh and Erica…

Travis Jensen

How convenient. 

Andi Fouberg 

Thank you both for joining us today and for everything you do to support SDSU students and help tell the stories that make this university so special. And to everyone listening, One Day for STATE is more than a day of giving. It's a day that reminds us what it means to be a jackrabbit and the impact we can have when we come together. 

Travis Jensen 

Thanks, everyone.

Andi Fouberg

Thanks for listening to another episode of STATE Stories podcast. If you’ve enjoyed today’s conversation, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us continue sharing these inspiring stories and experiences of SDSU alumni. You can explore more episodes at sdstatealumnifoundation.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.

Andi Fouberg

Welcome to another episode of the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, traditions, and experiences that make South Dakota State University such a special place. For some families, SDSU is more than a university, it's a tradition that spans generations. Today's guests are Julie and Claire Mooney, a mother and daughter who are both proud Jackrabbits. Together, we'll explore how SDSU has shaped their family, the memories they've made through the years, and why this place continues to hold such a special place in their hearts. Julie and Claire, welcome to the podcast. 

Julie Mooney

Thanks for having us. 

Travis Jensen

One of the things that we love about your story is that your connection to SDSU goes far beyond earning your degrees. Your family is very passionate about State. What are some of the Jackrabbit traditions that have become part of your family's story over the years? Whether it's football games, Hobo Day, or something unique to your family, what comes to mind? What comes to mind? Julie, let's start with you. 

Julie Mooney

Well, Claire would have been three years old when we decided to get season tickets for football, and we were going to just try it out and see how our family loved it. So, Claire and her two brothers, Mark and I, set out to just tailgate, go to a few games. Well, now you fast forward all these years, and that probably was the catalyst for all of us getting so reacquainted and reconnected with SDSU. That tradition has been so much fun because the kids got to make friends at the football games, with Yankton people, as well as the people who are sitting around us. Think about this. At one point, our five seats were right beside the trombone section.

Andi Fouberg

Oh, yeah. Because in the original Coughlin you could. Yes. Oh, you learned so much as a child. 

Claire Mooney

Yeah. 

Julie Mooney

And what's funny is sometimes the games got long. The day was long. Claire would take a nap, maybe, and then you'd have the trombones right beside you. The trombone section had their own special cheers that sometimes I had to make sure the kids were paying attention to something else.

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah, yeah.

Julie Mooney 

But, you know, that tradition of football was really neat because then the kids grow up, they each choose SDSU, so then they would come and spend a little time with us at tailgate. They'd bring their friends. I fed your friends. 

Claire Mooney 

Yes. 

Julie Mooney

Yeah, so we just had a lot of fun with that tradition. 

Travis Jensen

I mean, Claire, you didn't know any different. You grew up with that as a part of your life. What stands out about that tradition? Are there other traditions within that tradition that really stands out for you? 

Claire Mooney

I think what I remember most is the cold and there being snow on the ground and being dragged to Brookings. It was always fun, but I think the biggest thing is Hobo Day. I remember my parents would have to go up early and so my grandparents would always bring us kids up a little later during the weekend. And that was always fun to get to spend it with them. And definitely watching the parade was pretty fun, that was the most exciting part for me I'd say.

Andi Fouberg

Well, yeah, because you're the youngest. There are three Mooney children. 

Claire Mooney 

Yes.

Andi Fouberg

You have two older brothers. So, you are kind of the, now we do football at three? A little girl at three is like, oh, now we do football, right? 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah. 

Andi Fouberg 

Julie, you and Mark have been really intentional about raising your family in the SDSU community. Why is it important to have your children connected to the university? 

Julie Mooney

I think as Mark and I started getting involved with the alumni and the foundation, we felt like it was a great chance to have our kids on a college campus. You know, by involving them, we knew that someday when they grew up and they chose where to go to college, there would not be all this nervousness of, oh, what's a college like? So we figured that that would be great for them as they were growing, and just to have a comfort with being on a campus and to understand the makings of, and the goings on of college life. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. Claire, what do you remember most about growing up around campus before you ever became a student? And we should probably tell folks, you all live in Yankton. You mentioned it, Julie, right? Going to campus was not like when my mom was from Volga and she just drove over. Right? Like, it was a decision when you were coming up to Brookings. So, what do you remember as a young child about coming up to campus? 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah, I remember just the city of Brookings. We would go shop downtown and I remember that was really fun for me. I would get to go to the Children's museum sometimes, which was really fun. But in terms of campus, we would get ice cream. Yeah tailgating, I remember mainly revolving around game day. 

Julie Mooney 

We actually, the very first time the kids were on campus, we got the keys to the Campanile, and we walked to the top. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yes. Yes. At three?

Claire Mooney 

Was I walking? Crawling?

Julie Mooney 

No. Well, dad carried you.

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. I was just going to say. Wow. That's something. 

Travis Jensen 

So you both attended SDSU, of course. Looking back on your time as students, what are some of your favorite memories? Claire. Let's start with you. 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah. Definitely, my most favorite memories have been with my friends that I've met. I think fall semester was always really fun with game days, going to football games. We also really enjoyed the Hobo Day festivities. One of my favorite memories is doing Bum-a-meal with all my friends. 

Travis Jensen 

And Julie, you mentioned this before, but Claire, you obviously wanted your friends to be a part of that experience, that environment that your parents, your family created for you as you were growing up with that tailgating experience. How did your friends react to just being a part of this community, being able to be involved in the Mooney Tailgating experience? 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah, I think that was definitely a positive. We got all of them involved. My parents would grill food for us, and they were kind of always around during the fall semester too, which was a plus now. 

Travis Jensen 

Do you have a go to when it comes to tailgating food? 

Claire Mooney 

I think it was normally burgers and hot dogs. 

Travis Jensen 

Okay. 

Julie Mooney 

And your freshman year, I was pretty good with that crock pot of homemade mac and cheese.

Claire Mooney 

Yeah, that was great. 

Travis Jensen 

Julie, how about you? Did you have favorite memories as a student? 

Julie Mooney 

When I think of college, I think of those good times in Pierson Hall, fourth floor. I just remember a lot of times with friends, maybe you're just hanging out in the hallway, right? But why were those such precious times?  I also think about those fall days and just hanging out on the lawns. Those specific memories are not any big, grandiose things, but it's the simple times that you hung out with your friends. Then fast forward a few years, I think about being in that printing journalism building, late nights, working on, we did a project, the National Student Advertising Competition, and it was hours and hours and months of work. So those classmates are still some of my best friends, because we had those core memories of being there late at night, because I think we would probably we'd do our school day. Some of us had to go and do our jobs, and then maybe it was eight p.m., nine p.m. when we'd get together in the labs, and we'd start working on the projects for nights. So those are memories just ingrained in me. And although at the time, I think it was kind of hard sometimes. Now, they're special, they're precious. We had a lot of fun while we were burning that midnight oil. 

Travis Jensen 

And we hear that quite frequently, the relationships. 

Andi Fouberg 

Well, and I think about your point about, you know, we're just hanging out. I think there's something to that. And it's the last time that you just hung out with people because there was always someone around, right? So you could be at a residence hall. You didn't have to make a plan. You didn't have to have, you didn't have to go anywhere. Your friend network was right around you, whether that was in your residence hall, whether that was in a class or an activity or whatever. Right. And so post-college, you have to make a plan; when you're in college, you don't have to make a plan. Everyone's already there. 

Julie Mooney 

And in the nineties, we had very little technology. We didn't have TV, cable, all that in there.

Andi Fouberg

We had TV!

Julie Mooney 

Well, no, no, I'm saying we did not have cable TV.

Andi Fouberg 

Actually, college was the first time I ever had cable TV. 

Julie Mooney 

Was it? Yeah, we just didn't have that technology to be taking our time. Right. So you found people. And you hung out, and you talked, and you played a lot of music. 

Andi Fouberg 

I know it was the nineteen hundreds, but let's not make it sound like the eighteen hundreds, Julie. 

Travis Jensen 

What we hear often is, of course, like you both referenced, the friendships that you established, right. But the relationships that we gain from attending SDSU go well beyond just those friendships. Oftentimes, it's individuals like professors, coaches, or even mentors. And in fact, Claire, you were a part of the mentor program, right? But beyond that, who else do you think of when you think about the relationships that you established at SDSU? 

Julie Mooney 

Well, my time in the printing journalism program was really special. I talked about how I learned really good skills that I was able to use, but I was nurtured in that place. So I think of department head Dick Lee, who you would have daily conversations with. I think of Roxanne Lucchese. 

Andi Fouberg 

Absolutely. 

Julie Mooney 

My professors, that administration was just there every day with us. And I took it for granted. As a nineteen-year-old, I didn't realize that that's not the way it is everywhere. But it really made me a successful student. Also, our secretary, Betty, like if we were sick with a cold, she would make sure that she would call us and that we were okay if we needed any extra books that maybe had been left at the department. So, we really had special relationships at that time in journalism. 

Andi Fouberg 

Well it was unique for SDSU at the time because it was housed in its own building. And so, you had the opportunity to have your classes and your professors in the same space when that wasn't as common at SDSU as it is today. And so I think there was a little bit, I had political science and then I had journalism and there were very different experiences when it comes to that.  I think that that was benefited and so one of the advantages of all of the work that's been done on the campus facilities has really given that opportunity to more students, maybe nowhere more obvious than where you studied, Claire, in engineering. 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah, I didn't know that that was the case years back, but I definitely made some great connections with the faculty members in the civil engineering department. Everyone was so willing to help. Dr. Kumar, the dean, also was really instrumental in my college experience. He was always willing to talk to students, which I don't think you get everywhere. But my academic advisor, Dr. Min, who's a professor in the civil engineering department. She really, I think, helped me both academically and professionally. She helped me with my classes. She was also my professor. I got to take a lot of her classes. But yeah, I think she was overall great help as I was navigating everything. 

Andi Fouberg 

As you move through different stages of life. How has your time at SDSU continued to influence you? 

Julie Mooney 

Well, I can honestly say that SDSU had the biggest impact on my life because, you know, my time there helped me grow into the person that I am. I got skills, communication skillsn that I have used in every job that I've had since then. I met Mark.

Andi Fouberg

Yeah, you met Mark. That’s important.

Julie Mooney

And then, fast-forward, because of our shared passion for the place, we both got involved volunteering our time to SDSU. And from there, as adults, we've made some of the most precious, long-lasting friends of our life that have the same passion to support SDSU as we do. 

Andi Fouberg 

So, Claire, when it was time to decide on college, right, like you had other choices, you had other places that you were looking at, you were thinking about. How did that long-term connection play into your decision to go to SDSU? 

Claire Mooney 

I think the connection really just made me aware of all the opportunities that were available from my parents' involvement. They knew what was going on in the school, and I was looking at engineering, and I knew it was a strong program. So that made the biggest impact. 

Travis Jensen 

Claire, when future generations of the Mooney family walk across campus. What do you hope that they experience?

Claire Mooney 

That's a good question. I hope they can see where I went to class. I hope it's not torn down. I hope they can see my old house. I hope that the places I frequented, they will be able to see.

Andi Fouberg 

Literally, Claire lived steps from engineering. I don't know how she got her friends who were not in engineering to live, but I know where Claire's house is, and it was three doors down? 

Claire Mooney

Yeah.

Andi Fouberg

Three doors down from campus. So, not three blocks. It was three doors down. 

Claire Mooney 

Yeah. I think it was closer than the dorms were.

Travis Jensen 

Julie, how about you? You've established you've shared a little bit about the different experiences you, Mark, and the rest of your family had on campus. When you think about future generations of Mooney’s coming to campus, what are you hoping that they experience as well? 

Julie Mooney 

I want them to feel the positive energy. I want them to feel how the leadership on campus does everything they do for the students. And that's what makes the place stand out, I think. And it's always been something that's been real to me, especially when I became a mom. You think about your kids being educated, nurtured, entertained at a place where it's positive, and they are going to be able to take that out into their world. 

Andi Fouberg 

SDSU means something a little different to everyone, right? We ask the question of what does this place mean to you? So, when people ask you why SDSU is so special, Claire, what do you tell them? 

Claire Mooney 

I think something that makes it special in terms of academics is the size. There's a lot of opportunities available, but you don't feel like you're competing with everyone to get them. That is something that I really found positive about my experience. 

Andi Fouberg 

Julie, what makes SDSU so special? 

Julie Mooney 

I would talk about the positive environment. I would talk about the connections that students can make, that alum can make. It's just the right size. Like you said, Claire, it's big enough that there's all those opportunities. It's there for the taking. It's small enough, though, so that you can stand out, be your own person, and be known for what you're accomplishing. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah, so many opportunities and yet you said it earlier, Julie, that you know that people care about the students. They care about what happens to us while we're on campus. They care about what happens when we leave campus. Right? They want us to be prepared for the opportunities that will present themselves, undoubtedly. So, it's just a great, the size of South Dakota State University is part of the magic, I think. So oftentimes people have a favorite spot on campus. You referenced the Dairy Bar earlier, Claire, but truly, what's your favorite place on campus? 

Claire Mooney 

My favorite place on campus is Lincoln. That's where I do most of my studying. There were a great amount of electrical outlets for me, which I appreciated. 

Andi Fouberg 

And I think I think our listeners who may not know, need to know that Lincoln was recently remodeled. So if they're like, I don't remember there being electrical outlets. Yes. It went through a beautiful remodel that made it just excellent space for studying and gathering. It's beautiful. 

Claire Mooney

Yeah. Very beautiful. 

Andi Fouberg

Good choice. 

Claire Mooney

Thank you. 

Andi Fouberg

Julie.

Julie Mooney 

Well, I'm going to go back to those great times of 1991. Down in the student union, if you remember, there were two coves. 

Andi Fouberg

Yes.

Julie Mooney 

They each had what we thought were giant televisions. 

Andi Fouberg

Yes.

Julie Mooney

They each what we thought were giant TVs. And if you were so lucky to have a lunch break between noon and one, you could gather there with all kinds of other students and you would watch Days of Our Lives. 

Andi Fouberg 

I knew it was going to be a soap opera. Yes. I knew it was coming. Yeah.

Julie Mooney 

And so I when I think back to those eras, that was my favorite place on campus because it was a time to relax, unwind, watch TV on a big TV. You were with friends, you were watching your soap opera. And then remember Jack's Pizza was right there.

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah, I was just going to say Jack's Place was down there, too. Yes, yes, I was wondering. So, in each alcove, was there a Days of Our Lives alcove and then an All My Children alcove, so you picked sides? 

Julie Mooney 

I think you're right. 

Andi Fouberg 

I think so. 

Julie Mooney 

I think you're right. And there weren't necessarily there wasn't cozy chairs or anything like that. It was steps.

Andi Fouberg 

Yes, yes. You were literally a wooden kind of platform-type situation.

Julie Mooney

Two levels. Yeah. Two levels. And you'd sit there with your backpack. So that is a core memory of mine. 

Travis Jensen 

Julie and Claire, thank you for joining us today and for sharing your family's Jackrabbit story. It's a wonderful reminder that SDSU is more than a place where students earn a degree. It's a community that builds lifelong friendships and creates lasting traditions. And for families like yours, becomes part of who you are. Thanks for joining us for another episode of STATE Stories podcast. Like what you heard? Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us continue sharing these inspiring stories from our legendary SDSU alumni. You can find all episodes at sdstatealumnifoundation.org/podcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

Andi Fouberg

Welcome to another episode of the STATE Stories podcast, where we celebrate the people, traditions, and experiences that make South Dakota State University such a special place. Today's guest has spent much of his life telling the stories of Jackrabbits. V.J. Smith is a proud SDSU alumnus and former executive director of the South Dakota State University Alumni Association. During his years serving the university, he connected with thousands of alumni, celebrated countless milestones, and helped strengthen the bonds that unite the Jackrabbit community. Today, we'll reflect on his journey as a student, his years leading the Alumni Association, and the lessons he's learned from a lifetime connected to South Dakota State. V.J. Smith, welcome to the podcast. 

V.J. Smith

Great to be here.

Travis Jensen

V.J., let's start at the beginning. What first brought you to SDSU, and what made it feel like the right place for you?

V.J. Smith

Thanksgiving 1971. And that's the truth. I had a brother two years older than me. His name is Tim. And when he came back that Thanksgiving, after having been here for just a couple of months, all he could do was talk about the great guys that he had met at South Dakota State. And there were people from similar small towns, but he was just absolutely enjoying himself. And a reminder, it's a land-grant institution, which means it’s the people's place, the people's school. There's no elitism here. We are what we are. And so it was an attractive thing from that standpoint. And I thought, I want to go where Tim's going. So that's what brought me to South Dakota State University. 

Travis Jensen

He was an ambassador for the university. He probably should have been working for admissions. Right. He's out recruiting students.

Andi Fouberg

Yeah, we probably owe him something for that. When you think back on your time as a student, what memories come to mind?

V.J. Smith

First of all, the intense socialization. You know, you take someone. Well, you're from a small town. You take someone from a small town, class size 25-30. In my case, it was 63. And then you arrive in a dorm on a wing with 50 other people. It's intense. Walking down hallways, going to the bathroom, whatever. You're always around people. And then the size of the classes, some of the classes, the larger classrooms that a lot of people. And then the downtown scene at the time that I started in 1973, 18-year-olds were allowed to drink beer, 3-2 beer. And so, Horatio's “Hort's”, Jim's Tap, the Lantern. It was a buzz of activity. So that intense socialization. You had to figure out very quickly how am I going to fit into all this? And because the people who tried to stand out weren't cutting it. It was pretty much go along, get a long time. Then I'll never forget my first class. It was an ag engineering geography, 6:00-7:30 in the morning and sitting there and looking around and feeling like, do I really belong here? Then listening to Dr. Roger Sandness talk. They didn't talk like that in Eureka. You realize this is a different language coming out of his mouth. Highly intellectual, about geography. So, I remember walking away from the classroom that day and said, should I really be here? Are all these professors going to be like him? And I found out they were. But that's why they were teaching at a university. So that was my earliest memories. Plus, the big thing was in 1973 was the build-up to Hobo Day. It was enormous. The Hobo Day Committee was always dressed in hobo clothing, every day, and you would see them in classrooms; you'd see them in the union, and walking down the sidewalk, the Bummobile would be around all the time. They were making announcements on the loudspeaker; you'd see them downtown, and it was a high anticipation leading up to the day. Then, of course, back then. Then on Hobo Day, they would dress up in their Sunday finest. 

Andi Fouberg 

Oh, I didn't know that. 

V.J. Smith 

Yeah. And now it's just reversed. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. 

V.J. Smith 

They're dressing as normal people. Three hundred and sixty-four days a year. And on Hobo Day, they dress as bums. So anyway, that's the way it was. And it was a fearful thing back then because the Hobo Day committee was big into initiation stuff. And if you didn't answer their questions, they had green magic markers and they would put a V on your cheek, and you had to wear those stupid green beanies. I never did. Yeah. I looked like a freshman, but acted like a freshman, but I wouldn't wear one.

Andi Fouberg 

What are some of the experiences that helped shape who you became after college? 

V.J. Smith 

Well, certainly the biggest thing that happened was my decision early on was to get involved. I didn't want to be a bystander. And I realized the more things I joined got involved with, the better the experience. So, you know, I was a campus representative for the Miller Brewing Company for two and a half years. I think that's how I got to be student body president. You buy enough beer for people; they vote for you. Anyway, then I got involved in the student government. And because of that involvement in student government, you got to be involved with important decisions, as you know. A great bonus was getting closer to the administrators here at the university and them going from being an administrator to being your friend. That always fascinated me and I felt very welcomed by the administration when I was going through school, have fond memories and, you know, life changing, life changing stuff. It was, and I'll get into something else a little bit later as we go through these questions. 

Travis Jensen 

V.J., one event from your time as a student that has become a part of SDSU history is the student walkout. Can you take us back to that moment and share what you remember about that experience? 

V.J. Smith 

Sure. And I'm glad you asked. I probably talk about it a little bit later when I talk about one of the guys that I consider a hero of mine. But back in the seventies, there wasn't a lot of revenue by state government to support universities, and a lot of things. Well, in 1978, the Board of Regents had made the decision that they wanted to ask the colleges to identify their top, top twenty-five percent programs. And we knew what that meant. It meant that the programs that were on the bottom were possibly going to get lopped off. And so, the University of South Dakota. They decided that they were going to have a student strike and not go to classes. Well, when we talked about it, we weren't interested in the word strike because that's negative. We turned it around and said it's going to be a public education campaign. I think it was the thirteenth or fourteenth of April of 1978. No students went to class, which really surprised us because we thought some, hey, look, mom and dad says, I got to go to class. I got to go to class. Now you have almost five thousand students packed in the barn, bleachers, folding chairs on the floor, and all these people showed up. I'll never forget how energizing that felt. Walking into the barn and hearing this buzz. And what we basically said is don't go downtown. Make use of your time. Take petitions with you. Get people to sign those petitions that they support. Public higher education in South Dakota. We got ten thousand signatures, and I presented them at the next Board of Regents meeting the following May. It was a constructive time. It was because people didn't spend days downtown, enjoying some maybe did, but the vast majority did constructive things, and it was our way of saying to the Board of Regents, people want opportunities and they also want regional educational opportunities. Because that was all part of it. And they wanted a single university system where all the, let's say the engineering program was at mines, or the business programs centered at the University of South Dakota. All these things they wanted to do. But that's not what people wanted, you know, and this is a university, South Dakota State University, I mean, universal, you know, and we got better because you have all these other disciplines that you're friends with them and their spillover in terms of, you know, like mathematics and all the, all the different majors depend on mathematics, not all of them, but most of them nursing biology, all these. They wanted to gut the place, and we just said, no, we don't want the place gutted. What an incredible accomplishment. When you think about all of these students coming together behind one common cause. Just an incredible demonstration of the power of the people working towards the common good. It's impressive. 

Andi Fouberg 

Well, and if I remember the story correctly, right. One of the people went home to wherever they were from. You go to Eureka, I go to Letcher. And you made the case there too. And that might be maybe I'm wrong, right? But might be one of the first times that students were educating legislators to say; you may think that supporting SDSU is supporting Brookings, but it's educating your constituents too. We're all going to campus. It really kind of may have been one of those first times when we really kind of lit up that you need to understand that this is bigger than the place that you're thinking of in that one particular county. It's the education of all of us. 

V.J. Smith 

That's a great observation. We were just coming off the heels of the Vietnam War protests, and students realized they had a voice. The other part about it is that it was a turning point because we were challenging legislators saying, hey, we're consumers, we're paying for part of this. We have skin in the game. We should have a voice at the table on all of this. And prior to that, it was like, hey, look, you go to school, keep your mouth shut, graduate, and then you can talk. No, we're talking now because we're paying for this product and it's called higher education and we need to have a voice. You know, and we weren't bombastic. We weren't, you know, saying stupid things like they do on social media. Now. We tried to make it a highly educated conversation. I'll never forget, back in the early seventies, late 60s colleges, students would take over the administration building and they would protest in the Vietnam War and always made the nightly news. You know what was happening there. So, the Commissioner of Higher Education at the time. I'm not going to say his name, but he was in the barn, in the back listening to all this. He listened because there were probably about eight, ten different speakers. And he came up and he shook my hand and he said, I want to thank you. And I said, for what? He said one word from you. They would have taken over the administration building because of the energy in that place. One word from you, and I never even thought about it. 

Andi Fouberg 

Right. You know that wasn't the point. 

V.J. Smith 

No, no, no, it wasn't. 

Andi Fouberg 

You kind of mentioned some of this, but you've built so many relationships in college. Some of them are for a time. Some of them are for a lifetime. Who were the professors, mentors, classmates, or friends you met at SDSU who influenced your personal and professional life long after graduation? 

V.J. Smith 

Well, I was very fortunate. I have a degree in political science and a degree in history. Political science side, I had the great doctor Robert Burns, as my advisor. 

Andi Fouberg 

Same. 

V.J. Smith 

Okay. And so he was my advisor on that. On the other side, history side was Doctor John Miller, who was an institution. We lost him a few years ago, but they guided me as best they could because I was a little bit different, I suppose. They were important people in my life. Sherwood Berg, Woody. President. Marvelous man. I was a guest at his house many times, with him and Elizabeth, his wife. And, so again, going past that administrator student; it was these are my friends, Chuck Cecil. And I'm going to talk about him a little bit, but Chuck Cecil, the assistant to the president at the time today, is still my friend. He's ninety-four years old and lives here in Brookings. They had a tremendous impact on me. And, you know, there were professors at campus, the great Pat Lyons, longtime legal aid for students many times. Teacher of the year. Yes. When I would go as an alumni director to, let's say, Los Angeles or Washington, D.C. invariably someone would say to me, how's Pat Lyons? They remembered him just like they did Doctor Robert Wagner and his marriage class. They were sought after classes because they were so popular, and they really knew how to speak to the students. So those are some of the people that stand out the most.

Andi Fouberg 

Legends. 

V.J. Smith 

Yep. 

Andi Fouberg 

So those are your people who are the administrators. Who are your unsung heroes? That maybe names we don't know of alums or friends. 

V.J. Smith 

It may be a strange thing to bring up, but the first on my list is Jerry Lohr. Now people say, oh well, I know Jerry Lohr. I'll guarantee Jerry Lohr is going to become a Hubert Matthews in the next twenty-three years. His name is going to appear on a building, but people aren't going to realize his impact. They just won't. It just happens. We move on with things in life. But back in the mid-nineties, Robert Wagner, who was a president of the University of the time, had the vision to ask him to chair the visions for the future campaign, the fifty million dollars campaign, the first time we really went after big money. Well, it was successful, but Jerry stayed on and gave great direction. And let's face it, he's a hard driving guy. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. To your point, people may remember Jerry because his name is on a building, or they may remember the money, but he taught us how to do some things differently, that this place, it's kind of the thing I think about with Peggy Miller in terms of thinking about ourselves differently, Jerry was before that in terms of we didn't know some of the things that he brought, he brought thinking from other places that he was exposed to and used those to help propel us forward. And that's the, that's the piece that I worry is that people that he that people don't know.

V.J. Smith

Exactly. I don't want his memory to be lost in time. The second would be the Fishback family, Van and Barb, Bob and Pat; they've put an incredible amount of treasure into this place, and they've impacted the lives of how many people we don't even know with scholarships, with buildings, with programs. And they've done all this, and they've been great advocates. I first met Barbara when she was vice president of student body a long time ago, and I wasn't even in college yet. But anyway, she was active then. And the other family is the Dale and Pat Larson family. Again, all of these scholarships, the projects on campus, you know, and a lot of it, you know; they've done anonymously, you know, and very quiet. But it's incredible the impact that they've had on changing people's lives. And the last would be the Kurtenbach family. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. 

V.J. Smith 

I think about Al quite a bit, Al and Irene, Frank and Jeanne, and the impact that they've had. It's really been phenomenal. But I also realize I'm leaving out people. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. And I mean, to your point, it's hard to imagine this place without the engineering school. And yet it's also hard to imagine what this place would be like without the four last names you just mentioned, because their impact on this place will never be; we will never be able to measure it. We will not do it justice. We would not be able to really fully encapsulate what their impact has meant. It would be a drop in the bucket in terms of our inability to, to really see the full picture of that. 

V.J. Smith 

Yeah. We would be different and not in a good way. 

Travis Jensen

So V.J., it's clear that you have always loved this place. You've put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. After you graduated, you eventually came back to SDSU. You worked in the athletic department, and then eventually you took over as executive director of the Alumni Association. Looking back on that time, what did you enjoy most about leading an organization whose mission is all about keeping Jackrabbits connected?

V.J. Smith

Well, when it's interesting how I even found out about the job in the athletic department, because, you know, there's this need to be involved. It's kind of a curse. We did an alumni gathering before a football game in September of 1990, and the football game was the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Minnesota Vikings. And we had one hundred and fifty people show up. And the former alumni director at the time told me about this position that was available in the athletic department, assistant to the athletic director, primarily for fundraising and promotions. He said, you ought to apply. And I did. Came back and interviewed. And by the fifteenth of November, I was hired. My first day on the job as assistant to the athletic director, as I visited with the athletic programs at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. And there was quite a difference between how they viewed me, the University of Kansas. It was like, okay, what does this guy want? Get him out of here in twenty minutes. You just felt it. I go over to Kansas State, another land grant institution. They spent five hours with me and were absolutely thrilled that I was there mining their brains for information. I'll never forget the feeling. It was quite a day because I did the University of Kansas in the morning, Kansas State in the afternoon. So anyway, got here, did my six years in the athletic department, which really the emphasis was on young people. And, you know, today I look at those people who got together, maybe a volleyball player with a football player, and they had children. And now those children have come here or have gone on. I see them playing. And I remember the early days with them. When I made the switch over from the athletic side to the alumni side, it was a different audience. You went from young to older, and I'm not going to say which I liked better, because I don't know if there was a better, it was just a different audience. It was a natural thing for me to fit because I was, I've always been intrigued by people. I've made my living for how many years speaking, but I've made my life by listening to people's stories because I find it fascinating what they tell me. And so that's what, and I think Andi Fouberg would say the same thing is that that that's part of the job is to sit and visit with people who have stories to tell. 

Andi Fouberg 

So, you met thousands of people during your time as executive director. Are there any conversations or stories that stayed with you? I know there are some. So, what are some of those stories that stayed with you years later? 

V.J. Smith 

Okay. I have a few.

Andi Fouberg 

Great. 

V.J. Smith 

Believe it or not, for a long time, there was a photograph hanging in the student union. It was Dwight Eisenhower running for president of the United States. And sitting beside him was the Grand Pooba. Okay. It's over my shoulder. Is that right? 

Andi Fouberg 

I'm pointing. Yes, because I'm looking at the photo as you're describing it. Please continue. 

V.J. Smith 

So, in the University student Union, it said in the little paper that was underneath it that Dwight Eisenhower was here for the Hobo Day parade in 1952. And here he is sitting in the Bummobile. And people just said, well, that's what it says. He was here for Hobo Day. It must be him. Until I met the Pooba who was with him, John Young from Wisconsin. That photograph was taken two weeks before Hobo Day, and twelve thousand people showed up at the Sylvan Theater to listen to Ike talk. Okay. But when we wrote the book, The College on the Hill, I made sure people knew that was wrong. He was not here on Hobo Day. I had a guy, an older gentleman in Brookings, an influential gentleman, come up and argue with me that he saw. Dwight Eisenhower riding through the parade on the Bummobile he saw it as a kid.

Andi Fouberg 

Well, because what he remembers is a lot of people. And the Bummobile and the president. Yes. Right. And those configure that image then became Hobo Day. And it wasn't. 

V.J. Smith 

Yeah. And so, as I wrote in the book, a lot of people see a lot of things on Hobo Day. Some of them are real. Anyway, that that was one that stands out in my mind. Another one that stands out in my mind. It was recent, but it was in the past. Quickly after I became alumni director in 1998. It was a it was ‘97, really, but ‘98. I was approached by Tom Beatty, who was a professor here at the university, and he had a copy of life magazine. And in that copy, there was a picture of a guy who had received the Medal of Honor. His name was Bill Bianchi, and we checked our records. Sure enough, graduated in 1940. Okay. And as Tom was telling me the story, yes, he received the Medal of Honor. You don't win the Medal of Honor because normally it takes your life. He received the Medal of Honor, the only graduate of SDSU ever to receive the Medal of Honor. Well, unfortunately, 1942, when the Japanese attacked the Philippines, Bianchi was there and he was wounded, severely wounded in the initial wave. But he recovered. And because of his heroic actions during that first battle, he received the Medal of Honor. Well, he heals. He goes back to the Philippines. He's in the fight again, well captured by the Japanese, along with his unit. They were forced to go on the famous infamous Bataan Death March, where a lot of them died. Starvation, shot, and then for two and a half years was a prisoner of war in Japanese prison camps. Then in January 1945, he gets loaded on a ship with hundreds of other POWs from America, and they called them hell ships. And unfortunately, he was bombed. That ship was bombed, by American forces, and it sank. Tom Beatty said, you know, we need to do something to honor him. So, if you go over to the student union now, there's a beautiful bronze relief plaque, and it's to Bianchi. Well, we had a big day in April of 1998. The governor was here, Governor Janklow, and a couple hundred people in the union. And that was pretty much the end of it, except a few months ago. Because Bianchi's remains were not identified, and his remains were buried in an unmarked grave at the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu. Well, through the wonders of modern science, his remains were identified. And this past May, they brought his remains back. It was a big deal. And they had a funeral ceremony and burial in the new cemetery, and I can get emotional about it, but I had to go. I had to have closure with Bianchi because I got to know the family when we did this whole thing. That one really stands out in my mind. But again, it's because the World War Two generation, that's my dad and mom's generation. I got to pay attention. So that was one. Another one happens to be what's another tragic story. But in 1998, I went with the concert choir, the concert choir to England, and they sang in some of the great cathedrals as a wonderful experience, especially when you got sixty kids. And a lot of them are from small towns in South Dakota formed together, this choir, and we stopped at the Cambridge American Cemetery just out of Cambridge, England. And there are three thousand one hundred and eighty-two, eighty-four, Americans who were buried in that cemetery died during World War Two. When we got back to America, someone from the Brookings Register reporter asked us what were the highlights. And that certainly was a highlight. Then we soon discovered we had three connections to that cemetery, Brookings, and South Dakota State. The one SDSU graduate was a guy named Robert McCormick from Sioux Falls. He was an engineering grad. He was student body vice president, thirty-eight, thirty-nine. On October nine, 1943, he attempted to disarm a bomb, a German bomb that was on the coastline of England, and it prematurely detonated and killed him instantly. So he is buried there. Okay, well, 2001, we went back to the cemetery with almost an entirely new group of singers. We got to McCormick's grave and we had already ordered flowers. We got to McCormick's grave, and so I told these young people who gathered around his story and after telling his story, they started singing the school song Yellow and Blue. And it was an incredibly powerful moment. It's one that I'm never going to forget. You know, because they were singing the same song he sang as a college student so many years before. It was a binding moment for all of us. That the McCormick story is an important one to me. Now try to say something a little lighter about someone, but. But this goes back to who I am. Wanting to hear people's stories. 1986, Christmas, 1986. I'm in Orlando, Florida. At that time, I was still working in Kansas City, you know, and I'm there with my family. And sitting in this outdoor restaurant for breakfast, I look over and the next table, the guy's wearing a South Dakota State baseball cap. Well, that's an open invitation. 

Andi Fouberg 

Yeah. And so much rarer in 1986 for someone to be wearing a jackrabbit hat. 

V.J. Smith 

Exactly. 

Andi Fouberg 

Just put yourself in the time period a little bit. We sold more books at the bookstore than we did hats. I think we may sell more hats than we do books now, but anyway.

V.J. Smith 

I think so anyway. I said, are you an SDSU grad? And he said he was. And we got to talking and he told me what he did for a living. I couldn't believe what I heard, I couldn't. The guy hunted hurricanes. He would fly his planes into hurricanes, trying with the measurements, trying to figure out the strength of the hurricane and all the other stuff. And in time, he did more than two hundred and fifty ventures into hurricanes, including the great Hurricane Hugo, where they met winds of two hundred miles an hour. And he thought he was going to end it that day. Anyway, that story really stuck in my mind. 

Andi Fouberg 

I'm struggling with the fact that we graduated someone who thought it was a good idea to like we didn't. You sure you're not smart enough not to fly in. But you have to be smart to do what he's doing and survive. Live and learn from the data you're trying to collect. And he. Wow. 

V.J. Smith 

He proved it during Hurricane Hugo because the plane lost an engine going in. And now what are you going to do? And the downdrafts are pushing that plane. He said the water was boiling below him, and he started dumping fuel. There were thirteen people on that airplane, started dumping fuel and made seventeen trips spiraling out because he had to go up. He couldn't go down to get out, and he saved the plane and saved the crew. Anyway, 

Andi Fouberg 

He convinced twelve people to get on this plane with him?

V.J. Smith 

Some people like excitement, you know. Anyway, that story just dragged me. Wow. And I became the alumni director, and in 1998 decided to get rid of the publication called The Alumnus. It was a newspaper tabloid deal. And besides that, by definition, an alumnus is a male singular alum. We were graduating more females than we were. So that's gone. We decided to put out the state magazine. I got the story, the first story from that magazine. I called the chief information officer for NOAA, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and they're the ones that tracked the hurricanes. I called this guy and I said, I'm looking for someone and I don't know his name. And I described him, and the guy says to me, Well, you're talking about Genzlinger. LOL. Now, I got a name. 

Andi Fouberg 

There's only one guy crazy enough, so we know who. He's yours. 

V.J. Smith 

So, I gave the information to Kathy Nelson, who wrote the story, and she interviewed him and. And I'm proud of the fact that I'd asked Travis to give me the story. And he did. And it just reminded me of all of that. And I was really proud of that. And the reason why I'm proud of it is that there are so many people, so many alums who leave this, you know, that are out there. They have tremendous stories like these, with all the courage that he had, all the good that he was doing for, for, for the people back in America. And we ought to share these stories. And this is a big story to me of courage and under fire, under rain. So, it was a typical story that I loved to see told.

Andi Fouberg 

That is exactly why we started this podcast, because we knew there were so many stories out there that either needed to be captured or shared or whatever it is. This was another medium to be able to do that. 

V.J. Smith

Great.

Travis Jensen

We couldn’t think of a better way to end Part 1. As V.J. said, there are so many stories that deserve to be captured and shared, and during our conversation, he shared more content than we could possibly fit into a single episode. That’s why we’re breaking this conversation into two parts. In our next episode, we’ll continue our talk with V.J. and explore even more stories from his time as a student, alumni leader, storyteller, and lifelong Jackrabbit. We’ll see you next time for part 2.

Andi Fouberg

Thanks for listening to another episode of STATE Stories podcast. If you’ve enjoyed today’s conversation, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Your support helps us continue sharing these inspiring stories and experiences of SDSU alumni. You can explore more episodes at sdstatealumnifoundation.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening.