David Wheeler opens the podcast with an apology for previously mispronouncing Dr. Pamela Monahan Geernaert's name, setting the stage for an engaging episode highlighting Brian Bengs' candidacy for the United States Senate. The conversation dives into the character and capabilities of Brian, portrayed as a genuine, empathetic individual who has made significant contributions to his community. Dr. Geernaert shares her experiences with Brian, emphasizing his intelligence, ability to connect with people across political divides, and his knack for fostering meaningful discussions. As they discuss Brian’s approach to politics and education, listeners learn about his commitment to understanding others and his adeptness at challenging assumptions. The episode wraps up on a light-hearted note, showcasing Brian as not just a candidate but a dog-loving family man, encouraging South Dakotans to support him in the upcoming election. A heartfelt dialogue takes center stage as David Wheeler introduces a special guest, Professor Pamela Monahan Geernaert, who shares her experiences working alongside Brian Bengs, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Dakota. The conversation unfolds with a humorous yet sincere acknowledgment of the host's earlier mispronunciation of the professor's name, setting a relatable tone for the discussion. As they delve deeper, Monahan Geernaert paints a vivid picture of Brian's character, describing him as a supportive colleague who fosters a sense of community. She recounts how he welcomed her when she moved to South Dakota, providing not just logistical help but also emotional support in navigating a new environment. This theme of genuine connection is echoed throughout the episode, highlighting Brian's empathetic nature and ability to engage with people from all walks of life. The episode also explores Brian's teaching style, which Monahan Geernaert describes as dynamic and thought-provoking. His approach to education emphasizes critical thinking and engagement, making students grapple with complex topics rather than passively absorbing information. This method not only enriches the learning experience but also reflects Brian's broader philosophy of leadership—encouraging dialogue and active participation over mere rhetoric. As the conversation shifts to Brian's candidacy, the professor articulates her belief that his intelligence and humility will serve him well in the political arena, suggesting that these qualities are essential for effective governance. Ultimately, the episode serves as a compelling endorsement of Brian Bengs, illustrating how his personal and professional attributes could translate into meaningful political leadership.

Takeaways:

• Professor Pamela Monahan Geernaert emphasizes Brian Bengs' ability to connect with people on a personal level, regardless of their political affiliations.
• Throughout their collaboration, Brian Bengs consistently demonstrated a willingness to help and support others in the community and workplace.
• The podcast highlights Brian Bengs' intelligence and teaching style, which encourages critical thinking and engagement among students.
• Listeners learn how Brian Bengs' genuine empathy and active listening skills make him a desirable candidate for the U.S. Senate.
• Dr. Monahan Geernaert recounts her positive experiences with Brian Bengs, noting his dedication to fostering a welcoming environment for newcomers.
• The discussion underscores the importance of understanding people's perspectives before proposing solutions, showcasing Brian's thoughtful approach.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• www.Bengsforsouthdakota.com

Hey, folks, it's David Wheeler. A little mea culpa before we get going on the episode today. I refer to Dr. Pamela as the wrong name a couple times.

Her name is actually Dr. Pamela Monahan Gearnard. Gearnard. So my apologies to her for mispronouncing her last name. And we'll get the episode going now.

Welcome to Muck You folks.

We've got a special show today with Professor Pamela Monaghan Geerneart.

And she is a former colleague and friend of Brian Bengs. And welcome to the show, Professor.

Thanks so much for having me.

Hey, well, listen, this is Brian Bengs week, and we're trying to raise the volume because we think Brian's a terrific candidate for the United States Senate in South Dakota, and we think he deserves to be on the ballot solo against the Republican incumbent. And so we're trying to let folks get to know Brian a little bit better from people that actually know him pretty well.

And so, professor, tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about how you and Brian worked.

So, I'm a professor of sociology and Indigenous studies, and I met Brian when I interviewed for a job in South Dakota. He was on the search committee. And not only was he on the search committee, but once the job was offered to me, he stayed in touch.

He helped connect me to my Realtor, and he helped me line up some kids to help me unload my moving van. And then just throughout his time when we worked together, he was just really good at checking in on me, helping me understand the local community.

I had never lived in the Midwest before, so gave me some Midwest tips and advice and just really made sure I felt involved and connected and welcome to the community.

And that sounds like the Brian that I've gotten to know as well. He is he. So he was your welcome wagon to.

He was.

Where did you come from? Where. Where did you move from?

Well, I moved from the D.C. area, but this is my fifth state and second country. So I born and raised Canadian, became a U.S. citizen 14 years ago, came to the states to do my master's and PhD degree.

So I've lived in Idaho, Ohio, New Mexico, and.

Well, you're. You're making your way west. I think you should. What's the next stop, do you think? Maybe Colorado or California?

Go back to New Mexico.

Okay, cool. So listen, folks may not know much about Brian. Tell folks what.

What you know about him and his character, his ability to work hand in glove with people regardless of party.

So one of the things I really appreciated about Brian and where I really found him indifferent as a, as a colleague and as a person. You know, we go to conferences on occasion and stuff, so you need people to cover your class and, and Brian was always willing to do so.

And what I really enjoyed about Brian ever taking over a class, he is just so incredibly smart. He understands things at such a deep level. He's researched it, he's looked at it from different sides.

And then his, his teaching style and it really is part of his communication style and is to just constantly pose quests and you have to stop and the questions are good.

The questions make you stop and think and, and, and if you don't think and you just sort of blurt something out, you can kind of see how he, how he uses what you know or what you think to help you understand the, the idea at a deeper level. So my students always loved when he came in and guest spoke because he just challenged. And it wasn't like a straight lecture.

It wasn't like, hey, I understand these laws so well and I understand this material so well and I'm going to expound it on you. It's like I am going to force, force you. And for students at least to like really engage in the material and have to sit and think.

And he, he just, the class was riveted and he, he pushes hard topics. I taught a death and dying class and he came in and I was like, hey, you know, could you cover for me? I know this isn't your area expertise.

And he's like, oh, oh, we're going to do euthanasia. And I was like, oh boy.

But you know, but again, he really has, he, he finds a way to take difficult, complex, even topics that people may have, you know, in this case, you know, moral thoughts about really presents the laws, the concepts behind the laws, the history behind the laws in a way that you can be engaged with it.

And I found that every single time I had him in my classroom, sometimes I just had him in my classroom when I didn't go away so I could listen to him.

And then when he first got on the, the political stage and I went to his sort of coming out party when he ran last time, he did the same thing with adults in a conference space with just challenging their assumptions, adding in the law and more important, adding in theory of the law. Why are these laws here? Why is this found? What was the foundation?

So I just find he's just so incredibly smart, but he has a way to disseminate in a way that when you leave the classroom or one of his presentations, like you're smarter for it as well.

Yeah, it sounds like he's not only challenging the students, but he's probably learning himself. And that's what I found him. He. He challenges, but he's, he's also challenging it because he wants to learn more on it. Certain topic.

So you've seen him interact with both young folks in South Dakota, or as my friend in South Sioux Falls says, a. South Dakota, and you've seen him interact with adults. What makes you think that that somehow translates into him being a decent politician?

Well, not to, not to pull a pun here, but I know he would appreciate it. He gets on everyone's level. And if you know Brian, you know that's a joke because he's like 6, 6, 6, 7.

I don't know how tall he is, but he gets down on everyone'. He really does have a way of. He just has a very humble nature about him.

He's not, he's not going to, you know, shake your hand and again, sort of push an agenda on you. He's going to stop, he's going to listen, he's going to ask questions.

And I really think that he, he does that because he really has a genuine interest in what people are saying. You can't, you can't help people. You can't teach people if you don't know where they're at. Right.

You can't, you can't take them anywhere if you don't know where they're starting. So I really believe that he just truly does listen very clearly so that he can respond not with a slogan, but with a meaningful.

Well, that's the kind of guy I'd like to have in the US Senate. So two more questions and we're going to let you go, professor, because we know you have a busy day ahead of you.

But number one, are you registered to vote in South Dakota?

I most certainly am.

And, and who are you voting for in the United States Senate primary? I guess it's not a primary beyond the general election ballot, but who are you going to vote for?

Oh, definitely Brian. You know, I voted for him last time as well. I think he just, you know, he's not a career politician. His. Not only his.

You know, a lot of people say, I'm not a career politician. I'm a businessman. I'm a, I'm a whatever thinking is that's the caveat for why you should vote.

But I think just Brian brings so much knowledge, history, and just real intelligence that I think has been missing in Politics. And he's just smart, he's creative and, and knowledgeable and I think he can definitely help educate people to do the right thing.

Yeah. And you know, the other thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is empathy.

And Brian seems like a very empathetic guy and, and that isn't a fault in my book. That is a plus if you're a politician and, and he doesn't. You can't fake empathy.

And, and I've never heard or seen Brian where he wasn't listening more than he was speaking, which means in my book. So final question, and you could take a pass if you want to, but any good stories about Brian that are funny or illustrative?

Who the kind of guy Brian is, the people he runs with, I, I.

Guess as we talk about empathy, I had a friend of mine who I guess accidentally adopted a puppy, a yellow lab, and within about three or four months decided that was too much of a project to take on. And I had gone to a football game with Brian's wife and I mentioned that my friend was trying to re home her puppy.

And by the end of the football game, they came over to the house, picked up the puppy and Meadow Prairie, one of the two dogs was renamed. And so I feel sort of tied to. Tied to one of their puppies.

But I mean, I think that's just sort of the, the problem solving and the way they do things. They have a big heart. They, they knew I couldn't take on another dog. So Prairie, I believe it's Prairie.

Molly got Molly got renamed Prairie and is now running around down in hot. So I love following their Instagram account since puppy is gone too.

Well, that's awesome. Also a dog person. So South Dakotans, let's get out and vote for Brian Bengs the dog guy. A family guy sometimes professor and all around great guy.

And here testifying today to his character is Pamela Monahan Gerhardt. Professor, thank you so much for your time and joining MUCU today.

All right, thank you so much for having me.