Hotline // March 5, 2025

President's Column: McCarthy Hall Update

Photo: Work continues on the atrium connecting McCarthy Hall and McFarland Hall. 

Greetings from VCSU!

A return to springlike temps and positive progress on the McCarthy Hall renovation are creating a buzz of excitement around campus and the community. Today’s column will feature an update of the construction progress and a remarkable achievement by one of our education alums.

I had an opportunity to tour McCarthy recently, and I’m excited to report that significant progress is being made on the renovation. McCarthy will become the new home for our renowned School of Education and the Technology Education Department – with offices, classrooms, labs, conference rooms, and student study and gathering spaces. The configuration of these spaces was carefully considered in the design process to bring academic units together near each other for enhanced collaboration.

Progress has been consistent, and it’s truly exciting to see the updates week after week. I’ll provide some items that have been completed working from the top of the building down to the main floor.

• Third Floor – carpeting, flooring, and casework are complete. Ceiling cloud install is in progress.
• Second Floor – paint, flooring, tiles, and doors are being installed. Windows and casework are ongoing.
• First Floor – painting has started. Doors, windows, and casework installation is beginning.
• Foyer connection – cement floor is poured, and the measurements are complete for the curtain wall.

One of the most striking elements thus far is the vast increase in natural light throughout the facility. The new windows replicate the size of the original windows, brightening the spaces with additional light.

We are proud of our tradition and history in providing high quality educators for the North Dakota teacher workforce. The renovated McCarthy Hall gives VCSU another tool to prepare future educators and improve the on-campus experience of our students.

In other exciting news, Northern Cass second-grade educator and VCSU 2010 alum Jessica Stoen was recognized and honored as a 2025 recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award during a surprise ceremony on February 14. She was one of only 45 pioneering professionals recognized across the nation and the only educator in North Dakota to receive the award.

Comments from her nomination form include the following:

“A respected leader within her school district and broader community, Stoen was instrumental in the district’s transformation to personalized, competency-based learning and regularly invites other colleagues into her classroom to see the practice in action. She designs collaborative, hands-on lessons that actively engage her learners and build leadership skills. Additionally, she brings a dynamic, innovative approach to instruction for her second graders at Northern Cass Elementary School by tailoring her teaching strategies to meet each learner’s individual pace and needs, sparking curiosity and confidence in them to thrive. Her positive influence is felt well beyond the classroom walls, with former students often returning to visit before high school graduation. Many credit her early impact for inspiring success in their educational and personal journeys.”

Congratulations Jessica on this well-deserved and prestigious honor!

Go Vikings!

Employee breakfast on Friday

VCSU employees are invited to enjoy a free breakfast in the Café on Friday, March 7, hosted by the President’s Office and Staff Senate.

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. and those who attend should check in with Morgan Hopewell or Jacob Olson.

Menu:
Belgian waffles/syrup
Biscuits and gravy
Tater tots
Egg, potato, sausage, and cheese breakfast bowl
Sausage links/patties
Build your own breakfast sandwich or burrito
Assorted breakfast pastries
Yogurt bar with fruit
Oatmeal

VCSU Music presents “Love and Loss” choral concert March 7

The VCSU Music Department presents the Love and Loss choral concert Friday, March 7, at the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts.

The moving program explores the depths of love and loss, featuring pieces like “When I Fall in Love”, “Vive L’Amour”, and “Cry Me a River”. The concert includes performances by the VCSU Concert Choir and the VCSU University Singers under the direction of assistant professor Heather Aune.

The Concert Choir and University Singers are scheduled to perform four pieces each, and the night will feature several soloists and piano accompaniment by VCSU student Wyatt Landeis. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. inside the CFA Performance Hall.

The event is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend, VCSU will produce a live video stream on the VCSU Music YouTube Channel.

VCSU students present at the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting

Lillian Roth and Tyler Johnson presented at the poster session of the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting on February 26 in Bismarck. Their data stemmed from work last summer with Andre DeLorme, Ph.D., director for Prairie Waters, and the VCSU Macroinvertebrate Lab.

Tyler’s project involved attaching Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags on 165 freshwater mussels in three locations representing 11 species of mussels. PIT tags carry a unique number which can be read using a PIT tag reader. This allows long-term studies since individual mussels can be identified. The VCSU Macroinvertebrate lab will continue monitoring these mussels in the coming years to examine growth, mortality and general movements of the mussels. Tyler is a senior with a fisheries and wildlife major.

Lillian’s work involved a pilot project investigating how using eDNA sampling compared to traditional sampling performs in detecting mussels in a particular stretch of river. eDNA stands for environmental DNA, which refers to the DNA living organism release into the environment. In aquatic environments this has been used for identifying rare and invasive fish species in rivers and streams. This type of sampling is quicker and easier than traditional sampling. She sampled six different sites with both approaches and the eDNA results were very similar compared to traditional sampling. Lillian is a senior with a major in history education. Funding for these projects was provided by a State Wildlife Grant from the North Dakota Game and Fish. In addition, part of Lillian’s and Tyler’s salary was covered by the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) student grants. The PIT tag reader and pit tags were funded by an UROP equipment grant.

30th Annual VCSU Scholarship Auction set for April 11

Adventure Awaits! A Night Full of Treasure

Ahoy Mateys! The 30th annual Valley City State University Scholarship Auction presents: “Adventure Awaits! A Night Full of Treasure” on April 11 at the Valley City Eagles Club. This year’s pirate-themed event will be full of treasure, swashbuckling adventurers, and a feast fit for a captain.

Auction tickets are on sale now for $70 each, which includes admission, two drink tickets and a buffet dinner. Purchase tickets online or by contacting the VCSU Foundation office at 701-845-7203.

“The scholarship auction has become the event of the season for many. We have been very fortunate in both the donations we have received in the past and for our generous bidders the night of the event,” said Kim Hesch, assistant director for advancement. “With record-breaking enrollment in both fall and spring semesters it is more important than ever to have a successful scholarship fundraiser.”

The night begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. The buffet dinner will be served at 6 p.m. with live auction to follow at 7 p.m. This is an opportunity to bid on great items while contributing to scholarships, offering some financial relief for future and current VCSU students.

Silent Auction

The silent auction will be set up in-person this year at the Eagles club, but bids will still be made exclusively in the Handbid app. Silent auction bidding begins Monday, April 7, at noon and concludes at 7:30 p.m. on the night of the auction. The Handbid app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, participants follow the prompts to create an account, then choose “VCSU Scholarship Auction 2025” from the list. Users can monitor their winning and losing bids from the dashboard, receive notifications when they have been outbid, and checkout within the app at the end of the night. Silent auction participants do not need to be present to win.

Games & Raffles

As in past auctions, the evening will also feature the popular Mystery Wine Table along with a variety of raffle giveaways. Games and contests throughout the night include raffle boards, a prize wheel and a Norwegian raffle.

Donate Auction Items

Auction items are currently being solicited for the event. Anyone wishing to donate an item can contact the VCSU Foundation office. As the event approaches, a list of silent and live auction items will be made available on the VCSU Foundation website at vcsualumni.org; click on the “Auction” banner.

For more information regarding the VCSU Scholarship Auction, to purchase tickets or to donate an item, call the VCSU Foundation Office at 701-845-7203 or visit the VCSU Auction website.

VCSU Arts Gallery hosting High School Art Exhibition

The Valley City State University Arts Gallery proudly presents the annual High School Student Art Exhibit, showcasing a diverse collection of artworks created by talented high school students across North Dakota.

The exhibition is open to the public February 24 through March 21 on the VCSU campus. This year’s exhibit highlights outstanding student artworks from students at Hillsboro High School, Maple Valley Public School, Northern Cass High School, and Rugby High School.

The VCSU Arts Gallery is located inside the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Awards will be presented at a public reception, announced at a later date. A virtual exhibit will also be available on the VCSU Art Department’s YouTube Channel.

VCSU Spring Intramural Volleyball

VCSU is hosting a spring season of indoor co-ed intramural volleyball. Teams of six or more are encouraged to register for the five-week season. The first game will be March 26, 2025 and games will take place weekly on Wednesday evenings.

Sign your team up today! https://forms.office.com/r/pA9qUrGrzc

Meet Joe Wright ’17

Name: Joe Wright ’17
Current Residence: West Fargo, N.D.
Major/Minor: Professional Communications, music minor

What is your current employment, education program, or passion project?

I am the owner of Wright Foot. I also run a viral social media sock brand that specializes in puns! Such as “Otter Space” “Fork Lift” and “Couch Potato”

What first interested you in VCSU? How did you decide to come here?

I loved the family vibes VCSU brings. I felt at home the second I stepped on campus. Both of my sisters also went to VCSU. The one-on-one attention was very important to me when I picked a college. I wanted to be a person, not a number.

What clubs or activities were you involved in during your time at VCSU? 

VCAB president, resident assistant, viking ambassador, homecoming co-chair, band, choir, pep band, university singers, quantum brass, and opera assemble.

What are some of your accomplishments? 

Making Wright Foot my full time job!

What are your interests outside of work (hobbies, volunteerism, interests, goals)? 

My goal is to launch a few more businesses in the near future. I enjoy spending all the time I can with my girlfriend, Shaniah, and my friends, a large majority that I met at VCSU! The lifelong friendships I made at VCSU mean the WORLD to me. I also enjoy hanging out with my two cats, Pip and Sebastian, and my corgi puppy, Cooper.

What is your fondest memory of your college years? 

All the friends I made that I still see to this day. They are my closest friends. Also being in VCAB with Kari Stricklin. She taught me a lot of meaningful lessons and my favorite quote from her that I still use today is, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Any advice for current VCSU students?

Soak up all the time you have there. Get involved in anything and everything you can. VCSU does a fantastic job getting students ready for the real world!

Viking sports update

Men’s Basketball
The Viking men earned a first-round playoff win over Bellevue University on Feb. 26 and then fell to Dickinson State in the NSAA Semifinals on March 1. Four Vikings earned NSAA Postseason awards including NSAA Newcomer of the Year Tyrel Creger. Creger also earned 2nd Team All-Conference while Lamar Grayson and Shaheed Muhammad earned Honorable Mention All-Conference. Donovan Tynes was named VCSU’s Champion of Character.

Women’s Basketball
VCSU’s women earned an upset road victory over Bellevue on Feb. 26 to advance to the NSAA Semifinal round where the Vikings fell to Dakota State on March 1. Five Vikings earned NSAA Postseason awards, highlighted by NSAA Freshman of the Year Abby Aslesen. Ashlyn Diemert earned 2nd Team All-Conference while Aslesen and JayCee Richter were named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Delaney Cotton earned the Champion of Character award.

Track & Field
VCSU’s Karly Just and Tayshaun Robinson each set school records at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 28. Just finished the 3,000-meter in 10:34.94 to place 18th while Robinson ran the 60-meter hurdles in 8.09 to place 15th.

Baseball
Viking Baseball has opened the RussMatt Invitational in Orlando, Fla. with a 2-3 record including wins over Siena Heights and Mount Vernon Nazarene. VCSU plays 10 more games at the RussMatt March 7-15 with live stats available through GameChanger.

Softball
VCSU softball competes in 12 games March 7-13 at the Tucson Invitational Games in Tucson, Ariz. A livestream and stats will be available for all games.

Upcoming Events:
March 7-13: Softball at Tucson Invitational Games (Tucson, Ariz.)
March 1-15: Baseball at RussMatt Invitational (Orlando, Fla.)
March 9: Men’s Golf vs. Dickinson State (Litchfield Park, Ariz.)

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

March 7
7:30 p.m. “Love & Loss” Choral Concert

March 10, 11, 13, 17, 18
6-9 p.m. Hunter Education, Rhoades 102

March 11
8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Water Festival, Rhoades

March 12
Region 2 Vocal Contest, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts

Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/

Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/