Hotline // March 12, 2025
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- Becoming the Match – Loke Iese’s Selfless Decision to Change a Life
- VCSU Planetarium show this Saturday, March 15
- SBHE Conducting Listening Sessions March 20 on campus
- VCSU Arts Gallery hosting High School Art Exhibition
- 30th Annual VCSU Scholarship Auction set for April 11
- Alumni spotlight: Jacob Gottenborg ’22
- VCSU Spring Intramural Volleyball
- Viking sports update
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
Becoming the Match – Loke Iese’s Selfless Decision to Change a Life
 |
| VCSU senior Loke Iese is pictured with the medical team that helped with his stem cell donation. |
Written by Sarah Monilaws, ’26
Valley City State University senior Loke Iese recently had the chance to make a life-changing stem cell donation, and it all started with a simple cheek swab on campus.
The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) – formerly known as Be the Match – focuses on cell and marrow therapies in an effort to save lives. The Viking football program has worked with NMDP over the last several years to help find donors for patients in need. Iese, a linebacker for the Vikings, chose to register as a donor through a simple cheek swab as a way to give back to the community. When he received the call about matching with someone in need, he didn’t think twice. He immediately boarded a plane and flew to Phoenix, Ariz., ready to undergo the procedure and make a life-changing impact.
Iese recalls the donation being a fun and painless process. After completing his final lab work, the doctors wasted no time getting Iese ready for the donation procedure. Donating peripheral blood stem cells is similar to donating blood, as opposed to the traditional bone marrow extraction.
“Once we started, it didn’t take long for my lab work to come back to know how long I was going to be donating,” said Iese. “My donation only took about 2 hours.”
Viking assistant head football coach Gregg Horner hopes Iese’s story inspires others to register to be a donor.
“I think it’s important (to be a donor) because if you had a child, friend, parent or family member that was in need of a donation, you would want somebody to step up and do it for you too,” said Horner.
Currently 70% of patients don’t have matches and 12,000 whose only hope for a cure is a transplant from an unrelated donor. When donors sign up, they increase the chances of saving someone’s life. After seeing the impact his own experience could make, Iese would like to encourage more people to register.
“People should sign up to be a donor because it offers a unique opportunity to save a life,” he said. “For patients with life-threatening blood diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia, a bone marrow or stem cell transplant can be their best or only chance at survival.”
Signing up to be a donor is a simple process with lasting rewards.
“While the donation process may require some time and minor discomfort, the impact is life changing,” said Iese. “The sacrifice is small compared to what patients endure, and your decision to donate could give someone years of life with their loved ones.”
If you want to leave a lasting impact and change a life like Loke Iese, you can join the NMDP registry. Donors must be between the ages of 18-40, a resident of the U.S. or one of its territories or freely associated states and able to meet medical guidelines. If you have any questions about the NMDP registry or want to learn more, contact Keesha Mason at keesha.mason@nmdp.org or visit www.nmdp.org
VCSU Planetarium show this Saturday, March 15
VCSU’s Planetarium presents “Lewis & Clark” and “It’s About Time” on March 15 at 1 p.m. Find out how Lewis and Clark used astronomy to navigate and map the Louisiana Purchase to remarkable accuracy. Also, learn about the discovery of how we calculate time and the human efforts to master it.
The planetarium is located in the Rhoades Science Center Room 309 and the show is free and open to the public.
Valley City State University is home to the only planetarium in North Dakota. Rhoades Science Center houses a Spitz 512 planetarium with a 24-foot domed ceiling and 50 reclining seats.
Each semester, VCSU students produce a new show to be used in the Planetarium. Shows range from basic astronomy to exploring how Lewis and Clark used the night sky to aid in their exploration of North America.
For more information about the VCSU Planetarium contact Wes Anderson, 701-845-0966.
SBHE Conducting Listening Sessions March 20 on campus
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) is conducting listening sessions on the VCSU campus to gather feedback for President Alan LaFave’s comprehensive evaluation.
The listening sessions are Thursday, March 20, in the Student Center Norway Room. Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to attend and participate in their respective sessions. DJ Campbell is the SBHE representative on site.
Thursday, March 20 – Student Center Norway Room
9:00-9:50 a.m. – Staff listening session
10:00-10:50 a.m. – Community listening session
11:00-11:50 a.m. – Faculty listening session
12:00-12:50 p.m. – President’s Cabinet listening session
1:00-1:50 p.m. – Student listening session
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.
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.
Alumni spotlight: Jacob Gottenborg ‘22
Jacob Gottenborg ’22 tells us the story of how he landed a position as a relationship manager for Ascend Financial just two years after graduation.
Current Residence: Bozeman, Mont.
Major/Minor: Business administration, concentration in HR and management, minors in marketing and business software applications
Tell us how you ended up in your current career.
I was working at the North Dakota Winter Show in Valley City, N.D. in February of 2023 when I received a call from Coach Mac, notifying me that a former VCSU football alum would be calling me in the next day or so. He did not inform me what the call would be for, just not to mess it up. The individual that called was Kyler Harder from Ascend Financial and he was looking for a new paraplanner. He had called Coach Mac looking for a recent graduate, from a small town, whose family had a background in business. Coach Mac referred him to me, as my father is a small-town chiropractor and we also have a family apple orchard. Over a period of twelve days we had a phone call, zoom interview, and an in-person interview in Fargo, that ended in a job offer.
I moved to Minneapolis in April of 2023 to work for Ascend Financial as a paraplanner. Like all jobs, the more you learn, the more responsibility you receive. By May of 2024, that responsibility had grown to encompass the majority of the financial planning process. That May, Kyler had also decided to expand his business west to Bozeman, Mont. He already had some existing clients there and had recently purchased another advisor’s book of business. Due to these additional clients, he needed to hire someone to service them. Without ever seeing Bozeman or Googling its population, I volunteered to move. After some discussion it was decided that I would open our Bozeman Office on December 2nd, 2024 and serve as a relationship manager for Ascend Financial. The first two and a half months have flown by. I am enjoying meeting with our existing clients, while also trying to find new members of the community to serve.
Tell us more about your family’s apple orchard and how that business prepared you for the working world.
My father started the orchard in 2001 and it has slowly grown in size each year to reach nearly 8,000 trees. When I was 12 or 13 my dad gave me and my sister each 50 trees. The apples and income from those trees became our annual wage and gave us each a vested interest in the crop. Growing up in any family business teaches important lessons that can apply to any profession. Hard work, attention to detail, establishing and maintaining relationships feels a little different when it’s your family’s business.
Any favorite memories from VCSU?
Most of my best memories are centered around the weight room and practices for football. Also, I was lucky enough to have a great group of roommates throughout my time at VCSU that I spent the majority of my time with. I always looked forward to the Winter Show each year and enjoyed playing city league basketball and rec softball in the summer.
Any pieces of advice for students who are going to graduate soon?
Enjoy college while it lasts, no matter how heavy your coursework or job you have, post college is just different. When you are evaluating job opportunities, worry less about the compensation and more about the workplace culture. If you are able to find co-workers you like and people who enjoy their jobs, it will make your life so much easier. If you are good at what you do the compensation will come in time.
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
Viking sports update
Baseball
The Viking baseball team is currently 4-6 on its spring break trip at the RussMatt Invitational in Orlando, Florida. VCSU is set to play five more games to round out its Florida stint March 12-15.
Softball
VCSU softball is 4-3 on its spring break trip to the Tucson Invitational Games, including a 7-4 win over No. 4 Northwestern (Iowa). The Vikings round out its Tucson trip with four more games March 12-13.
Golf
The Viking men’s golf team fell to Dickinson State in its spring opener at Wigwam Blue in Litchfield Park, Arizona on March 9. Zach St. Aubin paced the team with a fourth-place finish after carding an 84 on the day.
Upcoming Events:
March 12: Softball vs. Avila, 1 p.m. / Concordia University (Neb.), 5:30 p.m. (Tucson, Ariz.)
March 12: Baseball vs. Lawrence Tech, 12:30 p.m. (Orlando, Fla.)
March 13: Softball vs. Simpson, 1 p.m. / Nelson, 3:30 p.m. (Tucson, Ariz.)
March 13: Baseball vs. Judson (DH), 3 p.m. (Orlando, Fla.)
March 14: Baseball vs. University of Fort Lauderdale, 5:45 p.m. (Orlando, Fla.)
March 15: Baseball vs. University of Fort Lauderdale, 4:30 p.m. (Orlando, Fla.)
What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...
February 24 – March 21
High School Student Art Exhibit
March 13, 17, 18
6-9 p.m. Hunter Education, Rhoades 102
March 17
4 p.m. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
6 p.m. Community Band Concert, LJR Center for the Arts
March 18
11 a.m. General Student Recital, LJR Center for the Arts
4 p.m. Zumba Madness, Gaukler Family Wellness Center
7 p.m. Luther Enloe: Classical Guitarist, LJR 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/