Hotline // October 11, 2023

VCSU Welcomes Interim Higher Education Committee to Campus

The Interim Higher Education Committee of the North Dakota Legislature conducted their meeting on Oct. 10, and Oct. 11, at Valley City State University (VCSU).

Committee members from across the state toured campus and conducted their meeting in the new Center for the Arts. President Alan LaFave, Dr. Allen Burgad, Dr. Nick Galt, Larry Brooks, Cory Anderson and Larry Robinson presented to the Committee on behalf of VCSU.

Art Faculty exhibition now showing

The VCSU Art Department invites you to the Center for the Arts for the Art Faculty Exhibition.

Artworks include digital, 3-D and 2-D paintings. Artists include Ekow Ephrim, assistant professor of art, Gratia Brown, assistant professor of art, and Angela Mircsov, assistant professor of art. The exhibition will run from Oct. 9 through Oct. 20. There will be a virtual walk-through of the exhibition that will be posted on the VCSU Art Department’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

The art reception will be on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 3-4 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Lobby.

LaFramboise and students attend UND's LGBTQ+ Higher Education Day-Long Institute

Kelly LaFramboise, Ph.D., director for diversity and inclusion, and VCSU students attended UND’s LGBTQ+ Higher Education Day-Long Institute in Grand Forks, N.D. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The group gave a presentation about VCSU’s Diversity and Inclusion program, the Social Justice Council on campus, and the partnership with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion with Student Senate. Students, staff, and faculty throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota were invited to attend the conference.

Flu clinic set for Oct. 19

City-County Health District (CCHD) will host a flu shot and RSV vaccine clinic at Valley City State University on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Student Center Skoal Room. Registration must be completed by Oct. 16 at 11:45 p.m. Those interested can register at: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=cy5_SdzGaEadf6YATrvFlOibFXxLi-xGkeE48ZiXpX9UQUtUV1FGWEZQSlQ5RVJXRzUxS1YwRVpQVCQlQCN0PWcu

Family members of students, staff and faculty can attend the flu shot clinic by registering via the link or QR code. A voucher for 3000 points will be available for employees who participate in the Dakota Wellness Program!

For any questions, please contact CCHD at 701-845-8518.

Spanish Day success at VCSU

On Oct. 4, the VCSU Spanish Department celebrated Spanish Day alongside Central Cass and Valley City. The festivities came alive with thrilling activities such as tongue twisters, stimulating wordle challenges, enchanting music, and the imaginative crafting of Dia de los Muertos art.

Additionally, the students embarked on an exciting campus-wide scavenger hunt. Finally, the groups enjoyed of a dazzling mini-concert, courtesy of the exceptionally talented musicians from the music department. Thanks to the collective energy and passion, the event was an absolute success!

Mircsov attends ND Art Gallery Association conference

Angela Mircsov, assistant professor of art, attended the North Dakota Art Gallery Association Conference in Jamestown, N.D. from September 8-10. Attending this conference will allow VCSU to participate in the upcoming North Dakota Art Gallery Association Traveling Exhibitions.

The tours have been booked for 2024-2025 and will highlight artists throughout the state of North Dakota. Discussion included how to handle artwork through shipping and transportation which will be shared with the students in the Art Program as they develop their work towards their exhibitions. Attending this conference has provided another marketing outreach to other art galleries across the state. Mircsov who also serves as gallery director for the VCSU Art Gallery said, “This new relationship will let us highlight the Center for the Arts visual art gallery to attract more visitors to our building.”

Ma and students attend CyberCon conference

Yongchao Ma, assistant professor of computer systems and software engineering, and three students, Nicholas Nolan, Justin Howard and Abby Hill, attended the annual 2023 CyberCon Conference Oct. 3-4 at Bismarck State College.

They participated in a variety of cybersecurity topics, including Cyber Threats: An FBI Perspective, The Future of Cybersecurity, AI and Bad Cybersecurity, The Hacker’s AI Playbook, Building a World Class Cyber Operations Center, and more.

During the two-day conference, students had the opportunity to engage in discussions with professors and peers, enhancing their understanding of cybersecurity challenges. They also benefited from the expertise of industry leaders, gaining insights into the latest trends and best practices in network security. Students also leverage this opportunity to establish connections with companies and explore potential internship placements.

Ferguson receives ‘Difference Maker’ award

Ben Ferguson, technical services librarian for Allen Memorial Library, received the “Difference Maker” award for October.

Ben’s colleagues shared that “Ben is certainly the glue that helps Allen Memorial Library thrive. Whether folks know it or not, their VCSU experience is better because of Ben’s hard work. Thank you for all you do, Ben!”

Tedi Dimmer senior recital set for Oct. 14

The VCSU Music Department invites you to attend a senior recital for Tedi Dimmer, clarinet. The recital will take place Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Performance Hall. Dimmer will be accompanied by Ozzie Johnson, assistant professor for music. This event is open to the public and admission is free.

The recital will be livestreamed on YouTube or Facebook.

Cats, Consent & Cookies set second event on Oct. 12

All are welcome to come learn about consent, hang out with cats, have a cookie or two, and share their Green Dots for the second Cats, Consent & Cookies event on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. in Allen Memorial Library.

Cats, Consent and Cookies will be an opportunity to support Domestic Violence Awareness month as a joint event sponsored by Allen Memorial Library, Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals (SVFA) and VCSU Green Dot.

3rd Annual Haunted Library set for Oct. 13 & 14

VCSU’s Global Exploration Club is currently planning the 3^rd annual Haunted Library event to be held Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14 from 6 p.m. – midnight. Admission is $5 and proceeds will support the Global Exploration Club as they reach out to awareness and education concerning Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in South America.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer during the event in any way, please contact club president Tony Bertolino at anthony.bertolino@vcsu.edu.

VCSU Green Dot training session opportunity

VCSU Green Dot invites all employees to RSVP for an upcoming Green Dot training session to be held in the library on Monday, Oct. 9 from 2-4:30 p.m. A calendar invite will be sent out, and the Green Dot team encourages anyone interested to accept the invitation. Whether you’ve attended a training in the past or not, this training is an opportunity to explore the 3 Ds in an interactive, high-energy environment.

Shatter the Silence in October

Shatter the Silence will be an opportunity for all of campus to support Domestic Violence Awareness month throughout the entire month of October. A donation box will be set up in the Student Center to place donations to the Abused Persons Outreach Center (APOC). Their most urgent needs are new bed pillows, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo and conditioner and laundry detergent.

Viking sports update

Football rallies for 28-24 win at Waldorf
The VCSU football team trailed 24-0 at halftime on Saturday but rallied all the way back for a 28-24 road win at Waldorf University. The Vikings are now 4-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Vikings begin the second half of conference play Oct. 21 when they host Dakota State University.

Volleyball takes down #15 Bellevue
The VCSU volleyball team continued to roll with three more victories this past week, including a sweep of No. 15-ranked Bellevue University. The Vikings also swept Dakota State and Dickinson State. VCSU is now 18-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play. The Vikings host No. 12-ranked University of Jamestown on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. That match will be played at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

VCSU cross country sets PRs
The VCSU cross country team had eight runners finish with season-best times on Oct. 6 as they competed at the Jimmie Invite. Read more: https://vcsuvikings.com/news/2023/10/6/mens-cross-country-barnes-and-just-lead-vikings-at-jimmie-invite.aspx

Upcoming Events
Oct. 11: Volleyball vs. Jamestown, 7 p.m. (W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse)
Oct. 18: Volleyball at Mayville State, 6 p.m. (Mayville, N.D.)

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

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

Find out what’s happening in the community on the Valley City Community Calendar: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/