Hotline // October 15, 2025
This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:
- VCSU Partners with Tost N’ Jam Podcast
- Daryn Imani Nowlin Guest Recital tonight
- CCHD clinic on campus this Thursday
- VCSU to celebrate National Day on Writing on Oct. 20
- Spanier receives ‘Difference Maker’ award
- VCSU.AI – What are the top 5 AI prompts from students and faculty?
- Viking Sports Update
- What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…
VCSU partners with Tost N’ Jam Podcast
Valley City State University is partnering with the Tost N’ Jam Podcast to deliver weekly episodes featuring local news and sports.
Hosted by longtime local media personalities Tim Ost and Paul McDonald, the Tost N’ Jam Podcast has recorded more than 80 episodes over the past two years. McDonald recently joined VCSU’s staff as the Director for Sports Information.
“We’re excited to partner with Tost N’ Jam as they continue to deliver a fun and engaging podcast for the Valley City community,” said Mark Potts, VCSU Director for Public Relations. “I’ve known Tim and Paul for many years and appreciate everything they have done to promote Valley City and the region.”
Tost N’ Jam records Tuesday mornings from the Viking Studio inside the VCSU Rhoades Science Center. The show will continue to feature a variety of local guests surrounded by news and sports commentary. VCSU’s partnership adds a new video element to the show, with episodes now airing on YouTube as well as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Recent episodes have featured VCSU sophomore Kasey Odegard, president of VCSU’s Trap Club, and Allen Burgad, Dean for the School of Education.
Listeners can find and follow the podcast at the links below.
Daryn Imani Nowlin Guest Recital tonight
The Valley City State University music department presents an evening recital by Daryn Imani Nowlin, mezzo-soprano, October 15 at the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts.
Nowlin is a rising professional in the music world and will be at VCSU for an afternoon masterclass followed by a free public recital at 7 p.m. Attendees can expect a night of musical theater, art song, and operatic selections during Nowlin’s recital.
Raised in Lamoni, Iowa, she received her bachelor’s in arts from Graceland University with degrees in both vocal performance and English, with a minor in creative writing. She pursued a master’s in music degree from the University of Western Ontario. Her performance experience includes Cinderella from La Cenerentola, the Witch from Hansel and Gretel, La Ciesca and the Notaio from Gianni Schicchi, and Zulma from L’italiana in Algeri.
Nowlin was a resident artist for Opérafest Toronto and a Young Smith Resident Artist for Cedar Rapids Opera. She was a winner of the Marista Brookes Concerto Competition that culminated in a performance of Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with the Western Symphony Orchestra. She was a London Opera Guild scholarship recipient, and was granted the Ralph Appelmann, Irma Cooper Award as the winner of the 2024 NATS Regionals Competition. She also received the honor of being nominated for the Forest City London Music Awards in the category for Classical Music.
In addition to opera, Daryn also has a performance background in the theater. While attending Graceland University, she portrayed Velma Kelly in Chicago, Molly Jensen in Ghost, Heather Duke in The Heathers, Haimon in Antigone, and John Powell in Men on Boats. For her English Senior Thesis, she wrote, directed, and acted in an original one act mini-musical, All Eyes on the Bar. Daryn is actively auditioning for opera companies all over the country and is looking forward to competing in the Metropolitan Laffont Competition this coming January.
CCHD clinic on campus this Thursday
City-County Health District will be at Valley City State University on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM in the Student Center Skoal Room.
Influenza vaccines will be available for 6 months and older. Eligible adults can receive COVID-19, RSV and Pneumonia vaccines.
To register for the clinic, please complete the online Vaccine Administration Record form.
Questions? Call City-County Health District at 845-8518.
VCSU to celebrate National Day on Writing on Oct. 20
The VCSU campus will celebrate the National Day on Writing on Monday, Oct. 20 from 11-1 p.m. in the Student Center. Join the VCSU English Club, Spanish Club, Allen Memorial Library, and the Department of Language and Literature in a variety of reading, writing, creative and translation activities.
Follow along on social media @ncte, @vcsulanglitdept, #WhyIWrite and #VCSUWriting.
The National Council of Teachers of English describes the purpose of this day, “To draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing Americans engage in and to help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft, the National Council of Teachers of English has established Oct. 20 as the National Day on Writing®. It’s important for everyone to share their knowledge about writing, organize participating groups in our schools and/or communities, and transform the public’s understanding of writing and the role it plays in society today.”
Contact Emily D. Wicktor, event coordinator and associate professor for English, if you have questions: emily.wicktor@vcsu.edu.
Spanier receives ‘Difference Maker’ award
Kelly Spanier, executive assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, recently received the “Difference Maker” award for October. She was nominated by the Allen Memorial Library staff and Learning Center staff.
Her nomination read, “Kelly works incredibly hard to manage schedules and pull off wonderful events. She puts so much into Welcome Week, both to support our students and to make sure staff and faculty are taken care of. She is great to work with on getting things done and has a smile on her face, even when things get busy. The library team also appreciates how helpful she was during the hiring process last year with scheduling candidates and communicating with the search committee. Her work in Staff Senate is yet another reason we appreciate Kelly and believe she deserves the ‘Difference Maker’ award. She goes above and beyond her primary work to put together events for staff, which we are truly grateful for.”
Congratulations, Kelly!
VCSU.AI – What are the top 5 AI prompts from students and faculty?
VCSU.AI – What are the top 5 AI prompts from students and faculty?
ChatGPT was recently prompted to reveal the top five prompts from college students and college faculty. The response? There is a clear top five that show up again and again from college students and college faculty. Here is the top five list of prompts for college students list in order of frequency:
“Explain this topic so I can understand it.” Students use this to clarify lectures, readings, or prep for exams. Examples include:
- Explain photosynthesis like I’m in 10th grade.”
- “Help me understand supply and demand.”
- “Explain this math concept in simple terms.”
“Write or help me write something for class.” This covers everything from essays to lab reports to reflection papers. Examples include:
- “Write a 500-word essay on the causes of World War I.”
- “Help me write a discussion board post.”
- “Can you make my paper sound more academic?”
“Summarize or outline this.” Students love using AI tools to save time on reading or organize their thoughts. Examples include:
- “Summarize this article.”
- “Give me the main points of Chapter 3 of [book].”
- “Make an outline for a paper about climate change.”
“Generate ideas or topics.” This is all about brainstorming, especially when they’re stuck. Examples include:
- “Give me research paper ideas about psychology.”
- “What are some AI project ideas for college students?”
- “What could my capstone project be on?”
“Study help and test prep.” These prompts are big around midterms and finals. Examples include:
- “Make me flashcards for biology terms.”
- “Create a quiz to help me study for my final.”
- “Explain what’s most likely to be on a statistics exam.”
Bonus: “Is it okay to use AI for this assignment?”
Students are still figuring out what’s allowed and what crosses a line.
Now from the faculty lounge, here are the top five types of prompts from college faculty:
“Help me write or revise course materials.” Faculty frequently use AI as a curriculum design assistant. Examples include:
- “Write a clear syllabus statement about AI use.”
- “Revise my course description to sound more engaging.”
- “Create discussion questions for Chapter 5 of my textbook.”
- “Draft learning outcomes aligned with Bloom’s taxonomy.”
“Design or improve assignments and assessments.” This is all about saving time and boosting creativity in course design. Examples include:
- “Create a short writing prompt that assesses critical thinking.”
- “Generate quiz questions for this reading.”
- “Give me rubric criteria for evaluating student presentations.”
- “How can I make this assignment more authentic or project-based?”
“Explain or summarize research / academic concepts.” Faculty often use AI tools as a fast literature explainer or research synthesizer. Examples include:
- “Summarize recent research on AI literacy in higher education.”
- “Explain what universal design for learning means for my course.”
- “What are the best practices for formative assessment?”
“Brainstorm or write professional/administrative documents.” These prompts connect directly to academic professional life. Examples include:
- “Write a teaching philosophy statement.”
- “Draft a grant proposal abstract.”
- “Help me prepare a conference presentation outline.”
- “Edit my annual faculty report or promotion narrative.”
“Integrate AI ethically and effectively into teaching.” This category has exploded since 2023 as faculty explore AI in pedagogy. Examples include:
- “How can I teach students to use AI responsibly?”
- “Give me examples of assignments that incorporate AI use.”
- “What’s an AI policy I can include in my syllabus?”
- “How do I detect or discourage overreliance on AI tools?”
Bonus (fast-growing category): “Help me understand how students are using AI — and how to respond.”
Faculty want to adapt teaching and assessment to an AI-enhanced classroom.
In summary, ChatGPT revealed clear trends that highlight how both students and faculty are using AI to support learning and teaching. Among students, the top five prompts focus on understanding and productivity: asking AI to explain complex topics in simple terms, help write class assignments, summarize or outline readings, generate ideas or topics, and assist with studying and test preparation. Many also ask whether using AI for specific assignments is acceptable.
Faculty, on the other hand, most often use AI to enhance their teaching and professional tasks. Their top prompts include writing or revising course materials, designing or improving assignments and assessments, explaining or summarizing research, creating professional or administrative documents, and integrating AI ethically and effectively into instruction. Increasingly, instructors also seek guidance on how students use AI and how to adapt their teaching in response.
Viking Sports Update
FOOTBALL
Valley City State football comes up with a big win over Mayville State on Saturday. Vikings blank Comets for third shutout. This week, the Vikings will hit the road for a game at Dakota State.
VOLLEYBALL
The road weary Viking volleyball team picks up two big wins in Montana against Montana Tech and Montana Western Vikings sweep Montana Tech. VCSU wins in three at Montana Western. Valley City State is at Mayville State on Wednesday before returning home Friday against #3 Providence.
CROSS COUNTRY
It was a good day for the Viking Cross-Country team in Bismarck. Barrera nearly sets record, Brehmer has career best. The Cross Country team is off until the Frontier Conference championships on November 7 in Billings, Mont.
BASEBALL
The Viking baseball team wraps up fall portion of schedule with a win over Bismarck State College. Vikings win fall finale. The Vikings are off until February.
What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...
August 18 – October 23
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Do You Feel What I Feel art exhibit, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Gallery
October 16 & 17
Viking Visit Days
October 18
1:00-2:30 p.m. Free Planetarium Show, Rhoades 309
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/