Hotline // November 8, 2023

President's Column: Recognition, sport season transition, Envision 2035 

Greetings from Valley City State University! 

The second half of the fall semester is well underway and external recognition of our campus excellence continues. We were recently notified of our selection as a 2023-2024 College of Distinction. VCSU is one of three North Dakota institutions recognized on this year’s list with special recognition cited of our Business and Education programs. 

Through a rigorous vetting and interview process, we were identified as striving for excellence in line with four areas of distinction – Student Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes. We are proud to be included in this exclusive list of schools, all distinguished by a commitment to a quality undergraduate experience. Our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community continue to set us apart as a high-quality destination for pursuit of academic and extra and co-curricular excellence and we thank them all for their dedication and excellence! 

Our fall athletic teams are nearing the end of their seasons and the transition to winter sports is underway. With the first snow, our golf team concluded fall competitions, but are preparing for indoor practice to gear up for spring tournaments. Our baseball team was able to play some excellent fall contests, and our cross-country teams are participating in the conference championships as I pen this column. Special congratulations to Jasmine Barnes and Karly Just for their top ten finishes! Additionally, we wish the best to our VCSU volleyball team as they play for a conference championship in Watertown and our football team as they conclude the fall season with a home game against Waldorf on Nov. 11. We look forward to the women’s and men’s basketball season! 

Finally, I had the opportunity to participate in the SBHE strategic planning session in Bismarck on Wednesday, Nov. 1 which included other college and university presidents, faculty members, State Board of Higher Education, and members of industry. Entitled, “Envision 2035”, the day began with comments from Governor Burgum on the important connection to workforce and included reports from nine different working groups including energy, agriculture, infrastructure, programs of the future, values, and workforce of the future. I served as co-chair of the “Infrastructure of the Future” working group along with Dr. John Warford. We reported on both the instructional technology and physical infrastructure future needs of our students and campuses. 

A strategic plan must include strategic thinking to be successful. While it may be difficult to know exactly what 2035 will hold for higher education, this planning will help shape that future and position our colleges and universities as partners and leaders in the rapidly changing landscape. 

Go Vikings! 

2023 VCSU Viking Day of Giving Set for Nov. 28

The Valley City State University (VCSU) Foundation announced the 2023 Viking Day of Giving will be Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The Viking Day of Giving is an opportunity for alumni and friends of VCSU to come together on one day to support scholarships for students at VCSU.

“A scholarship is life-changing for so many VCSU students and their families and it makes a big impact for our donors,” said Cory Anderson, VCSU Executive Director for University Advancement. “If you believe in our future, we encourage you to join us on the Viking Day of Giving to see how your gifts can be the difference for students’ futures.”

Giving Tuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: to create a day that encourages people to do good. During the past nine years, the idea has grown into a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Giving Tuesday inspires people all around the world to embrace their power to drive progress around the causes they care about, not just on one day but throughout the year.

Those who are interested in joining VCSU’s Day of Giving initiative can visit https://bit.ly/VikingDay23 or call the Foundation at (701) 845-7203.

Clubs sponsoring community clothing drive

VCSU Psychology, Human Services Club and Global Exploration Club are co-sponsoring a Valley City Community Closet Donation Drive.

Needs include coats, hats, gloves, snowpants, boots, scarves, long underwear, gas gift card, grocery store, and gift cards. Donations can be dropped off in the box located in the Student Center and Leevers through the month of November.

For questions, contact michaela.k.halvorson@vcsu.edu or anthony.bertolino@vcsu.edu.

FMAYS Symphony Orchestra to perform at Center for the Arts

Ivy Real Estate Group presents The Symphony Orchestra of the Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphonies (FMAYS) who will be performing on Sunday, November 12, 3:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts on the campus of Valley City State University.

This concert is made possible by major sponsor Ivy Real Estate Group of Valley City. Additional sponsorship from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, Sodexo, Valley City State University Music Department made this event possible. The event is free and open to the public (free-will offering will be taken). This is the second year that the FMAYS group has traveled to Valley City.

Under the baton of conductor Brad Lambrecht, the nearly 70- member orchestra is comprised of string, wind and percussion students grades 9-12 from Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo and the surrounding areas. Students must audition for membership and attend a weekly rehearsal on Sunday afternoons at North Dakota State University.

The Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphony, as it was originally named, was founded in 1967 by Loris Tjknavorian, a composer and conductor at Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead). FMAYS was organized to give musically talented senior and junior high school students from the Fargo Moorhead area an opportunity to expand their musical experiences. In the mid-1970s, Dewey Possehl, Eunice Pitmon, Jack Harris, and Bruce Houglum reorganized FMAYS. They designed the organization as an addition to middle and high school music education programs in the community. They stressed that players were expected to participate in and retain allegiance to their school instrumental music programs. In 1993, FMAYS divided into the Junior High Concert Strings for students in grades 6-8, and the Senior High Symphony Orchestra for students grades 9-12. In 2017, Attacca Strings was created as a string orchestra for grades 9-12.

The November 12, program will feature Aaron Copland: Rodeo Suite with selections (I) Buckaroo Holiday (II) Corral Nocturne (III) Saturday Night Waltz (IV) Hoedown as well as selections from Jocelyn Hagen, arr. Wren:Sofdu Unga Astin Min (a chamber ensemble), and Ilari Hylkila:Saga.

The Bridges Arts Council is a nonprofit group that serves to bring arts and cultural opportunities to the Valley City and Barnes County community. If you are interested in learning more about the Bridges Arts Council you can visit, https://www.bridgesarts.org/ or on Facebook. For more information about this event, please email Nick Lee, Arts Administrator for the Bridges Arts Council, at administrator@bridgesarts.org or by calling 701-840-6182.

VCSU Music presents Guest Artist Recital, Ray Kilburn

The VCSU Music Department presents Guest Artist Piano Recital, Ray Kilburn, Piano on Friday, Nov. 3. The recital will take place in the Center for the Arts Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this event, admission is free.

Pianist Ray Kilburn has maintained a successful performing and teaching career that has spanned the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and Asia. Critics have been unanimous in praise of his outstanding technical abilities and artistic temperament. Kilburn holds four performance degrees: the BM and LM from McGill University where his primary teacher was Tom Plaunt, and the MM and DM degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where his primary teacher was Gyorgy Sebok. Currently on faculty at Ball State University School of Music, his students have distinguished themselves through winning prizes in national and international competitions and obtaining faculty positions at colleges and universities around the world. 

Extinction is Forever on display in Center for the Arts Gallery

Extinction is Forever, Alayna Proctor’s capstone exhibit, is featured in the Center for the Arts Gallery from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1 2023. She will be discussing her exhibit on Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. in a livestream talk on the VCSU YouTube Channel and Art Department Facebook page. Following the talk, there will be a reception held shortly after at the Center for the Arts Gallery at 4 p.m.

Alayna’s exhibit features soft pastel drawings and mini felted sculptures that explore the theme of endangered animals and the issues of climate change, habitat loss, and pollution.

Extinction is Forever creates a space for conversations about endangered animals and how climate change, habitat loss, and pollution are affecting their environments and the increasing risk of extinction. Through her work, she wants to open the viewer’s mind to these impacts with the goal of spreading awareness and encouragement for change.

After graduation, Alayna plans to pursue a job in Art Therapy where she hopes to help individuals with their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through creative methods of expression. Alayna would like to thank the VCSU Art Department for their guidance along the way.

Call for faculty/staff art entries

The VCSU Art Department is putting out a call for art entries for the Faculty/Staff Biennial Show set for this Fall 2023 in the Center for the Arts Gallery. To participate in the show, please fill out the form at https://myweb.vcsu.edu/art/faculty-staff-art-exhibition/. If you have questions, please contact Angela Mircsov. The deadline to submit is Nov. 19 by 11:59 p.m.

Viking sports update

Volleyball
Viking Volleyball finished the regular season with a 22-8 overall record and an 8-4 mark in conference play. VCSU is the No. 2 seed for the NSAA Postseason Tournament and earned a first-round bye. The Vikings will play in a semifinal match Friday at 5 p.m. in Watertown, S.D.

Football
VCSU Football dropped a road game at Dickinson State last weekend and is now 6-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Vikings wrap up the season at home on Saturday, hosting Waldorf University at 1 p.m. It is also Senior Day for VCSU.

Cross Country
Jasmine Barnes and Karly Just earned All-Conference honors on Friday as the VCSU cross country teams finished their seasons at the NSAA Championships in Wisconsin. Barnes placed 7th and Just was 9th in the women’s 6K race.

Women’s Basketball
VCSU Women’s Basketball has opened the season with a 2-2 overall record, highlighted by a buzzer-beater victory against Mount Marty University. Freshman Ellie Braaten hit a half-court shot as time expired to give VCSU a 75-74 win in the game.

Men’s Basketball
The VCSU men’s basketball team has started its season with a 3-2 overall record. The Vikings split games this past weekend with a win over Mount Marty and an overtime loss to Dakota Wesleyan University.

Upcoming Events
Nov. 10: Volleyball at NSAA Championships, 5 p.m. (Watertown, S.D.)
Nov. 10: Men’s Basketball at Briar Cliff University, 6 p.m. (Sioux City, Iowa)
Nov. 11: Football vs. Waldorf University, 1 p.m. (Valley City)
Nov. 11: Women’s Basketball at St. Cloud State, 2 p.m. (St. Cloud, Minn.)
Nov. 14: WBB/MBB vs. Trinity Bible College, 5:30/7:30 p.m. (Valley City)

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/