Skip to main content
Hotline

Hotline // December 18, 2024

Dec 18, 2024

A newspaper backdrop with a white chevron and the words Hotline, The weekly newsletter of Valley City State University

This week’s Hotline includes the following articles:

Holiday Open House scheduled for Dec. 18

decorativeVCSU employees and retirees are cordially invited to attend the VCSU Holiday Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 18 from 3-5 p.m. in the Student Center Skoal Room.

VCSU Winter Commencement set for Dec. 19

VCSU graduates smile in black caps and gowns while waiting for the 2023 commencement exercises to start.

Valley City State University’s Tenth Winter Commencement Exercises will take place Thursday, Dec. 19, inside historic Vangstad Auditorium.

VCSU president Alan LaFave will preside over the ceremony which starts at 3:30 p.m. Jasmine (Hill) Truax has been selected to deliver the undergraduate reflection. Dr. Heather (Metcalf) Kvilvang will deliver the faculty reflection, and Dr. Casey Ryan will offer remarks on behalf of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

For those unable to attend the in-person ceremony, a live video stream will be available on the VCSU YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAhEGAQ9EIc

A native of Wahpeton, N.D., Jasmine Truax is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education, a Spanish minor and a reading certificate. Truax completed her student teaching at Eastwood Elementary in West Fargo, and then was hired full-time by Eastwood to teach her own kindergarten classroom starting November 4, 2024. While at VCSU, Truax has been a Viking Ambassador and Learning Commons Tutor. She served on the Student Advisory Committee and the Teacher Education Committee at VCSU and was also involved in band and choir.

Dr. Heather (Metcalf) Kvilvang ’98 is an associate professor in the School of Education and Graduate Studies. She serves as chair of the Teaching and Technology concentration for the graduate school and served as Interim Director of Multicultural Affairs this fall. During her 22 years at VCSU, Kvilvang’s focus has been to help her students become master teachers through working hard and having fun.

Free planetarium show this Saturday, Dec. 21

planetarium displaying night skyVCSU’s Planetarium presents “Demo of the Live Night Sky” and “It’s About Time” on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. “Demo of the Live Night Sky” gives the audience a look at how the planetarium machine works including a little mythology, a little science and a little non-science. The second show, “It’s About Time” provides a lighthearted look at the various ways time has been calculated since early people first began observing the sun, moon and constellations. The planetarium is located in the Rhoades Science Center Room 309. 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.

Senior Spotlight: Jazmine Truax

Jazmine Truax wearing cap and gown in her kindergarten classroomJazmine Truax ’24 never anticipated she would follow in her mom’s footsteps of teaching kindergarten. As the student speaker for the commencement ceremony on Dec. 19, this senior is not only planning her speech but is already teaching her very own class of kindergarteners in West Fargo.

Hometown: Wahpeton, N.D.
Major: Elementary Education
Campus activities/roles: Viking Ambassador, Learning Commons Tutor, Student Advisory Committee, Teacher Education Committee, band, choir

Where did you do your student teaching? Tell us a bit about that experience.
I did my student teaching in 3rd grade at Eastwood Elementary in West Fargo with Ashlee Symington. Student teaching taught me how to refine my classroom management and build relationships with my students. It also led me to my current position as a kindergarten teacher at Eastwood!

What have you enjoyed the most about your time at VCSU?
My favorite part of VCSU is the small town feel around campus. My professors know me as an individual, not just a number in their class. I’m thankful for all my educational experiences. My time at VCSU has been so valuable!

Why teaching?
My mom is a kindergarten teacher in Wahpeton and I love to spend as much time as I can in her classroom. I always told her I wasn’t going to teach kindergarten because that would mean becoming her mini-me, but here I am! I love spending time with the students. The joy they have for learning is contagious! I’m honored to be a part of their education journey!

What are your plans upon graduation?
I have already accepted a kindergarten position at Eastwood Elementary in West Fargo and started on November 4. I love my school, students, and colleagues! I do plan to come back to VCSU when I decide to get my masters degree!

Any last words before you leave VCSU?
Thank you to all the professors who pushed me to challenge myself. Thank you to my peers for all the laughs and memories made. Thank you to my family who supported me through my college years. Thank you Valley City State University for preparing me to be an excellent educator! To the incoming students, get out of your comfort zone on day 1. You’ll thank yourself for it later!

Beierle receives Difference Maker award

Heide Bierle receiving difference maker awardHeide Beierle, administrative assistant for science and STEM, recently received the Difference Maker award for December.

Those who nominated Heide said, “Every person that approaches Heide has a positive experience; she is pleasant, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. Heide is incredibly organized and attentive to detail; she makes sure that any event that happens in her department goes off without a hitch. We are grateful to have Heide as part of the Viking Team!”

Congratulations, Heide!

VCSU Athletics offering reserved seating for conference basketball games

Reserved seating at 24-25 conference basketball gamesValley City State athletics is offering reserved seating tickets for all conference basketball games for the 2024-25 season. Fans can purchase a reserved seatback in the north and middle sections on the east side of the gymnasium for $106 per seat. Those who already have season tickets including parents, VCSU employees, Booster Club members and the like can contact t.henningsgard@vcsu.edu for additional details. Tickets are available now at vcsuvikings.com/tickets. VCSU’s conference basketball season consists of seven home games and kicks off Jan. 3 when the Vikings host Jamestown.

Grand Entry exhibit runs Nov. 25-Jan. 10 at CFA Gallery

Grand Entry by L Whitney The VCSU Art Department announces Grand Entry, a solo exhibition from L Whitney, noted North Dakota printmaker and VCSU Professor Emeritus of Art, open to the public Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, through Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts (CFA) Gallery.


Grand Entry explores visual narratives that blend the traditions of the Indigenous people of Turtle Island, imagery from popular American culture, and celebrate the Powwow as a “public declaration of the strength and tenacity of the indigenous cultures of this content.” Whitney’s award winning hand-painted mezzotints have been exhibited globally and featured in galleries in the United States, throughout Europe and Eastern Europe, Nicaragua, Serbia, Russia, India, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

For more information about Whitney’s artwork and process, visit https://www.lwhitneystudio.com/.

Viking sports update

TRACK AND FIELD
VCSU’s Tayshaun Robinson set a new school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.15 which qualified for the National ‘B’ Standard Friday at the NDSU Dakota Alumni Classic. Five Vikings posted top eight finishes and seven recorded personal bests at the meet.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Viking women went 0-2 to open conference play over the weekend, falling to Bellevue University and No. 6 Dakota State. VCSU will have a break before resuming conference play in the new year, hosting Jamestown on Jan. 3, 2025.

MEN’S BASKETBALL
VCSU’s men opened conference play with a 1-1 record over the weekend, including an 83-79 overtime win over Dakota State. VCSU is now 9-4 overall and travels to Mount Marty for a non-conference game on Friday at 1 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Dec. 20: Men’s basketball at Mount Marty, 1 p.m. (Yankton, S.D.)

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

A backdrop featuring the HiLine bridge and a white chevron with the text Valley City Community

Dec. 19
3:30 p.m. VCSU Winter Commencement, Vangstad Auditorium

Dec. 21
1 p.m. Free planetarium show, Rhoades Science Center

Dec. 24
Christmas Eve – VCSU offices close at noon

Dec. 25
Christmas Day – VCSU offices closed

Jan. 1
New Years Day – VCSU offices closed

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/