Hotline 3.1.21

President's Column: Student leadership exemplified…

One of the best perks of being a university president is the opportunity to see students thrive, succeed, and lead. Angeline Gannon, a junior from Bismarck, checks all three of those boxes. She serves with distinction as the president of the VCSU student senate and is highly respected by her peers and colleagues across the entire North Dakota Student Association. Under her guidance and leadership, the VCSU student senate has developed into an important and successful student organization. I also have the opportunity to meet monthly with Angeline as part of our senate leadership discussion group that brings together the presidents from the faculty, staff and student senates to discuss common concerns and issues from each group.

In addition to her academic and athletic accolades, Angeline is an eloquent and gifted speaker.  She provided remarks at the ground-breaking ceremony for the “Center for the Arts” and, most recently, provided testimony to the Senate Budget Appropriations Committee this past January in support of the VCSU budget request.  She will also be participating in the same process with the House Budget Appropriations Committee on March 10 in Bismarck.  Her leadership skills continue to grow, and we are very proud of her achievements and contributions as a student leader at VCSU.

Mark Potts, our interim director of marketing and communication, has written an outstanding student profile on Angeline. We’re happy to share that below.

Angeline Gannon never envisioned becoming a Viking as she approached high school graduation. But as she considered colleges, the Bismarck native decided to take a visit to VCSU’s campus on the urging of her dad – a VCSU alumnus.

“I had an amazing tour guide, and I fell in love with VCSU,” she said. “Driving back home I told my mom that even though I had only been there a couple hours, it already felt like a second home to me.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Since arriving at her “second home” in the fall of 2018, Angeline has been busy creating a memorable Viking experience – taking advantage of the opportunities a small campus presents. She has truly immersed herself in campus life, pursuing a degree in history education while also competing as a dual-sport athlete and serving as student senate president.

“The pride of being a Viking is what has kept me here,” she said. “VCSU has a lot of pride – not just on campus, but within the Valley City community as well. It is amazing to be part of something that has so much support on and beyond campus.”

Angeline was elected student senate president in 2019 and has been involved in numerous campus projects and decisions. She participated in President Alan LaFave’s inauguration ceremony, took an active role in helping promote the new Center for the Arts to the state legislature, and later gave a speech at the building’s groundbreaking ceremony. As student senate president, she is constantly working with VCSU staff and her fellow students to move VCSU forward.

Athletically, Angeline competes as both a cross country and track and field athlete, and she earned All-Conference this season after finishing seventh at the North Star Athletic Association Cross Country Championships. She is also heavily involved on campus as a resident assistant, Viking Ambassador and Learning to Live Mentor, along with being a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the history club. Through it all, she’s established tremendous bonds with her teammates and others on campus – leading to memories she won’t soon forget.

“At the conference cross country meet my freshman year, we had three athletes qualify for nationals and the rest of my teammates had great races,” recalled Angeline. “I personally had a horrible race, but I did not care because I was so happy for and proud of my teammates. The energy and the celebration from our little cross country team was unmatched to anything I have felt before. It was a truly amazing and memorable moment to be a Viking.”

Angeline is planning to graduate from VCSU in the fall of 2022 with a degree in history education. She is also pursuing a minor in political science and a certificate in coaching. After graduation, Angeline intends to work as a high school teacher and eventually plans to earn her master’s degree and pursue a career as a school administrator.

Gifted and talented endorsement now offered at VCSU

Valley City State University now offers teachers different pathways to earn a North Dakota Gifted and Talented Endorsement, through a hybrid program that combines coursework from Extended Learning professional development courses in Gifted Education and STEM ED graduate coursework.

This endorsement houses gifted and talented education within STEM ED, where there is a high degree of overlap in materials, methods, problem solving, and creativity. It also trains teachers to meet the needs of their Gifted and Talented learners within the general education classroom or within a Gifted and Talented program.

The endorsement is only 17 credits, can be completed in 9-12 months and can also lead to a Master’s Degree in STEM ED.

Counseling services team presents at North Dakota Counseling Association Conference

Erin Klingenberg, Ph.D., director for counseling services and Kelsie Carter, M.Ed., mental health counselor, presented at this year’s North Dakota Counseling Associations Mid-winter conference on Feb. 8. The title of their presentation was “Life Work Balance in a Virtual Environment – Let’s Name It”. The presentation focused on working in a virtual environment and how it effects our emotional, social, and physical health. The presentation discussed screen fatigue, “longer” days working, and how apps can effect our happiness. If you are interested in watching this presentation, it is available on the Counseling Services Mental Health Resources OneStop page.

Heide serves as clinician for band program, judges South Dakota Region IV Instrumental contest

Jerrold Heide, M.M., department of music served as a guest clinician for the Huron (S.D.) High School band program and a judge for the South Dakota Region IV Instrumental Solo and Ensemble Contest in Huron, S.D. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. This contest is held annually each February with students in grades 9-12 performing for ratings and comments in the areas of woodwind, brass, percussion, and piano. Clinician service included individual lessons to improve playing technique, sectional work and feedback, and a full band rehearsal of the 75+ member Tiger Concert Band.

Biology 340 class collaborates with South Central Transit

Hilde van Gijssel’s Biology 340 class teamed up with South Central Transit to conduct a survey on public transit in our community. Health Science students can use these skills in future healthcare careers, and the results provided valuable feedback to South Central Transit. Read more from Rod Grafing, Valley City’s Transit Coordinator in this issue of Transit Tidbits.

Baughman attends Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference

Kiersten Baughman, Ph.D., associate professor of social science, presented a poster titled, “Covid-19 by State: Culture of Honor and Response to the Pandemic”, a nearly year-long project that she worked on with several current and former VCSU students. This project detailed the ways that states in different regions of the country have handled the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a unique explanation for why some US citizens have experienced more leniency from their government officials while others have resorted to more draconian measures to control the spread of the virus. In addition, Baughman attended several virtual sessions on the spread of misinformation, including in the age of social media, cutting-edge research that she was immediately able to share with her students in Ethics and Philosophy of Science. This conference included a variety of ways to stay up-to-date on research in the field of social and personality psychology, network with colleagues around the globe, and test knowledge via trivia questions as well as a closing experience with a mentalist.

Williams presents at ND SHAPE's first virtual conference

Angie Williams, associate professor of kinesiology and human performance (KHP) and ND SHAPE president, hosted ND SHAPE’s first virtual Health and Physical Education conference on Feb. 19 and 20. With the uncertainties of COVID-19, the ND SHAPE board decided that it was in their best interest to run a virtual conference rather than suspending the conference for another year. Although it was a lot of work to transition from the face-to-face traditional conference setting to a virtual platform, it proved to be a great fit not only for veteran health and physical education teachers, but for health and physical education majors across the state.

Each year health and physical education majors from KHP attend both the ND & MN SHAPE conferences, along with the ND Pre-Professionals Workshop to gain health and physical education resources and to make connections. VCSU SHAPE Club members also attend these conferences as presenters and participants. It is very important that students have the opportunity to attend, present, and participate in these conferences. It gives them experiences that can only be found within these settings such as networking with professionals from all over, especially the tri-state area, k-12 school administrators included. From these experiences, health and physical education majors are:

1. Gaining access to resources that support their journey at VCSU, during student teaching, as well as during their first few years within the profession
2. Gaining experience in presenting
3. Making connections/networking with veteran health and physical education teachers from across the US
4. Gaining exposure to k-12 administrators
5. Getting jobs!

As the student advisor and professor, Williams enjoys receiving phone calls and emails from area administrators asking for teacher candidates she can refer for interviews. The health and physical education double majors are at a 100% hire rate, some teacher candidates are even getting hired prior to graduation. This year, Taylon Sad, a double major, presented, “Mental Health During Covid-19.” Taylon is very active in the VCSU SHAPE Club, is a student athlete on the VCSU track and field team, and will graduate this May.

Valley City State University had 26 health and physical education double majors attend the virtual conference. Katie Juarez, a health and physical education major, states, “I honestly think it was easier to get connected through an online conference than it was during a face-to-face conference. It was a little easier to interact and talk to others while the presentation was going on. I know that it’s a lot more fun to physically be there to participate in activities and such, but so far I have learned a lot and connected with a lot of professionals. So glad that we were able to get the conference going this year, even if it had to be virtual!”

Williams is thankful that the ND SHAPE board was able to present this virtual conference with such success. This year, Melanie Lynch and Mike Martinez were the keynote speakers. Both are big names within the health and physical education world. There were over 25 presenters from across the US. Kanae Haneishi, associate professor of KHP, was among those that presented.

Great Plains Food Bank in Valley City

The Great Plains Food Bank will be in Valley City on Thursday, March 11 from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church. Clients will line up in the gravel parking lot at Lokken stadium and drive through the distribution line. Anyone in need of food assistance is welcome!

For more information or to volunteer contact Anna Johnson, regional services manager at ajohnson@greatplainsfoodbank.org or 701.361.1004.

Barnes County Residents Ages 18 and Older Living with High-Risk Medical Conditions Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccination

City-County Health District (CCHD) is prepared to move into the next eligible priority group within Phase 1B of North Dakota’s COVID-19 vaccination plan: individuals working or living in Barnes County age 18 and over living with chronic, high-risk health conditions.

Due to a substantial allocation of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, CCHD is offering a mass-vaccination clinic on Wednesday, March 3 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Valley City Jr/Sr High School Gym. “We are grateful for the support of Valley City Public Schools in hosting this important event,” Will said. “We are also fortunate to have the support of our North Dakota National Guard team and we hope eligible individuals will take advantage of this safe, convenient event.”

“We have made swift progress through Phase 1B and we are prepared to open eligibility to those age 18 and over living with chronic medical conditions,” said Theresa Will, Administrator for CCHD. “We thank the public for their support and patience as we continue to move through eligible groups in Barnes County,” Will added.

Those who are currently eligible, who wish to be vaccinated by City-County Health District must register for an appointment by visiting www.citycountyhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine. Those in need of clinic registration support are encouraged to call CCHD at 701-845-8518.

The Health District reports 3,016 vaccines administered by providers to date and coverage rates are growing positively—currently showing at 20.5% for 1st doses in Barnes County and 10% coverage for 2nd doses.

For information and updates related to COVID-19 vaccination in North Dakota, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/covid-19-vaccine-information.

COVID-19 testing events this week at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, “The Bubble”

Free COVID-19 testing events for the VCSU and Valley City communities will be held this week from 1-2 p.m. at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse, “The Bubble”. Rapid and conventional testing will be offered at each event on March 1 and March 5.

These are WALK-IN testing events. Colder temperatures have moved operations indoors. If you wish to be tested, please park your vehicle and enter through the west entrance. Handicap parking spaces and access are available at the east entrance. Preregistration at testreg.nd.gov is encouraged; one only needs to register once.

Care19 Alert App

VCSU students and employees are strongly encouraged to download a free smartphone app, Care19 Alert, to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by notifying users of possible COVID-19 exposure while protecting their privacy with technology developed by Apple and Google.

Find more information or download the app here.

Coronavirus Update

Stay informed about campus coronavirus information with the following resources. Click each link to learn more.

• VCSU Coronavirus information
• COVID-19 Dashboard
• COVID-19: Campus Health & Safety Information
• Campus face covering policy
• Required Quarantine/Isolation Procedures for Employees

Vikings sports update

Men’s Basketball
Feb. 23: VCSU 76, Dickinson State 51

Feb. 25: Bellevue University 73, VCSU 63

The VCSU men’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the NSAA Tournament before being eliminated by Bellevue. The Vikings finish the season with a 19-7 overall record. VCSU tied for second in the NSAA standings with a 9-5 record in conference play. 

Women’s Basketball
Feb. 23: Mayville State 56, VCSU 53

The VCSU women’s basketball team had its season end in the quarterfinals of the NSAA Tournament, losing 56-53 at Mayville. The Vikings finished the season with an 8-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in conference play. 

Track & Field
VCSU seniors Zachary Co and Alex Otto will compete at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships on Saturday, March 6. Co has qualified for nationals in shot put, and Otto has qualified in the high jump. Both events are scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Yankton, S.D.

Volleyball
The Valley City State volleyball team resumes its season Monday, March 1, with a match at Dickinson State University. This year’s volleyball season was split between the fall and the spring due to COVID affecting schedules nationwide. The Vikings enter the spring portion of the season with a 4-9 overall record and a 3-3 record in conference play. VCSU is scheduled to play 10 matches in March leading up to the NSAA Tournament.

Baseball
The Viking baseball team starts its spring season later this week at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. The Vikings will face Midland University in a four-game series March 4-5. Thursday’s doubleheader starts at 7 a.m. The games on Friday, March 5, will begin at 10 p.m. VCSU baseball currently has a 4-5 overall record after playing nine games in the fall. 

Upcoming Events
March 1: Volleyball at Dickinson State, 7 p.m. CT (Dickinson, N.D.)

March 4: Baseball vs. Midland University, 7 a.m. (U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.)

March 5: Baseball vs. Midland University, 10 p.m. (U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.)

March 5: Volleyball at Waldorf University, 7 p.m. (Forest City, Iowa)

March 6: Track & Field at NAIA National Championships, 9:30 a.m. (Yankton, S.D.)

March 6: Volleyball at Viterbo University, 12 p.m. (La Crosse, Wis.)

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

Monday, March 1
noon Valley City Lions Club meeting, Valley City Eagles Club
1 to 2 p.m. City County Health District COVID-19 testing, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
7 p.m. Viking volleyball @ Dickinson State University, Dickinson, N.D.

Tuesday, March 2
10 a.m. VCBC Public Library virtual story hour – Dr. Seuss Hot Air Balloon Craft on YouTube, call 845-3821 for more information

Wednesday, March 3
Viking track & field @ NAIA Championships, Yankton, S.D. (March 3-6)
10 a.m. VCBC Public Library virtual story hour world wildlife paper bag animal puppet craft on YouTube, call 845-3821 for information and kit

Thursday, March 4
7 a.m. Viking baseball vs. Midland University, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.

Friday, March 5
7 p.m. Viking volleyball @ Waldorf, University, Forest City, Iowa
10 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Midland University, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.

Saturday, March 6
9 a.m. Viking track & field @ NAIA National Championships, Yankton, S.D.
noon Viking volleyball @ Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wis.
2 p.m. Bridges Art Council and VCBC Public Library present virtual concert series with John Oakland, Facebook Live and YouTube

Wednesday, March 10
North Dakota Winter Show opens. Go to northdakotawintershow.com for details.
noon North Dakota Winter Show tractor pull
6 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show truck pull

Thursday, March 11
8 a.m. North Dakota Winter Show horse team events
10:30 a.m. VCBC public library virtual story hour Johnny Appleseed paper place craft on YouTube, call 845-3821 for information and kit
12:30 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show pony pull
12:30 p.m. Miss Rodeo ND Winter Show fashion show and luncheon, Valley City Eagles Club
2 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show draft horse pull
6:30 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show ranch rodeo

Friday, March 12
11 a.m. North Dakota Winter Show PRCS rodeo slack performance
7 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show PRCA rodeo performance

Saturday, March 13
9 a.m. North Dakota Winter Show battle of the border MN/ND high school rodeo
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show craft & antique market
2 p.m. and 7 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show PRCA rodeo performance

Sunday, March 14
8 a.m. North Dakota Winter Show Jr. cattle show
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show craft & antique market
1 p.m. North Dakota Winter Show King of the Sale Ring bid call contest
North Dakota Rodeo Association rodeo performance, ND Winter Show event center

Go to www.valleycitynd.org/calendar.php to see more events happening in and around Valley City.