Hotline // March 18, 2026

31st Annual VCSU Scholarship Auction set for April 17

Stars, Stripes and Scholarships

Tickets are on sale now for the annual VCSU Scholarship Auction happening Friday, April 17, at the Valley City Eagles Club.

This year’s theme of “Stars, Stripes & Scholarships” brings a patriotic celebration to the Eagles Club. Expect an evening filled with red‑white‑and‑blue spirit, standout auction items, and support for the students who represent the bright future of VCSU.

“The scholarship auction is a popular event for the Viking community. We are grateful for the continued generosity of our donors and bidders,” said Kim Hesch, assistant director for advancement. “Your support helps us ensure strong enrollment and meaningful scholarship opportunities for our students.”

Auction tickets are on sale now for $70 each, which includes admission, two drink tickets, and a buffet dinner. Purchase tickets online or by contacting the VCSU Foundation office at 701‑845‑7203. New this year, guests can purchase reserved seating to guarantee their table location for the auction.

The night begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. The buffet dinner will be served at 6 p.m., with the live auction to follow at 7 p.m. This is an opportunity to bid on great items while contributing to scholarships, offering financial relief for future and current VCSU students.

New this year – reserved seating

Skip the rush. Sit together. Enjoy the night! This year, guests can reserve a table to guarantee their seating arrangement for the evening. The options include:

• Reserved Half-Table (4 Guests) – $300
  • Guaranteed group seating. Includes dinner and drink tickets for each guest.
• Reserved Full Table (8 Guests) – $600
  • Your own table for the evening. Includes dinner and drink tickets for each guest.

Tables can be reserved by online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/auctionticketstables/event/2026auction/ or by calling the VCSU Foundation at 701-845-7203.

Silent Auction

The silent auction will be set up in person again this year at the Eagles Club, but bids will be made exclusively in the Handbid app. Silent auction bidding begins Monday, April 13, at 1 p.m. and concludes at 8 p.m. on the night of the auction.

The Handbid app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. After downloading, participants follow the prompts to create an account, then choose “VCSU Scholarship Auction 2026” from the list. Users can monitor their winning and losing bids from the dashboard, receive notifications when they have been outbid, and check out within the app at the end of the night. Silent auction participants do not need to be present to win.

Social

Starting at 5 p.m. will be the social hour—browse the silent auction, check out the raffle boards, and try your luck at the popular prize wheel.

Donate Auction Items

Auction items are currently being solicited for the event. Anyone wishing to donate an item can contact the VCSU Foundation office. As the event approaches, a list of silent and live auction items will be made available on the VCSU Foundation website at vcsualumni.org; click on the “Auction” banner.

For more information regarding the VCSU Scholarship Auction, to purchase tickets or to donate an item, call the VCSU Foundation Office at 701-845-7203 or visit the auction website. 

VCSU Music Department presents Code Poems

The VCSU Music Department, in collaboration with the Bridges Arts Council, invite the public to attend Code Poems, a recital featuring music by Dr. Taylor Long, VCSU professor of music, and Dr. Matt Sargent, guest artist.

The event will take place tonight, Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Performance Hall. The event is open to the public and free admission.

Learn more about guest artist, Matt Sargent, at https://www.mattsargentmusic.com/bio.

2026 Scholar Symposium - call for submissions

The 2026 Valley City State University Scholar Symposium will be held in the main lobby of the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts on Tuesday, May 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The annual event allows undergraduate students to showcase their research, writing and other creative projects developed over the past academic year. Last year’s event featured 45+ student-designed projects representing nine departments across campus, revealing the range of scholarship VCSU’s students produced individually and collaboratively in more than 15 unique courses. Student recipients of the SOAR (Student Opportunities for Academic Research) Award and of the EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) Award presented their advanced research projects, and faculty members from two departments shared their discipline-specific scholarship from the past academic year.    

Please encourage your 2025-2026 students to participate in the Scholar Symposium this year, as presenters and/or attendees, as this event is designed to showcase and celebrate the individual and collaborative vibrant academic work of VCSU students and faculty across campus. Contact event coordinator, Emily D. Wicktor, associate professor (emily.wicktor@vcsu.edu) for more information on the submission process.

Submission forms are due by 5:00 p.m. on April 20.

Senior recital for Elijah Leik to take place on March 21

The VCSU Department of Music proudly presents a senior recital for Elijah Leik, clarient/tenor, on Saturday, March 21. Leik will be accompanied by Dr. Ozzie Johnson on piano.

The concert will take place at 2 p.m. in the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts Performance Hall. The public is invited to attend and admission is free.

Viking Sports Update

BASEBALL
The Viking baseball team wrapped up their Florida trip last week in fine fashion. The Vikings won the last three games of the trip and come home with a six-game winning streak and a 13-8 record. The streak started with a 6-3 win over Lawrence Tech. After a day off, the Vikings beat Trinity College of Jacksonville 7-4 then wrapped up the trip with a convincing 12-2 win over Mayville State in a non-conference game. VCSU will be on the road this weekend at the Frontier Conference Round Robin in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They take on Bismarck State and Dakota State on Saturday. Sunday, they face Dickinson State and Bellevue. The conference season starts March 27th with a doubleheader at Bellevue.

SOFTBALL
The Viking softball team wrapped up its Arizona trip last week. The Vikings split Wednesday’s doubleheader, then lost to (RV) Indiana Tech the last day. On Wednesday, the Vikings fell to #19 Midland 11-3. Then bounced back and defeated Westcliff University 7-5. On Thursday, VCSU dropped a 7-1 decision to (RV) Indiana Tech. The Vikings were 3-6 in Arizona and will start conference play this weekend with a four game series at Bellevue. Valley City State is now 10-11 on the season.

TRACK AND FIELD
The Viking Track and Field teams will open the outdoor season on Saturday at the Marauder Outdoor Open at the University of Mary in Bismarck. This starts a busy spring for the Vikings with eleven meets scheduled leading up the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in North Carolina in May.

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

March 18
7:30 p.m. Guest Artist: Matt Sargent with Dr. Taylor Long, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts

March 21
2 p.m. Elijah Leik Senior Recital, Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts

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/