Hotline 5.3.21

VCSU to host Moderna Vaccine Clinic on Tuesday

A Moderna Vaccine Clinic will be held Tuesday, May 4 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m in Graichen Gym, in conjunction with the spring carnival. This clinic is available to everyone, ages 18 and up. Health insurance is not required to be vaccinated.

Students are encouraged to register even if they will not be in Valley City to receive the second dose. Public Health recommends starting the vaccination series now, then getting the second dose upon returning home.

Register for the clinic here..

Continuing the Conversation on Race Relations

The VCSU Cultural Diversity Committee will be hosting, “Continuing the Conversation on Race Relations” in the Student Center cafeteria on May 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This event is open to VCSU and community members. A livestream will be available on Teams for VCSU participants.

The goal of this event is to build a smarter, stronger, kinder community. Speakers at the event include President Alan LaFave, members of Student Senate, and Phil Hatcher, Valley City Police Chief and members of his team. There will be round table group discussions regarding current race relations in the United States as well as a moment of silence to remember victims of racial injustice.

Refreshments will be provided by the VCSU President’s Office.

VCSU announces Faculty Excellence Awards

President Alan LaFave has announced the Valley City State University Faculty Excellence Awards for 2020–21, recognizing “exceptional dedication and commitment to students and the university by outstanding teaching, scholarly activities, or university service.”

This year’s recipients are Angela Williams, Senior Faculty (associate or full professor) award; Kenton Sandfoss, Junior Faculty (instructor or assistant professor) award; and Tim Michaelson, Adjunct/Special Appointment award.

Angela Williams, associate professor of kinesiology and human performance, has been a faculty member at VCSU since 2014. Williams holds a master of education degree from Valley City State University and a master of arts degree from Western Michigan University. Faculty members stated that Williams, “has been a consistent contributor in and out of the department as well as the campus community and beyond. She is willing to support the students beyond the classroom and they appreciate the relationships they build with her.” “Angie has helped me to become the best student I can be by always encouraging me to do more and think bigger,” said a health and physical education student. “This has benefited me greatly as it has opened many opportunities within the physical education community to present, serve in positions and help others through my skills.”

Kenton Sandfoss, assistant professor of business, joined the VCSU faculty in 2020. Sandfoss holds a master’s degree from Morehead State University. Sandfoss’ colleagues highlighted that he, “routinely develops courses far afield from his own area of expertise and appreciates the opportunity to learn new techniques. He’s always thinking about ways to improve his teaching and reach his students in tangible ways. Despite his recent arrival on campus, he routinely meets with prospective Vikings and immediately develops a rapport with the students and their families.”

Tim Michaelson, instructor of education, joined VCSU in 2018. Michaelson holds a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson State University and a master’s degree from Northern State University. “Tim represents VCSU extremely well with area K-12 administrators and he works hard to find quality placements for his students,” said Michaelson’s peers. “Tim takes pride in his classroom teaching and his field experience placements. He is also a great team player who works extremely well with students, cooperating teachers, university supervisors, VCSU faculty members, and administrators.”

Student Senate awards Student Advocate and Teacher of the Year

The Student Senate of Valley City State University has announced its 2021 award recipients. Kevin Murphy, assistant professor of math, was named the Teacher of the Year. Kelly LaFramboise, director for diversity and inclusion, and athletic training staff: Anna Bratsch, Rebekah Rye and Danica Tarabanovic, received the Student Advocate of the Year award.

Murphy began as a faculty member in 2018, starting out in the science department and later moving to math. Student senators praised his ability to connect with students and his dedication to their personal success and well-being. One student said, “He is one of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met in my life.”

LaFramboise joined the VCSU staff in 2020 as the director for diversity and inclusion. Student senators agreed that she puts students first and has impacted the entire campus. One student said, “She has dealt with a lot of adversity and stepped into a position that didn’t exist before this year.” The student body became aware of her perseverance and integrity during a difficult year.

Anna Bratsch, head athletic trainer; Rebekah Rye, assistant athletic trainer; and Danica Tarabanovic, assistant athletic trainer, received the Student Advocate award based on their level of care for athletes. Students commended the group stating that they are “very personable” and “always looking to get certified in more areas and offer more treatments.” One student also said that they have, “helped me deal with the physical and emotional sides of chronic pain.”

Four VCSU alumni named ND County Teacher of the Year

Four VCSU M.Ed. graduates are being honored as the 2021 ND County Teacher of the Year. Those teachers are:

• Barnes County: Matt Nielson, Valley City High School, Valley City, N.D.
• Burleigh County: Erica Quale, Wachter Middle School, Bismarck, N.D.
• Cass County: Jessica Magnuson, Carl Ben Eilson Middle School, Fargo, N.D.
• Grant County: Sharon Klein, Grant County High School, Elgin, N.D.

Kirsten Baesler, state school superintendent, says the County Teacher of the Year program is part of an effort to bring more recognition to teachers and celebrate the teaching profession.

All of the teachers will be eligible for consideration as North Dakota’s State Teacher of the Year. That honor will be given this fall.

Prairie Waters to host summer day camps in June

Prairie Waters Education and Research Center will host two day camps this summer for students entering 5th through 8th grade next school year.

Splashin’ Around at Prairie Waters — for those entering 5th and 6th grades — will be held June 14-16, 2021. Among other activities, participants will wear waders as they walk in streams to discover what lives in the water.

Fishin’ Around the Prairie Waters — for those entering 7th and 8th grades — will be held June 21-23, 2021. Participants will explore fish habitats, including lake exploration via pontoon boat, and catch fish with and without rods.

Camp fees for each camp are $85, which includes a T-shirt, lunch, and transportation from VCSU to the Prairie Waters facility in Kathryn, N.D., daily.

Registration deadline is May 28 for both camps. Registration forms can be found online at https://www.vcsu.edu/academics/academic-centers/prairie-waters-education-research-center/summer-camps/.

An extension of Valley City State University, Prairie Waters is an environmental education center specializing in water education and water-related research. Prairie Waters connects K-12 students with water resources in a number of classroom and field experiences, provides water-sampling certification workshops for state employees, and does contract research for state agencies such as the Department of Health and North Dakota Game and Fish.

For more information, call Prairie Waters at 701-845-7570 or email bonita.roswick@vcsu.edu.

Kappa Delta Pi members volunteer at historic high school

Members of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) spent the afternoon volunteering at the Historic 1916 Buffalo High School in Buffalo, N.D. for their service learning project on April 24, 2021. The group focused their efforts on helping to reorganize while also heavily cleaning inside and outside of the school. Collectively, they volunteered 14 hours! These hours will be used for a matching grant that will allow the school to continue much needed renovations.

KDP is an international honor society in education, founded in 1911, to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching.  Offering opportunities for leadership, camaraderie, academic development, and professional resources, KDP supports and advances educators throughout their teaching careers. Consistently growing for over a century, KDP’s membership exceeds 1.2 million. The Zeta Sigma chapter of KDP at Valley City State University was founded in 1950, ended in 2002 and was reinstated in 2015.

Pictured are KDP members: Breanna Dockter, Millisa Kukowski, advisor Harmony Richman, Evan Diede, and Madi Lura. Not pictured are advisor Kathleen Bennett Zaun and her husband, Les.

Becker presents at NAfME All-Northwest Music Symposium

Daniel Becker, assistant professor of music, presented a clinic titled “Do I Have To? How to Productively Practice Clarinet in High School” to a group of high school students participating in the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) All-Northwest Music Symposium.

The All-Northwest Festival is held biannually, featuring the top music students from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming who have auditioned into the band, orchestra, and choir. As the pandemic prevented the students from gathering and performing in person this year, symposium coordinator, Dr. Ron Gerhardstein, gathered a number of college professors for the event to present on various topics to the students who successfully auditioned into the groups.

Becker’s clinic was geared toward high school and junior high clarinet players looking to improve their playing skills outside of audition and contest contexts.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Everyone 16 years of age and older is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. VCSU health officials encourage everyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic.

City County Health District is hosting many vaccine clinics offering all brands of the COVID-19 vaccines. Register for your COVID Vaccine today! If the scheduled dates and times of vaccine clinics do not work for you, call CCHD at 701-845-8518 to schedule an appointment.

Not sure if you want to vaccinate? Click on these links for more information:

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines

Key Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines

Myths and Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines

Be a Viking Hero – Vaccinate!

COVID-19 testing update

Beginning Monday, May 3, City County Health District will provide COVID-19 Testing at their office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1-2 p.m. Rapid and conventional tests will be available. The last testing event at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse was on Friday, April 30.

Additional options for testing on campus include:

• Health Services will provide rapid and conventional testing by appointment for:
  • Students who are symptomatic or need testing for release from quarantine.
• Health Services and Athletic Trainers will provide rapid and conventional testing for asymptomatic athletes when required prior to competitions.
• Employees can continue to be tested by their healthcare provider or City County Health Department.
• Students can also test at City County Health or at a clinic/testing event of their choice.

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

Softball
April 28: VCSU 6, Mayville State 0; VCSU 9, Mayville State 1
May 1: VCSU 9, Presentation College 0; VCSU 12, Presentation 0
May 2: VCSU 16, Presentation 1; VCSU 17, Presentation 0
The Viking softball team won the NSAA regular season conference championship and extended its winning streak to 15 games with six more victories this week. VCSU finished the regular season 32-5 overall and 25-2 in the North Star Athletic Association. The Vikings are the top seed for the NSAA Tournament starting May 6 in Bellevue, Neb.

Baseball
April 27: North Dakota State 5, VCSU 3 (11 innings)
May 1: VCSU 19, Presentation College 10; VCSU 17, Presentation 3
May 2: VCSU 5, Presentation 4; VCSU 10, Presentation 0
The Viking baseball team swept a four-game series against Presentation College this weekend and earned the No. 3 seed for the NSAA Tournament. The Vikings are now 21-24 overall and 14-9 in conference play. Valley City is hosting the NSAA Tournament starting Friday at Charlie Brown Memorial Baseball Field.

Golf
Jocelyn Braunberger and Rory Gentzkow earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors last Tuesday as the VCSU golf team wrapped up its season at the NSAA Championships. Braunberger placed 10th in the women’s standings, and Gentzkow finished 14th on the men’s side to lead the Vikings at the 36-hole conference tournament. Read more at: http://www.vcsuvikings.com/article/4047

Track & Field
VCSU’s Zachary Co won the shot put and Allyssa Weitkum set a new school record at the large Ron Masanz Track & Field Classic hosted by MSU-Moorhead on Saturday. Weitkum finished the 3000 meter steeplechase in a school-record time of 12:25.05, shattering the previous record by 36 seconds. Weitkum’s record time was good for sixth place at the Ron Masanz Meet, which featured competitors from several NCAA Division I and II schools. Read more: http://www.vcsuvikings.com/article/4054

Upcoming Events
May 5: Baseball at Minnesota-Morris, 4 p.m. (Morris, Minn.)
May 6: Track & Field at Dickinson State Last Chance Meet, 1 p.m.
May 6-9: Softball at NSAA Conference Tournament (Bellevue, Neb.)
May 7-10: Baseball hosts NSAA Conference Tournament (Valley City)
May 13-14: Track & Field at NSAA Conference Championships (Forest City, Iowa)

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

Monday, May 3
noon VC Lions Club meeting, VC Eagles Club

Tuesday, May 4
10:30 a.m. VCBC Public Library live story hour with Firefighter Scott Magnuson
VCBC Public Library activity Teen Virtual Star Wars Escape Room. Email childrenservice@vcbclibrary.org for link.
7 p.m. VC Amvets meeting, VC Eagles Club

Wednesday, May 5
Cinco de Mayo
10 a.m. VCBC Public Library activity virtual story hour on YouTube and Mother’s Day mosaic craft. Call 845-3821 for kit
1 p.m. VCHS Café Concert, Hi-Liner Activity Center Lobby
4 p.m. Viking baseball @ Minnesota-Morris, Morris, Minn.
6:30 p.m. Crop Walk for Hunger, starting at Jefferson Elementary School on North Central Avenue
7 p.m. VC Eagles Club trustee meeting, VC Eagles Club

Thursday, May 6
Viking softball @ NSAA Conference Tournament, Bellevue, Neb. (May 6-9)
1 p.m. Viking track & Field @ Dickinson State Last Chance Meet, Dickinson, N.D.
7:30 p.m. VC Eagles Aerie Auxiliary meeting, VC Eagles Club

Friday, May 7
Viking baseball hosts NSAA Conference Tournament, Charlie Brown Field (May 7-10)

Saturday, May 8
5 to 7 p.m. Debbie Miller Sheyenne Valley Friends of Animals Fundraiser, Valley City Eagles Club
7 p.m. VCHS Café Concert, Hi-Liner Activity Center Lobby

Sunday, May 9
Mother’s Day
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.VC Eagles Mother’s Day Buffet. Call for reservations at 845-2192.
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Complete Mother’s Day Meal to-go at Sabir’s. Call 845-0274 to book your meals.
3 p.m. VCHS Café Concert, Hi-Liner Activity Center Lobby

Monday, May 10
noon VC Lions Club Officers meeting, VC Eagles Club
7 p.m. VCHS Flying High Jazzin’ Concert, Hi-Liner Activity Center

Tuesday, May 11
6:30 p.m. VFW meeting, VC Eagles Club

Wednesday, May 12
10 a.m. VCBC Public Library activity virtual story on Youtube with Weather Wheel Kit. Call 845-3821 for kit.
6 p.m. Barnes County Wildlife Federation meeting, VC Eagles Club
7 p.m. Disabled American Veterans meeting, VC Eagles Club

Thursday, May 13
Viking Track & Field @ NSAA Conference Championships, Forest City, Iowa
5:30 VCSU Employee Recognition Dinner, Valley City Eagles Club

Saturday, May 15
10 a.m. VCSU Spring Commencement, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

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