This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President’s Column
• No Hotline! next week
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday during the academic year. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 4 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column

by Tisa Mason, Ed.D., CAE
Valley City State University President

The bountiful holiday season

Among my favorite VCSU traditions is attending the annual V-500 Recognition Dinner and the annual EBC “We’re in the Christmas Mood” concert. This year’s events were extra special as we were able to bring both events back to campus now that the Vangstad Auditorium renovation is complete.

The V-500 Recognition Dinner provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate and thank our donors who support our academic scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the VCSU Foundation was able to allocate more than $1.3 million to student scholarships this year! We are so grateful for their investment in the promising lives of our students and in the future of this magnificent university. As I shared that evening, I love the fact that we celebrate their generosity during the holidays.

I appreciate that the holiday season creates special moments for us to gather with our friends and family and to think a bit about our blessings, purpose, and aspirations. I always think of the holiday season as inclusive of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. The three events seem to transition both thematically and rapidly—signaling paradoxically both a time of heightened activity as well as a meaningful time for personal reflection.

Thanksgiving is such a great time for communities and families to come together to give thanks for their many blessings. Since coming to the valley, I have learned a lot about the strong relationships and good people who call Valley City home. Clearly a hallmark of this university is a strong town-and-gown relationship.

And then, Christmas! Christmas—a time to enjoy the beautiful decorations, holiday music, and even the snow. A time to again express our gratitude for the people in our lives as we exchange cards, gifts, and encouraging words. I also appreciate the fact that both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays facilitate additional generosity as we often provide a little extra food, gifts, and other treasures to those in need. I am so happy to be part of a community who actively engages in philanthropy and service to others all year-round.

I really appreciate the person responsible for coining the phrase “the reason for the season.” For me Christmas is such a great opportunity to think deeply about my purpose: Do I live my life as I have been called to do? What changes do I need to make? As I ponder about the life I lead, I realize a new year is quickly approaching.

A new year always brings new hopes, dreams, and aspirations. I once read that at the most basic level, our dreams, hopes, and wishes determine how we live our life. Our aspirations are rooted in a strong desire to achieve something noble. Authors Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner share that if we live each day as if we matter, we offer up our unique legacy. By sharing ourselves, we make the world we inhabit a better place than we found it.

This is precisely why the holiday season is the perfect time to say thank you to not only our donors, who have changed the lives of generations of students, but also to everyone whose aspirations lead to a better world. In Valley City, I experience a community brimming with people who live their lives with kindness and generosity. Yes, 2017 promises to be a great year to be a Viking!

No Hotline! next week

Hotline! will not be published on Monday, Dec. 26. Publication will resume following the holidays on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Viking sports update

Men’s Basketball
The Viking men defeated Viterbo 79-69 at home on Friday night, moving their NSAA record to 3-2 and 10-6 overall. They play today (Monday, Dec. 19) and tomorrow in Arizona at the Phoenix NAIA Shootout and will face Concordia College in Moorhead on Friday evening, Dec. 30.

Women’s Basketball
The VCSU women won their 10th straight game on Friday evening, defeating Viterbo 83-37 in the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. Georgia Williams scored her 1,000th point as a Viking and became the 13th all-time scorer. The women, now 13-3 overall and 5-0 in NSAA play, will travel to Florida Dec. 29–30 to compete in the Keiser Classic.

Football: McBeain named finalist for defensive award
Viking linebacker Nicholas McBeain has named a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award, which recognizes the best small college defensive player in the nation. McBeain is one of 22 NAIA players named finalists for the award, which also encompasses nominees from NCAA Division II and III. The overall winner of the Cliff Harris Award will be announced Dec. 24. In addition to the overall winner, the top vote-getter from each division will also be announced.

Upcoming Events
Dec. 19–20: Men’s Basketball @ Phoenix NAIA Shootout (Ariz.)
Dec. 29–30: Women’s Basketball @ Keiser Classic (Fla.)
Dec. 30: Men’s Basketball @ Concordia College–Moorhead, 7 p.m.

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

Monday, December 19

Viking men’s basketball at Phoenix NAIA Shootout, Phoenix, Ariz.

Tuesday, December 20

12:05–1:05 p.m. Rotary Club meeting, VFW
Viking men’s basketball at Phoenix NAIA Shootout, Phoenix, Ariz.

Wednesday, December 21

First day of winter
12–1 p.m. Kiwanis meeting, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, December 22

7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vickie’s Viking Room
Thursday night shopping in Valley City

Friday, December 23

Saturday, December 24

Christmas Eve
Hanukkah begins at sundown

Sunday, December 25

Christmas Day

Monday, December 26

Kwanzaa begins
VCSU offices closed

Tuesday, December 27

12:05–1:05 p.m. Rotary Club meeting, VFW

Wednesday, December 28

12–1 p.m. Kiwanis meeting, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, December 29

7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vickie’s Viking Room
Viking women’s basketball @ Keiser Classes, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Friday, December 30

Payday
Viking women’s basketball @ Keiser Classic, West Palm Beach, Fla.
7 p.m. Viking men’s basketball at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

Saturday, December 31

New Year’s Eve

Monday, January 1

VCSU offices closed