This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• View 'Being Mortal' at Vault on Tuesday
• Students to direct one-act plays this week
• Bluegrass jam at museum on Saturday
• Barney to perform folk, bluegrass at Vault on Saturday night
• Interest sought for community solar garden
• Russi acts, designs in Fargo
• VCSU teacher candidates do practicum at Minnewaukan
• VCSU contingent attends 2017 ITEEA conference in Dallas
• Athletic training group attends association symposium
• Ziniel presents at communication conference
• Burr, Russell present OER webinar for ITC
• VCSU group attends Legislative Showcase in Bismarck
• 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.

View ‘Being Mortal’ at Vault on Tuesday

A community screening of the Frontline documentary “Being Mortal” will be held at The Vault in Valley City on Tuesday, April 4, at 6 p.m.

Co-hosted by CHI Health at Home and The Vault, the event will feature the PBS documentary based on Dr. Atul Gawande’s book “Being Mortal.” The film presents the story of Gawande’s patients and their families, and “challenges us all to reexamine how we think about death and dying. This film also explores the burgeoning art and science of palliative care and the ways in which having a conversation around the question ‘What are your priorities if your time is limited?’ can empower patients to live their lives fully.”

The target audience for the events includes doctors, nurses, social workers, caregivers, and family of those with terminal illnesses, but the film’s message is meaningful for all. The event is open to the public free of charge.

Students to direct one-act plays this week

VCSU Theatre will present Student-Directed One-Acts this Thursday–Saturday, April 6–8, at 7:30 p.m. in McFarland Hall’s Theatre 320. Student directors are Monika Browne, Hannah Isakson and Katy Spears.

Bluegrass jam at museum on Saturday

This month’s Valley City bluegrass jam session is set for Saturday, April 8, from 1–5 p.m. at the Barnes County Museum. The acoustic-only jam is free and open to the public; beginning bluegrass musicians are welcome.

The jam is sponsored by the Bluegrass Association of North Dakota (B.A.N.D.) and the Barnes County Museum.

Barney to perform folk, bluegrass at Vault on Saturday night

Jerry Barney, a folk and bluegrass singer/songwriter, will perform at the Vault Coffee Shop and Arts Center on Saturday, April 8, at 7 p.m. From Fergus Falls, Minn., Barney writes folk and bluegrass songs and accompanies himself on the autoharp. He will share some of his music and talk about his writing process and experiences.

The Barney performance is free and open to the public, with a free-will offering taken to help defray travel expenses.

The event is the first in a series of monthly songwriter showcases at the Vault. Others are welcome to share songs and tunes, with all styles welcome. For more information, contact John Andrus at 701-762-4891.

Interest sought for community solar garden

The City of Valley City is considering a community solar garden. In a solar garden, you as a consumer purchases a solar module in an array built on city property. In return, you receive a credit on your utility bill, while helping reduce your carbon footprint. You may also file for a 30 percent federal residential income tax credit on your investment.

Cost of a subscription to the garden may be about $25 a month for 24 months.

Fargo and Moorhead have large community gardens now. Help start one in Valley City! Enterprise Sales is helping the City of Valley City plan the project; contact Jack or Chey at 845-1272 for more information.

Russi acts, designs in Fargo

Jenni Lou Russi, associate professor of communication arts and director of theatre, acted in “9X9X9” on Feb. 24 at the Inspire Innovation Lab in Moorhead, Minn. The production was a fundraiser for the Fargo-Moorhead Gay Men's Chorus.

Russi also designed the sound for “Hand to God” at Theatre B in Fargo. The show opened March 16 and runs through April 8.

VCSU teacher candidates do practicum at Minnewaukan

Twelve VCSU teacher candidates participating in Education 352: Culturally Diverse Practicum spent March 6–8 working with students in the Minnewaukan Public Schools (MPS). The practicums are designed to better prepare pre-service teachers to meet all students’ needs and develop a greater understanding of how to work with students from various backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. VCSU education professors Gary Thompson and Kim Knodle each supervise one section of the course.

The Minnewaukan field experience relies on the support of MPS principal Ron Carlson and his administrative team and instructors, who embrace the work of the VCSU students each semester. The VCSU education students participating in the Minnewaukan practicum included Michael Bloch, Courtney Carlson, Billie Jo Czeck, Kelsey Gaukler, Hannah Gress, Avery Johnson, Mitchell Martinez, Tucker Meidinger, Patrick O’Brien, Kiana Pekarski, Jennifer Riemann and Rydel Samuelson.

VCSU contingent attends 2017 ITEEA conference in Dallas

Department of Technology faculty, students and graduates recently attended the International Technology and Engineering Educators (ITEEA) Conference March 15-17 in Dallas, Texas. The conference is an opportunity for educators to network, attend professional development opportunities and offer presentations of benefit to the discipline.

Lana Fornes M.Ed.’09, faculty member in the Department of Technology, chaired the 2017 ITEEA Teacher Excellence Award ceremony. Forty teachers from across the United States were honored.

Ron Holten, Department of Technology faculty member, attended several professional development workshops and represented VCSU at various functions.

Hilde van Gijssel M.Ed. ’15, gave a presentation on “Homeo…What? I’m Teaching Robotics.” Van Gijssel gave background on how she teaches the concept of biological homeostasis using LEGO EV3 robotic technology. Participants made subtle changes to the programming to effect control and mimic the concept.

Blair Booth M.Ed. ’10, VCSU Department of Technology adjunct instructor, ran a pre-conference workshop on the updated Engineering by Design Exploring Technology curriculum. Booth is a teacher effectiveness coach (TEC) for the ITEEA curriculum project and was a major contributor to the version update.

Misty Lindgren ’91, Graduate Studies assistant, represented the VCSU graduate program. Lindgren met with prospective students, disseminated information and assisted in the teacher excellence ceremony.

Several awards and recognitions were given to VCSU faculty, students, and graduates:

• James Boe ’91, associate professor and Director of Graduate Studies, received an ITEEA Presidential Citation for his past and ongoing contributions to the organization.
  
• Jeff Pegg ’84 and Peder Gjovik ’77, associate professor and chair of the Department of Technology and co-director of the Don Mugan CTE Leadership Center, received the Distinguished Technology and Engineering Professional (DTE) designation.
  
• Teresa Cole M.Ed. ’16, administrative assistant in the Department of Technology, received the 2017 Donald Maley Spirit of Excellence Outstanding Graduate Student Citation. Cole also assisted in the teacher excellence ceremony.
  
• Dave Gazeley, a VCSU student who will be graduating this spring, received the 2017 Donald Maley Spirit of Excellence Outstanding Undergraduate Student Citation. Gazeley was also recognized before the ITEEA general session as the winner of the initial Mastercam Veterans Make Great STEM Teachers Scholarship.
  
• Annette Beattie M.Ed. ’08, a teacher at Barnes County North Public School, was recognized as the recipient of the 2017 North Dakota Teacher Excellence Award.
  
• Jason Dockter M.Ed. ’11, was recognized with a 2017 North Dakota Program Excellence Award for the Ashley Public School technology and engineering program.

Attendees with ties to VCSU pictured in the photo in Dallas included (front, l to r) James Boe ’91, Andy Rohwedder ’77, Peder Gjovik ’77, Annette Beattie M.Ed. ’08, Teresa Cole M.Ed. ’16, Lana Fornes M.Ed. ’09; (back) Ron Holten, Jeff Pegg ’84, Jason Dockter M.Ed. ’11, Hilde van Gijssel M.Ed. ’15, and David Gazeley. Attending but not pictured were Natalie Boe ’91 M.Ed. ’07, Blaire Booth M.Ed. ’10, Michael Frank, Kent Frescoln and Gabe Rauschenberger M.Ed.’13.

Athletic training group attends association symposium

VCSU athletic training faculty Rachelle Hunt, Sharon Bratrud and Angela Poole, along with students Kendra Stokes and Anthony Whirlwindsoldier, attended the Mid America Athletic Trainers’ Association (MAATA) Annual Meeting and Symposium in LaVista, Neb., on March 16–18.

Some key topics of the conference were updates regarding the appropriate care of athletes with spinal injuries, new trends in emergency care, and evidence-based talks on pitching injuries and femoroacetabular impingement, to name a few. There were hands-on lab opportunities that included kettlebell techniques and care for athletes with spinal injuries.

At the MAATA Hall of Fame dinner, Kelsey Labodi, a recent VSCU athletic training program graduate, received the MAATA Post-Professional Scholarship. A graduate assistant at Concordia College in Moorhead, Kelsey is completing a master’s degree in advanced athletic training at North Dakota State University. Kelsey’s scholarship recognition made for a very proud VCSU moment!

The 2017 MAATA Annual Meeting and Symposium was a great way for the VCSU Athletic Training Program faculty and students to network with other members of the regional athletic training community as well as learn current updates and research that are effecting the athletic training field.

Ziniel presents at communication conference

Jonna Ziniel presented at the Central States Communication Association (CSCA) conference held in Minneapolis March 16–18. Part of a panel titled “Traditional Goes High Tech: Creating Learning Opportunities Via Technology,” she shared innovative ideas for bringing technology into the classroom to increase participation and retention of information.

Burr, Russell present OER webinar for ITC

Diane Burr, M.S., AT, LAT (chair, Department of Kinesiology and Human Performance) and Julee Russell, Ph.D. (chair, Departments of Art, Communication Arts, and Language and Literature), presented a webinar, “OER: Small University, Big Impact!” on Tuesday, March 28, through the auspices of the Instructional Technology Council (ITC).

ITC offered the Russell/Burr presentation as one of two free webinars it featured as part of its celebration of Open Education Week March 27–31.

Burr and Russell explaining how VCSU entered the OER realm and how VCSU is authoring an OER text for HPER 100: Concepts of Fitness and Wellness, that can be used by most NDUS institutions as well as others across the country.

Russell and Burr fielded questions from audience members, shared PowerPoint presentations, VCSU librarian Al Bernardo’s OER libguide (libguides.library.vcsu.edu/oer/), and the VCSU video on OER (www.vcsu.edu/president/vp.htm?p=3538).

A recording of the webinar can be found online at bit.ly/2opG8dN.

VCSU group attends Legislative Showcase in Bismarck

VCSU was represented by a group of students, faculty and staff, along with its entire Concert Choir, at the North Dakota University System’s Higher Education Legislative Showcase held Wednesday, March 29, at the State Capitol in Bismarck.

Representing the SOAR (Student Opportunities for Academic Research) program were students Jordan Bushaw, Niklas Ernst and Alexis Getzlaff. The students shared information via conversations and posters on their SOAR projects—Bushaw, “The Effects of Motion Sickness in Virtual Reality Environments” (co-authored with Baylee Swenson); Ernst, “The Unfinished Presidencies: Why Incumbent Presidents Lose Their Re-Election Campaigns”; and Getzlaff, “The Pickled Fish Project.” Getzlaff’s “pickled fish,” preserved specimens of various North Dakota fish, served as a big conversation-starter at the VCSU booth.

Angie Williams, assistant professor of health and physical education, was one of several NDUS faculty honored at the showcase for demonstrating innovative use of technology in the delivery of classroom instruction. Williams received recognition for her use of GoPro cameras as assessment tools to help with the pedagogical development of her methods students and pre-service teachers. The GoPro-captured video is used for self-assessment via a rubric that measures current teaching practices.

Steven King, associate professor of social science and editor of “The Viking Scholar” publication, recruited the SOAR students for the showcase and was on hand to talk about the breadth of scholarly activity on campus. Julee Russell, professor of communication arts, brought materials for display and distribution on VCSU’s three-year programs and the university’s development and adoption of OER (Open Educational Resources). The group was accompanied by Charlene Stenson, enrollment services director, and Greg Vanney, director of marketing and communications.

The 65-voice Concert Choir, under the direction of Christopher Redfearn, performed a concert with choirs from Minot State University and the University of North Dakota. Singing in the Capitol’s Memorial Hall, the ensemble performed four pieces on its own and three more in a massed choir with the two other groups.

Viking sports update

Baseball
Monday: VCSU 3, Mayville State 1
Wednesday: MN-Morris 7, VCSU 6
Saturday: VCSU 10, Winnipeg 0; VCSU 6, Winnipeg 1
Sunday; VCSU 11, Winnipeg 1; VCSU 15, Winnipeg 8
The Viking baseball team went 5-1 this past week, including a 5-0 record in conference play. Valley City State swept a four-game series from the University of Winnipeg. The Vikings are now 12-18 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Softball
Saturday: VCSU 4, Presentation College 3; Presentation 10, VCSU 4
Sunday: Presentation 4, VCSU 1 (12 innings); Presentation 8, VCSU 0
The Viking softball team posted a 1-3 record against Presentation College this weekend. The Vikings are now 14-22 overall and 5-9 in conference play.

Geisler named NSAA Athlete of the Week
VCSU sophomore Seri Geisler was named the NSAA Field Athlete of the Week on March 28. She earned the honor after winning two events and qualifying for nationals in both the javelin and shot put during the Black Hills State Meet on March 25.

Upcoming Events
April 3: Golf @ Dickinson State, 9 a.m. (VCSU-Dickinson Dual, Heart River Golf Course)
April 8: Track & Field @ Al Bortke Open (Bismarck, N.D.)
April 8: Baseball @ Dickinson State, 2/4 p.m.
April 8: Softball @ Dickinson State, 2/4 p.m.
April 9: Baseball @ Dickinson State, 1/3 p.m.
April 9: Softball @ Dickinson State, 2/4 p.m.
April 9-10: Golf @ Dickinson State Invite (Bully Pulpit Golf Course)

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

Monday, April 3
Viking golf @ Dickinson State Dual, Heart River Golf Course, Dickinson, N.D.
6:30 Spring Fever Garden Forum, NDSU Extension office or online at www.ag.ndsu.edu/springfever/

Tuesday, April 4
noon Rotary Club meeting, VFW

Wednesday, April 5
Student Senate nominations for Teacher of the Year, Student Advocate and Viking Pilot open
noon Kiwanis meeting, VCSU Student Center Skoal Room

Thursday, April 6
7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, VCSU Student Center Norway Room
7:30 p.m. Student-Directed One-Acts, Theatre 320, McFarland Hall (April 6–8)

Friday, April 7
7:30 p.m. Student-Directed One-Acts, Theatre 320, McFarland Hall

Saturday, April 8
Viking Track and field @ Al Bortke Open, Bismarck, N.D.
2 p.m. Viking softball @ Dickinson State University, Dickinson, N.D. (doubleheader)
2 p.m. Viking baseball @ Dickinson State University, Dickinson, N.D. (doubleheader)
3 p.m. Jennifer Riemann and Janessa Van Bruggen senior recital, Vangstad Auditorium
7:30 p.m. Student-Directed One-Acts, Theatre 320, McFarland Hall

Sunday, April 9
Palm Sunday
Viking golf @ Dickinson State Invitational, Bully Pulpit Golf Course, Medora, N.D. (April 9–10)
1 p.m. Viking baseball @ Dickinson State University, Dickinson, N.D. (doubleheader)
2 p.m. Viking softball @ Dickinson State University, Dickinson, N.D. (doubleheader)

Monday, April 10
Passover begins at sundown
Library Week begins
6:30 Spring Fever Garden Forum, NDSU Extension office or online at www.ag.ndsu.edu/springfever/

Tuesday, April 11
11 a.m. General student recital, Froemke Auditorium
noon Rotary Club meeting, VFW

Wednesday, April 12
Region 2 Instrumental Contest on campus
noon Kiwanis, meeting, VCSU Student Center Skoal Room
4 p.m. Viking baseball @ Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.

Thursday, April 13
Payday
Viking Track & Field @ Northern State Twilight, Aberdeen, S.D.
7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters meeting, VCSU Student Center Norway Room

Friday, April 14
Good Friday
No VCSU classes; offices closed
2 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Presentation College, Charlie Brown Field (doubleheader)

Saturday, April 15
9 a.m. Legislative Forum, VC Eagles Club
2 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Presentation College, Charlie Brown Field (doubleheader)
5 p.m. Debbie Miller SVFA “Wags & Whiskers” spaghetti feed fundraiser, VC Eagles Club

Sunday, April 16
Easter