This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President's Column: Student Senate president moving on
• Getzlaff presents SOAR research to Kiwanis
• Kollar presents SOAR research to Rotary Club
• Pritchert receives NDASFAA Leadership Scholarship
• Biggers receives Difference Maker award
• Poole attends Minnesota athletic trainers symposium
• Viking sports update
• What’s going on at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every other Monday from May 8 through August 14. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: Student Senate president moving on

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

Commencement celebrates the many successes of our campus—individually and collectively. It is a day filled with excitement and pride. Yet, the following Monday morning often seems so empty. Our new alumni, well prepared for the next steps in their life journeys, have moved on. Their impact is here, but their physical presence is not.

Jordan Bushaw, our 2016–17 Student Senate president, is one of the recent graduates I find myself thinking about. Her contributions, during a challenging year, were significant. She has grown and learned a lot from her peers and the faculty and staff. We have become a better university because of her participation at VCSU.

In this spirit, I share below her final Student Senate column for our monthly report to the State Board of Higher Education, written prior to commencement.

Moving On

It’s that time of year—no, not Christmas. It’s the time of graduations, interviews and endless pulled-pork sandwiches at the infinite grad parties you get invited to.

This is the season of goodbyes.

Goodbye to the friends you’ve made over the past few years, goodbye to the professors who’ve either become friends (or not), and goodbye to the friends you’ve seen every day for the past few years.

I’m graduating college on Saturday, May 13 (or at least I’m hoping so). I’m moving home on the 14th, and in early July my dog and I are moving across the country to Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, for my new career at NBC Universal Studios.

I’ll spend the next two years skipping across the country with my dog. I can’t wait.

Over the past three years VCSU has become my home and my family. I joined clubs and organizations, attended sporting events and occasionally even did my homework. VCSU opened doors I didn’t even know were there for me. I started as a kid who had no idea what programming was; now I’m technically an adult who has lived in New York City by herself and is starting her first “big girl” job in a month-and-a-half.

My parents never believed me when I told them that I was never moving back home after I left for my first year of college. (Then again, I figured I was lying, too.)

But that first summer I moved to Medora, North Dakota, for my first internship. I didn’t even know that was a job until Career Services sent out the email to us.

The next year I went to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Houston, Texas. While there I interviewed with over 40 companies. I was offered seven internships from that trip. I took a job with NBC Studios, and this North Dakotan moved to New York City for the summer. From that internship, I was offered a full-time job after my graduation before I even started my final year of college!

That was a long intro to what I should say about my time at VCSU. Or more, what I should thank VCSU for. Which is everything.

If I hadn’t made that decision a few weeks before my first year of college to pursue a software engineering major, I would have never received any of the opportunities I had.

VCSU provided me with not only the tools and the skills, but the chances I needed to make it after graduation. My professors cared not only about their classes, but about me and my future. Professors who weren’t even in my major went out of their way to help me prepare for interviews, moving, and editing my résumé.

The point I’m winding my way to is this piece of advice for other VCSU students: Make the most of your college career. Say "hi" to the professors in the hallway, join the clubs, attend the events, apply for the jobs that you have no chance at.

You will be surprised by what a smile and good work ethic will bring, but always remember that there will always be a VCSU Viking who is willing to help. Once you’re a Viking, you’re always a Viking.

— Jordan Bushaw ’17

––––––––––

Thank you, Jordan, for your selflessness, growth mindset, and kindness—for being a Difference Maker—and for proving that every day is a great day to be a Viking! Godspeed.

Getzlaff presents SOAR research to Kiwanis

VCSU student Alexis Getzlaff presented her SOAR research, “The Pickled Fish Project,” at the meeting of the Valley City Kiwanis Club Wednesday, May 10, in the Student Center Skoal Room.

Working with faculty mentor Casey Williams, Ph.D., assistant professor of science, Getzlaff has developed lesson plans to accompany kits of preserved North Dakota fish species for distribution to classrooms.

Kollar presents SOAR research to Rotary Club

VCSU student Max Kollar presented his research on "Creating a Bacterial Mercury Sensor Using Synthetic Biology" at the weekly meeting of the Valley City Rotary Club at the VFW on Tuesday, May 9.

Kollar began his research as part of VCSU’s Student Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (SOAR) program with faculty mentor Hilde van Gijssel, Ph.D., professor of science, who accompanied him at the Rotary presentation.

Pictured with Kollar (center) are Dayne Zachrison, Rotary Club president-elect, and Hilde van Gijssel, Ph.D., Kollar’s research mentor.

Pritchert receives NDASFAA Leadership Scholarship

The North Dakota Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators held their annual Spring Conference in Dickinson, N.D., April 5-7, 2017. Marcia Pritchert, VCSU Assistant Financial Aid Director, co-chaired the conference. In addition to the numerous sessions pertaining to student financial aid, the organization held their annual business meeting, awards banquet, and adopted the Bakken Paws as their philanthropy project.

One of the agenda items of the Board of Directors meeting was to select an annual recipient for the NDASFAA Leadership Scholarship. The scholarship is to be used to develop leadership skills of NDASFAA members. The NDASFAA Board selected Marcia Pritchert to receive the 2017 award. The scholarship will be used to attend the 2017 FSA Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., this fall.

Congratulations, Marcia!

Biggers receives Difference Maker award

Staff Senate representatives Kelli Heath, Adam Longmore and John O’Day recently joined in presenting a Difference Maker award to Keith Biggers, maintenance employee for W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

Biggers was nominated for the award by the athletic department. His nomination read, in part, “Keith is an amazing part of the success of any athletic program we have here at VCSU. We have a handful of behind-the-scenes individuals who make us who we are. Keith might be the frontrunner as he can be counted on to get anything done, no matter how big or small. We are happy to recognize not only his dedication to his work responsibilities but also to our student-athletes.”

Congratulations, Keith!

Poole attends Minnesota athletic trainers symposium

Angela Poole, assistant professor of health and physical education, attended the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting and Symposium held April 28–29 in Plymouth, Minn. The symposium focused on third-party reimbursement, coding, and performance focus, including mental health.

Poole describe the event as “a great opportunity to see how other states are allowing athletic trainers to use their skill sets autonomously to work with multiple populations and gave ways for other athletic trainers to start the process.”

Viking sports update

3 Vikings to compete at NAIA track championships
The Valley City State University track and field team will have three members competing this weekend at the NAIA National Track & Field Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. Seri Geisler (shot put, javelin), Mackenzie Huber (shot put) and Megan Johnson (long jump) have all qualified to compete at the national meet, which runs May 25–27. Check vcsuvikings.com for updates and results.

Upcoming Events
May 25–27: Track & Field at NAIA National Championships (Gulf Shores, Ala.)

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

Monday, May 22

Tuesday, May 23
12 noon Rotary Club, VFW

Wednesday, May 24
12 noon Kiwanis, VC Town & Country Club

Thursday, May 25
12 noon Toastmasters, VCSU Norway Room

Friday, May 26
Ramadan begins at sundown

Saturday, May 27

Sunday, May 28
Valley City High School graduation

Monday, May 29
Memorial Day
No VCSU classes – offices closed

Tuesday, May 30
12 noon Rotary Club, VFW

Wednesday, May 31
Payday
12 noon Kiwanis, VC Town and Country Club

Thursday, June 1
12 noon Toastmasters, VCSU Norway Room

Friday, June 2

Saturday, June 3
The Sheyenne River Valley Chapter North Country Trail Association- National Trails Day (Meet at the Rosebud Visitor Center at 9 a.m. to carpool to Fort Ransom State Park. A Ranger-led hike will begin at 10 a.m. Pack a lunch for noon meal. At 1:30 p.m. we will canoe the Sheyenne River. There will be a park entrance AND canoe rental fees. Dinner to be provided by the chapter at 5 p.m. followed by an evening campfire.)

Sunday, June 4

Monday, June 5

Tuesday, June 6
12 noon Rotary Club, VFW

Wednesday, June 7
12 noon Kiwanis, VC Town & Country Club

Thursday, June 8
12 noon Toastmasters, VCSU Norway Room

Friday, June 9

Saturday, June 10

Sunday, June 11