This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President‘s Column: A look at Generation Z
• Health Services to host Wellness Fair on campus March 7
• Meyers attends MMEA conference in Minneapolis
• Minnesota Opera completes on-campus residency
• 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 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: A look at Generation Z

Margaret Dahlberg, Ph.D, interim president

Several weeks ago, I told you about our student demographics at VCSU. In this column, I’d like to introduce you to the emerging generation our current students represent—Generation Z. As these students graduate high school and enter the workforce or start college, they bring new expectations and behavioral characteristics that the rest of us—the Millennials, GenXers, and Boomers—must adjust to and appreciate.

A recent Forbes article, “5 Differences Between Marketing to Millennials vs. GenZ,” identifies Generation Z as those born after 1995, and therefore currently age 22 and younger.

In her recently published book, “iGen,” Carol Twenge discusses differences in trend data that characterize this new generation. She notes sharp drops in trends in 2008–12, when GenZ was entering high school. She analyzes data from 1976–2015 to demonstrate some important changes nationally: in 2015, one in four 12th graders did not yet have a driver’s license, while the average 10th grader had not yet tried alcohol (in 1990, the average 8th grader had already had a first drink). There are similar drops in the number of high school students who date and work for pay.

According to Twenge, they are also more likely to stay home instead of socializing, interacting instead with their online community. Thus they are maturing more slowly, having the key experiences of young adulthood several years later than their Millennial counterparts.

Like their older siblings the Millennials, these young people are digital natives, but Forbes notes that GenZ is more likely to develop community relationships online, interacting with a group of friends they can carry with them wherever they go. This reliance on a private social world can mean GenZ students are less likely to value face-to-face relationships and not understand how to work collaboratively—big challenges that faculty in high school and college must help them overcome, so they can eventually be productive in the workforce.

Forbes offers some startling characteristics: GenZ has an eight-second attention span and a strong filter for advertisements. They use up to five screens, moving from one device to the next as their engagement lags. Their devices of choice are smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and TV. They are more likely to seek assistance with a problem or homework on YouTube, instead of asking a teacher or tutor for support.

These young people are also shaped by events during their lifetime. In “Generation Z Goes to College,” authors Seemiller and Grace identify a few of these key events, including terrorism in our post 9/11 world, school shootings, and devastating hurricanes and other national disasters. From kindergarten on, they have attended a school system overtly concerned with protection and student safety. Adult concerns for their safety have limited their childhood freedom to roam the neighborhood unsupervised. Even the financial world of their youth is precarious, as they lived through the recession of 2007 and saw people lose their homes, their savings, and their livelihoods. It’s no surprise that safety is a defining value for this new generation. They are also growing up during a time of increased hate crimes and bigotry. But according to Forbes, GenZ is open-minded and inclusive (perhaps because the internet places them in contact with a wide variety of people); they believe everyone should get along.

Like the generations before them, GenZ faces challenges shaped by their experiences and environment. It’s up to all of us to understand, appreciate, and support this new generation that will become the professionals, the politicians, and the workforce of our future.

Health Services to host Wellness Fair on campus March 7

VCSU Health Services, with support from Essentia Health, Sanford Health and CHI Mercy Health, will host its annual VCSU Wellness Fair on Wednesday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center on campus.
 
The event, open to the public free of charge, will provide community members with information, resources and services for healthier living, including free samples, handouts, health screening, fitness testing, body-composition analysis and more.

Read more at www.vcsu.edu/news/news.htm?id=10612.

Meyers attends MMEA conference in Minneapolis

Nicholaus Meyers, assistant professor of music, attended the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) conference in Minneapolis Feb. 22–24. At the conference, he met with prospective music students, discussing the many options available in music at VCSU. He also attended a host of recitals and concerts. The annual MMEA event brings together music educators and students from Minnesota and neighboring states.

Minnesota Opera completes on-campus residency

Performing artists from the Minnesota Opera was on campus for a 2-1/2 day residency Feb. 12–14 in which they presented a recital, taught a public master class, coached voice students, shared their expertise in classes, and took part in workshop performances by VCSU music ensembles presenting opera-themed works.

The public master class featured VCSU music majors Mikey Meester, tenor; Joseph Munowenyo, bass baritone; and Rochelle Van Bruggen, soprano. The residency was sponsored by the VCSU music department, and facilitated by Robin Allebach, VCSU voice instructor and opera ensemble director.

Viking sports update

Women’s Basketball wins conference championship
Wednesday: VCSU 96, Viterbo University 61
Saturday: VCSU 62, Bellevue University 57
Sunday: VCSU 63, University of Jamestown 57
The Viking women’s basketball team won the North Star Athletic Association Tournament Championship on Sunday, defeating top-seed University of Jamestown 63-57. The Vikings earned the conference’s automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament, to be played March 7–13 in Sioux City, Iowa. VCSU, now 25-4 overall, set a new school record for wins with the victory Sunday.

Men’s Basketball
Thursday: Bellevue University 64, VCSU 60
The Valley City State men’s basketball team had its season end Thursday night with a 64-60 loss at top seed Bellevue University in the quarterfinal round of the NSAA Tournament. The Vikings end the season with a 14-16 overall record.

Softball
Friday: Viterbo University 2, VCSU 0; VCSU 9, Viterbo 0
Sunday: VCSU 5, Dickinson State 1; VCSU 9, Dickinson 6
The Viking softball team went 3-1 this weekend to start conference play. VCSU split with Viterbo University and swept a doubleheader from Dickinson State at the NSAA Crossover in Aberdeen, S.D. The Vikings now have a 9-3 overall record and a 3-1 mark in conference play.

Upcoming Events
March 1–3: Track & Field @ NAIA Indoor Championships (Pittsburg, Kan.)
March 7–13: Women’s Basketball @ NAIA National Tournament (Sioux City, Iowa)
March 7–15: Baseball @ Tucson, Ariz.
March 11–18: Softball @ Tucson, Ariz.

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

Monday, February 26

Tuesday, February 27
noon and 5:30 p.m. “The Future of Retail,” 30-minute webinar and discussion, The Vault (RSVP to chamber@valleycitychamber or 845-1891)
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW

Wednesday, February 28
Payday
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, March 1
NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Pittsburg, Kan. (March 1–3)
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, VCSU Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, March 2
7:30 p.m. Instrumental Concert, Vangstad Auditorium

Saturday, March 3
81st Annual North Dakota Winter Show opens (complete schedule at www.northdakotawintershow.com)

Sunday, March 4

Monday, March 5
5:30 p.m. Chili Cook-Off and Community Olympics, North Dakota Winter Show main arena

Tuesday, March 6
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW

Wednesday, March 7
NAIA National Women’s Basketball Tournament, Sioux City, Iowa (March 7–13)
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, March 8
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, VCSU Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, March 9

Saturday, March 10

Sunday, March 11