This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• Remember the Annual Giving campaign!
• DeMuth to speak on dark matter at noon Wednesday
• Freshmen harvest squash for Great Plains Food Bank
• Musicians perform recital in Winnipeg
• Team competes in DigiKey computing contest
• McGlade presents blockchain paper at conference in Fargo
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

Remember the Annual Giving campaign!

Thank you to all faculty and staff who have contributed to the annual giving campaign so far! There are many options for giving back to VCSU. Please contact the Foundation Office at 845-7203 or email Maggie Heinle for more information on ways to give.

Kari Bodine, Career Services coordinator, donates to both the V-500 and Century Club scholarship programs. “I feel it is important to invest in the VCSU students who make my career so fulfilling,” says Kari. “By giving, I want to help our students feel valuable to our community and ease some of the stress they experience financially. Their time as a VCSU student is a brief stop in each of their unique individual stories that we are lucky to share as they shape their future. When the students thrive, we as an institution thrive as well.”

DeMuth to speak on dark matter at noon Wednesday

David DeMuth, Ph.D., VCSU professor of mathematics, will speak on “Detecting Dark Matter in the Universe” at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 31, in Rhoades Science Center 102.

Although we are certain dark matter and dark energy exist and is all around us, we really don’t know what it is. DeMuth will describe what we know about these and how humans are trying to detect them.

Join us as we celebrate Halloween as Dark Matter Day to emphasize the global search for the mysterious stuff that makes up about 95 percent of the universe. The presentation is part of the global Dark Matter Day celebrations, which last year was celebrated in 11 U.S. states and 25 countries. (Learn more at www.darkmatterday.com.)

DeMuth will also touch on his participation in DUNE, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. A neutrino detector is being built in South Dakota; when complete it will contain 68,000 tons of liquid argon at 300 degrees below zero, about a mile underground. It will be detecting neutrinos produced 800 miles away at the Fermilab near Chicago.

The brown bag lecture is open to the public free of charge. In the spirit of the day, black cupcakes and coffee will be served.

Freshmen harvest squash for Great Plains Food Bank

Valley City State University freshmen took part in the annual squash harvest on Thursday, Oct. 4. With the help of their Learning to Live, Living to Learn (L2L) mentors and community volunteers, 77,213 pounds of squash were harvested to donate to the Great Plains Food Bank.

Over the last eight years about 1,600 students have picked more than 450,000 pounds of squash, as well as other produce to donate to the cause. The squash and other vegetables are raised by Dan Faust, a retired Lutheran pastor, whose farm is located just west of Valley City.

Musicians perform recital in Winnipeg

At the invitation of Royal Winnipeg Ballet, select VCSU music students performed in a showcase recital at Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg on Sunday, Oct. 14. The exhibition also included attendance at the ballet’s performance of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” post-performance photo opportunities with the cast and a tour of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet school.

Along with Farren Rowan, pianist, VCSU students participating included William Egan, baritone; Marty Grayson, piano; Abigail Ingstad, soprano; Marlen Meester, tenor; Rochelle Van Bruggen, soprano and bass clarinet; and Johnathon Van Puersem, trombone. The trip was facilitated and led by Robin Allebach, VCSU director of Opera Ensemble and instructor of voice, with the help of fellow faculty Kenneth Jimenez, assisting on trumpet, and Daniel Becker, assisting with coordination.

Team competes in DigiKey computing contest

A team of four students from the VCSU Computer Systems and Software Engineering Department participated in the DigiKey Collegiate Computing Contest on Friday, Oct. 19, at DigiKey’s headquarters in Thief River Falls, Minn.

Competing were VCSU students Ryan Allmaras, Dalton Beighley, Brett Hejtmanek and Matt Lein, accompanied by faculty advisor Curt Hill, Ph.D., professor of computer systems and software engineering. The team placed eighth of 21 teams, exceeding last year’s performance.

McGlade presents blockchain paper at conference in Fargo

Jacqueline McGlade, Ph.D., MBA, assistant professor in the VCSU Department of Business, presented a paper, “Blockchain: Transforming World Business-Government Financial and Economic Relations and Arrangements” at the Research and Practice (RAP) on Blockchain conference hosted by North Dakota State University's Center for the Study of Public Choice and Private Enterprise in Fargo on Oct. 26-27.

McGlade joined with expert faculty visiting from several U.S. and international universities to discuss the development of blockchain financial technology with interested attendees from state and regional government offices, businesses, and organizations. McGlade began her work on the international evolution and application of blockchain last year when still serving as a business faculty member in the Middle East. She is now focusing on emerging applications among U.S. companies, business associations and government groups for the completion of her research study for publication.

Viking sports update

Football
Saturday: VCSU 36, Mayville State 14
Viking Football is now 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the NSAA. VCSU closes out the 2018 season on Saturday at Presentation College.

Volleyball
Friday: VCSU 3, Dakota State 1
Saturday: Bellevue University 3, VCSU 0
The VCSU volleyball team split a pair of conference road matches this weekend, moving its overall record to 14-12 and conference record to 7-5. The Vikings are third in the NSAA standings with two matches remaining. VCSU hosts Mayville State on Tuesday night.

Women’s Basketball
Thursday: VCSU 67, Minot State 66
The Viking women defeated Minot State in an exhibition contest Thursday. VCSU plays at No. 2-ranked Dakota Wesleyan on Tuesday night.

Men’s Basketball
Thursday: Minot State 97, VCSU 64
Saturday: VCSU 86, Bemidji State 83
The VCSU men’s basketball team split a pair of exhibition games this past week, including an 86-83 win over Bemidji State University. The Vikings play at Dordt College on Friday.

Upcoming Events
Oct. 30: Women’s Basketball @ Dakota Wesleyan, 6 p.m.
Oct. 30: Volleyball vs. Mayville State, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2: WBB/MBB @ Dordt College, 5/7 p.m.
Nov. 3: Cross Country @ NSAA Championships (West Salem, Wis.), 10 a.m.
Nov. 3: WBB/MBB @ Northwestern College, 1/3 p.m.
Nov. 3: Volleyball vs. Presentation College, 3 p.m.
Nov. 3: Football @ Presentation College, 7 p.m.
Nov. 5: Women’s Basketball @ University of Jamestown, 6 p.m.

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

Monday, October 29

Tuesday, October 30
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW
5 p.m. Viking JV volleyball vs. Mayville State University, Graichen Gymnasium
6 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, S.D.
7 p.m. Viking volleyball vs. Mayville State University, Graichen Gymnasium

Wednesday, October 31
Payday
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, November 1
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, November 2
5:00 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa
7:00 p.m. Viking men’s basketball @ Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa

Saturday, November 3
10 a.m. Viking cross country @ NSAA Championships, West Salem, Wis.
1 p.m. Viking JV volleyball vs. Presentation College, Graichen Gymnasium
1 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa
3 p.m. Viking volleyball vs. Presentation College, Graichen Gymnasium
3 p.m. Viking men's basketball @ Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa
7 p.m. Viking football @ Presentation College, Aberdeen, S.D.

Sunday, November 4

Monday, November 5
6 p.m. Viking women's basketball @ University of Jamestown, Jamestown, N.D.

Tuesday, November 6
11 a.m. VCSU General Student Recital, Froemke Auditorium
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW

Wednesday, November 7
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

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

Friday, November 9
Viking volleyball @ NSAA Conference Tournament
7 p.m. Viking men's basketball @ Peru State College, Peru, Neb.

Saturday, November 10
Viking volleyball @ NSAA Conference Tournament
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Solo Song Symposium, Vangstad Auditorium
2 p.m. Viking women's basketball @ St. Cloud State, St. Cloud, Minn.

Sunday, November 11

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