This week's Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President’s Column: Recent happenings
• Scamming presentation to be held Tuesday at museum
• Johnson to share Uganda experience at museum lecture Thursday
• Wellness Fair to be held in Student Center March 6
• Stricklin receives NACA programmer award
• Bratrud, Hunt attend athletic training conference
• 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.

President’s Column: Recent happenings

Greetings from the President’s Office!

As the snow lightly falls outside, I have a beautiful wintry view of campus looking to downtown Valley City and can’t help but marvel at the beauty of winter. While it may seem that the pace of life slows a bit during this season, that is not the case here at VCSU! I would like to share a few exciting events from the past few weeks that have taken place on and off campus.

We all know the importance of student success, and we value this highly as one of our guiding principles at VCSU. I had the privilege of meeting with the VCSU Student Senate on February 11. This was a tremendous opportunity for me to get to know these student leaders better and to learn more about what they value in their experience here and the challenges they face in their pursuit of a college degree. Let me assure you that these students are driven, engaged, and taking control of their educational success in a most proactive way. We are fortunate, indeed, to have such outstanding student leaders and ambassadors for this fine institution!

On February 12, Kim Hesch from the VCSU Foundation Office and I traveled to Fargo for a very enjoyable alumni gathering. This was another great opportunity for us to meet with graduates and friends of VCSU and see the important role that this institution has played in the lives and careers of so many outstanding alumni and to witness the connections they’ve made with each other because of their common VCSU bond.

Valentine’s Day brought the Giving Hearts Day campaign, once again highly successful! On February 14, the VCSU Foundation was one of over 400 charities participating in the Giving Hearts Day program. I’m very happy to report that we exceeded our goal of $15,000 by almost $5,000, receiving a total of more than $19,700! Special thanks to Ludvigson, Braun & Co. for providing a $5,000 matching gift. Gifts made on this day to the foundation’s Annual Fund help support scholarships and other Alumni Association initiatives.

Over the weekend of February 15-16, we were honored to recognize “50 Years of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics at Valley City State University.” This amazing event, organized by athletic director Jill DeVries, brought over 70 women’s athletic alumnae from the past five decades to share stories from their days as student-athletes here at VCSU. It was just wonderful to share this event with these amazing athletes and to hear and see how the opportunities and sports have changed in the past 50 years. For the event, Mark Potts, our sports information director, assembled a wonderful history of women’s athletics at VCSU. I encourage you to go online and visit vcsuvikings.com/50 to see this history.

I’m continuing the listening and learning tour of all academic departments and am amazed at the fine work being accomplished here! I look forward to sharing exciting developments in the weeks and months ahead. Go Vikings!

Scamming presentation to be held Tuesday at museum

CJ Kotta, VCSU director of network services, will speak on “Phishing and Other Scams!” on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Barnes County Museum.

Kotta will present information on the various electronic methods criminals use in attempts to steal people’s personal information and money, including phishing methods, email scams and caller ID spoofing.

Sergeant Nick Horner of the Valley City Police Department (VCPD) will also present, sharing some of what the VCPD is seeing in the scamming arena.

Emily Fenster, Ph.D., VCSU associate professor of social science, will moderate the event.

Hosted by the community group “What in the World Is Going On?,” the event is open to the public free of charge.

Johnson to share Uganda experience at museum lecture Thursday

Jayden Johnson, a Valley City seventh-grader, will speak on “A VCHS Student’s Education and Cultural Experiences in Uganda, Africa” at the Barnes County Museum on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m.

Johnson recently traveled to Uganda with his mother, Tristan Johnson, and his great-uncle and his great-uncle's wife. Jayden and his mother will share their experiences visiting classrooms and a hospital, attending cultural celebrations, and much more.

Part of season 20 of the Barnes County Historical Society Lecture Series, the presentation is open to the public free of charge.

Wellness Fair to be held in Student Center March 6

VCSU Health Services will host its annual Wellness Fair on Wednesday, March 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center. The event is sponsored by Essentia Health, Family HealthCare and Sanford Health.

Open to members of the VCSU and greater Valley City communities free of charge, the event will feature health screenings, fitness testing, body-composition analysis, demonstrations, activities, samples and information about campus, local and state health services and resources. Participants may also register to win a variety of prizes, including smart watches and gift cards.

For more information, including a complete list of service providers, vendors and exhibitors at the Wellness Fair, visit www.vcsu.edu/news/10715/vcsu-wellness-fair-to-be-held-march-6.

Stricklin receives NACA programmer award

Kari Stricklin ’92, VCSU director of the Student Center and student activities, received the Patsy Morley Outstanding Programmer Award at the 2019 national convention of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) held in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 16-20. Named in honor of the late Patsy Morley, a former chair of the NACA Board of Directors, the award honors an individual who best exemplifies outstanding achievement in the field of campus activities advisement.

One of her nomination letters for the award speaks to Kari's contributions on campus: “In her role, Kari oversees the Student Union, staff and student employees, the Viking Campus Activities Board (VCAB), Homecoming, Spring Blast, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and many other infamous ‘other duties as assigned.’ In every single one of these roles, Kari brings a genuinely honest, tactful, and caring approach to her work. …Kari does everything that she can to help students feel connected both on campus and within the community, intentionally plans events and outings that give her students access to resources and experiences not immediately available within their small community, takes into account the varied life experiences of her own unique, diverse campus population, and does all of this on a very tight budget…while creating long-lasting connections with the students she serves.”

Bratrud, Hunt attend athletic training conference

Sharon Bratrud, assistant professor and athletic training clinical coordinator, and Rachelle Hunt, assistant professor and athletic training program director, attended the Athletic Training Educators’ Conference in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 15-17.

The conference provided continuing education units to maintain professional certification and curriculum content to incorporate into athletic training didactic and clinical education components. Topics include utilizing standardized patients, collaborative education methods, closed joint reduction techniques, and evaluating continuous quality improvement in patient outcomes.

Viking sports update

Women’s Basketball
Feb. 19: VCSU 72, Dickinson State 41
Feb. 23: Bellevue 57, VCSU 54
The VCSU women’s basketball team ended its season with a 14-14 overall record after losing to Bellevue University in the NSAA Tournament semifinal round on Saturday.

Men’s Basketball
Feb. 20: Dickinson State 75, VCSU 66
Valley City State’s men’s basketball had its season end last week in the quarterfinal round of the NSAA Tournament. The Vikings end the year with a 19-19 overall record.

Softball
Feb. 23: VCSU 7, Univ. of Mary 0; VCSU 12, MSU-Moorhead 5
Feb. 24: VCSU 8, Minnesota-Crookston 0; VCSU 10, Minot State 6
The Valley City State softball team maintained its perfect record with four more wins this weekend at the Minot State Dome Tournament. The Vikings defeated four NCAA Division II teams as they improved their overall record to 12-0 this season. VCSU now has a break until traveling to Tucson, Ariz., for games starting March 7.

Upcoming Events
March 6-14: Baseball at Tucson Invitational (Tucson, Ariz.)
March 7-13: Softball at Tucson Invitational (Tucson, Ariz.)

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

Monday, February 25
ON THE MOVE Activities:
11:30 a.m. Walk Away the Pounds, Hi-Liner Activity Center
1-4 p.m. free admission, B-Fit 24/7
6-8 p.m. free admission, Gaukler Family Wellness Center

Tuesday, February 26
12:05 p.m. Rotary, Student Center Student Senate Room
7 p.m. Phishing and Other Scams with presenter C.J. Kotta, VCSU Director of Network Services/IT Security Officer, Barnes County Museum
ON THE MOVE Activities:
11:30 a.m. Walk Away the Pounds, Hi-Liner Activity Center
1-4 p.m. free admission, B-Fit 24/7

Wednesday, February 27
11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. Knitting Day, Allen Memorial Library
12 noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
ON THE MOVE Activities: Walk it Wednesday, Gaukler Family Wellness Center
1-4 p.m. free admission, B-Fit 24/7
12:10 p.m. Recovery Yoga, Gaukler Family Wellness Center

Thursday, February 28
Pay Day
Viking women’s and men’s indoor track and field, NAIA Indoor National Championships, Brookings, S.D.
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
ON THE MOVE Activities:
11:30 a.m. Walk Away the Pounds, Hi-Liner Activity Center
1-4 p.m. free admission, B-Fit 24/7
1 p.m. Aqua Blast, Gaukler Family Wellness Center

Friday, March 1
Read Across America Day
Viking women’s and men’s indoor track and field, NAIA Indoor National Championships, Brookings, S.D.
7:30 p.m. Instrumental concert, Vangstad Auditorium

Saturday, March 2
Viking women’s and men’s indoor track and field, NAIA Indoor National Championships, Brookings, S.D.
noon Viking baseball, Mount Marty College, Yankton, S.D. (double header)

Sunday, March 3
10:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Sodexo Sunday Brunch, Student Center Cafeteria
1 p.m. Viking baseball, Mount Marty College, Yankton, S.D. (double header)

Monday, March 4
5 p.m. Chili Cook-off, ND Winter Show Event Center
7 p.m. Community Olympics, ND Winter Show Event Center

Tuesday, March 5
82nd Annual North Dakota Winter Show begins (click HERE for detailed schedule)
noon NDWS Tractor Pull
12:05 p.m. Rotary, Student Center Student Senate Room
4-6 p.m. Valley City Chamber Ag Social, ND Winter Show Event Center

Wednesday, March 6
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 10th Annual VCSU Wellness Fair, VCSU Student Center
12 noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
6:30 p.m. Cowboy Mounted Shooting, ND Winter Show Event Center

Thursday, March 7
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
10 a.m. Pony Pull, ND Winter Show Event Center
noon Horse Pull, ND Winter Show Event Center
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
2:30 p.m. Horse Team Events, ND Winter Show Event Center
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, March 8
noon- 5 p.m. Home, Play and Getaway Exhibits, ND Winter Show Event Center
6 p.m. Country Concert: Confederate Railroad, ND Winter Show Event Center

Saturday, March 9
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Antique, Junk Boutique N’ More, National Guard Armory
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Home, Play and Getaway Exhibits, ND Winter Show Event Center
10 a.m.-7 p.m. 4-H Critter Corral, ND Winter Show Event Center
2 p.m. PRCA Rodeo, ND Winter Show Event Center
7 p.m. PRCA Rodeo, ND Winter Show Event Center

Sunday, March 10
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Antique, Junk Boutique N’ More, National Guard Armory
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Home, Play and Getaway Exhibits, ND Winter Show Event Center
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 4-H Critter Corral, ND Winter Show Event Center
2 p.m. PRCA Rodeo, ND Winter Show Event Center

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