This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles …

• Support the Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign
• VCSU musicians perform at Royal Winnipeg Ballet
• Climate-change discussion to be held Thursday
• Owen elected to NDAGC board
• Woehl attends LGBTQ+ Summit
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City …

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

Support the Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign

Among the many giving options available for faculty and staff are a variety of “Friends of…” categories — Friends of Business, Friends of CSSE, Friends of the Library, Friends of the Medicine Wheel, Friends of Music, Friends of the Planetarium, Friends of Professional Communication, Friends of the School of Education and Graduate Studies, and more.

Contributing to one or more of these “Friends of…” funds is yet another way you can play an important role in helping our students succeed. The Friends of the Library fund has been around for many years, with donations coming from a combination of former and current librarians, library students, professors, and other library fans. Funds from the friends account are used primarily to add new books to our collection or to bring in programs of interest to the VCSU community.

Of course, there are other options for contributing, and the amount and focus of your gift is entirely up to you. Won’t you consider joining me and supporting our students in their pursuit of their collegiate and career goals?

Please contact the Foundation Office for more information or to complete a donation form. Thank you for your consideration! — President Alan LaFave

VCSU musicians perform at Royal Winnipeg Ballet

Select musicians from the VCSU Music Department presented a showcase recital in conjunction with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet at Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Sunday, Oct. 6.

The hour-long recital — featuring works by Schubert, Lutoslawski, Mozart, Puccini, McKay, Grieg and Handel, among others — was performed for ballet patrons prior to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s matinee performance of “La Bayadère.” The VCSU musicians attended the ballet following their recital.

Students performing in the recital included Rachel Backer, horn; William Egan, baritone; Abigail Ingstad, soprano; Samuel Isaac, piano; Riley Loeks, soprano; Grayson Marty, piano; Rochelle Van Bruggen, clarinet; Johnathon Van Puersem, trombone; and Jami Wells, clarinet.

Robin Allebach, VCSU music faculty member, facilitated and directed the recital, assisted by faculty members Daniel Becker and Kenneth Jimenez. Jimenez also performed on trumpet in the recital; staff member Sarah Larsen also performed on piano.

Climate-change discussion to be held Thursday

A documentary and discussion on “The Scientific Case for Climate Change” will be presented Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. in Rhoades 102 on the VCSU campus.

Sponsored by the “What in the World Is Going On?” group and moderated by Lauren Dennhardt, Ph.D., VCSU assistant professor of science, the session will feature a discussion and the viewing of “The World Set Free,” a 40-minute documentary featuring Neal deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and science communicator.

The documentary explores global warming, humanity’s effect on Earth’s atmosphere, and what we can do to mitigate it, including a look at alternative energy technologies.

Owen elected to NDAGC board

Jackie Owen, M.Ed., M.S., learning services coordinator, has been elected as a board member and regional representative for the North Dakota Association for Gifted Children (NDAGC), an affiliate of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). The purposes of the NDAGC are to promote the needs of the gifted in North Dakota through advocacy, education, and scientific research.

Woehl attends LGBTQ+ Summit

Katie Woehl, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and assistant vice president for academic affairs, attended the North Dakota LGBTQ+ Summit in Mandan, N.D., on October 5-6. The summit included multiple sessions along three themes: legislation and legal issues, mental health access and considerations, and experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in North Dakota and how to support them.

Woehl will use what she learned and the connections she made to update her course curriculum, assist the VCSU Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club in planning events, and offer professional development opportunities to faculty and staff in the future.

Viking sports update

Football
Sunday: VCSU 35, Presentation College 7
The Viking football team scored the final 35 points on Sunday, defeating Presentation College in a game that was delayed one day due to weather. The Vikings are now 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Volleyball
Tuesday: Dickinson State 3, VCSU 0
Wednesday: Univ. of Jamestown 3, VCSU 0
The Viking volleyball team is now 4-14 overall and 0-6 in conference play. VCSU will play its final home matches of the season this weekend, hosting Dakota State on Friday at 6 p.m. and Bellevue University on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Men’s Basketball
The Valley City State men’s basketball team opens the 2019-20 season with a pair of games this weekend in Jamestown. The Vikings will face Brandon University on Friday (5:30 p.m.) and University of Winnipeg on Saturday (2 p.m.) at Jamestown’s Newman Arena.

Upcoming Events
Oct. 18: Men’s Basketball vs. Brandon University, 5:30 p.m. (Jamestown, N.D.)
Oct. 18: Volleyball vs. Dakota State, 6 p.m. (Valley City)
Oct. 19: Volleyball vs. Bellevue University, 11 a.m. (Valley City)
Oct. 19: Football vs. Mayville State, 2 p.m. (Valley City)
Oct. 19: Men’s Basketball vs. Univ. of Winnipeg, 2 p.m. (Jamestown, N.D.)

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

Monday, October 14
Columbus Day (observed)

Tuesday, October 15
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VCSU Student Center

Wednesday, October 16
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, October 17
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
8:30 p.m. Vikings For Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, October 18
MTNA on VCSU campus all day
5:30 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. Brandon University, Jamestown’s Newman Arena
6 p.m. Viking volleyball vs. Dakota State University, Graichen Gymnasium

Saturday, October 19
11 a.m. Viking volleyball vs. Bellevue University, Graichen Gymnasium
1 p.m. “The Norse Sky” free planetarium show, Rhoades Science Center Room 309
1-4 p.m. “Whoever Can Come Band” jam session, Barnes County Museum
2 p.m. Viking football vs. Mayville State University, Shelley Ellig Field at Lokken Stadium (parent’s day)
2 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. University of Winnipeg, Jamestown’s Newman Arena

Sunday, October 20

Monday, October 21

Tuesday, October 22
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VCSU Student Center
6:30 p.m. In Knots Crochet club, Valley City Barnes County Public Library

Wednesday, October 23
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, October 24
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
5:30 p.m. Viking women’s basketball vs. Minot State University, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
7:30 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. Minot State University, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
8:30 p.m. Vikings For Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, October 25
7 p.m. Viking volleyball @ Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa

Saturday, October 26
Viking cross country @ Seminole Valley Stampede, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2 p.m. Viking volleyball @ Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wis.
3 p.m. Viking football vs. Dickinson State University, Shelley Ellig Field at Lokken Stadium

Sunday, October 27

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