This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles…

• President’s column: VCSU update for the community
• Blood drive today at Stoudt-Ross Ford
• Brockopp named ‘Staff Member of the Quarter’
• VCSU undergraduates Lein and Blomquist publish physics research paper
• Printmaking exhibition now online
• Complete the 2020 Census
• Support the Barnes County Food Pantry

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.

President’s column: VCSU update for the community

Greetings from Valley City State University!

One of the unique characteristics of Valley City and VCSU is the strong and robust town-and-gown relationship that exists between the community and university. I believe this is largely the result of mutual collaboration and support which has existed since the founding days of the university and continues in the present.

Our latest decision to delay commencement activities was a difficult but necessary one to help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Universities and colleges across our nation are now eerily quiet at a time of year that typically includes many activities celebrating the return of spring. The buzz of excitement and activity from the physical presence of students living on campuses in communities across our nation has now dramatically declined.

We recognize the significant impact the current situation has on the local economy, including the loss of student workforce for a time, the loss of revenue associated with students living in the community, and the diminished activity of all community members and their participation in local commerce.

While this situation will eventually pass, we should all be mindful of doing what we can now to help these businesses survive. All local businesses are seeing the impact, but those in the service industries are especially hit hard. Many are finding ways to creatively continue providing products and services, whether through drive-up or delivery options, and local efforts from the Chamber of Commerce and others to provide guides of available services, including restaurant options, have been very helpful. (If you haven’t seen the restaurant and business guides developed by the chamber and others, I encourage you to find them and use them as resources in the days ahead.)

When crises occur, creative minds tend to collaborate and join forces to find solutions. A recent example of this happened last week when Theresa Will, City-County Health District director, identified a need for facemasks for local medical and health care providers. Annette Beattie, technology education instructor at Valley City Public Schools, and Tyler Tufte, information technology staff member at VCSU, responded to this need by identifying and implementing a 3D printer design that has been used to produce masks to address the local need. This example of collaboration is yet another instance of the importance of the public schools and public university working together to address an important need and an illustration of how the schools and the university are interwoven into the fabric of our community.

I’d also like to recognize the Valley City Public Schools staff and administration for developing such an outstanding program for continuing to deliver meals to students. This has been a herculean effort, and one that is greatly needed and appreciated in the community.

As we continue to navigate the unchartered waters of COVID-19 and its impact in our community, state, nation and world, we must think and act together while moving forward — forward to the time when this is behind us and we emerge better and stronger than before.

Go Vikings!

Blood drive today at Stoudt-Ross Ford

A blood drive is being held at Stoudt-Ross Ford in Valley City today, Monday, April 6, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

During the coronavirus pandemic, blood donation remains an essential health care activity, and Vitalant needs your help to stabilize the blood supply. Vitalant is the guardian of the blood supply for nearly 70 hospitals in our region. Healthy existing and first-time donors are needed to help patients in this time of crisis. It is safe to donate blood.

Stoudt-Ross Ford is located at 325 Winter Show Rd SW in Valley City. Phone 877-25-VITAL for more information.

Brockopp named ‘Staff Member of the Quarter’

Nicki Brockopp, accounts payable specialist, recently received the “Staff Member of the Quarter” award.

One nomination read, in part, “Nicki is so helpful and positive. When staff or faculty have questions or problems processing travel, purchasing cards or any general business office function she is always pleasant and knowledgable. She is kind, and puts people at ease with her pleasant personality and a great smile….”

Another nomination read, “…She continuously makes positive contributions to the VCSU community. I have worked with Nicki on several occasions. She is always smiling and kind. Nicki is eager to help and has the patience to teach new things. The knowledge she possesses ultimately helps not only our students, but our faculty and other staff members as well….”

Congratulations, Nicki!

VCSU undergraduates Lein and Blomquist publish physics research paper

VCSU students Matthew Lein and Rachel Blomquist have produced a paper, “Teaching Computation in Introductory Physics,” which has been accepted for publication in the Intermountain Engineering, Technology, and Computing (i-ETC) 2020 Conference Proceedings and IEEE Xplore Digital Library.

Lein, a software engineering major, and Blomquist, a mathematics education major, are both minoring in physics at VCSU and enrolled in the University Physics II course taught by David Demuth, Ph.D., during spring semester 2020.

At the beginning of the semester, while studying gravitation, Lein and Blomquist noted a possible error in an approximation used in the solution of a problem in the course textbook. They then produced a detailed solution that calculates the time for two massive objects to collide from an initial separation in the vacuum of space.

The solution outlined in their paper is highly integrative, using principles of physics, calculus and computer science. Noteworthy is their use of the GlowScript 3D simulation platform, which renders simulations of the motion of objects using the Python programming language.

Lein and Blomquist’s paper, to be presented at the i-ETC Conference in Orem, Utah, in September 2020, can be viewed online at proxima.vcsu.edu/ietc-lein-2020.pdf.

Read more at www.vcsu.edu/news/10837/vcsu-undergraduates-lein-and-blomquist-publish-physics-research-paper.

Printmaking exhibition now online

“What's Cookin?” — a student art exhibition from VCSU’s Printmaking I, II and III courses — can now be viewed online.

Find it on YouTube at youtu.be/B1eD6os8ofk.

Complete the 2020 Census

If you have a few extra minutes while you are teleworking, please complete the 2020 Census. Your response will influence the next 10 years of federal funding. That includes North Dakota’s share of funding for public health and aid during emergencies and disaster declarations. One missed resident is equal to a $19,100 loss in funding to North Dakota.

The census is safe, confidential and secure. Completing the census has never been easier and can be done by mail, phone and for the first time, online at www.2020census.gov.

Support the Barnes County Food Pantry

The Barnes County Food Pantry needs financial support to keep its cupboards stocked so that food can be provided to those in need.

Please send check donations to the Barnes County Food Pantry, PO Box 298, Valley City, ND 58072. Make checks payable to the Barnes County Food Pantry.