New Horizons at the Learning Center

By Kayley Erlandson

By Kayley Erlandson

The foundation of education doesn’t change, but the way students learn is always evolving.  The Learning Center at Valley City State University is proof of this as it undergoes many external and internal changes to accommodate to students more efficiently.  

“It’s publicized more, so we have more people than last year,” said Nicole Hedmark, a VCSU student and writing tutor at the center. 

The VCSU Learning Center (originally titled the Writing Center) was founded in 2004 and started 2005 to respond to the needs of students with ACT scores lower than 16. Originally, the center only concentrated on writing skills, but now offers help in mathematics, English Language Learners Support, and to Praxis I students.  The Learning Center has been through four directors in five years.

The current director is Jodi Shorma, Instructor of English/Learning Center Director, the person credited for making big changes in the center. 

“We have had a series of directors whose (sole) job was not to run the learning center,” said Margaret Dahlberg, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, “Joan (Aus, the first director) focused on ELL (English Language Learners); that was her job.  Jodi has been hired to run the Learning Center, which makes a huge difference.”

According to Kyle Vareberg, a writing tutor at the center, “The first thing Shorma did to change service was create a concrete schedule of tutors, one that students can follow and know the hours will be the same week after week.”  Before, the hours of the center changed daily.  With set business hours, Shorma hopes to make the availability of tutors more convenient for students searching for help.

Shorma also implemented student profiles to track which students and what classes were coming to the center.  The Learning Center also started making connections between the Learning Center and athletics when Shorma volunteered the tutors to record the hours for athletic team study tables.

Pictured: Kyle Vareberg signing in athletes on the digital sign-in sheet for athletic study tables

“Students at VCSU need to ‘see’ learning and practice learning as a community or social event to prepare themselves for the world after college,” says Shorma.

“Everyone is going to use writing no matter what they are going to do,” said Hedmark, “if you can’t communicate effectively, you’re going to struggle in any field.”

The number of clients utilizing the Learning Center has doubled since spring of 2010. “There are more people aware that we have tutors,” said Oluwatoyin Oladosu, a tutor for international students, “Students come to students, so the tutors understand what a student is going through.”

The center has also undergone physical changes, transforming from a few old tables in the basement of the Allen Memorial Library to a well-furnished setting, including couches and small tables behind dividers. 

(Pictured: Top (a comfortable study area in the Learning Center) Bottom (Some tables and private divider areas off to the left))

 

The Learning Center is still relatively young in comparison other schools’ tutoring programs, but it seems that it is finally hitting its stride. “There are still some kinks to work out,” said Vareberg, “but the Learning Center has survived and is ready to change even more in the years to come.”

Cattle Rustling Continues

Cattle Rustling Continues

Homesick Students

By Emma Nelson

Students hanging out at the VCSU Homecoming Football Game

Photo from Katie McBride with her permission

Moss Sacked and Titans Grab

By: Barbara Ennen

On Monday morning the Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress made an announcement to team players that Randy Moss had been sacked.

Moss came on the Football scene as a rookie in 1998 and has made his name well known in the National Football League. He has played for Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Saints, and is now adding another team under his helmet the Tennessee Titans.

Many people question and think the Vikings have made a big mistake, but when talking to both fans of the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers they have said pretty much the same thing, Moss had a lot of character flaws and he needed to go.

Maybe the atmosphere that the Vikings have created is their own fault? Since Brett Favre has come on the scene as quarterback for the Vikings they have gladly given him the right to do as he pleases. Favre, who is allowed to show up when he wants or not at all for practices, has been the leader in this team, and running the Viking camp.

When I sat down with Rhonda Roaldson at the Buff Bar in Jamestown while having a cold beer she had football on her mind Roaldson who is a lifelong Vikings fan has strong feelings about Moss and his character flaws and not keeping his mouth quiet.

“Moss is a self-absorbed glory hog. He’s a talented player with a big mouth, but only works when he wants to and then he can’t get the job done when he wants to work.”

She spoke well of Moss being an outstanding player but, says, “Good luck to the Titans hope they have better luck keeping Moss in check.”

When speaking to Packers Fan Bryan Miller via text messaging I found he had a lot to say about the Vikings sacking Moss.

“Minnesota got what they paid for. Moss has an ego and thinks he is the key to winning a Super Bowl and that any team he is on should be built around him. He developed this from Chris Carter, and now Percy Harvin will be the same way. Moss is a cancer to any team, as well as the league, and football in general.”

Most fans agree that Moss is one of the greatest receivers of all time to play in the NFL, yet he has proven to have trouble controlling this temper and keeping his mouth quiet, but is that any different from other players that have voiced their opinion throughout the years in any sport? Most fans will say players should have the right to voice their opinions, but not against their own team or coaches.

Minnesota was more than happy to see Moss go but the Titans are happy and not going to make the same mistake of passing him up again. In the 1998 draft Titans passed him up, but timing may be everything. The Titans have confidence that with a fresh start he will do great and take their team far in the AFC.

Many fans may feel Moss has a bad attitude, yet he is one of the best players in the league and undeniably of a lifetime in football. All agree it will be interesting to see how well he finishes out this season after being traded for the fourth time.

Artists’ Touch On Wildlife

By: Barbara Ennen

When you think of wildlife art you may think of pictures or paintings of wildlife, yet there is another type of wildlife art called taxidermy. It takes someone very creative to mold animals into life like works of art.

Trails End Taxidermy is located twelve miles southeast of Bismarck on a family farmstead giving it that wildlife feel. When walking into his shop you can see how much he loves the art of his taxidermy work. The office area is arranged with wildlife mounts from exotic animals to everyday birds, pheasants, ducks, squirrels and fish all on display for customers to admire.

Wes Ennen says, “Spending a lot of time in nature hunting is what drew me to taxidermy because of the beauty of the animals.”

Ennen owner of Trails End Taxidermy has been a taxidermist for 61 years and is a  lifelong hunter and outdoors men and has the unique ability to mount animals like they look in nature and he can add the touches that make them look real. Being a hunter is an important factor you need to know the stance, looks and reaction so you can capture that in the mount.

He said, “Not a lot of people want to do taxidermy because of what it involves.”

Many hours are spent on skinning the animal hide. After skinning them you need to remove any fat on the hides. Then on to the tanning process which takes days. After tanning you need to mount the hides on forms and then the creative work comes in, there may be repairs that need to be made. There is countless hours spent to detail whether it be spray painting a fishes design or molding a deer head there is a lot of work that goes in to one mount although, Ennen says, “The long hours are worth it when done.”

The taxidermy business has been a great business for Ennen because he’s doing something he loves but also because he has made lifelong friendships in the customers he has. To show his appreciation for his customers and friends every year Wes has an open house show casing the deer heads he mounted that deer season. This is a time for customers to get together talk about their love of the sport, share stories about their big buck or have their deer head scored to see who has the biggest rack and have a chance at winning a free deer head mount which is worth around five-hundred dollars.

“This is my way to show my customers how much I appreciate their business and the friendships that I have made, I always have a great time at the open house and people really enjoy being able to see what size buck someone else got.”

When speaking with Gail Gordon she says,” I love coming every year to see the mounts Wes has done and he just has the eye for getting everything perfect, I have never been dissatisfied.”

Art can be countless different things and each person may have different taste in what they think art is, For nature lovers and hunters taxidermy is an art to them. Ennen has made taxidermy his art because of his love of nature.

Profile: Dean Wegenast

By: Stephany Wegenast

 

State Bank and Trust is a well known bank that has over 500 employees and even more customers. With multiple locations in the Midwest this bank is the number one choice for most people. With good service, smiles, free checks and free cookies their isn’t a reason why this wouldn’t be the case.

Today, Dean Wegenast is a 73 year old, retired State Bank and Trust man. Although, he is retired he is still the secretary of the board of directors although he only attends board meetings now and is in active. He says that the most significant thing he did in life was, besides marrying his wife was,  “working for a brand new bank not know whether it was going to be successful or not and not knowing if I was going to have a job or not. I am proud of how the bank grew from nothing to where it is today.”  The uncertainty was their but he stuck with it showing his perseverance.

His first job in Fargo was at a one man office insurance agency. In time the insurance agency through a set of circumstances and happenings changed from an insurance company to a trust company which later evolved in to the State Bank and Trust bank. After explaining it he says, “so that’s how I got into the bank. I was just in the right place at the right time. There were a few years there that I didn’t know if I was going to have a job the next month.” His life then evolved along with the bank. His wife Gail had to say that he has, “very good work ethic. He really likes to do things himself, and he had a hard time designating people to certain jobs.”

  Dean’s position on the board was that of the secretary to the board of directors of the bank and the secretary to the bank itself. Both are important jobs for a single person to hold. It shows that, that person has experience and advice that needs to taken into account. When asked why he stayed on the board Dean Responded, “I enjoy it, it keeps me informed on what’s going on and there are still people that I hired working there.” Today, Dean and his wife Gail, like many retired couples retire somewhere warm during the winter months. They chose Fort Myers, Florida as their winter location from mid December to mid May. On the second Wednesday of every month, between December and May, Dean flies in to Hector international Airport in order to attend board meetings until early Sunday morning when he flies back to Fort Myers to escape the cold North Dakota weather.