MSU President's Newspaper Column
March 30, 2024
Spring mode is in full swing at Mayville State University
While it doesn’t look much like spring outdoors right now, we are definitely in spring mode at Mayville State University. It’s a very busy time of year. It’s when we wind up to wind down a bit for summer.
We’re all very proud of the Mayville State women’s basketball team, coaches, and staff for their fantastic 2023-24 season. The Comets made it all the way to the Round of 16 of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament! The team ended with a 26-4 win-loss record, securing more wins in a season than any Comets women’s basketball team before them. In addition, individual records were set by members of the team.
In the Round of 16, the #12 Comets faced the #2 Dordt Defenders for the right to advance to the national tournament quarterfinals. In a closely fought contest throughout on March 22, the Defenders used a late run to escape with an 84-76 win, ending Mayville State’s historic season and tournament run.
As the women’s basketball season has come to a close on the national stage, members of Mayville State’s Collegiate DECA chapter are gearing up for the international stage. They’ll be attending the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference in Austin, Texas, in April.
At the recent state conference in Fargo, 23 of the 25 Mayville State chapter members who competed in various events qualified to attend and compete at the international conference. In addition, the chapter and its individuals received several state and national leadership awards. We wish them well in Austin and look forward to knowing the competition results of this outstanding group of Mayville State representatives.
The chapter is working to raise funds to help cover the travel costs associated with attending the international conference. If you’re interested in helping out, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/SupportDECA. Checks may be sent to Mayville State Collegiate DECA, MSU Foundation, 330 Third Street NE, Mayville, ND 58257.
The Mayville State Mathematics Department recently hosted a math meet for area middle school students. We were happy to have teams from Hope-Page, Finley-Sharon, Northwood, Hatton, Central Valley, Thompson, Larimore, and May-Port CG on campus March 19.
With math being a critical workforce need area in our state, activities that promote the subject are especially important. It’s great to give these young students the opportunity to test their skills and show what they can do, while sparking their interest in the topic. I commend our mathematics faculty and students, along with the Math Club, for their leadership and work that made the event possible. Thank you to the math meet coaches and administrators of the participating schools for going above and beyond to make this happen for your students.
Speaking of math, Mayville State’s Science and Math Clubs celebrated Pi Day on March 14 by selling single serving apple and oatmeal cream pies. Pi Day is observed around the world each year on March 14. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant - the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie.
Our Enrollment Services staff members have organized and hosted several campus visit days for a number of area high schools during the last few months. It’s wonderful to have our faculty interact with the students, demonstrating the significance of earning a college education.
The baseball and softball seasons are well-underway. You can keep up with them at www.msucomets.com. With any luck, the weather will cooperate, and we’ll be able to have some games at home this spring. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, the preparations for Commencement 2024 on May 11 are heating up. Transcripts are being checked. Regalia is being ordered. Speakers are being selected, and one by one, items on the to-do list are being checked off.
Spring is without a doubt a very busy time, but it’s also an exciting time. We are grateful for all the activity that makes “The School of Personal Service” a place where people and the good they do are the center of attention.