MSU President's Newspaper Column
September 20, 2025
Grateful for generous support as we celebrate our roots and honor our agricultural way of life
It’s nearly time for alumni and friends to gather and celebrate Mayville State University and what it means in our lives. For the third year in a row, Homecoming will meet Farmers Bowl for a combined event where we’ll recognize our roots as Comets while honoring the agricultural way of life in our area. Festivities are planned for the weekend of Sept. 26-27. The schedule of events and all the details are at www.mayvillestate.edu/Homecoming2025.
Big events like Homecoming/Farmers Bowl would not be possible without a team effort by many dedicated volunteers, including our students. Student athletes, Peer Leaders, Collegiate DECA members, Student Education Association members, Student Athlete Advisory Council, and others will all play an integral role in the success of the weekend.
The physical plant employees work very hard to keep up our facilities both inside and outside. An extension of that effort comes from our Alumni Association board members. Over the summer, they’ve helped with shaping up and maintaining flower beds at the Larson Alumni and Leadership Center, and that work continues as we prepare for people to come “home” to Mayville State.
The alumni board members take a lead role in planning, preparing, hosting, and ensuring the success of the Homecoming/Farmers Bowl festivities. This includes their work related to the grand finale to the weekend, the Farmers Bowl Auction. The auction will be held on Saturday evening, Sept. 27. Proceeds of the auction benefit the university and student scholarships through the work of the Alumni Association, the MSU Foundation, and Comet Athletics.
Board member Doug Anderson has worked with auction sponsorships, and we are blessed to have 18 sponsors who have contributed to the Farmers Bowl Auction this year. They are Cleone Whelan, Grand Forks, N.D.; Arnie and Pat Osland, Mayville; Hunter Insurance, Johnny Jorgensen, Hunter, N.D.; Johnson Farms, Dale and Diane Johnson, Cummings, N.D.; Kelly Bean Company, Mayville; GLD Farms, Mark Olson, Hoople, N.D.; Culver’s of Grand Forks, Blake Larson; Tim and Sue Strand, Mayville; Myrna Lyng, Mayville; Chris and Darcene Burgess and Brent and Stephanie Baldwin Families, Cavalier/St. Thomas, N.D.; Fugleberg Seed and Bean, Lance and Jodi Fugleberg, Portland, N.D.; N.D. Corn Utilization Council; Larry and Cathy Lande, Greeley, Colo.; Mahar Farms, Barbara and Patrick Mahar, Cavalier, N.D.; Northern Tier Seed Company, Bill Weber, Thompson, N.D.; Vivatson Farms, Robert Vivatson, Hensel, N.D.; Anchor Ingredients, Fargo, N.D.; and Hillsboro Banner, Hillsboro, N.D. Baker Funeral Home, Kraig and Jackee Lerol, Mayville, N.D., have also supported the sponsorship effort. The generosity of these sponsors will help to ensure that the benefits of the Farmers Bowl activities will be even greater.
Alumni Board members Doug Anderson, Ann Willeson, Kayla Evenstad, and Teresa Agnes, along with Mayville State graduate JoDee Dungan and Mayville State staff and faculty members Heather Hutchins, Cortney Shuley, and Karissa Hanson have been a part of the Farmers Bowl Auction Committee and gathered lots of wonderful auction item donations from generous alumni and friends near and far. You can see a preview and preliminary auction item list at www.mayvillestate.edu/FBAuction2025. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the committee members and the donors. None of this would be possible without them!
Beyond the auction sponsorships, several corporate sponsors have stepped up to support the Homecoming/Farmers Bowl celebration. Finley Motors, PCL/Community Contractors, Top Hat, Martin Mechanical Design, First State Bank, Nilson Brand Law, Sanford Health, and Agassiz Drain Tile are helping to defray expenses associated with the festivities. We thank them for being Comet supporters!
The success of our annual Homecoming/Farmers Bowl festivities depends on bushel baskets full of support, as does all success experienced at Mayville State University, not only on special occasions, but on every day, and in every way, year in and year out. The support of our alumni, friends, and members of the community and beyond plays an integral role in all that we do.
Dr. Merwin J. and Myrna Lyng, and Dr. Lyng’s brother, Jim, exemplify support for Mayville State University to the nth degree. I look forward to announcing the naming of the MSU mathematics department “The Dr. Merwin J. and Myrna Lyng Department of Mathematics” during the Homecoming Awards Dinner on Sept. 26. This is being done in gratitude for the profound influence Merwin and Myrna have had at Mayville State and beyond. In addition, Jim Lyng will be recognized for his generosity and thoughtfulness that has resulted in the “Jim Lyng Hall of Fame,” and other Mayville State projects. We are blessed to have this opportunity to recognize special friends.
We have much to celebrate. The gratitude overflows as we reflect on the incredible support for “The School of Personal Service.” Please plan to join us as all this support culminates in a celebration of the gifts that are ours: Homecoming/Farmers Bowl 2025.
Stay tuned. We look forward to making a historic announcement regarding fall semester enrollment next week.