Our View: Eat, play, enjoy yourself, tour, support Northern

There will be an event Sunday that we hope will be well-attended.

The community is invited to a special barbecue at Montana State University-Northern.

There will be games for kids, as well as balloons.

There will be campus tours for all involved. People can be driven around campus on the special bus that Northern uses for the annual Festival Days parade.

Tours will be offered of the major buildings on campus. Visitors will be able to see where biodiesel is manufactured and all kinds of special activities are offered for students and community.

The main purpose of the festivities is a chance for families to have a good time.

But an equally important purpose of the event is to cement a century-long bond between Northern and the Havre community.

Twenty years before the college opened its doors, the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce and several business and community groups began an effort to convince the state to build a college here — first at the site of the recently abandoned Fort Assinniboine and later at the present location.

Since then, Northern has become a vital part of our community, and we hope, Havre has been a vital part of Northern’s success.

The college has educated our young, provided invaluable community service, enriched our community culturally and pumped millions into our economy. In return, we hope, Havre has provided financial, political and psychological support to the university. We cheer for the Lights and Skylights. We donate to Northern causes. We elect politicians who promise to fight for Northern in the halls of the state Capitol.

It wasn’t an easy sell a century ago. Downstate colleges and downstate taxpayers weren’t fond of the idea, and there are a lot more of them than there are of us. But Hi-Liners made their voices heard and eventually prevailed.

Recently, a group of Havre residents who want to ensure that this special relationship continues well into the next century decided to have the barbecue, which is being paid for by donations.

If you see them Sunday, say a special thank-you to Lynn Hamilton, Renelle Braaten, Mark Peterson and Terry Lilletvedt, who came up with the idea and brought it to fruition.

There’s no doubt Northern has gone through some turmoil in recent months.

Many of the issues that have divided factions on campus and downtown have been issues worth fighting over, but it is important to remember that what divides us pales in significance to the bonds that unite this special community and this special campus.

Havre would be a shadow of itself without Northern, and Northern probably wouldn’t be without Havre and its support.

So Sunday is a time to gather together — townspeople, faculty, staff and students — eat hearty, laugh, tour the campus and have a good time.

And Monday will be the time that, with renewed commitment, Northern can continue its long history of service to our community, and our community can get back to the real business of supporting Northern financially and pushing our politicians to fight anyone who thinks Northern shouldn’t be at the top of the state’s priorities — and, of course, to cheer for the Lights and Skylights.