Lindsey Wilson University Malvina Farkle Day Energizes Campus

Day of service strengthens university's ties to Columbia-Adair County community.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (09/17/2026) — The 2026 edition of Lindsey Wilson University's Malvina Farkle Day was a study in the legacy of service across generations of Blue Raider alumni along with a way to thank the community for its support.

This year's annual day of service, which was held on Wednesday, Sept. 16, included several legacy students, whose parents participated in the three-decade-old day of service when they were Lindsey Wilson students.

One students' parent even taught her how to properly celebrate the day in song.

Macey Poindexter's mother, Kristy, who is a 2003 Lindsey Wilson alumna, rang her up this week to teach her the "Malvina Farkle Day" song, which is sung to celebrate the start of the day under the direction of former communication professor Susan Minton.

"My mom had to sing the song for me last night to get me prepared," said student Poindexter, who is an education freshman from Burkesville, Kentucky. "Mom prepared me for it. She said it's going to be one of your favorite days."

Fellow freshman Parker Sutherland of Martinsburg, West Virginia, received advice about the day's importance from several members of her family. Her brother, Jess, is a nursing senior, and her parents, Rich and Holly, are alumni in the Class of 2000.

"My dad said it's a great day to get together with our friends and give back to the community," said Parker Sutherland, who is an education major.

Jess said he advised his sister "to wake up an extra 30 minutes early so you don't get angry at the blaring air horns." The university's student life staff rouses students at 6:30 a.m. CT on Malvina Farkle Day, which is followed by a campuswide breakfast in the Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center.

But Parker ignored her big brother's advice.

"It was very loud when they woke us up with air horns," she said.

The fun of service

Named after a mythical Lindsey Wilson graduate and employee known for her dedication to service and good times, classes are dismissed and offices are closed on Malvina Farkle Day while students, faculty and staff spend the morning working on community service projects on campus and in the community and then enjoy an afternoon picnic followed by games and activities.

This year, Lindsey Wilson students, faculty and staff spread out across Adair County to work on service projects at more than two dozen locations that included schools, churches, parks, roadside cleanups and care centers for the elderly.

Art faculty member Karly Flynn '17 took a group of students to 3trees Church to help start a new room in the church's nursery. Flynn is a Malvina Farkle Day veteran, having participated in the day as an undergraduate and now four years as a member of the university's faculty.

She said the day is "even more energizing as a faculty member because you see the sparkle of, 'Oh, I did this,' in their eyes."

Flynn said Malvina Farkle Day also helps students realize that community service does not have to be a daunting undertaking.

"As a faculty member, I get to be a kind of mediator between students and service," she said. "A lot of students might think that service is harder than it is. So on Malvina Farkle Day, they get to see that service is not this huge, big thing. It's a bunch of little things."

Giving thanks

For archery coach Anna Krampe-Bell '23, Malvina Farkle Day gave her team an opportunity to show her program's appreciation for the local support it receives. Krampe-Bell and her archers spent the morning working at the Adair County Sportsman's Club, which has been a big supporter of her program.

"Malvina Farkle Day was always one of my favorite days throughout the years (as a student)," said Krampe-Bell. "It's giving back to the community that does so much for Lindsey Wilson already. Now that I'm a coach and able to organize going out and helping in the community means a lot to me because (the Adair County Sportsman's Club) has done a lot for our program."

Bowling coach John Meece '18 said he also sees the day as an opportunity to thank the community for its support of his program. Meece was among several dozen Lindsey Wilson students, faculty and staff who helped clean the former Adair County Middle School building.

"The community gives so much to us, and that's one reason why this campus is what it is," said Meece.

Meece said that Malvina Farkle Day is also "a team-bonding thing, too." That was a sentiment echoed by student Jillian Truax '29 of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Truax, who plays on the women's soccer team, said that Malvina Farkle Day is "a great team-bonding experience."

"It serves a double purpose -- it serves us but it also serves the community around us," she said. "They come out to our games, and this is a way we can give back."

Men's basketball player Max Groom '27 of Perth, Australia, said thanking the community for their support of his program is what motivated him and his teammates to help clean up around the Columbia Public Square.

"We get to support the people who support us at our games," he said.

Or, as teammate Ethan Cooper '30 of Russell Springs, Kentucky, summarized the day's meaning: "Everyone shows up for us on game day, so we're just grateful to be out here."

Partnering with Beta Clubs

For the second consecutive year, the Beta Clubs from Adair and Green County high schools participated in Malvina Farkle Day. The clubs worked in partnership with the Lindsey Wilson Bonner Scholars Program to prepare toiletry bags for J.O.Y. Ministries, wrote letters of support and encouragement to active military members and children in therapy, and made blankets for the elderly in care centers.

"I like helping the community out," said Adair County High School junior Daria Chung. "You get to do different activities to help different parts of town."

Lindsey Wilson student Remington Huckaby '30 participated in 2025 Malvina Farkle Day as an Adair County senior, and this year she did it as a Blue Raider.

"I think Malvina Farkle Day is a really good day because not only does it give college students something to do but it gives them a chance to give back to their community," said Huckaby, who is a criminal justice major from Columbia.

New service

An addition to this year's Malvina Farkle Day was a special performance by the Linsey Wilson Singers. The musical ensemble gave a concert for residents of Signature HealthCARE at Summit Manor Rehab & Wellness Center.

A little more than 12 hours after holding their Standards of Excellence Signing Ceremony on campus, the Singers performed a program of patriotic music in celebration of America250 and also played bingo with Summit Manor residents.

"Their performance was so good," said Director of Choral Activities Jennifer Bersaglia. "They were enthusiastic about mingling with the residents. They want to go back in the spring."

Returning to the scene of service was a common theme among other Lindsey Wilson students who participated in Malvina Farkle Day, including members of the Blue Raider volleyball team. The team spent their morning at Columbia Baptist Church, where they assisted with Operation Christmas Child, a project that provides spiritual and physical aid to people all over the world.

"Everybody was really nice, and we got to work with a lot of the members of the church," said Addison Janes '30, a history major from Elizabethtown, Kentucky. "We also worked together as a team to get the boxes done quickly. We really enjoyed it, and we plan to return later in the fall to help again."

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