President celebrates local technology advances
By Erin Bozek-Jarvis, 17, Lane Whitley, 16 and Gregorios Mihalopoulos, 10, with contributions by Maggie Guter, 13 and Olivia Lohmann, 12

The Internet is undeniably spreading across the globe. From cell phones that access it anywhere within tower range, to laptops that can connect with the Internet without wires from across the street…or across a county.

It is apparent people, especially young people, are becoming increasingly dependant on the Internet and Northern Michigan University is striving to make broadband Internet more accessible to all of its students.

President Barack Obama visited NMU in February to celebrate the school’s unique WiMax wide-ranging wireless network, developed by NMU employees and a team of technology companies. The President also highlighted the successes several small town businesses in Marquette have had utilizing the Internet.

Kelsey Fila, a senior and speech pathology major at Northern Michigan University is online everyday, including considerable time spent on the Internet for an online learning disabilities education class.

“ I use it everyday. School, to get my homework, check my email from my professors, find out whether or not school is cancelled…everyday,” she said.

Adam Holloway, a junior media production and new technology major at NMU is also utilizing the Internet heavily as part of his college education.

“ Well, I’m taking two online classes right now, so if I didn’t have broadband Internet. I wouldn’t be able to take those classes,” he said. “So, for me, it’s hugely important.”

President Obama, in his speech at Northern, pointed out that [the United States] can use the Internet to advance society in the same way that the railroad and electricity earlier furthered our nation’s development.

“ I’ve come here because its towns like this where the jobs and businesses of tomorrow will take root. Its towns like this where our economic future will be won,” the President said.

Fila said she did not understand the significance of NMU’s WiMax network until she heard the president use it as an example of what the whole nation needs to do in the future.

“ I didn’t realize how important it was that we had WiMax,” she said. “Its just how I grew up. I’ve always had Internet and I didn’t feel it was that special. But now that I’ve heard him speak I feel that it’s pretty amazing.”

Through distance learning connections with students from the Negaunee High School and the Powell Township Schools, the younger students were able to help show the president the power of WiMax. President Obama and the students spoke via webcam and discussed how having access to the Internet has affected their studies and also teaches them about the world outside the U.P.

“ One of the young people who I was talking to talked about foreign policy and what we are seeing in places like Egypt,” the President explained. “The student said that what’s amazing is that now we have a window to the entire world, and we can start understanding other cultures and other places in ways that we could never do without this technology.”

With NMU’s technological advances, Marquette is helping to show the world how to bring Internet access to the general public everywhere. NMU President Dr. Les Wong said he was proud to illustrate to President Obama that infrastructure programs like WiMax are doable and economical.

“ We showed him how new technologies can be set up and deployed very, very easily, very inexpensively,” Wong said.

Matthew Bammert. Fourteen, of Marquette, is excited that the world is following Marquette’s example.

“ It’s pretty cool. We’re a small town up here and not a lot of people come up here. They think we’re part of Canada,” Bammert said.