ATUS News Online: Winter 2008

Students Organize Technology Exposition

by Kevin Dixey

Issue 39, Winter 2008

Enthusiasm and curiosity abound at Tech Tonic 2007.

On June 8, 2007, the first annual Western Washington University Technology Exposition, Tech Tonic, was hosted by the Student Technology Center and the Associated Students at the VU Multipurpose Room. More than 700 students attended the event. Over one hundred students, faculty and staff showcased their developments and projects using current technologies, and more than a dozen local and national vendors showed off their products and answered questions.

Student consultants at the Student Technology Center took responsibility for event programming, marketing, design and production of all printed materials, web design and event staffing. The result was a full day of opportunities for students, staff and faculty to experience the possibilities offered by technologies in use in Western's programs.

Student and faculty participation at Tech Tonic was outstanding. Tech Tonic saw groups as diverse as Geology and the Student Recreation Center attend while projects ranging from custom rockets and functioning robots to a three dimensional holographic geo-wall dotted the show floor. There was something for everyone and judging from the buzz a lot of excitement amongst the presenters to see what their colleagues and fellow students had been up to.

The second annual Tech Tonic event is scheduled for Friday, February 22, 2008 from 10 am to 6 pm at the Viking Union Multi-purpose Room. The Associated Students and the Student Technology Center staff are looking for faculty, students and staff who would like to feature their technology-related projects to an eager and excited throng of attendees. Show us what you've been doing and see what your classmates and colleagues have been up to.

Tech Tonic will also be offering technology presentations by computer industry participants such as Apple, Microsoft and Adobe as well as several moderated forums on current issues related to the use and impact of technology on our lives.

Planning, coordination, and support is provided by ATUS and the
Associated Students, with a goal of making it easy for your group to participate. If you are interested in being part of the second annual Tech Tonic event contact Kevin Dixey at 650-7222 or email Kevin.Dixey@wwu.edu as soon as possible.

Tech Tonic also enjoyed the participation of several major technology companies that set up tables, demonstrated their technologies and answered a wide a variety of questions ranging from technical details about their products to practical information about what it takes to work at their particular companies. The highlight of the vendor participation was a series of presentations by Apple Computer showing their professional photography tool Aperture, The Microsoft Corporation giving people a closeup look at Office 2007 and Adobe Systems wowing the crowd with tour through their Creative Suite 3.

In addition to the corporate sponsors, Tech Tonic provided an area for local technology related groups ranging from the local Bellingham Linux Users Group, Northwest Computer and Edirol to the Bellingham Museum of Radio and Electricity to showcase who they are and what they do.

By the end of the day most of the companies attending had already promised to return for the next event. We hope you will too.

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