Ben Piffer/MDN Bowbells High School students were among the high school students who traveled to Minot State University to compete in Tech Day, held during the two-day cybersecurity-themed event. Back row, left to right, teacher Jennifer Nelson and students Cohen Seim, Peyton Nelson, Canen Larum, Terry Lucey, and Trevor Krekluai. Front row, left to right, students Rebecca Maloney, Clara Ankenbauer, and Ann Crosby.
Fifteen groups of high school students from as far away as Tioga traveled to Minot State University on Wednesday to participate in the university’s annual Tech Day.
Each high school sent eight students to take part in various business management and technology exams. The event was a competition between the university’s business education students to see who demonstrated the most knowledge in a selected subject.
Subjects such as Accounting, Business Communication, Business Fundamentals, Business Law, Cybersecurity, and Presentation Software and Spreadsheets are designed to challenge students with different aspects of business and related technology.
“It’s kind of like a science fair,” said event organizer Jan Repnau, an assistant professor in MSU’s School of Business. “This is about this event being something that teachers plan for throughout the year and something that students know about in advance,” she said.
“(This event) is a collaboration between the business education students and myself,” Repnow said. She explained that the purpose of the event is to showcase students’ skills and promote cybersecurity. Repnow has been involved for the past 17 years.
Submitted Photo Students from area high schools participated in Tech Day at Minot State University on Wednesday. This is an annual event that showcases regional secondary business students competing in a variety of business and technology-related competitions.
“It’s really great to see students go from here to compete in competitions at the FBLA conference and beyond,” Repnow said. She said this event’s tests mimic them very closely.
Repnow said she and the university’s business education students are “great practice as we strive to model the strategies required in other competitions.”
Ann Crosby, a student at Bowbells High School, said she had created a presentation about her business sector to submit to the judges. She said the experience was really fun because the contestants were able to have off-topic conversations as they competed against students they knew from other activities such as sports. Crosby said there was a workshop and the students all worked together. She was excited because the event gave her “real life practice, not just FBLA.” She said the event gives students context for what they’ve learned and provides an opportunity to practice their skills.
Bowbells High School student Clara Ankenbauer said her school is “deeply involved” in FBLA, America’s Future Business Leaders. Ankenbauer said her school is using the event as a practice match for the spring state conference.
Rebecca Maloney, also a student at Bowbells High School, said she took a spreadsheet test that tested students’ general knowledge on various aspects of using Microsoft Excel.
Cole Krueger, MSU’s marketing director, said Repnow, who has run Tech Day for years, is “something of a legend on campus.” Krueger volunteered to help with the event, scooping ice cream for students.
Krueger challenged students to feel comfortable saying “I don’t know” and find the resources they need to be successful. He also called on the students to find opportunities similar to this one and continue to take on challenges.
Ben Piffer/MDN Bowbells High School students were among the high school students who traveled to Minot State University to compete in Tech Day, held during the two-day cybersecurity-themed event. Back row, left to right, teacher Jennifer Nelson and students Cohen Seim, Peyton Nelson, Canen Larum, Terry Lucey, and Trevor Krekluai. Front row, left to right, students Rebecca Maloney, Clara Ankenbauer, and Ann Crosby. Submitted Photo Students from area high schools participated in Tech Day at Minot State University on Wednesday. This is an annual event that showcases regional secondary business students competing in a variety of business and technology-related competitions.
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City of Minot departments are working together to continue collecting the hundreds of remaining tree stakes on the property.
