HOOK, LINE & NET 2001

Receiving The World in Grand Falls-Windsor: HLN 2001 Opening Ceremonies
By: Jennifer Wu, Roncalli Central High, Port Saunders, NF

Hook, Line & Net 2001 held in Grand Falls-Windsor, Sprucewood Academy on June 26 & 27, 2001 helped STEM~Net celebrate connectivity and communication across Newfoundland and Labrador.

The many enthusiastic participants were welcomed to the conference by District #5 School Board Representative and Chair for HLN2001, Doug Furey, followed by a few words from the Mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor, His Worship Blackmore and STEM~Net Director, Nancy Parsons-Heath.

The opening ceremonies discussed the idea of connecting the world through early devices such as Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless invention at the beginning of the 1900's, and then later through organizations like STEM~Net. Mayor Blackmore thanked STEM~Net for linking Newfoundland to the world. He noted that because of such dedicated organizations, “we [Newfoundland and Labrador] are not remote, we are wired to the world.”

Once the formalities were given, Frank Shapleigh gave a presentation entitled : Connectivity: Past, Present and Future. In this presentation, he discussed the history of connectivity, from the day the first cables in Newfoundland were laid in 1857-1858, between Newfoundland and Ireland, to the current ‘trends’ in communication technology today. He concluded that, “the youth were, and are, mostly the ones involved in technology”, and that “we see that in our society today.” Shapleigh explained a few technological terms such as a BIT (Binary Digit) and Bandwiths, elaborating on their relevance to communication across the globe.

As the opening ceremonies concluded, a break was provided and refreshments were served to all before the many eager participants left to attend the sessions in order to achieve a greater standard of receiving the world.