Playing with technical sciences

Grant Hartley of Helena High School runs a Skid Steer during Wednesday's TekNoXpo at Montana State University-Northern.

Havre's university Wednesday again entertained Montana high school students, giving them a taste of modern technology and a chance to try their hand at using it — and possibly end up enrolling in the university's programs.

Montana State University-Northern held its fifth TekNoXpo, a technology exposition giving high school juniors and seniors a chance to learn about, and use, techology related to Northern's technical sciences programs, from equipment used in hydraulic fracturing — frakking like is being used in oil fields in the Bakken — to driving backhoes and skid loaders.

Watch for more about Northern's TekNoXpo on Friday's Hi-Line Living page.

Northern began the program to give high school students a fun atmosphere to learn about its offerings in technical sciences.

A similar event is scheduled for today, with students from Great Falls' C.M. Russell High School and Great Falls High School invited to come to Northern in a rescheduling of an event canceled last fall due to weather.

Programs often showcased at the technology-knowledge-expositing event include agricultural technology, automotive technology, business, civil engineering technology, computer information systems, design drafting, diesel technology, electrical technology, plumbing and welding.