Northpointe Hosts LAN Party
by Diana Gornik
Have you ever heard of a LAN (Local Area Network) party? Not many people have, but thanks to the outstanding work of Northpointe's Information Technology staff members Brendon Thomas and Jana Aten, the Blanche Killian Production floor was converted into a large maze of computers, monitors, cables, and other computer equipment to enable nearly 225 computer enthusiasts to get together over the weekend of June 11-13.
Why were they here? To see the latest computer technology that often intimidates all but the most experienced computer person; play computer-based games; and swap computer equipment and technology. This event was called Zion LAN 2005 (themed after the movie The Matrix) and attracted participants from as far away as Florida, Texas, and even Canada! Along the way, nearly $10,000 was raised to help support Northpointe.
Hosting such an event could not be possible without great staff, volunteers, and corporate sponsorship. A big thanks goes to the Gold sponsor - Platinum Systems Technology from Kenosha, WI . They provided four new computer servers for the event and countless volunteer hours by their own staff, who helped configure the high speed network and internet access. Platinum Systems provides network solutions for many corporate entities. Silver sponsors included D-Link, Game Crazy, Hollywood Video, BFG Tech, Patten Power, EPIC Gaming, and Comcast. Feeding such a large group could not be possible without the following Food sponsors : Jewel Foods, Pepsi, Subway, Dominos Pizza, and Rosie's Kitchens. We would also like to thank Team Pandemic for donating a portion of their tournament winnings to Northpointe.
Overall the event was a great success with many attendees asking to be included on the invite list for future events.