Opinion
The opinions expressed in these publications are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Rural Insights or its members.
Neighbor, How Stands the UP?
Paraphrasing Stephen Vincent Benét, William Vajda asks the question, “Neighbor, How Stands the UP?” and offers a heartening response to that question amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changing demographics and employment structure bring long-term challenges to the Upper Peninsula
NMU Professor of Geography and former Dean of Arts & Sciences weights in on the long-term challenges he believes the Upper Peninsula will face as a result of changes in demographics, employment structure, and economic diversification.
COVID-19 and its impact on rural independent healthcare
David Aro, General Manager and Partner at Superior Rehabilitation & Professional Services, gives his perspective on COVID-19’s impact on rural independent healthcare. “Our population base and infrastructure make virtually every aspect–prevention supplies, detection, treatment supplies, and alternative treatment options–more difficult.”
Rural students face unique technological challenges amid COVID-19 pandemic
Educational challenges affect students in rural areas differently than in urban and suburban areas. Without sufficient access to technology like computers and high-speed internet, rural students are not going to have the same educational opportunities simply because of where their family calls home.
Can the UP economy overcome COVID-19?
Former Marquette City Manager Bill Vajda weighs in on a question occupying many people’s minds these days: can Upper Peninsula communities overcome the economic challenges wrought by COVID-19?
Becoming a rural veteran
“Nothing was the same. The friends I had known two decades ago were gone, or exactly as they had been 22 years earlier; my family were older, many had passed, and the number of people crowded all around me was a difficult situation to adjust to.” Army Veteran Michael Rutledge, who served two decades in the service, provides insight into the challenges returning home and how the rural lifestyle of Marquette and the Upper Peninsula helped him readjust.
What is rural? My experience in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
“My experiences growing up in a small rural town have given me a unique understanding of and appreciation for rural communities–so much so that I, like many others, have happily chosen to return to a rural area to work and raise my family.” Dr. Greg Ghiardi of Marquette gives an insightful personal account of what “rural” means to him in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Will the rural healthcare system be a victim of COVID-19?
Will the rural healthcare system be a victim of COVID-19? Former President and CEO of Upper Peninsula Health Plan Dennis Smith discusses this in his post today on Rural Insights.
My COVID-19 near-death experience
My name is Bill Vajda, and I am a COVID-19 survivor. My story is a race against time – not unlike the challenges…
Covid-19 in rural Michigan/America
The following was originally published on Education Views on April 6, 2020, and is republished here with permission. The focus of the coronavirus…
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