Politicians, Students, And Supporters React To President Biden’s UWS Visit

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Yellowjacket Union welcomed President Joe Biden on Wednesday afternoon, along with a number of politicians, students, and supporters who were ecstatic that the commander-in-chief chose Superior as his first stop the day after the State of the Union address.

“It’s not too often you get an email saying the president of the United States is coming to UW-Superior,” Jacob Zacharias, a junior at UWS, exclaimed.

The event was invite-only, and the students who were selected said they felt like it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the president in-person.

“Just seeing him in Superior is wild because I mean, I come here every single day for food and now the president of the United States is here,” Kaitlan Bell, a junior at UWS, said.

Senator Amy Klobuchar was impressed that the president would choose to come so far up north in the middle of winter.

“We’re excited to see the president here, he had fun out talking to the workers, and we told him it was a balmy day in Duluth-Superior,” Senator Klobuchar said.

Superior mayor Jim Paine and Duluth mayor Emily Larson said it’s an honor Mr. Biden chose to kick off his post-State of the Union tour in the Twin Ports, with the president emphasizing in his speech exactly how the infrastructure law will reinvest in the Northland.

“It’s roads, bridges, harbors, freight and rail, it’s reliable and affordable broadband internet, it’s renewable energy and it’s strong union labor,” Paine said. “That’s the definition of Superior. Superior is one of the most American cities in the country right now, and it’s defining our future. And we’ve been rebuilding after decades of decline and with this bill and the investment from the state and federal government, we’re just getting started.”

Larson echoed a similar sentiment.

“President Biden is very knowledgeable on a cellular level what’s happening,” she said. “Understands the connectivity around infrastructure, why highways and bridges are important, spoke in great detail about the importance of shipping, of seawalls, of all of those things. It’s always wonderful to see President Biden, he’s truly a kind person, but for him to have his very first visit after the State of the Union here in the Midwest, it’s tremendous. It’s been a great day.”

Some UWS students felt the same way, as the aging Blatnik Bridge is a structure that will benefit from the investment.

“I think him talking about a bridge that I drive over multiple times a week is, quite, it’s just like very surreal like to have the president of the United States standing in front of me, talking about something that is so relevant in my life,” Shelby Hanson, a UWS freshman, remarked.

Mr. Biden also took the time to address the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as many students are watching the war unfold in real time online.

“I was inspired by his support for Ukraine, I was shocked to hear him say it so passionately,” Kane Farmer, a UWS junior, said.

The president’s parting sentiments reflected on his belief that the younger generations are turning the dial toward acceptance and diversity, a moment that these students seemed to appreciate.

“Our generation, you know, at UWS I think because we’re a small school it’s really nice to hear those kind of things…and I think it was really empowering for the students here,” Farmer added.

While this event was in Superior, it showed how unified the Twin Ports is as it brought together many from both Wisconsin and Minnesota.