Schools

Nicolet Students Brave the Cold to 'Kill the Bill'

Many passing drivers honked in support as they passed the shivering Nicolet protesters.

A handful of students from braved the chilly temperatures Friday and walked out of school to protest Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

The walkout comes a day after near 100 students protested at school's flag pole.

About nine students, later met by a few more, protested along I-43, and then later along North Port Washington Road, across from the

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Laurel Stewart, 16, said that even though the turnout was not as large as it was Thursday, she's still happy that people are standing up for what's right.

"I'm glad we have the people we do. They're really supportive of the cause and that's more important than having a lot of people," she said.

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While some people look at high school students protesting and wonder if it's just a way for them to get out of class, Stewart it's definitely more than that.

"By losing collective bargaining rights, (teachers) lose the ability to control class sizes and curriculum, and that directly effects students," she said.

As the students protested, nearly every other car that drove by honked its horn in response to a sign that read: "Honk for workers' rights." Cheers erupted from the students each time, the loudest when a North Shore fire truck drove by and let its horn blow.

Liz Schardin, 18, said her father is a teacher and the budget bill, if approved, will drastically change the way they live. "I don't feel like Scott Walker knows what he's doing," she said.

The entire group chanted "Kill the bill!" and "We love our teachers!" throughout the entire event. Even a city taxi cab honked their support.

The students were escorted by Nicolet Principal Greg DePue. After the half-hour allotment when these students did not have class, he reminded them that it is their choice whether to return to school but that they would held accountable if they didn't. A few students trickled back to class, while the most stayed to protest.

"There are parts of it that I don't believe are necessary, and I feel this bill came on too quickly and they should have thought over it more before they put it in order," Julia Orne, 17, said. "The Democrats that didn't show up, it was great that they did all that just so they could prolong it."

"I want to kill the bill," said Tami Shovers, 18. 

"It would cut a lot of jobs," said Alyssa Barna, 18. "Kill the bill!"


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