Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Students gather to oppose state COVID mandates
More than 60 students rallied in front of Colfax High School on Aug. 30 to oppose state mandates on COVID vaccinations and masks.
A Colfax High School student shows her sign supporting the freedom rally on campus on Aug. 30.
COLFAX - More than 60 students rallied in front of the Colfax High School on their first day back against state COVID vaccination and mask mandates.
The Associated Student Body (ASB) organized the event on Aug. 30 to express the students' views.
"We thought that what the state is doing is wrong with the mandates," said ASB Representative Tucker Senter. "We wanted to do something peaceful and that got our point across."
He's a senior and said the rally represented the students.
"A lot of the students here agreed with us 100%," said Senter. "It was pretty unanimous with the ideas that we had."
Three students spoke out against the state-mandated vaccinations for school staff and mandates for students to wear masks in school.
"We (all) had something a little bit different. Mine focused on the vaccine mandates," he said.
Teachers and school staff remained in the building during the rally and didn't take part.
"When we planned it, we planned it around the students," said Senter. "It was more important for them to speak."
The rally took part after school and didn't take students out of class.
"It was right after the seventh period. We had short periods that day," said Senter. "It was during normal operating hours of school but we made time to do it."
There are no plans for additional rallies organized by the ASB, he said.
"But COVID changes a lot and that might change," Senter added.
Bill Stevenson is the former editor of the Whitman County Gazette, Colfax Daily Bulletin and Franklin Connection. He has nearly 30 years of journalism experience covering news in Eastern Washington.
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