NOW WE TURN TO A REPORTING
PROJECT FUNDED IN PART BY THE
OTTO BREMER TRUST, WHERE WE'VE
BEEN WORKING TO EXAMINE A MIX OF
RURAL ISSUES.
AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE'VE
GOTTEN HELP FROM THE STUDENTS
FROM THE PBS NEWSHOUR STUDENT
REPORTING LAB AT BLACK RIVER
FALLS HIGH SCHOOL.
ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'VE BEEN
INVESTIGATING IS THE POPULATION
DECLINE IN WISCONSIN'S RURAL
COUNTIES.
IN THIS REPORT, WE CAUGHT UP
WITH FIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
IN JACKSON COUNTY AND TALKED
WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO BE YOUNG AND LIVING IN RURAL
WISCONSIN.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE GET
TO PICK OUR NAME.
>> YEAH, THIS WAS --
>> WHEN HAYLIE SCHMIDT WAS
GROWING UP, SOFTBALL WAS
EVERYTHING.
>> SHE'S JUST SO CONFIDENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BECAUSE
OF WHAT WE DID OR IF JUST THAT'S
THE WAY SHE'S MADE.
>> WINTER IN BLACK RIVER FALLS
IS LONG, SO HER NANA'S BASEMENT
DOUBLED AS A PRACTICE FIELD.
JUST AS HER NANA DOUBLED AS A
COACH.
>> SHE SHOWED ME WHAT IT'S LIKE
TO BE, LIKE, DEDICATED TO
SOMETHING.
I FOUND THAT PASSION BECAUSE OF
HER.
>> HAYLIE'S CONNECTION TO NA NAA
IS MORE THAN JUST SPORTS.
>> WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG, I
LIVED WITH MY NANA AND MY PAPA
BECAUSE MY MOM AND DAD BOTH WERE
ALCOHOLICS AND DRUG ADDICTS.
SO I COULD NOT LIVE THERE.
>> WHEN HER MOM STOPPED USING
SUBSTANCES, HAYLIE LIVED WITH
HER AT EAU CLAIRE AND FOUND THE
SCHOOLS OVERWHELMING.
>> YOU PASS PEOPLE IN THE HALLS
AND YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T EVEN
KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
>> AROUND THE TIME HER MOM
STARTED USING DRUGS AGAIN, HER
DAD WAS IN RECOVERY.
>> AFTER THAT, I MOVED BACK DOWN
HERE WITH MY DAD.
HE'S SEVEN YEARS SOBER NOW,
EIGHT THIS YEAR.
>> GOOD MORNING, TIGERS!
IT'S THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD AND
WE HAVE A SENATE MEETING THIS
MORNING.
>> THERE ARE ONLY 500 KIDS IN
THE WHOLE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> NOW THAT I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL
HERE, I WOULD NEVER WISH TO GO
ANYWHERE BIGGER, BECAUSE I PASS
EVERYONE IN THE HALLS, I KNOW
EVERYONE.
>> THE CITY OF BLACK RIVER FALLS
HAS ABOUT 3500 PEOPLE, AND
HAYLIE SAYS THE FAMILIARITY IS
COMFORTING.
>> THIS TOWN IS SO SMALL THAT
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BIG
NEIGHBORHOOD, IF THAT MAKES
SENSE.
>> I HAVE NOT LIVED THIS FAR
NORTH BEFORE, AND I DON'T THINK
I'VE BEEN THIS COLD BEFORE.
>> PAIGE BLACKDEER MOVED TO
BLACK RIVER FALLS SEVEN YEARS
AGO FROM ARIZONA.
>> DID YOU GET NATURAL LOG OF 10
MINUS NATURAL LOG OF 9?
>> PAIGE SAYS MAKING FRIENDS AT
SCHOOL WAS EASY BUT AFTER LIVING
IN A BIG CITY, THERE WAS NO
ADJUSTING TO SMALL TOWN LIFE.
>> I STILL DON'T THINK I'VE
REALLY GOT USED TO THAT, BECAUSE
I NEVER FULLY COMMITTED TO
LIVING IN THIS TOWN, BECAUSE
EVEN THOUGH I TECHNICALLY LIVE
HERE, WE GO TO ONALASKA OR LIKE
ANYWHERE MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK.
>> SHE WAS SURPRISED AT HOW MANY
STUDENTS HAD NEVER TRAVELED, AND
HOW CLOSED MINDED PEOPLE COULD
BE.
>> EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT GIVEN THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO SOMEWHERE, NO
ONE IS STOPPING YOU FROM
LEARNING.
LIKE WE HAVE THE INTERNET, WE
HAVE BOOKS.
NOTHING IS STOPPING YOU EXCEPT
FOR YOUR OWN MINDSET AND
BELIEFS.
>> ONE OF THE REASONS PAIGE'S
FAMILY MOVED TO BLACK RIVER
FALLS IS HER DAD IS HO-CHUNK AND
GOT A JOB WITH THE NATION.
BUT SHE SAYS THERE'S A
DISCONNECT WITH THAT PART OF HER
HERITAGE.
>> I'VE NEVER -- LIKE, I'M NOT
FULLY WHITE BUT I'M NOT FULLY
HO-CHUNK EITHER.
I DON'T FULLY PARTAKE IN
EVERYTHING LIKE A TYPICAL WHITE
PERSON WOULD BUT I ALSO DON'T
TAKE PLACE IN EVERY LIKE
TRADITIONAL HO-CHUNK THING.
>> SHE'S MANAGED TO FIT IN, EVEN
IF THE FIT IS ONLY TEMPORARY.
>> I'VE DEFINITELY WARMED UP TO
IT.
SO I DO LIKE IT HERE, BUT ASIDE
FROM THAT, I'M READY TO GO.
>> PULL!
>> I DON'T LIKE THE TOWN.
I DON'T LIKE TOWNS.
>> THERE'S NO DISCONNECT WITH
JACOB WARD.
HE GREW UP COUNTRY.
AND WON'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
>> THE AIR IS DIFFERENT.
LIKE I GET OUT OF MY TRUCK AT
SCHOOL AND THE AIR IS JUST
DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, OUT HERE, IT'S JUST NICE
AND BREEZY, WHERE IN TOWN, YOU
CAN SMELL STUFF.
>> JACOB COULDN'T IMAGINE NOT
BEING ABLE TO SHOOT TRAP OFF THE
BACK DECK.
OR RIDE HIS SNOWMOBILE TO SCHOOL
IN WINTER.
>> IN THE CITY YOU CAN'T REALLY
RIDE YOUR SNOWMOBILE EVERY DAY.
>> JACOB HAS NO PROBLEM MAKING
FRIENDS WITH KIDS FROM THE CITY.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT
LIVE IN TOWN.
I MEAN, WE ALL GET ALONG THE
SAME.
WE ALL KIND OF HAVE THE SAME
BELIEFS, ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
>> HE SAYS WHITE STUDENTS AND
HO-CHUNK STUDENTS GET ALONG
FINE.
>> THE NATIVES, THERE'S THE GOOD
AND THE BAD OBVIOUSLY, JUST LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT THEY DO A LOT FOR THE
COMMUNITY.
>> HE DOESN'T MIND VISITING BIG
CITIES LIKE MINNEAPOLIS AND
CHICAGO.
JUST DON'T ASK HIM TO DRIVE ON
THE HIGHWAYS.
>> NEVER AGAIN.
NEVER AGAIN.
THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE.
JUST TOO MANY THINGS TO WORRY
ABOUT.
>> I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THE IDEA
OF LIKE A BIG CITY LIFE.
>> LILLI WIRTZ IS THE YOUNGEST
OF FOUR KIDS, AND HER OLDER
SISTER HAS SHOWN HER WHAT AWAITS
AFTER GRADUATION.
>> SHE HAS ALWAYS SENT ME VIDEOS
OF LIKE HER NICE APARTMENT AND
SHE'S GOT A VIEW OF THE SKYLINE,
I'M LIKE, OH, THAT JUST SEEMS SO
NICE.
>> IN SOME WAY, LILLI DEFINES
WHO SHE IS BY WHAT SHE'S NOT.
FOR EXAMPLE, SHE'S NOT COUNTRY.
>> COUNTRY KIDS, YOU KNOW, LIKE
CAMO, LIKE ORANGE JACKETS, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, ALL THAT STUFF, LIKE
HUNTING.
THOSE ARE ALWAYS THE KIDS THAT
LIVED IN THE COUNTRY.
>> BUT LIVING IN TOWN DOESN'T
REALLY MAKE HER A CITY KID.
>> CITY AGAINST CITY BUT, YEAH,
I GUESS.
>> INSTEAD OF GETTING A JOB AT
KWIK TRIP OR WAL-MART, SHE
CALLED THE OWNER OF A DOWNTOWN
COFFEE SHOP AND ASKED IF SHE
COULD COME IN AFTER SCHOOL AND
BAKE.
>> USUALLY I HAVE LIKE 2 1/2
HOURS JUST IN THE KITCHEN ALONE,
I CAN PUT MY MUSIC ON, JUST DO
WHATEVER I WANT, AND THAT'S --
YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST
PART FOR ME.
>> CREATING YOUR OWN PATH CAN BE
LIBERATING IN A SMALL TOWN.
BUT AN INDEPENDENT STREAK CAN
LEAD TO ISOLATION.
>> SOMEONE GO OUT ALREADY.
I'M BORED.
>> IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO COME
IN AS AN OUTSIDER IF YOU KNOW
THAT PEOPLE JUST AREN'T ALWAYS
GOING TO BE LIKE, WELCOMING.
>> BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN LILLI
WISHES SHE WENT TO A BIGGER
SCHOOL.
>> I NEVER ACTUALLY WISH FOR
MORE PEOPLE.
I JUST WISH FOR DIFFERENT
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WAS NEVER THE
ISSUE, IT'S JUST THAT SOMETIMES
THEY DIDN'T MESH WITH PEOPLE
THERE.
>> I THINK BLACK RIVER IS
DEFINITELY A CLOSED MINDED TOWN
AND, LIKE, IF THERE'S SOMEONE
DIFFERENT FROM YOU, IT'S KIND OF
HARD FOR YOU TO ACCEPT THAT.
>> REESE COWLEY THOUGHT HE WAS
WELL LIKED AND ACCEPTED IN BLACK
RIVER FALLS.
THEN HE CAME OUT AS GAY.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE,
THAT'S NOT OKAY, SINCE THEY WERE
LIKE, LITTLE, AND THAT'S WHEN
THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WELL, THIS IS
WHAT MY FAMILY TAUGHT ME SO I'M
NOT GOING TO BE NICE TO THEM,
I'M NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THEM.
>> REESE HAS BEEN ATTACKED,
VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
>> EVERY TIME YOU GO IN THE
HALLWAY, YOU GET SOME SORT OF
COMMENT OR JUST, LIKE, PEOPLE
MAKING FUN OF, LIKE, ME ONLINE.
>> HE KNOWS IF HE LIVED IN A
LARGER CITY, HE LIKELY WOULDN'T
BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE HIS
CLASSMATES HAD MET.
BUT HE IS.
SO HE'S SHOWING EVERYONE THAT
HE'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER
STUDENT, PLAYING SPORTS, JOINING
CLUBS, AND JUST BEING A KID.
>> I KIND OF PUT MYSELF OUT
THERE, GOT INVOLVED IN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT THINGS JUST SO THAT
I'M NOT -- I MEAN, I AM STILL
LOOKED AT AS THE GAY KID BUT I
TRY TO MAKE MYSELF MORE THAN
JUST THAT.
>> IT'S WORKING.
>> I GAINED SO MUCH MORE
CONFIDENCE, I REALLY JUST KIND
OF LIKE STOPPED -- FOR A WHILE
ACTING LIKE I DIDN'T CARE BUT
THEN I REALIZED I REALLY DON'T
CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
>> REESE JUST FINISHED HIS
FRESHMAN YEAR, SO HE HAS PLENTY
OF TIME TO PONDER HIS FUTURE.
BUT HE ALREADY KNOWS IT WON'T BE
IN BLACK RIVER FALLS.
>> DEFINITELY WANT TO LIVE IN A
BIG CITY FOR THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
I JUST THINK CITIES AT
NIGHTTIME, I'M A NIGHT OWL, I
THINK THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY AT
NIGHT.
>> REESE ISN'T ALONE.
PAIGE BLACKDEER WILL BE HEADING
TO U.W. MA MADISON IN THE FALL.
>> I KIND OF JUST ALWAYS KNEW
THAT I WASN'T GOING TO STAY
HERE.
LIKE, I JUST GOT MY ACCEPTANCE
LETTER FROM MADISON, GOING TO GO
TO MADISON IN THE FALL.
AND I DON'T REALLY PLAN ON
COMING BACK, LIKE, NO HATE TO
THE TOWN, BUT THIS IS NOT WHERE
I WANT TO BE FOR THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
>> LILLI WIRTZ WANTS TO STUDY
SCIENCE IN COLLEGE, AND DOESN'T
SEE HOW THAT CAN LEAD HER BACK
TO BLACK RIVER FALLS.
>> I THINK THAT THERE IS NOT A
TON OF OPPORTUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE LIKE A TECH COLLEGE BUT
WE DON'T HAVE LIKE ACTUAL
BUSINESSES THAT CAN, LIKE, HONE
ON SPECIFIC SKILLS.
>> EVEN JACOB WARD IS READY TO
EXPLORE A DIFFERENT PART OF THE
COUNTRY.
>> CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT OF
HERE, REALLY.
IT GETS -- IT'S A LOT OF FUN AND
EVERYTHING BUT I KIND OF WANT TO
MOVE ON.
I'VE BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR 12 YEARS
NOW AND KIND OF WANT TO GET ON
WITH LIFE, GET WORKING TYPE OF
THING LIKE THAT.
>> HAYLIE SCHMIDT HAS HAD THOSE
CONVERSATIONS WITH CLASSMATES.
>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A FEW KIDS
WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, I'M BIGGER
THAN THIS SMALL TOWN, I'M GOING
TO GO OUT OF HERE AND I'M LIKE,
YOU DO THAT BECAUSE I'M PROBABLY
NOT.
>> BUT SHE KNOWS THE CITY IS NOT
AS WELCOMING AS IT MAY SEEM.
>> THERE'S DEFINITELY KIDS THAT
WANT THAT ADVENTURE, I WOULD
CALL IT, AND I HONESTLY THINK IT
MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER
LIVED IN A BIGGER CITY.
LIKE, I'VE LIVED THERE, I'VE
DONE IT, I'M OVER IT.
ZOO I'M NOT GOISO I'M NOT GOING.
IF YOU WANT YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE
HERE, YOU'RE CLEELY NOT DOING
WHAT YOU NEED TO.
>> LILLI SAYS IF THE LOCALS WANT
RURAL COMMUNITIES TO GROW AND
FOR EVERYONE TO FEEL WELCOME,
THEY SHOULD LISTEN TO WHY THE
KIDS DON'T COME BACK.
>> A LOT OF THE ADULTS THAT LIVE
HERE HAVE LIVED HERE, LIKE, A
MAJORITY OF THEIR LIVES, AND I
THINK THAT'S TELLING BECAUSE
MOST OF THE KIDS COMING OUT OF
HERE GET AWAY AS FAST AS THEY
CAN.
>> REPORTING FROM BLACK RIVER
FALLS, I'M ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE
AND NOW."
>> NEXT WEEK, ZAC TALKS TO YOUNG
ADULTS ABOUT WHY THEY DECIDED TO
STAY IN BLACK RIVER FALLS, AND
WHAT LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM