>> THANK YOU.
WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS IN WISCONSIN.
WHAT KINDS OF ISSUES ARE THEY
THINKING ABOUT HEADING INTO
THE MILLION DOLLAR TERM
ELECTIONS?
WE SPANNED OUT ACROSS THE
STATE IN LATE SEPTEMBER TO
FINDS OUT.
AS CAMPAIGNS ARE PUTTING FOCUS
ON CRIME AND GUN CONTROL, WE
FOUND THE SPECTER OF SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS WEIGHS ON STUDENTS'
MINDS AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR
DAY.
>> IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE
THINGS WHERE I THINK NOW JUST
IS.
AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU GO TO
SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S
A POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING
HAPPENING.
>> EVERY SINGLE DAY WE WALK IN
THE SCHOOL, THERE'S ALWAYS
THAT LITTLE PART IN YOUR MIND
THAT'S LIKE, IS TODAY GOING TO
BE THE DAY?
AM I GOING TO BE ON THE NEWS?
>> I HAVE, LIKE, SIBLINGS IN A
DIFFERENT SCHOOL.
AND IT'S NERVE-RACKING KNOWING
THAT PEOPLE WOULD PUT KIDS
THAT YOUNG IN HARM'S WAY.
AND IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY
MOMENT.
>> I THINK ABOUT THAT A LOT,
ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW
SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING
ON.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN GOING ON
FOREVER.
BUT, LIKE, IT'S -- I FEEL LIKE
IT'S BEEN MORE BROADCASTED,
ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS.
I'M LIKE ALWAYS THINKING LIKE,
OKAY, WHERE'S THE CLOSEST
EXIT?
>> THERE'S ALWAYS THAT LITTLE
THOUGHT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
THAT WHAT IF SOMETHING
HAPPENED AND WE HAD A SCARE
LIKE THAT LAST YEAR HERE, AND
MOST OF THE KIDS STAYED AWAY
FROM SCHOOL IN FEAR OF THE
FACT THAT THAT IGHT HAPPEN TO
US.
>> I KNOW HERE AND THERE WE'VE
TALKED -- SCHOOLS HAVE TALKED
ABOUT LIKE BIGGER SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK IT WAS ABOUT TWO
WEEKS AGO OR LAST WEEK THERE
WAS A THREAT ON THE SCHOOL AND
I ENDED UP STAYING HOME
BECAUSE I HONESTLY FEARED THAT
I -- IT COULD HAVE BEEN REAL.
>> SCHOOL SAFETY IS ESSENTIAL
TO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
YOU SHOULDN'T GO TO CLASS
FEARING FOR YOUR LIFE.
YOU SHOULDN'T.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
UNACCEPTABLE.
>> OUR THANKS TO THE PBS
WISCONSIN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
FOR THEIR HELP GATHERING THOSE
STUDENT INTERVIEWS.
THEY WERE CONDUCTED AT SCHOOLS
ACROSS THE STATE INCLUDING AT
TWO PBS NEWSHOUR STUDENT