With Principal Lee Jones standing at one door and Assistant Principal Keith Johnson at another, the big Walk Out Against ICE was thwarted when students began showing up around 1:15 to start the walkouts.

Or was it?

More than two dozen students actually made it outside before the administration blockade, and did the walk anyway, strolling the assigned route and chanting.

“Our campus team is committed to providing a safe learning environment for each and every student,” Jones said. “As a district we fully respect the constitutional rights of our students to freedom of speech and expression. At the same time, instruction and student safety must remain the priorities during the school day.”

Students were expected to remain in class and follow campus procedures, and that any student who didn’t, would be disciplined in accordance with the student code of conduct.

While Bowie has in the past been allowed to walkout in various protests over the years, the political climate is different. Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned that any district allowing schools to walk out would lose state funding.

• “Any student who does not follow the rules or leaves campus will be disciplined in accordance with the student code of conduct,” Jones said.

What did Bowie students think of the walkout in general? Here are some comments. For, against, and “I don’t care.”

Taejah Talley, 11

• “I think walking out is effective because since young people have no say into voting and government issues until we come of age, this is a chance for us to say and express what we believe in. We do have a say on what is right and wrong in this country. I also believe that it is for the greater good in our country’s future choices and this is the first start to change for our broken country.”

Mason Nichols, 11

• “I don’t see the problem with students walking out in protest. I feel it’s good that the students are expressing themselves in a peaceful protest for a good cause.”

Natalie Miranda, 10

• ”I think students walking out in protest of the government’s immigration crackdown should show how serious this is. Students should walk out. These deportations affect everyone and teenagers protesting because of it should let the adults know we are taking this seriously and take it to heart. This is our First Amendment right and we should be able to speak freely.”

Thu Tran, 10

• “I don’t really care for the walkout. Whether they do it or not, but if they do, I will walk out and go home or walk with my friends for a bit for fun, then go home. If they don’t do it, I don’t care, either. I will just stay like a normal day.”

Zariah Qualls, 10

• “I think students should walk out because it shows how even teenagers won’t stand for such actions due to ICE”

Bryce Rollins, 10

• “I wouldn’t walk out. It has nothing to do with me, no disrespect to anyone.”

William Cormier, 11

• “We shouldn’t walk out because most of the people walk out just to get out of class. They don’t really care about a protest.”

Durron Purchas, 11

• “Yes, walk out. I think it shows we care about one another.”

Laveonna Burke, 10

• “We should always be allowed to walk out if we find something wrong in this country.”

Melody Nguyen, 10

• “The students who walk out of class to protest about the government’s immigration crackdown should stay in class. I find that half of the students who walk out are just getting out of class and not bringing attention to the problem. Even those who are trying to bring attention, how could a walkout help anything? To make a change is to start inside the school, not walking onto the roads. Also, the protest seems to be a “trend,” with people posting about it to get some likes.”

Kirsten Collins, 11

• “Ice has mistreated, separated, and violently handled people. So, as students, taking this into our own hands or trying to make a difference shouldn’t be an issue or something that people or adults should get in the way of.”

Angelica DeLaCruz, 11

• “I believe we should walk out because we need to use our voices to be heard. We are all human beings and don’t deserve to be ripped away from our families and be caged like animals. They say they want to deport criminals but they detain children.”

Ariana Bobadilla, 12

• “People were saying to walk out but not during school. It’s even better during school because that way, more attention is brought to it.”