About eighty students at Eastern Michigan University walked out of class Thursday morning to protest budget cuts on campus.
A student leader walks through the hallway of the Pray-Harrold building on campus reminding students about the walkout. Students want the university to put a stop to staff layoffs and bring back four sports programs they eliminated last week to save 2.4 million dollars.
Student-athlete Tanner Smith walked out of class after his wrestling team was eliminated.
“And we are not going to let the school kind of bully us like in the way that they have. With like doing all these cuts without us knowing or having any warning of.”
Student Chris Poland says he's not completely surprised that more students didn't walk out of class.
“A lot of people are either A, afraid or B, don’t necessarily care or understand the issue. And I can’t say I blame those people…I’m coming from a place where my sport is being cut.”
Ethan Smith took part in the walkout.
“The biggest issues is that they didn’t talk to us. We know that cuts might be necessary just because how higher education is going overall, but these cuts did not have to happen and there are specifically cuts that hurt vulnerable students the most and protect the administration completely.”
After walking out of class, students gathered outside the administration building on campus to voice their concerns.