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NMU students to protest during commencement

By Spc. Brandon Ames, Michigan Army National Guard (20130720-A-9219A-003) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Rick_Snyder_in_2013.jpg

Protests may be a part of Northern Michigan University’s May commencement, when Governor Rick Snyder is scheduled to speak.

NMU students circulated a petition when the administration first invited the governor. They said his failure to address the Flint water crisis was the primary reason he shouldn’t speak.

 

NMU senior Nathan Frischkorn is with the group Protest Snyder at Graduation. He says the governor is politically divisive, and commencement is supposed to be a celebration of student achievement.

 

“Most of us have spent at least four years working towards this day. We didn’t do that so we could have a debate about opposing viewpoints.” :08

 

Northern President Fritz Erickson says he respects the students’ right to protest, but the university must accommodate different opinions.

 

Graduation is May 5th in Marquette.