About 60 NIU students and DeKalb residents attended an NIU College Democrats-sponsored anti-Bush rally in King Memorial Commons Wednesday.

Speakers at the rally included Jenny Browe, a junior fine arts major who came up with the idea; U.S. Congress Democratic candidate John Laesch; Kevin Malone of the NIU College Democrats; history professor Paul Street; Mike FitzGerald, Java 101 owner; a Hurricane Katrina refugee and others.

A large banner reading, “Stop the Iraq War,” lay on the ground throughout the rally. Two people dressed in orange jump-suits with leashes around their necks to symbolize prisoners from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Some accidentally discover rally

The College Democrats started planning the event last week, said Lindsey Stouffer, a freshman political science major. Browe came to the group in hopes of holding a rally and having Congressional Democratic candidate Laesch speak to students.

“I think it’s pretty clear our country is heading into the wrong direction,” Laesch said. “The decisions being made in Washington today will affect the people attending NIU now.”

Donald Shields, a junior engineering technology major who found out about the rally from a flier, decided to show his support.

“Bush uses his friends as political tools to get what he needs done, not in the best interest [of America],” Shields said.

Shields also said it seems like most of Bush’s policies are more or less cloudy.

“I would like to know what’s going on more,” he said.

Jayne Crosby, a first-year student at large, found the rally by accident, but decided to join when she heard the speakers talking about anti-Bush sentiments – sentiments that hit close to home for the self-proclaimed Democrat.

“[Bush] talks about being a Christian, but he ignores all the parts in the Bible about turning the other cheek and helping the poor,” Crosby said.

Mix of political parties present

The rally saw Republicans and Socialists as well.

Senior finance major Jeremy Lorenz, who identified himself as Republican, attended the rally with two other Republican friends.

“This is as far as they are going to make it,” Lorenz said. “All Democrats do is protest.”

He had a strong opinion on choosing political parties and why.

“When you’re young, you’re usually a Democrat,” Lorenz said. “As you grow older, you become more Republican.”

Apathetic views not encouraged

Jim Luebke, a DeKalb resident who works in manufacturing, said he thinks today’s youth is too apathetic when it comes to politics.

“Kids need to get off the couch and pay attention,” he said. “You lose democracy by apathy. Just look at what happened in Germany.”

Crosby was disappointed with the turnout at the rally.

“There should be many, many more people here,” she said. “This is a pretty sad turnout for something so important.”