About 25 Pierz students attend St. Cloud rally

There was no nodding off in Pierz Healy High School's first hour government class Thursday.

A group of about 20 to 25 seniors saw President George Bush at a campaign stop at St. Cloud State University's Dick Putz Field.

Wade Mortenson, a student teacher at Healy, who is a Pillager resident and a Brainerd High School graduate, said the students were excited and didn't mind waiting in line for security checks before the president's arrival.

"One (student) ... got close and touched his arm," Mortenson said. "They thought it was pretty cool to see a president."

Mortenson and another student teacher, Amanda Carrey, are assisting Healy social studies teachers Wally Brown and Dean Dahmen. The student teachers are incorporating information about the 2004 campaign into their lessons. On the trip to St. Cloud the four teachers were accompanied by Gary Dahl, dean of students, and counselor Judy Meierhofer, who made many of the arrangements for the trip.

Mortenson said a couple of his Pierz students made pro-Bush T-shirts. The class included four foreign exchange students who also were excited to see a sitting president.

The campaign rally attracted a few of the president's detractors, Mortenson said.

"They expected to see more protesting," he said.

MIKE O'ROURKE can be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.