The partial government shutdown, which started Dec. 22, 2018, is the longest government shutdown in U.S. history as of Saturday, Jan. 12.

The shutdown is in response to President Donald Trump’s demand for a $5.7 billion proposed border wall budget and the Senate and House Democrats, who say they will not provide funds for the wall. Trump’s first prime time Oval Office address and an opposition speech by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday, Jan 8 clarified the positions of both parties. Students’ opinions on the shutdown and border wall vary.

Freshman Tanner Owen said he thinks the shutdown is the largest game of chicken ever played.

“The Democrats, Schumer and Pelosi, have drawn their line in the sand, and Trump has also done so,” Owen said. “Trump said this shutdown could go on for as long as it needs to get his wall, so I think it’s just going to be who gives up first. I am honestly willing to give the Democrats DACA or illegals asylum just to get the wall. We need it, and I think it’s becoming a humanitarian crisis.”

Sophomore Rilee Barnes said the wall could be funded easily and is necessary because it will prevent violence.

“Donald Trump and the Republican Party want this wall because it will protect us,” Barnes said. “You look at the police officer who was killed on Christmas Day by the illegal immigrant in California, that’s a very big reason why the wall should be built. It’s as simple as paying $5 billion, and we have more than enough money for it. The border is a big problem.”

However, sophomore Aubrey Short said the government should utilize $5 billion toward more productive things.

“I think we have made border security a top issue in our country,” Short said. “We shouldn’t build the wall. I think we should find another way to fix the border problem. Instead of trying to keep all of these people out, we should try to help Mexico fix the problem. It is definitely a problem, but it is not our biggest problem.”

Junior Kendall Koontz said he sees a need for a border wall and security and the wall will be built regardless of the outcome of the shutdown.

“I think President Trump will declare a national emergency,” Koontz said. “In south Texas, there is a steel fence, and it does a good job of protecting people on the U.S. side and keeping people out from the Mexican side, but we need more. If we don’t have border security, we don’t have sovereignty. And without sovereignty, we don’t have a nation.”

Junior Erin Bell said the wall isn’t a solution to the bigger problems taking place on the border.

“When you think of problems on a border, you think of human trafficking, drug trafficking and illegal immigrants.” Bell said. “By building a wall, you don’t really fix any of that, and you just spend a lot of money. That money doesn’t come from Mexico or Trump–it comes from us. I wouldn’t want to spend that much money on a project that wouldn’t be a solution. I would like the shutdown to end with a compromise with the Democrats giving more funding to border security and for Trump to admit this isn’t the most efficient way to address our immigrant problem with Mexico.”