It’s no secret that the majority of students at WHS are Democrats, but what outsiders may find shocking is that students with the unpopular opinion sometimes face intolerance and bullying.

Senior Arielle Antico, a vocal Mitt Romney supporter, reports that recently Romney bumper stickers on the back of her car were repeatedly peeled off four days in a row, and her car was keyed.

“It just crosses a line; there’s no need for it. Clearly we have different views, but that doesn’t mean one view’s right and the other is wrong,” Antico said. “You shouldn’t be discriminated against for your political views or affected by them.”

Junior Ally Toto, another Republican and Romney supporter, has also faced opposition at school because of her views, but she enjoys having the unpopular opinion because it allows her to have more interesting discussions with her classmates.

Toto believes that although some students are informed, most don’t regularly watch the news, but rather are influenced by their parents and classmates.

“I feel like everybody’s defensive of their own opinion, even if they don’t know a lot about why they have that opinion,” said Toto of her classmates’ arguments.

Unlike Antico, Toto has not been directly bullied because she is supports Romney, but she finds WHS students to be close-minded and argumentative when faced with different opinions.

“I try to avoid getting in heated discussions because they usually don’t end well. They can end up ruining relationships and ruining friendships,” said junior and adamant Democrat Josh O’Neil.

History teacher Erin Lehmann observes that in her election courses the majority of students are well-informed and respectful; however, there are a few exceptions.

“We’ve had some instances this fall where there have been some very heated discussions in my room,” said Lehmann. “I’ve been disappointed because in those instances, I feel that students lost the ability of being respectful, and lost the ability to be good listeners. Rather than listening to each other they just begin attacking one another.”

Lehmann continued to explain that these instances are caused by individuals in the class who aren’t keeping an open mind.

“They’re going on their own ideas and preconceived notions, and they’re just not willing to hear the other side. They’re not contributing anything to the class, they’re just stirring the pot, but they’re not adding value to the discussion,” Lehmann said.

But Lehmann tries her hardest to make students of all political views feel safe in her class.

“I do have my own personal political beliefs and views, and I know who I’m going to vote for, but I try very, very hard to never express my personal opinions on issues or candidates, and I try very, very hard to recognize when either presidential candidate is doing something that’s beneficial to their campaign, or they’re coming across strong in a debate,” said Lehmann.

With the election day here, tensions are high and students may have trouble curbing their enthusiasm. Where this energy crosses the line of bullying is unclear, but it’s evident that the hype of the 2012 election has left some students feeling ostracized.