Features
Just a walkie-talkie call away
When fights breakout in the hallways, hall monitors rush to the scenes quickly as they can to break them up, risking a few punches in the process. Dean of students Jeff Panek says that not many fights come his way because of the vicinity he’s in at lunch.
“The teachers have to supervise once a week before or after school,” Panek said.
The teachers usually supervise during passing by standing outside of their rooms and watching students go by. At lunch there are other adults supervising like Panek, so that teachers can eat or help students.
“We hope we get people who care about the kids and school,” Panek said.
Hall monitor Andrew Douglas got hit breaking up a fight in the gym at lunch and had to get stitches. Panek says that Douglas has been hit a couple of times.
“No, Mr. Douglas got hit a couple of times,” Panek said.
Douglas has broken up three or four fights this year. In one of those fights he got punched and had to get stitches. Douglas has had some training before and during this job. He got training at The Crisis Prevention and Intervention.
“Yea, I’m a certified behavior disorder teacher,” Douglas said.
Douglas has been doing this job for nine years and was trained in non violent ways so he can restrain people peacefully. He usually supervises in the gym during lunch and in front of the school during passing to make sure people don’t get into the school that aren’t supposed to.
“First thing to do is get on the radio and announce a fight is coming,” Douglas said.
Douglas gets to know students while he supervises. This helps him so student trust him if they get into a fight. Douglas is the guy to call if there is a problem or a fight.
“I’m an interventionist, kind of a super hall monitor,” Douglas said.
Senior Nino Uzzo saw a fight last year somewhere around spring time.
“Two groups were fighting and the police came and tried to stop them and they wouldn’t stop and the police mace them in the eye,” Uzzo said.
As Uzzo was waiting for the bus he saw the fight break out in front of the school and saw most of it. Uzzo says that the fight wasn’t very long until the police arrived.
“I just saw them get cuffed and dragged them into the school,” Uzzo said.