By News/Copy Editor, Elizabeth Kim
Walking the empty halls of a post-fight campus, not much seems to have changed: pigeons feed on the usual scraps of food littered on the floor from snack, a handful of students wander the halls on an “extended restroom pass” as one teacher calls it, familiar silent sounds of learning echo from open classroom doors.

Physically, no one would guess that just the day before, crowds of cheering fans gathered to gawk at the latest “gladiatorial spectacle” – a la Principal Kevin Welsh, administration and other faculty members were glowing red with rage trying to disperse students, police cars piled in to establish order.
But there is one place the rumored “riot” remains alive with heat: among students.
“Who doesn’t like drama?” said ASB adviser Nareg Keshishian.
Students on campus are jittery with the post-fight buzz, clamoring about the police, the administration, the “other” students – and the infamous “respect” factor.
“Respect is internal,” said Welsh in a special morning-after address to students and staff alike. “I cannot stand the whole ‘I’ll respect you if you respect me’ [idea],” he said,” picking up trash by the quad while casually greeting students.
Some believe there is no racial issue on campus to tie in with respect.
Recalling his teaching days in Brooklyn and at an Armenian school, Keshishian asserted that fights broke out among students belonging to the same racial or ethnic groups.
Respect in an ethnic group “reflects on culture, religion, music, history,” said Keshishian. “For them, it’s a gang.”
Assistant Principal Hagop Eulmessekian echoed similar thoughts. “[The fight] was about students acting on basic teenage instinct, who don’t know how to control themselves and back down.”
Fairly new on campus, Eulmessekian was surprised by the fight to a degree. “I did not expect that the caliber of students we have here would [result in this]. That was definitely surprising.”
This may be due to the fact that the collective academic caliber of students who become embroiled in such conflicts sends a message.
“In every school I’ve ever worked at, 80 percent or more of the students who get into fights are failing two or more of their classes,” said Keshishian. This “creates frustration. Students [have] anger from all different [sources] and they bring it to campus.”
An increased number of intervention classes to help boost students’ skill levels in certain disciplines and the combined effort of teachers and the administration working to help students achieve academic success are positive solutions to campus altercations that are going on right now, said Keshishian. Also, “the fight should have been nipped faster at the bud. When the episode lingered, it became bigger than it should have been. We need to take away the show.” The crowd of students “absolutely” catalyzed the effect, dramatizing the whole scenario. “There would be less fights if people didn’t watch.”
There is no correlation between the district’s expectations regarding the number of suspensions and what happened on campus, assured Welsh. “Absolutely not. If we find students [doing certain things], they will receive the consequences.” There are no limits for suspensions in that respect, he said.
“I think it’s embarrassing that as a student [body], we weren’t able to handle the situation with more maturity,” said ASB President Sandra Cordero.
ASB is discussing ways to boost campus spirit and to emphasize the positive aspects of school, which include various programs, many clubs and the achievements of sports teams. Also, a productive meeting was held with parents and administration to discuss the matter.
Regarding non-Hoover students on campus, Campus Armed Guard Robert Khachatryan says that students would not have been able to slip through in the middle of the day, because everyone who enters the campus “must sign up” as a visitor. Khachatryan guards the main entrance door in the attendance office.
Security officers, administrators and many students believe that though the situation could have been handled better, the police helped.
“The police [were] helpful,” said Armen Asaduryan (’08). “I was watching.” It was a matter of miscommunication, he said. “What we need is communication. We need to resolve these issues, because everybody is more alike than they know.” Asaduryan felt that the atmosphere was “hostile” after the fight.
If not for the police, “people would’ve seriously gotten hurt,” agreed Stephanie Rodriguez (’06). “But there’s still tension. And regardless of the cops, students [will do what they want].”
She also agrees with Welsh that it was not a riot. “In riots, there are gunshots, police with gas bombs, rubber bullets – it’s violent. This was immature violence. Not a riot.” Because of this, Rodriguez also asks that the police “not give attitude. Treat us like human beings. Don’t look at us like we’re criminals.”