Fun and Gangs
Don’t mix blue and red An in-depth look into the Sureno and Norteno gang conflict by Aryn Fields,
A&E Editor
*The names have been changed. Everyone knows the Bloods, the Crypts, and the KKK. However a more local gang conflict looms over PRHS: the Surenos, who affiliate with the South, and the Nortenos, who affiliate with the North. Paso Robles lies in Sureno territory; so when one student started claiming Norteno, it stirred up some trouble. The faculty is aware Sureno colors are blue and Norteno colors are red. When counselor Xelina Rojas drove to PRHS in early October and saw two boys flying Norteno colors, she knew that something was going to happen that day. “I saw two boys with red shirts, red caps, and red tennis shoes. Later that day I heard those boys were Norteno affiliated and they came onto campus to intimidate students wearing blue which is the opposing gang Sureno’s color,” Rojas said. After this incident the Norteno and Sureno conflict only began to grow. The recent gang activity was reportedly caused by a transferred student who’s a known Norteno [Kent]. The student showed up the first day of school flying the northern gang colors and when a Sureno student [Andre] approached him, their two friends got involved. Two of them were claiming Norteno and the other two claiming Sureno according to head of discipline Ed Brown. Before a fight could ensue Brown came onto the scene and removed all four students. Throughout the week of Oct 5-8 Kent and Andre kept trying to fight. But Brown was always one step ahead. “No fights occurred; it was the two boys coming at each other from different angles. But I got to them every time before a fight started,” Brown said. “ The kid claimed Norteno but there’s no way he was a real gang member, but if a real one came onto campus that would cause some serious trouble. Once we had a couple of real Norteno kids come onto campus and beat up a Sureno student.” Members of a gang or even students, who affiliate with a known gang, keep quiet, according to Brown. Some students on campus are involved or claim to be a part of a gang. What happened between Kent and Andre into the light brought the Norteno and Sureno affiliates. “I was wearing red and the other kid wanted to fight because I was wearing Norteno colors. He was claiming Sureno, but I was friends with all of his friends so he knew that I wasn’t really in Norteno,” Kent said. “But he kept saying ‘Do you want to go? I’ll mess you up!’ so I started yelling at him but then Brown came and pulled away one of the kids claiming Sureno. Then I was in his office and started cussing him out. I got suspended.” However, Andre recalls the opposite happening. He reported that Kent was claiming San Jose and the North territories, and that Kent started the conflict over his blue shirt. Both student pins the blame on the rivaling gang; the only matching part to
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I saw two boys with red shirts, red caps, and red tennis shoes. Later that day I heard those boys were Norteno affiliated and they came onto campus to intimidate students wearing blue which is the opposing gang Sureno’s color.” each of their testimonies is that Brown pulled a student out of the ensuing fight. Even though the students weren’t real Nortenos and Surenos it doesn’t belittle the fact that gang members do attend PRHS. Being a member in a gang is not only dangerous to others—but to each member of the gang, according to Brown. “Once you’re in the gang, they do what’s called ‘jumping in.’ Most students here have never been ‘jumped in’. But some students here have definitely been ‘jumped in.’ Being jumped in is when the whole gang beats the snot out of you to test if you’re tough,” said Brown. “And if a kid realizes he doesn’t want to be in a gang, then you have to be ‘jumped out.’ That’s where it gets seriously dangerous; some times kids are beaten to death when they ‘jump out.’” The Sureno and Norteno student both agreed this problem is now long behind them and that the “gang activity” at PRHS will be put to an end—at least for awhile. Rojas and Brown are committed to making sure gang activity and bullying in general is put to a stop at PRHS. Rojas is currently in collaboration with YWAP and Peer Communications to create another Week of Welcome that occurred three years ago. Also the clubs are trying to create a “challenge day” to bring the campus closer together. But whether or not challenge day will happen is still up in the air, according to the YWAP president. Now that the most current Norteno and Sureno issue was put to rest, the Students Against Violence [SAVE] club are focusing on putting all school bullying to rest.
November 12 Paso Robles High School
Crimson 11.10.10 |
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