Violence at School: Riots

Samoana erupted in violence this morning, as riots between students of different villages broke put. 

Tensions have been growing between the students of Fagatogo and Pago Pago. Cherry bombs have been thrown a few times each day this week, and yesterday the 2 rival villages met at the market to duke it out. When all was said and done many kids were beat up, a cop was hurt by one of the bombs, a police car was smashed, and 30 kids ended up at the police station. This morning the riots began again. Just before 8 am the yells of kids filled campus. The Pago kids and the Fagatogo kids each met at opposite sides of campus and yelled as they rushed towards each other to fight - much like in ancient times. For about 20 minutes fight after fight occurred. Neither the police nor the staff could totally control it. Kids had pipes, 2 x 4s, and the works. All this was joined by the sounds of cherry bomb after cherry bomb. Finally the cops and the teachers were able to get everyone into the gym, but it started up again. It essentially became a cage fight. Once all the commotion settle down and the biggest trouble makers were arrested, all the kids were forced to be seating in the gym. Village matai (chiefs) showed up as well as concerned parents, and they gave a stern talking to the students. 

Rumors are that the fights will only continue to get bigger and worse. More are planed for lunch time and after school. It's a bit scary when no one feels completely safe in school. 

After the riots ended, the school day continued on. Instead of our planned lesson, I asked my students to reflect on the day's events and consider and write about few things: 1) What is happening between the students? 2) What are the disadvantages to fighting with fists? 3) What could a possible solution to this problem be?

I was worried that all students felt fighting was their only solution to conflict resolution but I was excited to read that not all students believe in the cultural fighting. Here are direct excerpts from the students’ responses (most are from my most advanced kids): 

“...the way I see it looks more like war. Thats the way I see it and the way it looks like. I heard a fight yesterday between Fagatogo and Pagopago during lunch time. After lunch time Fagatogo and Pagopago told eachother to meet at the market. 3:00 pm all of the Pagopago kids were waiting at the market. Then when Fagatogo kids arrived thats when this war or nonsense thing happened. That’s why the road was blocked yesterday from the mall house all the way to the McDonalds. Then that fight ended yesterday. Yesterday’s fight was very dangerous someone could of died. Because Fagatogo kids through rocks and beer bottle’s at Pagopago kids. So they came today an start it all over again. Yesterday was boys fight, but today all of them went in boys and girls. So I explained most of it and the way I explained sounds like war. 

To me there are so many disadvantage of fighting. 1- someone might get in serious injury. Another disadvantage is you dont know if the person your fighting with is your cousin. I meant members of your family. Then both of you might get in serious trouble by your family.”

“Fighting in school is prohibited, but yet students still fight. Violence doesn’t solve anything, yes it will give you power, but it still doesn’t solve the problem. People will fight for control, pride, power, village, & anything that’s not worth fighting. For example today, todays incident was an incident that I will remember during my high school days. It affects everybody of Samoana High and the parents, especially the principal. Only 5% of the students that started this chaos, but all of us were affected by it.”

“Samoana is divided, corrupted by the Samoana students themselves. That’s whats happening, and how are they doing it? Its by fighting with one another by using anything they have to hurt each other and as always no one is doing anything about it. ...the students are not going to change anything because they have nothing to lose. ....What’s up with Samoana? What has happened to Samoana? 

...Our school is fighting and its not something good to have in a school. Unless its something good then its just useless to fight for no reason because you could waste your energy. I don’t know why fighting is a reason, is punishing a person feel good? Fighting is bad period.”

“Today, in the morning, our Samoana High School had a big fight...You could hear the screams of the people as they watch. ....Right now is like everybody is against eachother in this school. It like a war between different people with different background.. I saw that it took alot of police to control this fight. ...But the stupid part of the fight is that it was Samoana against eachother, family against family, and classmates against eachother.

When watching everything that happen, my friend and I was scared from watching the experience from outside the window. We got scared, that we wanted to transfer to a different school. The disadvantage from what happen is that you’ll get nothing out of it. You’ll just get hurt and go to jail. Also it’s like throwing your life away with every punch, kick, hit you throw at a person. Another one is that your disgracing for families name and where you come from. Fighting really causes more problems than fixing them. Fighting actually cuts the wound deeper and deeper then healing it. ...Don’t do stupid things and just cause more problem. Just do things that make yourself happy. Also control the anger or monster inside yourself. Don’t let anger get control of your mind, heart, and soul. Don’t try to prove that your better than the other person because that will make you become the stupid person if your trying to prove something that has no reason or cause.”

“What’s happening in this school right now is chaos. Like about 40% of the school right now is causing all of the chao’s right now. The other 60% is trying there best to try and hold it down. But it seem’s like everyday, it get’s worse. All because of villages. Honestly I’ll just say it’s all STUPID!!! I mean if they want to fight why not just use pencils. Fighting with fists just prove’s that their pencil doesn’t have an eye. It’s totally useless. The school is a beautiful place, all that messing it up is the kids. Fighting just leads to chao’s.

Fighting, violence, aggressive, all those things can ruin your life.”

“I think this is a good school for education but it’s not safe.

The fighting is going to be hard to stop because the two villages that are fighting is big and very violence. I am also worry that someone might get killed. The kids need a big lesson...

...I ams so sorry for them who got hurt for no reason. I almost got hit by a rock this morning. I thank God for protecting me this morning.”

“We all wanna be tough but sometimes losing can cause you pain. But today was so violence because people, teachers, staffs member, and even cops can’t even handle a single thing.”

“Well there were many kids were fighting today like monkey. But if you want to fight then fight with your mind. We are Samoana student!”