[Riot!]

Well, it's already November and somehow my days have never felt longer, and the months have never shot by so quickly. I've also come to the realization that blogging is definitely not my future calling. Keeping this thing current has never felt like such a chore, and I can't decide if it's because I'm incredibly busy, or just really, really lazy. Either way, there was a semi-riot at Edison High School last week, and I thought it would be worthwhile to share the event with my massive following.

As I was walking to Algebra II, I noticed an abnormally large crowd of hooligans gathering outside of the library. Not really thinking (or even attempting to connect similar events from from my own high school years), I thought this large mob to simply be the result of a narrow hallway during passing periods (as opposed to an audience congregating to bear witness to the insanity that was actually about about to ensue). I entered my classroom--which just so happens to also be right across from the library--to a find all of the desks empty. Something was about to go down.

Before I knew it, approximately 300 students had flooded the halls. The swarm began undulating in all directions and the sound of knuckles to face and screaming could be heard through the walls. A trash can flew through the air as I flung my door open and began pulling in my students in one by one. Through the crowd I could see my assistant principal, her eyes wide as she grabbed her walkietalkie, "Call 9-1-1." (The she was showered by some grape juice.)

Within minutes, police officers armed with batons and tasers stormed the mob. It took nearly 15 minutes of pure chaos for the students to disperse, the culprits to walk away in handcuffs, and the remnants of garbage, juice and some stray backpacks to be swiped up . Needless to say, I didn't get through my lesson that day. Instead, the school instituted a lock-down until administrators were certain is was safe to change classes. 26 students were suspended, and later in the afternoon, 3 teens were shot at a McDonald's several blocks west in an "unrelated" incident at a neighboring high school.

Simply unreal.

Back to class, but still in the pursuit,

SM