GRANT HIGH FORGES A TREATY OF UNITY.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Staff Writer Hoping to quell quell tr.v. quelled, quell·ing, quells 1. To put down forcibly; suppress: Police quelled the riot. 2. a long-standing feud feud, formalized private warfare, especially between family groups. The blood feud (see vendetta) is characteristic of those societies in which central government either has not arisen or has decayed. between Latino and Armenian students at Grant High School, teens have crafted a peace accord that aims to defuse de·fuse tr.v. de·fused, de·fus·ing, de·fus·es 1. To remove the fuse from (an explosive device). 2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: tensions and build harmony among all students on the ethnically diverse campus. ``The treaty represents our hopes and faith for peace,'' Principal Joe Walker said Thursday.``The cooperative agreement is symbolic of a spirit that we want at Grant High School.'' In late October, long-simmering tension between Latino and Armenian students at the 3,700-student campus exploded into violence that left several students injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. and brought police in riot gear riot gear n → uniforme m antidisturbios inv riot gear n in riot gear → casqué et portant un bouclier riot gear n . The five-point agreement, which was created with help from a community outreach program of the U.S. Department of Justice, urges teens to talk out their differences, prevent individual disputes from spreading throughout the campus and calls for student leaders to meet once a month to discuss the effectiveness of the accord. Still in draft form, the document will go into effect in mid-January when students return from winter break and will be posted throughout the campus in hallways and classrooms for all students to see. ``I see it as rules for people to follow,'' said Enrique Gomez, 18, a peer mediator who worked on the document. Administrators said the agreement is key in the school's ongoing efforts to provide a safe campus for all students. Grant already offers an array of programs that seek to imbue im·bue tr.v. im·bued, im·bu·ing, im·bues 1. To inspire or influence thoroughly; pervade: work imbued with the revolutionary spirit. See Synonyms at charge. 2. students with communication skills and an appreciation of multiculturalism and diversity. ``Agreements like this will help all students to feel that they can contribute and be responsible,'' Assistant Principal Mel Rosen said. ``In the past, there have been verbal understandings (between students). But this solidifies the cooperation and we think it will be beneficial to all students.'' Indeed, the peace accord is designed to dissolve conflicts between all students - not just those of Armenian and Latino heritage. ``This agreement doesn't speak to Armenian or Hispanic students,'' Walker said. ``This treaty is for all students in the school.'' Tarik Smith, an English teacher who oversees the school's peer mediation program, said the agreement is a pledge to create a safer campus. ``It's a physical testament to promoting goodwill and mutual respect between different groups,'' Smith said. Students familiar with the document said they hope it produces positive changes on campus but realize greater efforts are needed to bring about long-lasting peace. To that end, peer mediators and advisers from the district's Youth Relations and Crime Prevention office organized a softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' game on campus last weekend that drew about 25 to 30 students of various races and ethnicities. Students said such extracurricular activities are helping to melt barriers between teens of different races and ethniticies. ``We're friends right now,'' said Arutyan Avakov, 16, an Armenian student referring to his Latino classmates Classmates can refer to either:
The school also has been visited by representatives of the city and county human relations human relations npl → relaciones fpl humanas commissions and the district's Intergroup in·ter·group adj. Being or occurring between two or more social groups: intergroup relations; intergroup violence. Relations Office. But students said they realize the only hope for peace rests with them. ``We gave them some trust and we're getting it right back,'' Gomez said. |
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