Simon Rockwell

El Roble. That singular name triggers an entire string of memories. Some are undoubtedly good, whether it is playing sports, almost no homework, or the variety of food stations provided at lunch. At the same time, most CHS students have tried to black out their past experiences; COVID-19 helped current sophomores, juniors, and seniors with one less year or gave them Pandemic Brain, so they do not remember anything anyway. No matter your personal experience, it is generally well-known that El Roble is the school that breaks baby-faced, just-graduated sixth graders. Now, that is more true than ever.
May 23, 2023, was the day that one final fight sparked an entire change in campus procedures. As students and administrators know now, there was a preplanned attack on a student who was shoved and punched multiple times, placed in a headlock and ended up on the ground. All of this occurred with no administrator present, students screaming “DAMN!” and filming the entire event. To top it all off, one student was seen dancing after the fight was broken up. Most students who went to El Roble would think of this as a usual Friday — and that is the issue.
In the last decade, nothing has changed from fight club, to students getting thrown out of Blaze, and even to students playing Rock, Paper, Scissors while chanting “fight, fight, fight” to mess with proctors. The difference with this fight was that a lawsuit was filed on September 11, 2023, against Claremont Unified School District on behalf of the student who was attacked. The family argues that El Roble knew about the fight, the aggressor’s history, and El Roble’s general ignorance towards bullying complaints. Due to the fight and other bullying experiences, the student decided to leave El Roble as he no longer felt it was a safe place to be.
Not all changes at El Roble this year can be blamed on the lawsuit or the fight, instead, due to the school’s reputation. Tessa Peng, an eighth grader at El Roble, is one of many students in the class of 2028 experiencing the new change in command.
“They added so many more teachers and supervisors […]. Whenever we walk the halls, even while going to the restroom, they are always interrogating us,” Peng said. “They [ask] ‘What class are you coming from?’ and ask to see our lanyards.”
The lanyards being referred to by Peng include their name and a barcode identifying the student, a requirement for all El Roble students to carry at all times. Other interviewed students backed this up as well, even adding that the bathrooms are locked a majority of the time and that students are not able to use them.
The most notable changes at El Roble are all in an effort to maximize the visibility of students to administration, staff, and proctors. Students said that they are not allowed on campus until ten minutes before the first period and that they have restricted areas to eat lunch. Phones are also never allowed to be out, even at lunch, because students used them to film fights and post them online. While this may sound like an easy solution, it has increased the stress in some students’ lives.
An eighth grader at El Roble, who requested to stay anonymous, has concerns about the cell phone policy. “In an emergency, I cannot get text messages from my family or send text messages,” the student said.
In a time in our country where students are more stressed than ever about safety at school, not being able to contact family is not a needed additional stress. Students at CHS are given a more relaxed freedom with using their phones, as teachers understand that students are all going through their own struggles.
There is also a new policy at El Roble where classroom doors get locked after the bell rings and students are locked out, which has also increased anxiety levels. If they are late, students must go to the main office to be let into their classes and will receive lunch detention.
These new policies have been implemented by the current interim principal, Lori Thompson, who is trying to reduce harmful incidents. Students have agreed that the changes have had the desired effect, with fewer fights before, during, and after school. However, the new changes seem to have created a more hostile environment for students, both old and new.
“I liked last year more because it was kind of fun,” Peng said. “I am excited to leave because one thing that has been frustrating is not being able to take photos with my friends.”
All of the students asked said they preferred last year over this year, as they had more freedom, which contributed to a more enjoyable environment. These changes have caused El Roble students to be more excited than ever to come to Claremont High School, where there is a balance of social life and safety.