[Brief] Fights break out at end of second lunch

Kate Becker, Senior News Editor

On Friday, Feb. 18 during B lunch, three female students began fighting outside of the cafeteria. According to videos circulating, Assistant Principal Jay Milmed broke the fight up quickly after. It is unknown if all three students were fighting, or if some of the students were trying to break up the fight.

“I only saw a bit of it, but there was Milmed who broke it up. Students stood on benches [and] tables to videotape it,” senior Matthew Garnecki, who witnessed the fight, said. “There was a grabbing headlock motion, but it wasn’t violent; however there were tons of people. People from the cafeteria and gazebo all gathered around to watch.”

Minutes later, two other students began fighting as well near the same area. Security broke this fight up according to additional videos.

In an effort to dismiss all students at lunch early and clear the crowded courtyard, administration rang the school bell four minutes early; normally the bell rings at 1:03 p.m., they rang the bell at 12:59 p.m. This frightened many students and teachers across campus who have A lunch and were in their classrooms during the incidents. Administration did not come over the intercoms to announce the early bell ring.

“Especially after there was no announcement, I feared the worst. That someone had rung the bell in hopes of getting the students out into the hallways,” sophomore Victoria Zaharis said. “Even when I saw other students walking about the hallways, I was still tentative to go out there.”

Then, the bell rang at 1:03 p.m. and the late bell at 1:09 p.m. as usual. In between these bells, the fire alarm also went off. Administration came onto the intercom to tell students and staff to disregard this alarm; the cause of the alarm is unknown.

Unrelatedly, rumors have circulated online that a student had a seizure due to the fight. However, this is untrue as the medical emergency happened roughly 10 minutes before both of the fights.