STUDENTS TAKE PROBLEMS TO THE TABLE

Ten percent of all 15-year-olds in Marion County are gang members, according to the Marion County Metro Gang Task Force. Knights of the Roundtable, an Arlington High School group, is trying to lower that number.

"Initially, last year, we (Arlington High School) were having some gang problems, and we started with ex-gang members," said Bill Benford, the director of the program. "Howard Stevenson (a teacher) was the sponsor last year. It was his idea to redirect some of the negative energies in the school to more positive ventures."

The Knights come together to help each other deal with racial and social problems, such as conflicts with teachers. Learning to deal with problems is another goal of the program.

"If you can't solve your problems by yourself, then you always know it's OK to bring somebody else to help you, as long as they are gonna be a positive part of the solution," said Roger Jones, a 16-year-old member.

The group is open to all Arlington students.

"There is no age limit. . . . Anybody can come in the group that we feel is in a positive mode," said Benford, who also teaches at Arlington. "That's the only restriction. If you've got negativism, you're not gonna be in the group. As long as somebody is going to tell us something constructive _ that's the only criteria we have."

Moni Jones, another 16-year-old in the Knights, told us how the group's activities changed for him: "When I first came, it was only like a couple of people. They used to talk. At first, I thought it was kind of boring because I wasn't one of the ones talking.

"After you stay in it for a while and you start talking about stuff, you find that it's more than just coming to school and going to the meetings. . . . You can learn how to be an individual. . . . It teaches you how you can express and articulate what's on your mind. One of the main goals (of this program) is education and self-discipline."

Added Roger, "If you have an education, they can't take from you what you've learned, what's in your mind."

The members communicate on a different level than they would in school.

"I think it's changed the way I look at other people's opinions," said Moni. "Coming to the Knights, we have so many discussions. You can see other peoples' points of view and give other people a chance."

"There's other students that have a lot of respect for some of these young men," Benford told us. "They look up to them. . . . A lot of people think it is not cool to be smart. I think that's the major thing that we contribute here _ that some of these guys are very streetwise, but also, they're pretty intelligent."

"When the gangs or drugs or violence or something like that comes into a person's life, it doesn't come into their life by itself," Moni said. "It usually comes into their lives from the outside, from peer pressure. . . . When you're in a group like Knights of the Roundtable, then there's another group that's putting positive peer pressure on you."

"From my perspective, they (members) either change or they leave. If they can't deal with the type of peer pressure that we employ, they leave," said Benford.

"We have some young ladies in the group, too. . . . We get a female's perspective," said Moni.

"If . . . through the Knights, they can see this as a vehicle (to help them toward) graduation, I'd be more than grateful," said Benford.