Huddled around a laptop screen at the Good Samaritan Community Center, the men recalled how they were born into the gang life in a West Side neighborhood known as El Ghost Town.
They talked about gang members killed before their 18th birthday. They talked about teens who grew old behind prison bars. And they talked about escaping that violent life and returning to their former turf to help those in need.
Seventh- and eighth-graders from Adrian Middle School stepped up to a laptop and via Skype questioned Juan Guajardo, Luz “Louie” Gallardo and Francisco “Pancho” Garcia about their years in West Side gangs.
This is the third year that the group, the Ghost Town Survivors, has taken part in the digital classroom project that coincides with the students reading “The Outsiders,” a novel about two youth gangs in Oklahoma, by S.E. Hinton.
“We had some kids that tried to go the negative route and we were trying to do something positive,” said Tina Ramirez, a para professional at the school. “Hopefully, we’re trying to encourage them not to go that route. This has been great for them to hear it from people who have been in gangs.”
Two years ago, Ramirez, sister of Leonardo “Lalo” Mendez, a member of the group, read a newspaper report about how the men left the gang life behind. She recruited fellow teachers to set up a digital question and answer session with the students.
Garcia, a member of the Detroit gang, said they followed an unwritten rule not to mess with seniors, women and children. Gallardo, 69, said he was drawn in to protect his younger brothers. Guajardo said for many,there were only two ways out — jail or death.
“We were gang members because of circumstances,” said Garcia, 69.
The men, all Vietnam veterans, stressed how military discipline, maturity and joining political action groups helped them move on with their lives.
“I’m still here,” Guajardo, 67, said. “And now it’s time to give back.”
For the past three years, they’ve come back to their old community to give Christmas gifts to those in need and sponsor monthly food drives for seniors.
“It was an awesome opportunity to hear about focusing on better things and positive activities,” teacher Cam DiPietro said. “It gives them insight first hand, and not just from a book.”
Instructional coach Ann Smart said today’s technology allows educators to take students beyond classroom walls.
“At this age, they may not realize how cool it is,” said Smart, who posted photos of the event on Facebook and Twitter. “But later, to look back to say they had this discussion is pretty cool.”
The students' questions covered a range of topics from gang wars to ways to get out of a gang.
Seventh-grader Susan Tan saw parallels from the men’s experiences and the book, such as how they protected one another and how walking the streets could be dangerous. But the thing Susan said she took away from the session was to stay away from gangs.
Gallardo said that’s what they wanted to hear.
“You have to think about the future,” he said. “In the gangs, you never know what you’ll get involved with.”
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