Influences—Positive vs. Negative

At the end of my first week here, a former Wingfield student (dropped out in May) killed himself playing Russian Roulette. I was talking to a student a few days later, and she told me they all knew him, and that another one of her friends got shot in the head the same weekend. Today, I found a small bag of marijuana on the floor during the middle of class. I’ve been thinking about all of this lately and this is what I realized:
It’s all about influences. We can either influence students positively or negatively, but they will be influenced. I was visiting Jim Hill High after school the other day, and I saw some Sigma Betas. Sigma Beta Club is a high school brotherhood that my fraternity (Phi Beta Sigma) sponsors. I thought to myself, “Why not use organizations like these to create a positive influence?” Anyway, Sigma Beta is set up to inspire young men ages 6-18 to be productive, and to go to college. I read the other day that such organizations are banned in JPS ( I’m not sure if this group had found a way around the rules).
I think high school fraternities/sororities are exactly what JPS needs. If watched carefully (to prevent hazing and gang-style problems), these clubs would lead young men and women in the right direction. Observing handshakes, slang, jewelry, and clothing, I know that the school has a gang issue. I was talking to a student about his membership in GD (Gangster Disciples), and he seemed to think it wasn’t dangerous. I couldn’t help but think, what if he had chosen to embrace a group with positive goals?
I know fraternities/sororities could lead to hazing and other problems, but I think they could also work to change the gang/drug culture to one with college as a goal. After all, JPS is in a city with several colleges and a university. Why not use the available resources to at least try to change for the better?