School security guards balance friendship and duty

At West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, both authority figures and mentors

By: Emily Craighead
   From their preferred post in the main hallway on the first floor at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, security guards Cory Durham and Mark Royster keep a watchful eye over the main entrance, the cafeteria, the hallway leading to the gymnasium and the door leading to the student parking lot.
   It is from this spot on a recent Friday afternoon that Mr. Royster eyed a student peering through the side door, which is locked. Earlier, Mr. Royster had snatched a small paper plate a student — probably this one — positioned carefully to keep the door from locking.
   When Mr. Royster lets the student in, she answers his questions about where she has been and what she is doing politely and concisely, practically holding her breath. Anxiously, she awaits the results of this encounter with a security guard who spent his first years in this profession in tougher Trenton schools.
   The girl has been to her car to get a binder. A substitute teacher let her go. Once she admits she knows better than to take advantage of the substitute, Mr. Royster sends her on her way.
   "You have to pick your battles," said Mr. Royster who, in Trenton, gained experience dealing with fights, hard drugs and gambling. "She’s a good kid. There might be times when she’ll give you information."
   Both Mr. Royster and Mr. Durham are paid to be authority figures, but they are also mentors. Many of the kids they pass in the hallway they know by name, and the students will come up to them for a high five, a handshake, or to chat about a weekend football game.
   Mr. Royster, whose wife teaches at High School South, has been a fixture at High School North since it opened. Mr. Durham spent three years working at High School South and has been at North for four years.
   Security — making sure the school day and extracurricular activities are conducted in a safe and orderly manner — is their primary responsibility. They are trained to deal with traffic on campus, emergencies such as fires, problem students and more.
   At High School North, problems the security guards face include theft, fights, dress-code violations, and kids cutting class. For instances of delinquency and tardiness in the morning, Mr. Durham blames the reportedly delicious breakfast sandwiches served in the school cafeteria.
   When first period is over and all the student have settled into their routine, Mr. Durham makes his rounds, locking all the side doors so that no one can enter the building without going past the main office.
   Mr. Royster arrives at school an hour or two after classes start.
   To keep things running smoothly, the two work closely with administrators, teachers and local public safety agencies.
   "Their response is quick, sharp and proactive," Mr. Durham said of Plainsboro police. "They feel confident when they respond here that we are on our A-game."
   The security guards’ relationship with students is based on fairness and trust.
   Mr. Royster and Mr. Durham peak into classrooms or stop by cooking or art classes on a regular basis, so their arrival at the door doesn’t always signal that someone has to go to the principal’s office. A visit to the International Foods class yields other benefits, too: test-tasting Christmas cookies.
   "They have a good rapport with the kids," student council adviser Julie Norato said. "They know what to look for. They’re able to pick out which kids are struggling, and they go out of their way if they see a kid who is upset, to approach them, and not necessarily to run them to the office."
   Students address Mr. Durham, who says he embraces the "friendly but firm" approach to dealing with students, using his first name. Mr. Royster is usually called "Royster."
   Students know they can joke around with Mr. Durham, but they also recognize when he means business. He says his intimidating stature — he used to play professional football — matched with his sense of humor and friendliness have served him well.
   It takes just one look from Mr. Durham for a student reclining in study hall to take his feet off a chair and sit up straight — and the student does so with a smile.
   "He keeps us on the right path, even though we’re seniors," Saranya Thana said, when she and her friend, Latonya Flora, stopped by to say hi during the passing period.
   "We beat him up usually," added Latonya, smiling up at Mr. Durham, who towers above her. "He keeps everything in order."
   After he spent two years playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Mr. Durham joined the Linden Police Department. In Linden, where he grew up, he said it was tough to escape the reputation he earned as an athlete, so he decided to try something new. In addition to working long hours at the high school, Mr. Durham runs his own company, Punishers Security, which occasionally provides extra security for major school events.
   His goal is to be a "counselor, confidant and mentor" to students at the high school.
   "If they have a problem with a teacher or an individual, they will talk to us before they take matters into their own hands," Mr. Durham said.
   Mr. Royster’s guiding principle is fairness, and he likes his job because he can make a difference in students’ lives.
   When he started working in Trenton schools after six years in the Army, it was just a job. At the end of the year, a student who decided to go to college came up to him to say thank you.
   "He was appreciative of the fact I made him go to class," Mr. Royster said. "You try to help somebody. You don’t know who, but you’re trying to help somebody."
   From their post in the main hallway in front of the cafeteria, Mr. Royster and Mr. Durham see everything. They see who needs a helping hand and who needs a detention.
   Students beware: Years of experience have taught them nearly all of the tricks.