Colvin identifies for Parenti the two types of West Baltimore students: "stoop" kids who obey their parents' instructions and who are respectful of authority, and "corner" kids, the kids who sell drugs, disrupt class, and are aspiring gangsters disrespectful of authority. Together, they isolate ten corner kids into a classroom where Parenti and a UM doctoral student study them while Colvin acts as the mediator. In this classroom, no suspensions are handed down to misbehaving students, as it is seen as a punishment the students often utilize to get out of class intentionally.