Parolee charged with felony

[PAROLEE, cont. from page 1] into unintelligible dialog with himself and sometimes singing.

“He said ‘Listen to me!’ but had no eye contact with anyone,” the professor said.

The man finally walked up to the professor and said, “Oh, teach,” and then again spoke unintelligibly, the professor said.

The professor said that she asked the man if he was adding the class, but he replied that he was “waiting for Kenny Kanard.”

Next the man said, “I’m from Death Row Records,” while rolling up his sleeves and announcing his intention of taking over the class, the professor said.

At that point, the professor told the now-assailant, “I’m going to talk to a professor next door,” and left with a few students. They ran to the professor’s car parked between the South Gym and the Sheriff’s station, the professor said.

As they were talking to a deputy about the incident, the professor said a student yelled, “There he is! There he is!” and he was quickly taken into custody without resisting, despite his erratic behavior and considerable size of 6 feet 4 inches and 220 pounds.

Tarrin Gackstetter, a 21-year-old wildlife conservation major, was present in the classroom during the interruption.

“It was pretty awkward. It was scary at first, seeing this big black guy coming into the room and start talking,” Gackstetter said.

Gackstetter thought back to when the teacher had entered the classroom.

“It was especially disconcerting when he started touching the teacher’s stomach.” Gackstetter said, saying that the teacher was pregnant. “He was singing a song, saying ‘gun’ – something ‘gun’ –but he didn’t announce that he had a gun on him or anything.”

After a few minutes, Gackstetter didn’t seem too worried as the man continued his actions, saying he was no longer a “big threat.”

“You could tell he was on something,” Gackstetter said. “I thought, ‘Was this guy from jail?’ because he was wearing an orange shirt and orange bottoms. It was pretty bright.”

Most students either kept to themselves or decided to leave the classroom as the man continued with his behavior, according to Gackstetter.

“I was just thinking to myself, ‘Keep to yourself, keep to yourself. Don’t attract attention.’ I didn’t want to make him angry or put him in a nervous state where he would react negatively,” Gackstetter said.

Rolf Schleicher, vice president

of administrative services, said the professor’s quick thinking is commendable.

“She handled it very effectively,” Schleicher said.

Armalin said the suspect has been charged with making terrorist threats – a felony under California Penal Code 422 – as well as a misdemeanor charge of annoying adults attending class under California Penal Code 647b.

After the one suspect was apprehended, a K-9 unit from LA Valley College was dispatched to inspect the classroom, Schleicher said.

“They didn’t know how many people were involved,” Schleicher said. “They thought he had a friend in class.”

If the suspect had gotten away or if they had credible information that more than one suspect existed, the school would have issued a Blackboard Connect message to alert all students within minutes, Schleicher said.

“We can get 50 police officers here in a matter of moments,” he said.

Saighe’s home was searched by law enforcement the evening of Sept. 9, but Armalin had no comment on the findings as the investigation is ongoing. to work and this isn’t it.”

Enrollment numbers strong Enrollment has gone up for the semester, according to Pierce College’s president. The school has had increases of 3 percent in head count, 2 percent in enrollment and 6 percent in section numbers, Pierce President Kathleen Burke said.

Additionally, Pierce is in the “middle of the pack,” compared to other colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District with regards to the “raw numbers” of the seat load per class, she said.

Pierce has around 30 to 32 students on average in each class, Burke said at a Citizens Committee meeting on Sept. 12.

“We’re a little less efficient than [we were] two years ago, but that happens when you add sections. You spread enrollment out,” Burke said. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

Online resource available

In observation of Suicide Prevention Week, which took place between Sept. 8 and Sept. 14, Student Health Center Director Beth Benne said that the best resource that they can provide students is Kognito.

Kognito, a web-based program that helps users learn how to detect peers who may be experiencing mental and emotional distress, has been in place since the spring.

For at-risk training (staff): kognitocampus.com/faculty/ccc

Enrollment key: ccc8752

At-risk training (student leaders): kognitocampus.com/student/ccc

Enrollment key: ccc6445

For at-risk training (veterans): kognitocampus.com/vet/ccc

Enrollment key: ccc4554

Employees start on new roles Chair of the Art Department Greg Gilbertson was recommended by the Academic Senate on Sept. 9 to assume the position of faculty accreditation coordinator, according to an email sent out by Pierce College President Kathleen Burke.

Additionally, Mary Anne Gavarra-Oh, who had been interim dean of academic affairs, has accepted Burke’s offer to keep her position permanently.

Upcoming meetings open to Pierce community

The Academic Senate will be meeting Monday, Sept. 23 at 2:15 p.m. in the Campus Services Building Conference Room.

The Pierce College Council, which will be meeting in the same location, convenes Thursday, Sept. 26 from 2 to 4 p.m.