Something Scary Happened In The Avid Editing Lab On Monday

It was quite a scary night on Monday inside the Avid Editing Lab, which is also the classroom for the Avid editing class of CCSF's BEMA Department. What's so scary? Even Halloween is just few days away, that incident is scary enough for us.

What happened that night? I can tell you everything happened suddenly and everyone in the class were feeling somewhat anxious. On Monday, October 25, around 6:40pm, the Avid editing class started as usual. Michele, the instructor began to give us a short lecture about trim techniques including J-K-L trim and trim-on-the-fly. When Michele tried to give us lecture, something strange began to happen too, and it was about 3 minutes after the class began. Gary Gin, a student who used to be in our class, suddenly broke into the lab and interrupted Michele's lecture, he didn't say anything else but he just kept on saying, "Michele! I need the 'Wanna Trade' media files now! I also need 'Boston PSA' media file! I need them! I need them now! I need the media files now!" He was talking to Michele impolitely and rudely. Michele was trying to calm him down but it was unsuccessful, then Michele asked that student out of the lab. In the hallway, Michele still tried to talk to that student, however that student didn't listen at all, and he even said threatening words to Michele. Michele first consult her boss, the Department Chair of BEMA Department Francine Podenski, Francine thought that was a serious situation, then she decided to call the campus police. The class was then briefly interrupted because that incident. Two minutes later, two campus police officers arrived, but the suspect has run away. Then the police officers took statements from both Michele and Francine, asked them about the incident, the description of the suspect. Michele and Francine also told the officers about the strange behavior that the suspect had done before. The class was then resumed. What I tell you about the student, who has been considered as suspect for the incident, was behaving strangely, and he also looked strange. How strange? That guy often looked unkempt, we could always smell an intense odor from his body. The bad thing was, I was sitting next to the guy, and he odor almost made me throw up. He didn't only look weird, but he also behaved weird. Sometimes I saw him sat inside the Avid editing lab or the outside of the BEMA Department Office, and I had no idea on what he was doing at all. I was considering to write a letter to the school administration and let them know about that guy, but I didn't have enough evidence to report at that time, so I decided not to complain and wait. No one was expecting that happened, but we all know he was such a threat to ourselves.

Immediately after the incident, Michele announced starting immediately, the Avid lab will be under the lock-down situation during her class hours, that means the door of the Avid lab will remain closed and locked during the class, and anyone who needs to go out for restroom must have a key to gain access back to the Avid lab, this procedure is trying to prevent any outsider to break into the lab again. Speaking of the strange guy, an executive order has been issued, which is also an injunction. That strange guy has been banned from the class and he has been withdrawn immediately, he was also banned from the BEMA Department, including the hallways and the classrooms or the studios.

The whole incident was finally put to rest, I only wish the similar incident won't happen again in the Avid lab.

According to the College Rules and Regulations printed in the City College's Catalog, that strange guys has already violated the following regulations:

1.  Continued disruptive behavior, continued willful non-compliance, willful and persistent profanity or vulgarity, or theopen and / or persistent defiance of the authority of, or persistent abuse of,  District personnel or officials acting in the performance of their duties;

6. Unauthorized entry to or use of District facilities, supplies, equipment, including computing, networking or information resources;

7. Obstruction or disruption of classes, distance learning courses and websites, computer laboratories or study facilities such as the Library or the Learning Assistance Center, student activities, administration, disciplinary procedures, governance processes, or other authorized District activities;

13. Disorderly, lewd, indecent, obscene, or offensive conduct or expression which interferes with the District’s primary educational responsibility;

15. Failure to comply with directions of District officials, faculty, staff or campus police officers who are acting in performance of their duties;

17. Persistent, serious misconduct where other means of correction have failed to bring about proper conduct.

Disciplinary sanctions for the above offenses shall include, but are not limited to, warning; verbal and/or written reprimand; a failing grade in an assignment, test, or class in proven cases of cheating or plagiarism or other academic dishonesty; disciplinary probation; ineligibility to participate in extra-curricular activities; removal from classes by the instructor for no more than two class meetings; removal from an instructional laboratory, study facility, or other supervised student activity by the designated site supervisor for no more than two sessions or meetings; suspension from classes by the Chancellor (or designee) for up to the remainder of the school term or from all classes and activities of the District for one or more terms; and expulsion.

He should be suspended from the class permanently no matter what, because he posed a threat to the teacher and the students.