Fraternity student’s life altered by arrest
By Lucia Sanchez
Daily Bruin Staff
A UCLA student arrested for attempting to break into his
professor’s office during winter quarter finals week is planning to
transfer to UC Berkeley next fall.
Shortly after university police arrested 19-year-old undeclared
sophomore Noah Ram Balch for breaking into economics Professor Fred
Luke’s office Dec. 14., Balch moved back to his parent’s Del Mar
home.
After Balch spent three days in jail, he plead no contest to one
misdemeanor count of trespassing and was sentenced to 20 days of
community service. In addition, he was ordered to resign from Sigma
Nu, his fraternity, in December.
On the night of the incident, Luke was working late in his
Bunche office when Balch used a key to open the office door shortly
after midnight, university police said.
In his statement to university police, Balch said he broke into
the office to prove his valor to his fraternity, police said.
"The key was a legacy key that was passed down through the
years. It was given to me so that I could enter Professor Fred
Luke’s office and take a final, or any type of paper that had
problems on it (that might be on the final)," his statement read.
"Also I could have taken a disc that had information for the final
on it."
Representatives of Sigma Nu were unavailable for comment.
Now, Balch says he broke into the office just to get an
adrenaline rush. While some students turn to drugs and alcohol,
Balch turned to adrenaline rushes by doing dangerous acts during
the time before the incident, he said. However, Balch declined to
say what those acts were.
"I wasn’t a student (anymore). I was living a majestic life
beyond my limits," Balch said.
Despite his previous statement to university police, Balch would
not comment on the key’s origin.
"I don’t think there’s any need to expound on the validity of a
‘legacy key.’ Where I got it is really irrelevant," Balch said.
"All the events that took place were a result of my actions. Where
I got the key was really immaterial. The key isn’t the real
issue."
Academics are not the real issue either, Balch said. With a
grade point average of 3.82, Balch also had an A- in the class and
had no need to cheat, he explained.
"It was (just) a really bad judgment call on my part, and I came
to this realization that evening," Balch said.
After encountering Luke, Balch had a 10-minute conversation with
the economics professor before turning over the key to him and
leaving, Balch said. Balch added that he came away with the
impression Luke would handle the matter administratively.
"I was pretty shaken up about the whole thing," he said.
After turning over the key, Balch went home and got up the next
day to take the final.
That day, university police arrested Balch when the professor
pointed him out to officials during the final exam.
Balch said he wishes Luke had handled the matter through the
administration rather than through the police.
Calls to Luke’s office went unanswered Monday.
During the final exam, a police officer tapped Balch on the
shoulder and asked him to step outside where university police
asked Balch to tell them his side of the story.
He recounted the events to police at the campus station, and
then learned that he would be charged with one felony count of
burglary, he said.
He was then transferred to the Los Angeles Sherriff’s West
Hollywood jail where he was held on $15,000 bail, and later
transferred to Los Angeles Men’s County Jail downtown.
"I don’t think I was a hardened criminal who needed to be
subjected to the harsh environment which exists in the L.A. County
and West Hollywood jails," he said."The society that exists in
those jails is something of a devilish nature that cannot be
described on paper. I pray that no one has to experience that side
of life to learn their lesson."
Fairly panicky at that point, Balch was unsure of what would
happen to him, he said.
"I had no idea what was going to occur. It wasn’t a good
situation at this point. I was fearing for my life," he
explained.
While university police originally filed the case against Balch
as one felony burglary count with the West Los Angeles District
Attorney’s office, the city attorney’s office decided to file the
case against Balch as one misdemeanor trespassing count
instead.
Originally, Balch was sentenced to serve 20 days on a
graffiti-removal crew after pleading "no contest" to the trespass
charge, but his community service was transferred to San Diego when
Balch moved back home, he said. His probationary status will be
determined once service is completed.
As part of his plea bargain arrangement, Balch agreed to assist
in any investigation into the fraternity’s activities. This
agreement, Balch said, stems from his and his attorney’s belief
that there will be no investigation since there is no proof of any
wrong doing by the fraternity.
Although Balch said he lost many friends and his job because of
the publicity surrounding his case, he would not comment on his
fraternity’s reaction since he doesn’t know what it has been, Balch
said.
Shortly after his release from jail, Balch met with Associate
Dean of Students Michael Wilding, who told Balch he also felt the
matter should have been dealt with administratively rather than
through the police, Balch said.
Wilding told Balch he could return to UCLA fall quarter or leave
and have no academic record of the incident, Balch said. After
consulting with his parents, Balch decided to leave UCLA and move
back into his parents’ home. Balch will have no record of the
incident, and is attempting to transfer to UC Berkeley next fall,
he said.
The university does not discuss any student’s disciplinary
matter without that student’s written permission, and would neither
confirm nor deny any matter concerning Balch, Wilding said .
December’s events were the single most traumatic experience of
Balch’s life in which he lost his friends and a job at a Beverly
Hills brokerage firm due to publicity, he said.
He is now trying to get on with his life and deal with the grief
of his losses.
"I’ve learned from it. I think I’ll have a lot better judgement
and not be so arrogant," Balch said.
Balch’s arrest was difficult not only for him but those around
him to deal with, he said.
"I’m trying (to deal with this). I still feel really empty. I
was consumed by grief," he said. "(When) you lose all your roles in
life it’s tough to find your identity."
After completing his community service, Balch plans to move to
Berkeley, where he has applied to transfer, and get another job in
a brokerage firm.
Although Balch lost his job and friends, he said he is not
disappointed with their reaction.
"I’m just disappointed with what I did," Balch said.