Laura Zelko, A UC Berkeley student who took part in protesting fee-hikes and campus layoffs last November is now facing a possible one-year suspension in a public disciplinary hearing which took place on October 27th. You'll remember 43 protesters barricaded themselves inside Wheeler hall last year, which became the focal point of campus-wide protests.

While most of the students, who we're calling the "Wheeler 43" these days, submitted a 12-page "reflective essay" and agreed to follow school rules in order to avoid a similar hearings, Zelko felt an open hearing "would be more fair." She faced a panel of "two professors, two students and an assistant dean" in a hearing that lasted 11 and a half hours - just as long as the standoff itself, the Chronicle notes.

From the open hearing we learn that students inside Wheeler Hall were concerned for their safety after police broke a barricade and injured one of their fellow protesters, causing the students to retreat to the second floor. Meanwhile, police maintain that they attempted to enter the building as peacefully as possible and had found a way to safely remove a barricaded door just before students surrendered themselves.

When the panel reconvenes tonight they will be weighing whether Zelko is personally responsible for misconduct before recommending whether or not she should be suspended. The administration ultimately has the right to accept or reverse the panel's recommendation.

[Chron]