Two die at UK, thankfully not at the KS house
 

Thank goodness, this wasn't at a fraternity house.

Typically, the dean who hates fraternities would have:

1 - expelled the chapter, call it hazing (even tho it was a member/non-member fight)

2 - closed the house, due to "unsafe" windows

or

3 - closed the chapter, for alcohol violations

But since this wasn't on fraternity property, it is "just an accident"

Fri, May. 03, 2002
2 DEAD
UK student, visitor die in fall from dorm window
School says 2 were wrestling, there was alcohol in room
By Ty Tagami And Linda Blackford
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITERS


Throughout the day yesterday, students stopped outside the University of Kentucky's Kirwan Tower Dormitory and embraced, in tears. Others walked by and stared quietly at the third-floor window through which two young men had plunged to their deaths early in the morning.

Freshman Jeffrey Pfetzer, who lived on the dorm's third floor, and Matthew Rzepka, the 22-year-old brother of a student on the third floor, smashed through the glass about 2:30 a.m.

Pfetzer, a 19-year-old from Villa Hills in Northern Kentucky, died at the scene. Rzepka, who had come from Bowling Green to help his younger brother move home, survived a little longer: He was pronounced dead at the University of Kentucky Hospital. The Fayette County coroner's office said both died of head injuries.

UK police are investigating, and UK officials are saying little other than that the young men were wrestling and that there was alcohol in the dorm lounge area even though alcohol is banned on campus.

That was cause for concern for UK President Lee Todd. "We have one of the most stringent alcohol policies around, but we're going to be looking at the enforcement issue," he said yesterday.

Todd and his wife, Patsy, had been up since early morning. They walked among the roughly 150 students who gathered outside the dormitory by 3 a.m., beyond the police tape that marked off the scene.

Word had spread quickly across campus and students were tense, wondering whether it was a friend who had died.

This is finals week at UK, and Todd asked that faculty members "make reasonable accommodations" for grieving students. Grief counselors set up on the 23rd floor of the dorm within an hour of the deaths. By yesterday afternoon, they had moved to a nearby building.

Lindsey Galloway, a 19-year-old freshman who lives on the dorm's sixth floor, said she was in bed when she heard screaming outside. She went to the lounge down the hall to find out what was going on. Through the window she saw a young man crouched by the bodies below. "He was on the ground screaming, 'That's my brother, that's my brother.'" Galloway said she thought the man screaming was Justin Rzepka, Matthew's brother.

The young men on the third floor of Kirwan Tower said Pfetzer and Justin Rzepka were part of an unusually tight-knit group of dorm mates. The entire floor gathered regularly to play soccer or toss baseballs in the hallways -- and to wrestle, said Len Harper, a 19-year-old who lived next door to Justin Rzepka.

Harper said he saw the Rzepka brothers leave the dorm with Pfetzer about 11 p.m. Wednesday. He said he did not know where they were going.

UK officials would not shed any light on where they went. UK spokeswoman Mary Margaret Colliver said she couldn't comment about an investigation. She also had little to say about the window through which the two fell.

The quarter-inch-thick pane of annealed, or regular, glass was installed when Kirwan Tower was built in 1966. In 1973, federal codes mandated that new buildings use safety glass, the kind used in car windshields and in high-activity areas, such as lounges, said Tony O'Nan, the owner of a commercial glass company in Lexington.

"Tempered glass will withstand five times the impact of regular annealed glass," O'Nan said. "The likelihood of them falling out would have been nil or none had it been tempered."

UK has been installing safety glass in windows as they needed replacement. "I don't think we're worried about this from a safety issue," Colliver said.

The window through which the two students fell apparently was not the only one broken yesterday morning. Jeremy Arnold, an 18-year-old from Louisville who lives on the third floor of Kirwan Tower, said he saw a new crack in a second pane of glass in the lounge yesterday. That pane was replaced yesterday along with the one through which the young men fell. Colliver said she didn't know why the second pane was replaced.

Matthew Rzepka was once a UK student, but transferred to Western Kentucky University in 1999. A high school football star, he became the quarterback of the semi-pro Bowling Green Blitz football team when it formed last year. Coach Kaelin Byrd said Rzepka's skills helped guide the team to a Super Bowl victory in Zanesville, Ohio, last year.

Weston Vernon played football with Rzepka on both the Blitz team and at Greenwood High. He remembered his teammate as "loud, confident, excited always, very outgoing ... . He could have a conversation with the wall."

Students at UK said much the same about Pfetzer. His fraternity brothers at Kappa Sigma remembered how he turned up at both Christmas and Halloween parties wearing a pair of fire-engine red slacks and a green shirt, looking like a giant elf. Pfetzer joined the fraternity in the fall and was already chair of the fraternity's intramural sports teams.

Pfetzer graduated from Covington Catholic High School last year, the same school his father and older brother attended. A younger brother, Doug, is a junior there now.

"He was a good, above-average student. He was a gentle guy who loved people, and a good, wholesome citizen," said principal Jack Kennevan.

Pfetzer played soccer all four years there and was the prom king his senior year. The school held a prayer service yesterday afternoon.

Last night, Kappa Sigma held its own candlelight vigil to mourn. An estimated 200 students attended along with the Todds, UK officials and clergymen.

Barry Jamison, a Kappa Sigma who pledged the fraternity with Pfetzer, said the 6-foot tall man weighed about 190 pounds and loved to wrestle. "He was scrappy," said Jamison, who went to Panama City, Fla., with Pfetzer on spring break, and wrestled with him there.

"He was constant entertainment," Jamison said. "When he wrestled with people, he never got mad."

Re: Two die at UK, thankfully not at the KS house
 

Was this statemnt really necessary?:rolleyes:

He's just pointing out a double standard, that's all. The point is that residence halls have accidents, we have 'violations of rules/policy (whatever)'.

Just because he had a point doesn't make that statement ok. It's pretty insensitive.

Among the forum's best
 

I think the KTSnake has proven to be one of the smarter people on this forum.

Re: Among the forum's best
 

True, true. I too understood what you said.

Re: Two die at UK, thankfully not at the KS house
 

I didn't know the dean hates fraternities. (I go to UK.)

Re: Among the forum's best
 

:rolleyes:

Once again........

I understood perfectly what you posted. My point was that in regards to someone DYING, by adding comments like "well at least it didn't happen at XYZ fraternity's house" seems to trivialize their death or make it seem less important or newsworthy. Once again, two people have died! XYZ fraternity will still be here, but they are not.

Perhaps if this had been a story about a fight breaking out in the dorm, then I think that you comment might have been taken in the lightheartedness in which it was given.

Also, if you think that someone is not as "enlightened" as you because they take life and death a little more seriously, well, I am proud to be in that group.
:D

Re: Re: Two die at UK, thankfully not at the KS house
 

I believe he meant "a dean who hates fraternities would..." as opposed to "the dean, who hates fraternities, would..."

Honeykiss, I do not think Hoosier was meaning or belittling the situation!

What he is saying that many times when something like this happens at a Greek Org. Chapter House, it becomes National publiicity and looks bad on all Greeks.

It is truely a shame when anyone dies and My thoughts and prayers go out to his Brothers and family!

We lose to many Greek Brothers/Sisters from stupid and inane things!

I think what Hoosier is pointing out that it can happen in the independet area of college life, or in the College houseing not just

In Greek Housing!

Wording
 

I know that nothing was really meant by what was written, but maybe word it differently next time. One of my sisters saw this and was bawling. Jeffery was one of her best friends. She couldn't even read the message b/c she was crying to hard at the title. Maybe just keep that in mind. Thanks.

can someone explain to me why it matters where this tragedy happened? seriously, everyone in here is an idiot. who cares what organization he was in? who cares whether or not your chapter is revoked or kicked off the campus? you've already suffered enough with one fo your friends dying. who cares if it was an accident of a violation? it doesnt matter, a young man died that night. all of you people don't have your priorities in the right place. thankfully? for what, a man dying? what does it matter if greeks are seen as bad? this man's life is far more valueable than your organizations reputation. all of you people are idiots.

People have the right to comment on how the university handles tragedies! It doesn't make them "idiots." Now I agree that it may have been insensitive to put it that way, but he was commenting on the handling of their deaths and not the deaths themselves.

Folks, just because we disagree with other does not mean we have to slide into ad hominem attacks.

I agree that the heading chosen by the person who started this thread was probably not thought out very well. But please do not read into that title that anyone was happy about what happened, or that we are all a bunch of insensitive "idiots". I believe what hoosier meant by his title was that the media makes a very big deal out of tragedies that occur on Greek property, sometimes moreso than they would if the tragedy ocurred elsewhere. He was stating his opinion that if the young men had died at a Greek house instead of at campus housing that the incident would have been handled much differently by the administration and that it wouldn't have been considered to be what it was: a tragic accident. I honestly don't think hoosier or any other GCer was attempting to say that the young men's deaths weren't important. To me, ANY person's death is horrible and saddening, but particularly the death of young people who have so much life left to experience.

No one intended to make light of the fact that people died, or to imply that an organization's reputation is more important than a life. I know that the young men who were killed have family and loved ones who miss them terribly, and I don't think anyone on this chat board feels anything other than sorrow and sympathy for those who knew them. I understand that you are upset, but please don't categorize people who participate in this message board as a bunch of "idiots". That generalization is simply not appropriate.

:eek:Oh boy oh boy! John has a lot of banning to do this summer! :D

So you accuse us of being insensative while being insensative yourself? Wonderful, you're sure to win me over to your cause that way!

But seriously, deaths happen -- and this one was tragic, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family and friends of the two young men. Hoosier was simply pointing out (as everyone else said) that these tragic accidents would not have been even portrayed as accidents if they had occured in greek housing.

You'll be quick to note around this place (as with anything else in life) if someone goes off and makes personal attacks (like the one quoted above) they will not only succeed in offending people. They will also automatically fail at getting their point accross because people don't listen as well when you call them idiots.:D

LHT
Kevin

so people are offended by the fact that i called them idiots, huh? well i apologize for the personal attack. why not ask what his parents think of this threads title? or his brother who was crying by the window? keep things in perspective, people. don't tell me what was meant by the threads title, it can be taken anyway. and unintelligent is how i took it. what a schools reactions is matters little when it's a life and death matter. and you still read my post, so my point was achieved.

Personally, I wouldn't stress out too much about someone who's posted only 10 times, at least two of which have been inflammatory. :rolleyes: Can't get too upset about what goes on on an INTERNET BULLETIN BOARD, which, if any of you have forgotten, is what this is.

Back to the issue at hand...this is an extremely sad event. I understand the intentions of the poster, that a completely different sort of scrutiny would have been placed upon the event had it happened in the Greek house, but the delivery was a little harsh. Those at UK, please let us know how things develop, and my deepest condolences to your community.

Starang21... You aren't doing anything but making yourself look irrational with your posts in this thread. Not a single person has stated that they are pleased by the deaths of two young people. You are completely overreacting, and it seems that you aren't thinking very clearly.

The thread title is something that can be taken many different ways -- at first glance. BUT if you actually stop to read the posts that come with the thread title, then it is readily apparent that no one meant to offend the family and friends of the men who died. I would sincerely hope that a person would be intelligent enough to read an entire article instead of just the headline before making assumptions about an entire group of people.

Just about anything that a person writes can be taken more than one way... It's up to the reader to use his brain to figure out what the writer had in mind when he posted -- and to not jump to irrational conclusions. Please keep that in mind. :)

While a couple of people have placed insensative and stupid on this thread, ALL of us as Greeks feel the sorrow of losing two young men, I think the whole point was that if it was in a Greek House, it of course would have been blown totally out of proportaion than it being in a Dorm.

All one has to do is look at the Alferd U. situation where ALL GREEKS are being kicked off of the campus!
Do not things happen in the independent community? Yes they do!!!

But by being Greek, it is a cloud on not just one Organization but ALL of us!

Remeber that in your reading and your posts! Do not belittle someone for what you may read into a post.

Hoosier is a member of another Fraternity, who sent information about another Fraternity in rushing and houseing, to a member of another Fraternity,who sent it to me! This was to help us both.

This is what Fratenalism is at its finest! Greeks helping other Greeks!:)

obviously you're stressing enough about something that was said several days ago. anyhow, back to the issue...i'm not irrational here. how many people in this thread have actually said that this event was a tragedy? or were truly sorry? those people are outnumbered by the total number of people who were thankful that this wasn't at a frat house. or the number of people who were wondering if the dean hated frats. look at how the article is opened up.....no mention of this tragedy, just the mention of sanctions that could be put up on a house. who cares what those punishments were? this guy was a man before he was a greek.

and the poster of the original article made no mention of sorrow at the end of the article. the only actual statements from the poster were on what the punishments were. the rest was the article itself. so i did read what was read, and i still didn't see any remorse.

Starang,

If you know Hoosier he usually cuts and pastes articles and gives very little (if any) comment on them. This was simply a typical Hoosier post -- not insensative just not commenting on that aspect of it.

Like it or not ANY issue can be broken down into smaller issues. People are not even talking about the single tragedy when they are commenting on the medias portrayal of accidents or deaths associated with Greek Housing vs dormitory housing.

Contrary to your opinion to us this is a real issue. One that is not only demonstrated by this single case but hundreds if not thousands every year. Do you actually expect us to name each one of these and express our "sincere condolences"?

Your inability to understand the content of the conversation or the context of it is not our responsability.

Excuse me... You didn't see any REMORSE? :confused: You act like hoosier was responsible for making that window shatter! Whether or not someone expresses sympathy about a tragedy is up to the individual. Hoosier was commenting on a different aspect of the news article. Maybe he didn't type, "I'm so sorry for the deaths of those young men" at the end of his post. But he sure as heck didn't type, "I'm glad that they died," either.

It seems as if you're looking to find fault for something where there is no wrongdoing to be found. My suggestion is to let this issue drop.

Um, in case you haven't noticed, this is a GREEK CHAT BOARD. We talk about Greek issues here, and the fact that the media and college administrations treat tragedies that occur on Greek property differently than they treat tragedies that occur elsewhere is a Greek issue. That's why hoosier posted this article. It was not to make light of anyone's death, it was not to mock anyone's death... It was to simply compare and contrast the way a college administration treated a non-Greek tragedy versus how they treat a Greek tragedy. That's all. Period. You have gone WAY overboard on this whole issue, and are being ultra-sensitive -- trying to find an insult where none existed to being with. Take a deep breath and calm down please.

inability? are you kidding me? i guess my only inability is to determine how the hell seeing what the dean thinks is related to mourning for these men. the depth of your shallowness isn't my responsibility, but i felt the need to say something about it. how many other people in here have said that this was insensitive? i'm not the only one. how many asked if this was really neccesary? if trying to figure out what punishments are going to be for something like this is the only thing you're concerned with, then that's up to you. why not ask "bunner" what she thinks of what was said? or her friend? whoops, they said the same thing i've said. i've already stated my peace on this subject, if you people are more concerned by what the dean thinks of fraternities as opposed to losing a life, then that's on you. ask his parents if they're ultra-sensitive about this subject as well. why not lose a friend first, then tell me if you're going to worry about what the consequences are. "thankfully this wasn't at a fraternity house." i bet no one here has the audacity to say that to anyone those men knew.

Again.

I'll make this one basic for you. Write in short concise sentences so you can't miss meanings.

You and some other people COMPLETELY missed the point.

It's not about a death.

Deaths = ALWAYS bad.

Issue = Unfair treatment of "accidents" where GLO's are involved vs. something that happened to some independent in the dorms.

You keep going back to this death of this specific person and yes by doing that are completely missing the point.

The fact is that you and some others may be trying to personalize this issue. Other people on this thread (which was long dead until you resurrected it) were discussing a REAL issue that effects the greek community. Many of us are still wondering if you actually have an opinion on the real subject we were trying to discuss here.

LHT
Kevin

The OTHER folks who posted on this thread about insensitivity were stating that the thread title did not seem appropriate. The THREAD TITLE was the thing they found fault with, not the thread itself. You, on the other hand, are calling people idiots and accusing them of being shallow because they are discussing an underlying Greek issue about the news article instead of focusing solely on the deaths of two young people. Discussing something other than the deaths themselves is not insensitive, and, like I said before, it's a Greek issue and this is a Greek chat board.

You act as if you want a thread dedicated solely to the memories of these two men and have everyone on GC posting to say how sorry they are about their deaths. However, as I mentioned previously, just because someone isn't saying "I'm sorry that these young men died" in this thread doesn't mean that they are being insensitive. I guarantee you that anyone who read that article was deeply saddened by the news. But this isn't a chat board dedicated to talking about young lives lost. If it was, then the main topic of conversation would have been the deaths of the young people in the news article. I'm not trying to be unsympathetic to the family and friends of the men who died by saying this. But you are just completely off point here. You're trying to compare apples to oranges and it can't be done.

am i the only one who has questioned the appropriateness of this title or the opening of the article? if something greek was truly being discussed, then why is everybody questioning why people are being so insensitive? why the hell would you want to discuss something so trivial when a real issue it at hand?

personally, my opinion on this subject is that i could care less what happens to the greek community, even me being greek myself. my concern is the men that died. the REAL issue at hand. i don't really concern myself with things that don't really need it. and if you had read my posts, i was blasting the thread's title, not the thread. the rest of the thread was an article about it. there is no point that was missed, my question is this, is this the most important point out there? probably not.

Starang21,
You were not the only one to question the title (myslef included), but frankly its a LOSING battle to really try to debate it on GC. At least that's been my experience........

true....i've already said my peace on the matter.

You weren't blasting just the thread's title, starang21. Calling a group of people "idiots" had nothing to do with just a title. So please don't act as if you were ONLY talking about a title.

We're all concerned that men died. And we're all sorry they died. You act as if you are the only person on GC to show any compassion whatsoever, almost as if you feel a moral superiority over the rest of GC, and that's simply not the case.
A person can feel sympathy about something while still discussing other issues. And there is a lot more that can be discussed about that article in addition to the fact that it involved loss of life. Doing so doesn't detract from the important fact that people died.

When you think about World War 2, do you only concern yourself with the fact that people died during it? If so, you're missing out on a lot of important issues that come with those deaths. The same goes for this article.

It's not being insensitive to look beyond the obvious (in this case, that two young men perished in a tragic manner) and talk about other, underlying, more subtle issues. Talking about the other issues isn't to say that they are more "important" than the deaths themselves, but they are still worth discussing.

This was a risk management issue for the college campus, and that's why hoosier placed the article in our Risk Management forum. There's nothing wrong with bringing something to our attention and talking about it -- and that's what hoosier did. Granted the title of the thread got our attention in a negative way, but I honestly don't think hoosier meant any disrespect when he typed it. It could have been better thought-out, but that's a dead issue now because it can't be changed. I think pretty much everyone who has responded in this thread has said "yeah, that was a really poor choice of words... it came off as insensitive." What more do you want? Blood??? :confused:

As far as not being concerned about the Greek system, I'm truly sorry that you feel that way. I'm sorry that you don't understand the importance of talking about risk management issues in this day and age, or feel that such issues are important. I have a great love for Greek Life, which is why I feel that such things need to be discussed. I'm glad that your feelings about the Greek system are not shared by the majority of Greeks. The apathy is quite saddening.

didn't i already apologize for that? read my previous posts. i love greek life, but not so much that i lose focus of the real issues. like i said before, i've already said my peace on the subject. i love frat, i love the bruhs, but my love for frat doesn't blur the fact that there are other things to worry about.

One of the kids that died was my roommates best friend from high school and also dated in highschool a girl I'm good friends with.