Texas SAE saves swimmer's life
 

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.co...-3271704.shtml

I'm sure if he'd been the one to drown the paper would have made sure to included that he was an SAE. The DailyTexan hates greek life.

Anyway, he deserves all the praise in the world. At a time when the stereotype of us college kids is wild party-animals, it's great to see someone prove that we're responsible members of society with the courage to act when called upon.

David Sawyer deserves great praise. We, as Greeks, didn't do anything.

Yes, that is why either Greek or not try to help people as we should! I hope!

I hope you are being sarcastic?:confused:

No, I'm not being sarcastic.

If you pat yourself on the back for something good that an individual (who happens to be a member of a fraternity) did, then you have to take the blame for the stupid things another individual in a fraternity does. I'm not willing to do that.

I believe what the others are saying is yes, my Brother did the right and only thing he could do which was try to save a persons life.

However, as we have seen all too many times, a Greek is ID'ed as a Greek only when the situation is bad (ie, just how many times does a situation or person in a dorm get ID'ed)

Here, the Brother's Greek background was not brought up in a positve way.
And being a local paper, they should know or at least know to ask.

And yes, we do all take a hit when some thing happens to a GLO, our own or another; be it on our campus or another. Be as an active or Alum.
A local murder case comes to mind real fast.
As do a few hazing cases, one involving a death.
Or "The SAE Riot" which occured on the front lawn of a SAE house which was attacked by two other houses.

Of course he did the right thing. However, I disagree that that's what the others are saying. Let's look at it once again:

How do the actions of ONE person prove anything about a group composed of hundreds of thousands of people? They don't. So, what I'm saying is let's leave the praise to the individual, David Sawyer.

I'm not debating the short end of the stick that Greeks often receive in the media. I believe it happens all the time.

So if you agree with GLO's getting the short end, why have a problem when the write up is favorable?

I have no problem with a favorable write up. I do have a problem with people praising themselves for someone else's actions.

In no way was I attempting to divert praise from the real hero. I was simply pointing out as the sidenote, that the local media at Texas in particular finds it very easy to paint fraternities as a parasite when something negative comes up.

I think there's a SAE on the board here who probably knows the guy and could maybe give us some more details about how he saved him.

That would be me. Yeah I know him. Great guy. Sounded to me like it happened just as they article said.

I bet the Daily Texas threw up in their mouths when they heard that they would have to write a story on a fraternity member saving someones life. Notice how they left out the fact that he is in a fraternity.

Whatever. I read the Daily Texan almost daily and I don't see that at all. Maybe I'm missing something, but they seldom cover Greek Life that much anyway. Sure, they covered some dramatic hazing types of things, but nothing compares to their coverage of the Colton Pitonyak story a few years ago. And he wasn't Greek.

Besides, anyone who reads the Texan carefully will notice it's taken a serious turn to the political right in the last year and a half.

I'm calling shenanigans on y'all.

While a good thing, what does that have anything to do with it not liking the fraternity system?

I won't comment on whether it's a good thing, but I think it's a related issue to Greek Life insofar as the NIC fraternity members at Texas on the whole tend to be conservative, and in particular the ones who post on GC tend to be very conservative. Let's face it, fraternities at UT and other southern/SEC schools, or schools like my alma mater, tend to be pretty extremely conservative and also promoters of the status quo. I'm not saying that there are more fraternity members writing for the daily Texan this year or anything. I have no idea of that. I just think that A) given the Texan's increased conservatism, conservative fraternity members would look more favorably on it, and B) a more conservative Daily Texan might tend to be more favorable to Greeks. The latter is really a hunch though.

The biggest issue is I've been reading the Texan nearly daily for 3 years now and I don't see this supposed hatred of Greek Life espoused on its pages.

I do get that Daily Texan staffers tend to be "intellectuals," regardless of their political positions. Maybe that's what pisses off fraternity members.

Ever since the "Whorification of Women" article, I've taken the Daily Texan much less seriously. Serious business, it is not.

To be fair the Colton Pitonyak thing was a murder after all, and compared to most the stuff the DT puts on the front page, that's pretty big news.

The only place where you really see a bias is in the opinions section, especially the firing line. I remember last year some girl sent in a piece about how she was up in arms because someone went to the store she was working because he was making a 'cholo' costume for a themed "frat" party. Not only was there no such party, but the DT continued to published letters on the issue, and each time made sure to mentioned that it was a racist "frat" party that was causing so much stir.

Its little things like that. But like you said, the DT isn't exactly the standard for journalism that it might have been in the past.

Anyway, this thread has digressed. Again, kudos to David Sawyer for his bravery.

When haven't college students been seen as party animals? Did I miss something? And uh, hi, crowd of over 100 and only he could figure out that a guy floating facedown in the water wasn't quite right?
The EMT in me is just stunned that no one else could be bothered to act at all. And annoyed. If the article is accurate.

As an EMT, I am sure you must have seen situations that no one did a thing.
Several years ago, a woman was killed, murdered with over 20 people just about looking on. No one called the police. No one said a thing.
This was in NYC.
Woman's name was, IIRC, Kitty Genovese.
I was right, for a change:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese
The bystander effect (also known as bystander apathy, Genovese syndrome, diffused responsibility or bystander intervention) is a psychological phenomenon in which someone is less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present and able to help than when he or she is alone.
Solitary individuals will typically intervene if another person is in need of help: this is known as bystander intervention. However, researchers were surprised to find that help is less likely to be given if more people are present. In some situations, a large group of bystanders may fail to help a person who obviously needs help. An example which shocked many people is the Kitty Genovese case. Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. The murder took place over a period of about a half hour, after which it was reported that dozens of alleged "witnesses" failed to help the victim. For this reason, the name Genovese syndrome or Genovese effect was used to describe the phenomenon at the time. In 1972, Dr. Wolfgang Friedmann, professor of law at Columbia University, was murdered in broad daylight and bled to death on the sidewalk. The death of Deletha Word near Detroit in 1995 after witnesses failed to thwart her attackers, as well as the James Bulger murder case, may have been other well-publicized cases of the effect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

I know the story, it's a famous anecdote in psychology. It's actually about 30-40 people that ignored Kitty's screams. And I wrote a 10 page paper on the Diffusion of Responsibility for AP Psych. Anyway, point is, how can college students suddenly 'ditch the stereotype of wild party-animal' if only one kid acts in a crowd of over 100? Really that seems to be enforcing another stereotype. Uncaring slacker.

Was not 30-40 but not the point.
We do not know, based upon the sole story we have seen, if everyone there was a member of a GLO, let alone a college student.
So IMVHO my above posting answers your question.

And if the story had given his membership in just a GLO, perhaps it would have been read differently. Something that we will never know.

Back to the point of the OP, I think it sucks it didn't mention his affiliation, because I agree, were it a story about some shenanigans, his affiliation would have been front and center.

I hope someone writes a letter to the editor to point out the omission and identify him as a greek.

Um what? And no. Are you taking over for Earp?

No; but it would seem as if you are:eek::);):D
If I am following your comments correctly:
In the case of Kitty:
"Later investigation by police and prosecutors revealed that approximately a dozen (but almost certainly not the 38 cited in the Times article) individuals nearby had heard or observed portions of the attack, though none could have seen or been aware of the entire incident."
BTB-I was living in NYC at the time.
And I agree with nittanyalum about what would most likely have been written if story was about mis-deeds.
And if was to be added in that case, why was in not added in a story about good deeds?

Wow, I think their disdain for greek life sticks out like a sore thumb and I have yet to hear someone affiliated with a fraternity or sorority here disagree.

Their coverage of Tyler Cross' death pissed me off especially.

Hm. OK, I'll admit that I'm an alum so I in no way have the Texas Greek perspective.

I guess I can somewhat see it in the Tyler Cross case, seeing as they continually mentioned his fraternity affiliation even though that wasn't really relevant to his tragedy. At the same time, his death occurred at the house, right? Or am I wrong on that? I know that this is a very personal issue for you so please let's not discuss it if it's painful.

The main response I have is that most of what I would guess ticks Greeks off is things from the Firing Line, which isn't really the voice of the Texan but of anyone who writes in. And it's impossible for them to totally edit out any Firing Line letters that are anti-Greek. Although maybe they could be better fact-checkers.

I'll take your point but I still think from the perspective of someone like me (pro-Greek but not a Texas Greek, and a liberal at that), that overall the Texan seems pretty balanced and by no means as virulently anti-Greek as y'all are portraying it.

As someone pointed out we've hijacked this thread so I'll shut up now about the Texan. It's really not serious business.

Just as closure, the Tyler Cross incident occurred at his off-campus apartment. A similar incident happened this past February with a Hellraiser (a UT spirit group). The DT published one side-story and that was that. I hate to compare two obvious tragedies but the subtle bias not just in that case, but over the last few years is hard to ignore.

The Daily Texan, from what I can tell in the issues I have read, does not have a very favorable opinion of Greek life.

When the Greek community does something positive, it barely gets a mention.

When something bad happens, they explode on it.

If the swimmer had been an SAE at UT, and maybe had done something dumb, the headline wouldn't be "Student breaks neck swimming," it would certainly be "SAE Member breaks neck" and would probably go on to condemn the practice of spring break.

Way to come to UT with an open mind. :rolleyes:

I've got to agree with him. If someone characterized a newspaper without saying the name......I'd probably say "that sounds like the Daily Texan, haha."

Exuse me, but why was my name even brought up in this conversation?:mad:


This is usual for Greeks.

Do something bad, it is all over the NEWs MEDIA.

But when someone a Greek does something like this, We as Greeks get slighted.

All I know, this young man saved someones life.:)

That was pretty much my point.

Isn't it a little over the line to post someone's picture?

Very creepy.

He has an open facebook profile.

Still creepy.

I think you and breathesgelatin are both right.

The DT still has an anti-Greek bent, but the paper is far more conservative than it used it be- and it is a very recent shift.

Back in my time, the Daily Texan got photos of fraternity guys in black-face at parties for 2 different chapters by sneaking into closed parties- basically breaking a key Risk Management rule- something they would be all over anyone Greek for doing.

I am surprised they were not sued for it- but it was not unusual for staffers to trespass or break other laws to drum up juicy stories on Greeks. And there was even a time when they would hang out at the police station and look for guys showing up to pick someone up wearing Greek letters. No joke- and then when they did their campus arrest reports the Greek affiliation was reported.

As for the reporting on Tyler Cross- I agree it was disgraceful but I would attribute it more to the general tone of media reporting in general today. The news is now a profit-driven industry, and the students who write articles like this for the Daily Texan are just getting their basic training for how they will behave as professionals- which is what really scares me.

But in reading the articles on Tyler I did not see quite the same level of politically-driven outrage and pontification that such stories received in the past.

Long story short- The DT coverage of Tyler Cross is typical of what one should expect from the media these days (and I use the term "these days" advisedly because I think things really have changed that much).

However the DT coverage of such incidents years ago was far sloppier, far more insulting and- at times- defamatory.


Still- the DT does occasionally reveal that old liberal bias. A few months ago there was a page 1 article about a protest and national petition against a "Cholo" party that was allegedly going to take place. Basically someone heard the party was going to happen, but did not know where. And of course there was no such party. Yet the fact it "might well could have happened" seemed to be worth a front page story.

The bigger story I remember hearing is that they covered someone who had gone around and posted "FIJI rules" up all over campus, which said things like 'No Mexicans.' But as far as I know they weren't actually FIJIs, and DT just assumed they were.

Why are you being a douche and putting his picture on blast like that? (UTL2012, you can delete the pic out of your copy of his post and then ask a supermod to take it out of his post if he isn't decent enough to delete it himself)

Thanks, the pic itself doesn't embarass me at all, just that someone would go to the trouble of figuring out who I am, looking up my profile, and then posting pics.

That's what you get with internet technology though.

And people with too much time on their hands.

Good for you, UTL, you'll do great in college. (and my brothers played rugby, so you get extra cool points)

I dated a UT rugby player for a while my first year of grad school. Heh.

EE-BO basically said what I was trying to say in a far more diplomatic way. I definitely can't speak to the earlier period at all. I just think a lot of the stuff the Texan has published lately is just "sensational" and not necessarily targeting Greeks specifically.

But yeah, the conservative turn has been obvious to me at least - even since fall 2005 there's been a shift to the right.

I have heard similar stories about how they used to be.

The coverage of Tyler was just completely over the line and so incredibly disrespectful........especially to his poor family, who are extremely good people. They didn't deserve it at all. I do agree though, that's the way the media is these days....all of them, not just the DT.

UTL2012, I remember the pledge rules surfacing.......the list was actually pretty funny to read. Didn't sound like anything that group of guys would do........but funny nonetheless.