When Will We Learn About Excessiveness?
 

Alcohol Likely Factor In College Student's Death

Fraternity Brother Slept While On Watch

POSTED: 4:22 p.m. CDT September 15, 2003
UPDATED: 7:47 a.m. CDT September 16, 2003

CHICAGO -- A college student from the suburbs died after a weekend fraternity event.

Robert Schmalz (pictured, left), 22, was found dead in his off-campus apartment at Bradley University Sunday night.

VIDEO REPORT: Student Dies

NBC 5's Amy Jacobson reported that it happened during a fraternity event named the "Calling Out Ceremony," the last night of fall rush at Bradley University.

The Peoria County Coroner suspects alcohol may have killed the 22-year-old.

"He was a wonderful young man (who) would have graduated in December," said Laura Zilly (pictured, below right), a neighbor of the Schmalz family, in Roselle. Robert Schmalz grew up across the street from Zilly.

"He's been part of my family since he was 3-years-old," Zilly said through tears, "and he was such a good kid."

He was a fifth year senior at Bradley and a member of Phi Kappa Tau.

Jacobson spoke to other neighbors who remember his love for the fraternity.

"He was really into the fraternity. He liked it a lot and had a lot of friends there," said friend and neighbor, Dustin Haney.

On Sunday night, Peoria police said, Schmalz died allegedly after a weekend of drinking. It was bid night and he reportedly drank Friday night, all day Saturday and began drinking again at 8 a.m. on Sunday. By 6 p.m., police say, he didn't feel well and a fraternity brother was assigned to take him home and watch him. Jacobson said that person apparently fell asleep, "or passed out," and Schmalz was found dead on his bedroom floor.

It's unfortunate that somebody there didn't realize ... what could happen," said Roselle neighbor Scott Haney.

On Monday, Robert's parents were to meet with university and fraternity officials.

The 22-year-old was arrested back in August, charged with a DUI after a car accident in an alley. His blood alcohol level was .169. Roselle residents told Jacobson that they hope young people will learn something from this tragedy, specifically about the dangers of alcohol.

"It has to stop. There are too many young people that have died like this and it's a tragedy," said Zilly.

Officials from Bradley University released a statement Monday saying they take the issue of alcohol awareness very seriously. They are reviewing the fraternity and sorority tradition of "bid night."

Jacobson said counselors were also on campus to help Schmalz's roommates and friends.

Why on earth was he not taken to the emergency room instead of sent back to his room - even with someone to "watch" him!!

Guess it depends on how they define, "didn't feel well," but your point is a good one.

We've seen this happen too often, when someone is sent home or taken to his/her room, etc.

When in doubt, get professional help.

The funny thing is that the organizations sometimes fear reprisal from both the police and university if a member goes to the hospital with alcohol poisoning, so they think they can take care of the person themselves. Obviously someone with that much alcohol in their system can't be "dealt" with in a traditional manner and needs medical care. This is a shame.

Right.

If fraternity members know they'll be punished if they take this guy in for help, they probably won't take him to the hospital unless they're pretty sure he's otherwise going to die. And when they're drunk too, their logic is going to be fuzzy. They probably won't figure out how much is too much until it's too late.

There needs to be some kind of a system set up where fraternity members know that they won't be punished if they bring in one of their members to be detoxed, and that system needs to be followed -- otherwise the trust between GLO members and authority figures is broken. It just doesn't work for college students to have authority figures who are supposed to simultaneously help them and punish them. This goes for the whole college system -- not just GLO members. I know people in the dorms who are afraid to go to their RAs when one of their friends has drank way too much, because they know that someone will get in trouble for that. It's hard to trust your RA when you know that they're also responsible for getting you kicked out of the dorms if you drink too much, for example.

from today's Tribune
 

Bradley student who died had a high alcohol level


Associated Press
Published October 13, 2003

PEORIA, ILLINOIS -- A Bradley University senior from Roselle who was found dead in his room last month after drinking alcohol for several hours had a high blood-alcohol level, a county official said.

Three toxicology tests showed that Robert Schmalz's blood-alcohol level was between .33 and .41 percent, said Johnna Ingersoll, a Peoria County deputy coroner.


Those levels are four to five times higher than the legal limit of .08 in Illinois.

Schmalz was not breathing when found by friends last month in his room in an on-campus house.

Ingersoll said no prescription or illegal drugs were found in Schmalz's system.

Students said Schmalz, 22, and his Phi Kappa Tau fraternity brothers were celebrating the end of the fall pledging process, known as rush, with an ongoing party where alcohol flowed freely.

Ingersoll said alcohol is a depressant on the central nervous system and at some point in the metabolizing phase, the student's system shut down.

Schmalz majored in psychology and minored in biology and was scheduled to graduate in December.


Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

Out of Focus
 

Our Risk Management Policy calls for the formation and maintaining of a HIT Squad. This 'committee' is made up of brothers that are certified in First Aid and CPR, and are willing to stay dry during parties. The whole concept is that we monitor everyone at the house specifically so these types of issues don't arise.

More the the point, though, why was there drinking during Rush? Does that chapter need alcohol to attract new members? If so, that's a sad state of affairs.

To allow someone to reach the point of alcohol poisoning, and subsquently die, is lack of responsibility on the part of the chapter and the Executive Board of that chapter, both of which are directly responsible for that death (in my opinion).

Well said, splitzSTG!

LXA was the first to put a no hazing clause in, one of the first to do away with Pledges9Now New Associates), and one of the earlyones to goe Alcohol free.

But any of us can see where these rules are violated, especially when a young man/woman dies from just these very causes!:(

That is when the Red Flag is flown and the News Media go into a frenzy!:mad:

We all must look out for our Brothers and Sisters, that is a large part of being in a Greek Organization!:cool: