Nine Hospitalized with Alcohol Poisoning (Fraternities' Party, U. of Colorado)
 

Yep. Here it is, the story we've been expecting this fall, but sort of hoping we wouldn't see. Nine underage women were hospitalized with alcohol poisoning after drinking at a party given by two U. of Colorado fraternities.

A CBS station in Denver has the story:

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/loc...269202942.html

The story helpfully points out that the hospitalizations took place just about a year after the death of a U. of Colorado fraternity pledge due to alcohol.

As I recall, there were assorted events on campus associated with the anniversary of the pledge's death, with accompanying pleas, promises, and so on about drinking legally, safely, responsibly.

Seems like that ol' overpowering thirst and maybe a casual attitude toward serving the underaged got the better of all those expressed good intentions.

how sad....
it appears no one has learned anything at all.

Of course the most important thing involved here is keeping everyone safe, but the other thing to consider is how someone, or a group of someones, actions affect others -- in this case, the entire Greek System at Colorado. In truth, these actions could have an even greater effect as other administrations at other institutions watch what is going on in Boulder vis-a-vis the IFC disregarding the new Administration rules, etc.

Here's the story from AP. Read the last paragraph. This incident plays right into the University's hands...

"BOULDER (AP) - At least seven of nine University of Colorado underage coeds who were hospitalized this weekend after a night of heavy drinking attended parties held at two fraternities, a year after a fraternity pledge died from alcohol poisoning, police said Monday.

Police issued nuisance party citations to the Sigma Pi and Phi Kappa Tau fraternities for the parties late Friday and early Saturday morning, Boulder police spokeswoman Julie Brooks said.

"To have this many hospitalizations for alcohol on any given night is unusual," Brooks said. "It's too early to talk charges (but) it's unusual enough that we need to take a stronger look at it."

After-hours phone messages left at the fraternities' international headquarters were not immediately returned. Adrian Fryxell, 20, president of Phi Kappa Tau, did not immediately answer an e-mail sent by The Associated Press.

Police responded to the first call of a sick woman at a sorority house at about 1 a.m. Saturday. Another call came in from the same sorority house a short time later of a woman passed out in a hallway.

"We figured there were other girls transported (to hospitals) by other means," Brooks said. Police checked the hospitals and found three other women who were hospitalized after heavy drinking.

Two additional sorority members -- one found at her apartment and another who was transported to the hospital -- were also found by Boulder police.

Campus police were also investigating two additional cases, bringing the total to nine.

Brooks said eight of the nine were either 18 or 19 years old. Their blood-alcohol level was not released but Brooks said officers, who have the discretion to take intoxicated people to a detox center or place them in the custody of sober people, felt the women needed to be hospitalized.

It was also unclear how much or where the women had to drank. One woman told police she only remembered having one drink.

"We're very disappointed to hear of this," said university spokeswoman Pauline Hale, "although we are encouraged that medical help was sought, that at least part of our message was getting through."

Last September, Lynn Gordon "Gordie" Bailey Jr. was found dead inside the off-campus Chi Psi house in Boulder after a night of heavy drinking.

In response to the death, the university asked sororities and fraternities to change several policies, including delaying freshman rush until spring semester and requiring all houses to have live-in advisers. The 16 fraternities cut ties with the school instead, forgoing many privileges given to other student groups, including free use of campus facilities and publicity on university materials.

School officials also advised parents to discourage their students from rushing in the fall.

"It underscores the need as we have outlined in our agreement for fraternal organizations for the need for live-in advisers... and the need to defer the rush for the spring season when freshman have enough experience to make a wise decision."

This says nothing.

They "attended" parties at fraternity houses - it doesn't say they were there all night long drinking there all night long. Nor did their friends say that - just that they had 15 shots. No distinct when or where.

And these were women at a fraternity house. Women do not rush fraternities. How would deferred rush have helped them?

That looks like the old Phi Delta Theta house, I know they were just booted a few years back too? I couldn't tell if Phi Kappa Tau is in there now? Either way, sweet house...nicest (and biggest) on that campus....

It doesn't matter. In the fabled "Court of Public Opinion," damage is done.

Oh, and the fact is that the women are underage, so they broke the law.

Not good news for our friends up the road.

Well, considering the fraternities there have already shown that they will stand up for themselves, I doubt they are going to let themselves be strung up by the balls by a ridiculous concept equivalent of "Janie said Mary said Susie got really blotto at the Mu Mu house OMGWTFBBQ!!"

If this shows anything, it shows that the school is still doing a crappy job taking care of its students and informing them about dangers out there.

33,

With all due respect, we're talking about a state that had at least three or four alcohol ralated deaths last year in college settings -- including the two high profile cases at Colorado and Colorado State (Bailey and Spady).

Then, there was the story in the past week or so about seven or eight fraternities and sororities being sanctioned to different degrees at Colorado State for alcohol violations.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...threadid=70192

These things are being talked about in the Legislature and each incident becomes front page news.

In my opinion, the IFC at C.U. made a huge mistake which only tends to keep this story in front of the public. There are times when you walk away from a battle and live to fight another day.

At some point this whole situation could blow up, and the results aren't likely to be good for the C.U. fraternities.

My question still hasn't been answered. These were women drinking in a fraternity house. Fraternities do not rush women. How would deferred rush or any of the other ideas (and I do use the term loosely) put forth by Colorado's administration have helped them?

I'm not denying this school has a drinking problem, but it's the whole school, not just the fraternities. Why should they change their policies when no one else is?

Sheila,

It's apples and oranges.

It simply doesn't make a bit of difference, because that's not how the public and the Legislature (who funds the University to a large extent) feel about it.

They see the bad publicity and demand change.

Whether deferred rush makes a difference or not is an open question in my mind -- but the Legislature, University Administration and much of the general public buy it.

IFC can stand up to the university right into its' own extinction.

I have to be honest, some of the Greek alumni I know and talk to are about ready to wash their hands of the whole C.U. situation. Granted, they are mostly Delts who have had a bad experience with our chapter there. As you know, it's been closed three times and will probably never recolonize. They feel that the University has been so hands off for so long that the entire system is not worth bothering with. And that's with a C.U. Delt as President of the University.

I don't see very many potential good outcomes in this situation.

I would be interested to see if LXAAlum agrees with me since he is more active locally (I think) than I am right now.

Well, the IFC pretty much IS extinct right now as a school org. The school isn't recognizing them because they didn't kowtow to deferred rush. Correct?

Apparently "school recognition" doesn't make a difference to the students at all, or to many of the fraternities' headquarters.

Colorado painted themselves into this corner - they had a sort of bizarre "well you're recognized but you're really kind of independent but not really truly" relationship with the Greeks, and now they want to exercise more control and, rightly so, are getting flipped the bird. It would be like me going to visit Dad 33 for the weekend and him trying to enforce a 10 PM curfew.

I'm not talking about as a school organization -- I'm talking about extinct, period.

I agree that the University painted itself into a corner. I've used those very words myself.

That doesn't make any difference anymore either, because the situations and rules have changed. With the death of Gordy Bailey the pressure for regulation became unbearable. The other concurrent dynamics at the school made the situation worse.

In the long run, a battle between the University and IFC will be won by the former. The IFC, if it is extinct, can't do anything to help its' members. It would better serve if it looked for creative ways to live within the rules, and as it succeeds, work on changing them -- other groups at other schools have done it.

Police responded to the first call of a sick woman at a sorority house at about 1 a.m. Saturday. Another call came in from the same sorority house a short time later of a woman passed out in a hallway.

"We figured there were other girls transported (to hospitals) by other means," Brooks said. Police checked the hospitals and found three other women who were hospitalized after heavy drinking.

Two additional sorority members -- one found at her apartment and another who was transported to the hospital -- were also found by Boulder police.

Campus police were also investigating two additional cases, bringing the total to nine.

Brooks said eight of the nine were either 18 or 19 years old. Their blood-alcohol level was not released but Brooks said officers, who have the discretion to take intoxicated people to a detox center or place them in the custody of sober people, felt the women needed to be hospitalized.

It was also unclear how much or where the women had to drank. One woman told police she only remembered having one drink.

This article provides absolutely no evidence to support an assertion that any of these women were drinking at a fraternity house. I'd hope that before people get all up in arms about this they'd have some facts.

"At least seven of nine University of Colorado underage coeds who were hospitalized this weekend after a night of heavy drinking attended parties held at two fraternities, a year after a fraternity pledge died from alcohol poisoning, police said Monday.

Police issued nuisance party citations to the Sigma Pi and Phi Kappa Tau fraternities for the parties late Friday and early Saturday morning, Boulder police spokeswoman Julie Brooks said.'

I guess this isn't "proof," but it is from a police spokesperson. While she doesn't specifically say the women were drinking at the two houses, it is certainly implied. I don't think even the Boulder Police would go out on that kind of limb without reason.

Or, am I missing something?

I don't think you're missing something, but I just don't see where there is any indication that they drank at the parties. It is implied, but to me "implied" and "supported by evidence" are very different things.