Clemson Sigma Nu found dead
 

Sad news....

From the article

An autopsy today found that the Clemson University freshman found dead after a party at Sigma Nu's fraternity house may have had a blood-alcohol level that exceeded 0.4 percent, Oconee County coroner Karl Addis said.

Clemson also had another student killed in a motorcyle accident on the same weekend (the incidents aren't related). Not to mention that it's finals week...man, what a tough way to end the semester. :(

Prayers to all of the Sigma Nu brothers, fellow students, friends, and family members touched by this.

PsychTau

Awwww...crud. Double.
 

Seriously, I was not trying to copy word for word the thread about this incident in the Greek Life forum!!!! I honestly didn't see it! :(
When I thought about posting it, my first thought was this forum, and I didn't think to look anywhere else. Sorry!

Kevin, feel free to delete this if you think it is best.

PsychTau

I'm going to leave it.

We'll see sooner or later whether it belongs in this forum.

This kid sounds like he had a ridiculous amount of promise. Son of a former legislator, engineering student. What a horrible loss.

The thing is, back in '01, I attended a national event and got to know the old Clemson President fairly well. He was (and is) an excellent individual. I cannot picture him or his organization doing anything but standing for the values our organization is based upon.

If you want to put my original thread here and merge this one, that will be fine. The only reason I put it there because it was before COD was determined. And he was a grandson of a former legislator.

Like I said, if it is determined that somehow the chapter was remiss in its RM policies, feel free to discuss factual information here. As always, I will be hypersensitive to rumors. Such postings will be eliminated quickly.

Cool Beans. :)

I saw on the news last night that the National Organization and Clemson has suspended the fraternity, pending further investigation. More to come....

http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/...2-10-0001.html

I have to say that I personally know this family...and this is a tragic misjudgement of alcohol consumption.....He was pregaming (something I hate anyway) and then continued drinking....someone was with him when he passed out....he was snoring which they thought was okay....but actually was respiratory arrest and forthcoming death....sad that we try, but cannot to seem to educate our young people on how dangerous it is to get drunk.......

A news site associated with the Scripps "chain" has a report that includes quotes from the coroner and others, as well as some material attributed to an investigator who did not want to be named:

http://www.independentmail.com/news/...-animal-house/

I would absolutely recommend caution in relying on some parts of this article until / unless other reports confirm, deny, or modify certain things in the report.

Edited to add: the association with Scripps can be seen, at least on my screen, at the bottom of the page that appears when the link above is used -- lower left corner. (I just want to make it clear that a news chain is posting this story.)

^^^^
The Independent Mail in Anderson is owned by Scripps, and Clemson is between Anderson and Greenville (where my story was posted from in Greek Life and the story below). In other words, someone who actually works for the newspaper wrote this story.

Update from the Greenville News (which is owned by Gannett, BTW)

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbc...WS01/712120371

Update January 30, 2008

A CBS affiliate reports on the statement released by Sigma Nu HQ in connection with the death of a Clemson student:

http://www.wspa.com/midatlantic/spa/...1-30-0029.html

An Associated Press article reports that three young men face misdemeanor charges (alcohol-related}:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...53FMwD8UGCK400

Excerpts from the AP story:

Three fraternity members at Clemson University were charged with alcohol-related misdemeanors after a freshman died of alcohol poisoning during an off-campus party, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

The students' activities did not directly lead to the death of 18-year-old Benjamin Garrison Sprague, prosecutor Chrissy Adams said. But the three students, all members of the fraternity Sigma Nu, face charges that include transferring beer and liquor to a minor and using fake identification to buy alcohol.

Adams said Sprague was not forced to drink at the party.

"Ben made choices that night to consume alcohol, and he consumed alcohol in excess, and that led to his death," Adams said. "These boys made a mistake by providing the alcohol and having it available at a fraternity party to underage drinkers."

. . . After Sprague's death, the school's Sigma Nu chapter was placed on interim suspension by the university and the national fraternity pending investigations.

Please note that the prosecutor has been careful to say that the late Mr. Sprague "was not forced to drink," and that the actions of the three men charged did not lead directly to his death.

This is so sad. My condolences to the brothers and loved ones affected by this. :(