Lifetime Movie about Greeks

AlphaGam1019 · #1 05-01-2002, 12:07 PM

Moment of Truth: Broken Pledges
Starring: Linda Gray, Barry Bonds

The true story of a woman who discovered that college fraternity rituals were behind her son's death.

The death of a freshman in a fraternity hazing incident compels the victim's mother (Linda Gray) to campaign for anti-hazing legislation.

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It's going to be on Lifetime on Thursday, May 9 at 1pm.

This movie was made in '94.

Has anyone seen this movie or know of this story?

LeslieAGD · #2 05-01-2002, 12:16 PM

This sounds familiar...I think I saw it when I was in High School or something.

ladyj39 · #3 05-01-2002, 03:38 PM

Ok, this is probably a really dumb question, but is there an actor named Barry Bonds, or is that the baseball player???

dzrose93 · #4 05-01-2002, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladyj39
Ok, this is probably a really dumb question, but is there an actor named Barry Bonds, or is that the baseball player???

It's not a dumb question, ladyj.

I was actually thinking the exact same thing!! LOL

KillarneyRose · #5 05-01-2002, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladyj39
Ok, this is probably a really dumb question, but is there an actor named Barry Bonds, or is that the baseball player???

I was wondering the same thing, too!

On a related yet irrelevant note, I served jury duty with a guy named Derek Jeter but he wasn't the Yankees dude.

aopirose · #6 05-01-2002, 05:35 PM

OK, you guys have really gone off on a tangent but it's been entertaining.

I have seen the movie a few times. It is about Eileen Stevens and her grass roots crusade to establish New York anti-hazing laws. Her son Chuck Stenzel, a Klan Alpine pledge, was killed in 1978 during a hazing incident at Alfred University. She established an organization called C.H.U.C.K. - Committee to Halt Useless College Killings. Eileen has been a powerful force in the anti-hazing movement and has helped many other states to create anti-hazing-laws. About 10 or so years ago, she became an alumna initiate of Alpha Phi.

AGDLynn · #7 05-01-2002, 05:39 PM

Is that reflected in the movie as a follow-up??

AlphaGam1019 · #8 05-01-2002, 05:43 PM

Klan Alpine??

FuzzieAlum · #9 05-01-2002, 06:03 PM

Yeah, that name ... I don't think I'd join anything with the word "klan" in it!

There's a commercial for Pepsi Twist with Barry Bonds ... it's the little girl, but wait! it's really Halle Berry, but wait! it's Barry Bonds, and the other character says, "Who???"

hoosier · #10 05-01-2002, 06:39 PM

I'm sorry for Eileen's loss, but she used the "Big Lie" to promote her anti-hazing goal.

She calls every fraternity-related death "hazing", including such things a two guys (non-members, non pledges) who tried to crash a fraternity party at South Carolina, and who got shot dead. There is no way non-members who are crashing a party can be "hazed."

Her list of "deaths from hazing" includes a bunch of such items.

I haven't checked Hank Nuwer (not sure about his spelling) and his list, but I hope he is more accurate.

FuzzieAlum · #11 05-01-2002, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Actually, that's Barry Bostwick (of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame.)

Whoops, my bad!

I have to say I've never seen this lady speak, but it would surprise me to find out she's anti-Greek. Like someone said, she is an honorary A Phi, and many Greek groups, local Panhels and IFCs, etc. have invited her to speak to them, and they don't usually invite anti-Greek speakers.

BearyCuteAPhi · #12 05-01-2002, 06:57 PM

I don't know about her calling everything a "hazing " related incident but I would like to see the movie and see what it is all about.

Ronnie

AlphaGam1019 · #13 05-01-2002, 08:58 PM

More about the story

In 1990, Longstreet Press published Hank Nuwer's first book on hazing, "Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing," which concentrated on the story of 20-year-old Chuck Stenzel.

Stenzel, known around the country for his appearance on a Geritol commercial, was an athlete and an honors student at Alfred University in New York when he pledged Klan Alpine fraternity in 1978. He was kidnapped late at night, shoved into a cold car trunk and forced to drink alcohol before he was released. Like many greek rituals, it was a litmus test for manhood, Nuwer said, and the Klan Alpine pledges tried to exceed it.

He died from alcohol poisoning hours later.

"It devastated our lives," said his mother, Eileen Stevens. "The circumstances were compounded by the fact that it was a planned, premeditated act that could have been prevented. I decided to channel my grief into something positive that would benefit others."

Stevens, who was interviewed again in "Wrongs of Passage," said both of Nuwer's books have "journalistic appeal," and the public listens to him. As a result of Nuwer's work and Stevens' pressure, Alfred University did a comprehensive study on athletic hazing and in 1998 formed an alcohol council to change students' attitudes about risky behaviors.

33girl · #14 05-01-2002, 10:24 PM

I think Nuwer is just as bad...he has a link that says "7 Greek-related deaths this semester alone" and one is a guy who died while he was (ahem) crossing the street. No alcohol, no nothing - he just happened to be Greek. His big list is titled "deaths of collegiate fraternal group members from all causes since 1999" but I'm sure he knows the effect such a list has when it is on a page called stophazing.org . I don't know what place the death of a track team member (and Sig Ep) who was killed by a drunk driver on the way home from a meet has on such a page.

I've ranted about him many times before and I don't want to barf up the lovely Taco Bell that was my dinner, so I will stop.

counting · #15 05-01-2002, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladyj39
Ok, this is probably a really dumb question, but is there an actor named Barry Bonds, or is that the baseball player???

Yes, I believe there is an actor name Barry Bonds. He plays the mayor on the sitcom Spin City (ABC Network)