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Risk Management - Hazing & etc. This forum covers Risk Management topics such as: Hazing, Alcohol Abuse/Awareness, Date Rape Awareness, Eating Disorder Prevention, Liability, etc.

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  #1  
Old 04-28-2005, 12:08 PM
hoosier hoosier is offline
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Hazing at Frostburg: girls field hockey

Field Hockey Players Charged In Teammate's Hazing

Police: Player's Blood Alcohol Level Four Times Legal Limit

POSTED: 5:35 pm EDT April 27, 2005

FROSTBURG, Md. -- Six Frostburg State University female field hockey players hazed their new teammates by urging them to drink so much beer and liquor that one 18-year-old was hospitalized with a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit, police say.


The freshman victims also were pelted with flour, ice and eggs, and made to sit in their own vomit and urine, according to charging documents filed in Allegany County District Court by Frostburg police.

Five of the women named in court records as perpetrators were charged with second-degree assault and hazing, police said Wednesday. Charges were pending against the sixth, they said.


The defendants are Elizabeth B. Armstrong, 20, of Port Deposit; Tawni D. Buck, 20, of Port Deposit; Kristin M. Cousin, 20, of Edgewater; Amanda L. Griswold, 19, of Rockville; and Morgan S. Whalen, 19, of *******, Del. They were served Monday with criminal summons ordering them to appear in court May 25.

The defendants couldn't be reached immediately for comment. None had publicly listed telephone numbers, and their parents either didn't return calls or declined to comment.

The documents also named six alleged victims. The one who suffered alcohol poisoning was cited for underage drinking, the Cumberland Times-News reported. She was identified in court and school records as Carly Cross, 18, of Odenton.

Frostburg Police Capt. Gary F. Llewellyn stated in charging documents that he encountered Cross late on the night of Dec. 3, being carried, unconscious, by her boyfriend along a city street. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.365, more than four times the .08 level defined by Maryland driving laws as intoxication.

On Dec. 16, Cross gave police a written statement saying she had passed out after drinking beer and at least four or five shots of liquor at a women's field hockey party.

On March 17, another 18-year-old team member gave police a detailed description of the party that was later corroborated by four other alleged victims, police said. The witnesses said they had been seated and blindfolded with their hands tied, and were given shots of various liquors that they were told to wash down with beer. The victims weren't allowed to use the bathroom and some became ill, the witnesses said.

According to Llewellyn's report, the party was a "secret buddy Christmas party," thrown annually by senior team members to initiate new members.

The school conducted its own investigation in December and found six students responsible for the hazing, spokesman Ty DeMartino said. He said their sanctions included suspension from the team, suspension from games next fall, and disciplinary and educational programs.

"FSU is committed to ending whatever hazing exists and will continue to be firm with offenders on campus," DeMartino said.

Second-degree assault carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Hazing of a university student carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.
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  #2  
Old 04-28-2005, 01:09 PM
lilsmartyast lilsmartyast is offline
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Hazing at Frostburg

I go to Frostburg, and you shouldn'd judge these girls just by an article. This story is not completly true; it has been turned around to say something completely different. These girls are very nice and it is sad how much publicity something so minut has received. Just remember: Don't judge something unless you know the whole story. I just wanted to clear things up with everyone so they don't get the wrong idea of Frostburg. We are a great school and I hope you all don't look down on us because of this.
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  #3  
Old 04-28-2005, 01:11 PM
FSUblondeAST07 FSUblondeAST07 is offline
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Unhappy Don't make conclusions

Before everyone jumps to conclusion, just know that news storys like this one don't always tell the the entire story. These girls are good girls and it's a shock to everyone that something like this would be said about them.

We're a great school and hopefully the truth will come out and everyone can move on from this point. Storys like this really hurt people and it's a shame that something like this has been exaggerated to the point where it's Ridiculous. Quite Frankily, the accusations in this article are simply not true.

Hopefully, justice will prevail and these great girls lives can move on and they can forget this ugly incident and enjoy the rest of their time at college.
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  #4  
Old 04-28-2005, 02:16 PM
33girl 33girl is offline
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Re: Hazing at Frostburg: girls field hockey

Quote:
Originally posted by hoosier
of *******, Del.
Verrrzy, Delaware??
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  #5  
Old 04-28-2005, 02:54 PM
kddani kddani is offline
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These are some pretty serious and nasty allegations. I doubt that they're all totally made up, there's some basis. Wouldn't be totally surprised if some were exagerated, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it was on the mark. Anymore, sports teams and marching bands have more hazing than GLO's. Which I would attribute to GLO's having very specific rules and governance groups to take away their recognition if they violate those rules.
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  #6  
Old 04-28-2005, 04:20 PM
Tom Earp Tom Earp is offline
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Thumbs up

kddani, here in lies the problem. Greeks are a better media point for being secretive about some of the things that we do.

But, Bands, Cheerleaders, ROTC, and Sports Teams seem to get away with it as Boy/Girls will be Boys/Girls.

Is that a oxymoron for Greeks cannot be stupid but everyone else can?
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  #7  
Old 04-28-2005, 05:21 PM
FSUZeta FSUZeta is offline
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frostburg ladies, why don't you fill us in on the story since you say that the newpaper information is distorted? inquiring minds want to know.
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  #8  
Old 04-28-2005, 07:00 PM
FSUblondeAST07 FSUblondeAST07 is offline
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I don’t think its really my place to say what exactly happened and what didn't because I personally wasn't there. But what I can say is that I know some of the girls on the team and know that they are awesome people and that what the newspaper is alleging is absolutely out of their character. It is a general consensus on this campus that what the newspapers are saying is a distortion of the facts.

I think the problem is that some people get upset with different people and exaggerate events to try to get those people in trouble. As all of us know, as Greeks, whenever the word "hazing" is mentioned everyone goes on high alert. Whether or not actual "hazing" occurred gets lost in the media propaganda and poor girls get dragged out in the media spot light to be made to look like monsters. I think instead of immediately condoning the girls, people should look farther in the case.

It simply is not fair to immediately believe that the girls are guilty. They are after all American Citizens too, and isn’t it America where your innocent until proven guilty? I stand by my earlier comments, and hope that this situation will be cleared and that these girls can go on with their lives and move on from this ugly situation.

My prayers and thoughts are with the families of everyone involved in this case because this is a hard time for everyone involved.
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  #9  
Old 04-28-2005, 07:18 PM
kddani kddani is offline
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Re: Don't make conclusions

Quote:
Originally posted by FSUblondeAST07
Quite Frankily, the accusations in this article are simply not true.

Quote:
I don’t think its really my place to say what exactly happened and what didn't because I personally wasn't there. But what I can say is that I know some of the girls on the team and know that they are awesome people and that what the newspaper is alleging is absolutely out of their character.
You're saying two totally different things. First you say that the accusations are simply not true.

Then you say you weren' t there. So how do you know what's true and what's not?

Just because something is out of character for someone doesn't mean they can't do something bad. It happens every single day. Example- a boyfriend who you'd never think in a million years would cheat on you does.

I do hope for these girls' sakes it does turn out to be false. But don't make absolute statements when you yourself don't know for sure.
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  #10  
Old 04-29-2005, 10:42 AM
hoosier hoosier is offline
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The hazing occurred in December of last year.

The article posted ran in April.

Do you have any other info that has been printed about this?
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  #11  
Old 04-29-2005, 11:23 AM
concerned451 concerned451 is offline
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Re: Re: Don't make conclusions

Quote:
Originally posted by kddani
You're saying two totally different things. First you say that the accusations are simply not true.

Then you say you weren' t there. So how do you know what's true and what's not?

Just because something is out of character for someone doesn't mean they can't do something bad. It happens every single day. Example- a boyfriend who you'd never think in a million years would cheat on you does.

I do hope for these girls' sakes it does turn out to be false. But don't make absolute statements when you yourself don't know for sure.
It sounds like there was sufficient time to investigate and likely validate the facts(Dec-April), hence the filing of criminal charges.

At the highschool level, it's often the "good" kids, the popular kids, who are enthusiastic over initiating the hazing, and naturally, after it goes public, their friends and peers scream "unfair!", and attempt to downplay the seriousness of the abuse. "It just got out of hand", "it really wasn't that bad" etc.

Remember the notorious Powder Puff hazing in Glenbrook, Il; the majority of the seniors were the 'best' students, academically and athletically, yet they entertained a mob by beating and humiliating younger girls for ninety minutes and made them eat feces and paint thinner and animal guts, among other things. And what did the seniors say? "It wasn't that bad"

So, so much for stereotypes. Stranger yet was that it was revealed that the ritual had been occurring exactly like that since the early 90s. People hear about these things and there's a tendency to believe that females aren't capable of it, much less enthusiastic over the idea of abusing others to that degree.
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  #12  
Old 04-29-2005, 11:34 AM
kddani kddani is offline
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Re: Re: Re: Don't make conclusions

Quote:
Originally posted by concerned451
It sounds like there was sufficient time to investigate and likely validate the facts(Dec-April), hence the filing of criminal charges.

At the highschool level, it's often the "good" kids, the popular kids, who are enthusiastic over initiating the hazing, and naturally, after it goes public, their friends and peers scream "unfair!", and attempt to downplay the seriousness of the abuse. "It just got out of hand", "it really wasn't that bad" etc.

Remember the notorious Powder Puff hazing in Glenbrook, Il; the majority of the seniors were the 'best' students, academically and athletically, yet they entertained a mob by beating and humiliating younger girls for ninety minutes and made them eat feces and paint thinner and animal guts, among other things. And what did the seniors say? "It wasn't that bad"

So, so much for stereotypes. Stranger yet was that it was revealed that the ritual had been occurring exactly like that since the early 90s. People hear about these things and there's a tendency to believe that females aren't capable of it, much less enthusiastic over the idea of abusing others to that degree.
I agree 100%
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  #13  
Old 04-29-2005, 12:12 PM
FSUblondeAST07 FSUblondeAST07 is offline
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Unhappy

I guess, I spoke to strongly before when I said that the charges were absoulty not true, since I was not involved in the incident. But what I meant was- that from the people I had spoken to about what happened, they said that what was being reported in the paper was not true. I know and trust those people and their word, and thats why I took the stance that it was absoultly not true. I guess it's weird when you know the people involved in the incident, and then trying to relate, the ablility to take their word on it, to other people who don't know them.

Sorry if I came off to strongly before, I was just trying to protect the names of the people accused.
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  #14  
Old 04-29-2005, 07:25 PM
concerned451 concerned451 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by FSUblondeAST07
I guess, I spoke to strongly before when I said that the charges were absoulty not true, since I was not involved in the incident. But what I meant was- that from the people I had spoken to about what happened, they said that what was being reported in the paper was not true. I know and trust those people and their word, and thats why I took the stance that it was absoultly not true. I guess it's weird when you know the people involved in the incident, and then trying to relate, the ablility to take their word on it, to other people who don't know them.

Sorry if I came off to strongly before, I was just trying to protect the names of the people accused.
The position you're taking is perfectly understandable, given the accused are your friends. Before coming to erms with the situation on a personal level, it's natural to try to espouse the view that you see as looking out for yourself and your friends.

A few things to keep in mind:

1) It is often the case that when some lurid hazing incident like this comes to light, everyone wants to cover their own to escape accountability. Families and friendships are destroyed over things like this, not to mention the community reaction of either acceptance or denial.

If the incident can't be marginalized and controlled as well, than you'll find admissions of guilt, because they really have no choice if there's evidence or enough people willing to be forthcoming with testimony, than the charges are to obvious to dodge. However, those involved will naturally claim that "it wasn't as bad as what the victims are saying it is", etc. Confession and remorse are part of the human condition, as is spite and denial.

2)Regarding these sadistic hazing rituals, two things fuel them; if it goes on regularly without intervention, than more and more people are willing to accept it as "just the way it's done".
Also, and this reflects on your friends I'm sure, the "few bad apples" theory definitely comes into play. Often times, the people who rely thrive on social status and 'power' are inherently grounded in that sort of nasty, unconscionable, dog-eat-dog mentality, and unfortunately, as is often the case, these are the ones who are popular and looked up to.

So then you have a hazing situation and there's likely a couple who genuinely enjoy abusing what they see as "lesser" people, and a couple of them are merely perpetuating the cycle - afterall, they were abused and humilated, and the whole point of the "pecking order" is their "reward" of being part of the elite group who down the road is entitled to abuse and humilate the next batch of perceived "lesser" people.

Some of your friends likely fit this pattern. That is, in all likelihood, a few of them knew all along just what would likely occur at the hazing and it didn't bother their conscience, or they were excited by it. A few of them were just along for the ride, and once it started getting ugly, turned off their sense of humanity and conscience and either reluctantly participated, or devolved into that type of awful state of - even if you 'know' them to be good people - becoming excited through the barbaric act of sadistically abusing others.

The psychological dynamics of this cycle are quite bizarre to examine. These people can be "friends" on the social surface, hang out together, share similar values and interests, all the while knowing that there will eventually be this hazing ritual where a systematic split will occur within the friendship, and one of them is going to horribly abuse the other. Happens all the time, and the hazings that females often involve themselves in are realistically not much different than those that males engage in. It's only a stereotypes, ignorance and DENIAL that make people believe otherwise. People would be astonished to discover just how much sexual abuse occurs within these hazings, and people don't want to believe it because the reality contrasts too sharply with the stereotype that "girls would never do that", because sexual abuse is seen in our culture as sort of a common, uniting social ill that is largely defined in terms of female victimhood. So many don't want to believe that young women would require other girls to submit to group sex, or perform oral sex on several guys at a party, submit to embarrassing interrogations, etc, yet that stuff does happen. I wouldn't say it's the norm, but it's more pervasive than most would care to believe. Of course you can delve into the sociocultural approximations of why this happens, but I believe women and men are equal, and that encompasses good and bad tendencies

Last edited by concerned451; 04-29-2005 at 07:29 PM.
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  #15  
Old 04-30-2005, 04:44 AM
alphaalpha alphaalpha is offline
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Says AMEN and would like to add that i think that a lot of women don't complain or stop such abuse cause they either

1) feel that something is their fault and internalize the abuse, whatever type of abuse

2) feel it is their place to do with authority figures say for some need to be loved/fit in.

and probably lots of other reasons. I come from abusive parents and many women in my family had husbands who beat them, were drunks, ect. But yet these same women think that all i need to be happy is a husband, without any way to protect myself such as an education/career, just incase this husband who is my savior beats me or rapes me or whatever horrid things that can be done. I just don't understand what would make women stay in these types of relationships, but yet it happens.
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