Student on Life Support: Alcohol (Rider U. Phi Kappa Tau Event)

[exlurker]

A CBS station in Pennsylvania reports:

http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_088154610.html

The 18-year-old student "allegedly consumed a large quantity of alcohol during 'hazing' at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity early Thursday morning.

College officials said a second 'very intoxicated' student was also rushed to the hospital to receive emergency room care."

NOTE: The following article quotes a university spokesperson as saying that the activity was probably NOT 'hazing."
http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates/200...cal_after.html

[Tom Earp]

Reports I read was that it was not a hazing situation.

Best we wait and see.

[exlurker]

Update March 30, 2007
WCBS reports that the young man has died. My condolences to his family and friends.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_089140457.html

Excerpts from WCBS story:

Gary Devercelly, 18, of Long Beach, Calif. died at about 10:50 a.m. at Capital Health System's Fuld Campus in Trenton, said Don MacNeill, a hospital spokesman. Devercelly had been in critical condition at the hospital. . . .

Lawrence Township police were dispatched to the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house at 1:52 a.m. Thursday on a report of a student vomiting from drinking alcohol.

Devercelly and a second student, who was also intoxicated, were taken to Fuld for treatment of alcohol poisoning.

Devercelly was admitted to the intensive care unit.

The second student, whose name was not released, was treated in the emergency room and released. . . .

Edited to add: Rider University announcements about Mr. Devercelly’s death and the schedule for a memorial service at the school:

http://www.rider.edu/139_10026.htm

http://www.rider.edu/139_10031.htm

[Tom Earp]

Well, reports to come!

I hope it is in the negative!

But only time will tell!

Keep it and us updated.

[Tom Earp]

Just reported that this young man died!

[PGD-GRAD]

So the headquarters in Ohio finds out about the young man going to the hospital and they WAIT to see what happens before they step in? Good grief! You immediately step in, close down current operations and get a hold on things BEFORE more bad news happens or the university is forced to act. You tell members to cooperate but to make no statements and immediately send a staff person to help. Maybe they did some of this, but it was not reported like that. God bless that young man and his family, but--even without hazing, they supplied alcohol to a minor on their property, most likely involved him in drinking games--and did not register a party. Some--or all of those--might have invalidated their risk management insurance coverage. What part of those infractions does their headquarters think might take a "wait and see" approach. Now, whatever they do is REACTIONARY instead of PROACTIONARY.

[DSTCHAOS]

I really wish more people acknowledged the dangers of binge drinking.

But I don't recall ever hearing of someone being on life support and eventually dying from binge drinking (other than alcohol poisoning). Did the articles state how much he drank?

[ms_gwyn]

A friend of mine works at Riders and was on the scene....He and his co-workers did everything they could to save this kid's life.

What is so senseless about this death is that after the kid vomited and passed out and they couldn't wake him up, they waited another 30 minutes to call my friends (Campus Cop and EMT) to help out. My friend made a telling statement saying that if this happened at a different fraternity house, they would have waited until morning to do something....

A truly senseless death, a sidenote if the wasn't reported, the parents live in the LBC and turn off their phone, the LBCPD had to go to their house and break the news about their son.

[jon1856]

Rider Student Dies After Fraternity Drinking Binge

(CBS/AP) LAWRENCE, N.J. A Rider University freshman died Friday after excessive drinking at a fraternity house on the university's campus, a hospital spokesman said.

Gary Devercelly, 18, of Long Beach, Calif. died at about 10:50 a.m. at Capital Health System's Fuld Campus in Trenton, said Don MacNeill, a hospital spokesman. Devercelly had been in critical condition at the hospital.
http://wcbstv.com/local/local_story_089140457.html

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles...30195409990035

Wilson graduate dies after binge drinking at fraternity
Teen enrolled at N.J. college for a change of atmosphere.
By Kevin Butler, Staff writer
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_5562988

Freshman at Rider dies after drinking

Gary DeVercelly became comatose after a party at a frat house. Authorities look to see if hazing was a factor.

By Chris Newmarker

Associated Press
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20..._drinking.html

Party Turns Deadly for College Freshman


Memorial Service Saturday

By Nora Muchanic

LAWRENCE TWP., N.J. - March 30, 2007 - Rider University students are stunned by the news that 18-year-old freshman Gary DeVercelly of Long Beach, California died Friday morning as a result of alcohol poisoning.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=5165974

A dream on hold

Rider freshman caught up in moment, friends say
Friday, March 30, 2007 BY LISA CORYELL

LAWRENCE -- Gary DeVer celly, a laid-back, fun-loving California kid, has dreams of making it big in sports and academics on a small college campus.
But the Rider University freshman, comatose yesterday after a night of binge drinking, may have lost himself in the excitement of pledging a fraternity, friends say.
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...260.xml&coll=5

Drinking culture plagues colleges across the nation


Friday, March 30, 2007 BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN

Heavy beats spinning from a disc jockey in the corner. Students dancing in a basement, sipping on beers from dozens of 30-packs. The games begin: beer pong, flip cup and "who can funnel the most beer, the quickest?"
That scene is a typical Wednesday night at the Phi Kappa Tau house at Rider University, according to several students yesterday, who described the fraternity members as some of the biggest, and most fun, drinkers on the Lawrence campus.
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...260.xml&coll=5
Alcohol poisoning kills Rider freshman

Friends say student knew night of drinking was ahead
Saturday, March 31, 2007 BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD

LAWRENCE -- Gary DeVercelly knew when he walked into the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house Wednesday night that he was going to drink heavily.
A hometown friend told The Times that the Rider University freshman confided to his girlfriend that he would be drinking Absolut Citron -- an entire bottle. The lemon-flavored vodka is his fraternity "family's" drink of choice, he told her, and he and his "big brother" would be drinking together.
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...160.xml&coll=5
College mourns loss of a 'sweet kid'

Many express hope his death will spur others to drink responsibly
Saturday, March 31, 2007 BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN

LAWRENCE -- The mood was somber across the Rider University campus yesterday as students began the grieving process for fellow student and friend Gary DeVercelly, even as they struggled to make sense of his death.
Resident assistant Dhwani Shelat said she knew DeVercelly from his frequent visits to the floor of the dorm where she lives. She said she didn't believe that anyone forced him to drink the large quantity of alcohol that led to his death. Like others, she saw his death as a heartbreaking loss.
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...160.xml&coll=5
Rider U. freshman who drank too much at a frat party dies


Saturday, March 31, 2007 BY TOM HESTER AND MARY JO PATTERSON
Star-Ledger Staff
An 18-year-old Rider University freshman who collapsed after drinking to excess at a fraternity house party on campus died yesterday, one day after being rushed to a Trenton hospital.
Gary DeVercelly of Long Beach, Calif., died at 10:50 a.m. on Capital Health System's Fuld campus, said Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for Mercer County Prosecutor James Bocchini, whose office is investigating whether hazing played a role in DeVercelly's death. DeVercelly was a pledge of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
DeBlasio said an autopsy will be performed to establish the cause of death, but suggested binge drinking was to blame. The Rider college newspaper, quoting an unnamed university official, has reported DeVercelly drank three-quarters of a bottle of Absolut vodka in 15 minutes.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index....380.xml&coll=1