Pi Kappa Alpha ("Pike") Suspended at Cornell: Alcohol Poisoning

[exlurker]

See report on the site of Station WBVR:

http://wvbr.com/news/744

Excerpt:

A Cornell Fraternity has been suspended as of Friday.

The fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, often referred to as PIKE, allegedly sent three undergraduates to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. . . . the three undergraduates had allegedly been drinking excessive amounts of wine. They have, as of Friday morning, been discharged.

Cornell University's Greek system is currently going through its annual "rush week" . . . .

Below is a letter from IFC president Eddie Rooker on about the incident.

Fraternity Members,

I am writing to provide you all with an update of events that occurred last night that resulted in a fraternity having their university recognition temporarily suspended. The suspension is in response to a recruitment event at the fraternity house that resulted in the hospitalization of three students due to alcohol poisoning. These students were transported to the hospital by brothers of the fraternity late last night. The Ithaca Police Department responded to the event as well and are currently investigating along with Cornell University Police. This incident is being taken very seriously and will likely have repercussions that effect the entire system. At this time the fraternity has been instructed to desist from all activities including recruitment.

I am writing to you all to stress the importance of safety the rest of the week. The health and wellness of all individuals attending our events should be a priority at all times. Although hard alcohol and illegal substances are banned at all events this does not mean that other forms of alcohol can not lead to dangerous situations. At the events for the rest of the week you should be keeping an eye on your guests and their alcohol consumption. If someone does need medical attention do not attempt to transport them to the hospital yourself. Call 911 and allow trained medical professionals to deal with the situation. We do have a Medical Amnesty Protocol that applies if you call for an ambulance which will be taken into account when an incident is dealt with from a judicial standpoint.