Investigation into Hazing at Texas SAE

[Tom Earp]

"IF" they did and it is proven, how do they spell STOOPID in Texas?

Way to go guys!

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

"IF" they did and it is proven, how do they spell STOOPID in Texas?

Way to go guys!

Probably better than you.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Probably better than you.

I do not doubt that a bit.

[EE-BO]

I think this is a good time to remember these are two separate issues.

Tyler's death was an unforunate tragedy with known circumstances that happen periodically to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. This does not excuse potential liability of any of a number of persons for any role in this specific situation, but this particular event was not the direct result of something unique to Greek Life.

The hazing is another matter entirely- and that is the business of the chapter, SAE and the appropriate city authorities to deal with.

What bothers me is local media making use of Tyler's death to attack the hazing issue. It adds a sensationalistic edge to a legitimate issue facing all Greeks and it plays on the stereotype of the evil frat guy.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

I think this is a good time to remember these are two separate issues.

Tyler's death was an unforunate tragedy with known circumstances that happen periodically to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. This does not excuse potential liability of any of a number of persons for any role in this specific situation, but this particular event was not the direct result of something unique to Greek Life.

The hazing is another matter entirely- and that is the business of the chapter, SAE and the appropriate city authorities to deal with.

What bothers me is local media making use of Tyler's death to attack the hazing issue. It adds a sensationalistic edge to a legitimate issue facing all Greeks and it plays on the stereotype of the evil frat guy.

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by macallan25

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

Brother,
You are all in our thoughts.

[EE-BO]

Originally Posted by macallan25

You know as well as I do how the media (The Statesman, etc.) in Austin treats Greeks. They present articles and information with an extreme amount of bias and a general disdain for everything associated with us, especially the fraternities.

It's been an extremely long and difficult ordeal, we hope to get it resolved soon.

I certainly wish you all well in that- and yes, I well remember how the papers treated us. Mostly the Daily Texan back in my day though- the involvement of city newspapers was less common.

When that young man died last fall who was in that newer GLO located over by 19th and Rio Grande, it not only got Statesman coverage but there were several articles in the Houston Chronicle as well.

Not sure why the trend, but my first theory is that city newspapers in general are moving in a direction where they pick up and sensationalize stories like this in an effort to emulate the more successful cable network format and try to hang on to their readership as the newspaper format becomes less relevant and relied on in general.

Back in my time, the Daily Texan ran articles for MONTHS because someone had been photographed indoors at a private fraternity party (not a Beta party, but one of the other big houses at the time) wearing blackface- and he was photographed by someone who illegally entered the party for the paper, thus violating one of those key risk management concepts (no open parties) that our critics like to think we ignore.

Granted, if I ever dropped by my chapter and saw someone in blackface I would be pretty pissed, but there is no grounds for such a thing done indoors on private property to be broadcast in the media.

Come to think of it, maybe I should not be so surprised about the ethics of many journalists considering what a lot of the student journalists at Texas were practicing in their formative years. (To be fair, the Daily Texan appears far more responsibly run now than it was back then.)

[macallan25]

Haha, yeah, The Daily Texas is nothing short of a terrible publication.

.....they hate us.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Haha, yeah, The Daily Texas is nothing short of a terrible publication.

.....they hate us.

All GLos or just SAE?

[macallan25]

Everyone

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

All GLos or just SAE?

My Brother answered before I could Tom.
Given the tone of several of the posters in this thread, a very fair
guess would have been ALL GLO's.

[exlurker]

Update April 28, 2007

The pleas and sentences, as reported by the Austin newspaper:

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...429hazing.html

[CasperDU173]

How does this chapter still have its charter? Schools and headquarters need to take a tougher stance on behavior and actions like these. I don't care who the alumni are or what connections they have these actions are disgusting and give all greeks a bad name.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by CasperDU173

How does this chapter still have its charter? Schools and headquarters need to take a tougher stance on behavior and actions like these. I don't care who the alumni are or what connections they have these actions are disgusting and give all greeks a bad name.

We have an outstanding chapter, recognized as such both locally and nationally. Fortunately the actions of a few didn't affect the whole worse than they already have. I think the actions taken were fair and balanced.