Another CO death

AngieWashU · #1 04-13-2006, 07:02 PM

Frats ban alcohol until facts in on death
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News
April 13, 2006

BOULDER - University of Colorado fraternities have pledged not to serve alcohol until questions about a student's death have been answered.

"The fraternity leadership . . . considers this matter to be extremely serious and a top priority, as the IFC fraternities have long pledged to make a positive impact on the alcohol culture in Boulder," Interfraternity Council President Ryan Lynch said in a statement Wednesday.

Jesse Gomez, 18, was found dead Sunday afternoon by his roommate at Willard Hall. An autopsy found no trauma, but the Boulder County Coroner's Office is holding off on releasing a cause of death until a toxicology test has been completed.

The Theta Xi fraternity issued a statement this week saying that Gomez had been at the house's luau party Saturday night for about 90 minutes and that the people monitoring the party didn't think he needed any medical assistance as he left.Lynch said Wednesday that any fraternity that is found to have broken the rules on serving alcohol faces an internal hearing and possible sanctions. Lynch said the timetable for the ban on alcohol at social events at the houses "is indefinite and highly dependent on the outcome of the ongoing investigation."

The IFC has launched its own investigation into the Theta Xi party but won't release details of it until the police investigation is done, he said.

Lynch noted in Wednesday's statement that the IFC executive board requires that all parties involving alcohol be registered 72 hours ahead of time and that the host fraternity must follow rules on security, safety and transportation and must not serve alcohol to anyone under 21.

Marc Stine, CU's Greek liaison, said that Theta Xi registered the party with the IFC three weeks ahead of time, so far ahead of time that it might have been "lost in the shuffle."

In any case, the IFC didn't supply the "buzz crew" of non-drinking IFC members who monitor many of the parties, he said.

Several trained people at the party helped with security and checked IDs, said Gannon Frain, Theta Xi president.

Last year, Theta Xi won an IFC award for having the best risk-management system and the lowest number of violations in the CU fraternity system, Stine said.

Theta Xi attracts people who enjoy outdoor adventure sports such as mountain climbing, white-water rafting, sky diving and snowboarding. Its members include many engineering students, Eagle Scouts and ROTC trainees, he said.

Meanwhile, Boulder and CU police continue to investigate Gomez's activities in the hours before he was found dead in his dorm room, including whether he may have attended an off-campus party before going to the Theta Xi house Saturday night.

Copyright 2006, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...618097,00.html

AngieWashU · #2 04-13-2006, 07:17 PM

Fraternity social events involving alcohol suspended

Monica Banks
Staff Writer

Pending the autopsy report on Jesse Gomez’s death, fraternities won’t be hosting any alcohol-based events.

The night before his death, Gomez attended a Theta Xi party, which offered beer but no hard alcohol, according to Greek Advocate Marc Stine. Details of the party will be released pending the results of both the police investigation and the Interfraternity Council’s own inquiry.

President of the Interfraternity Council Ryan Lynch has issued an executive order suspending all fraternity social events involving alcohol in order to assist both an internal inquiry and a police investigation.

Fraternity parties involving alcohol are required to be registered 72 hours in advance as per the IFC Event Planning Policy. The policy also outlines necessary security measures, alcohol availability/distribution, safety and transportation guidelines.

Stine told multiple news outlets that Theta Xi registered the party and followed proper procedures.

At the Theta Xi luau, there were 10 sober brothers, two people from the student emergency medical services and more than 450 people who attended the party throughout the night. The 10 sober brothers monitored the doors, took IDs, kept alcohol from leaving or coming into the party and limited noise disturbances. None of them noticed Gomez needing any help.

If Theta Xi is found to have violated the IFC Event Planning Policy or the IFC Constitution, the IFC Executive Board reserves the right to file internal charges. If found to be in violation, Theta Xi will be tried in a judicial hearing. Their case will be heard by a group of their peers within the Greek system.

On Tuesday, Theta Xi chapter president Gannon Frain issued a house statement saying they had no idea where Gomez went before or after the party. Gomez, who was not on an advance guest list, attended the party at around 11:45 p.m. and left with a friend around 1:30 a.m., his mother said. According to Stine, none of the house members knew Gomez.

Theta Xi will continue to cooperate with authorities until the cause of death has been determined, at which time the IFC will determine whether or not they will hold a judicial hearing.

THE CAMPUS PRESS Thursday, April 13, 2006 9:13 AM

http://www.thecampuspress.com/news/2...gomezfrats.php

DeltAlum · #3 04-14-2006, 09:44 AM

Fraternal News is full of stories about this today from the Denver papers, Boulder Daily Camera and Colorado Daily, the CU newspaper.

To paraphrase:

It sounds like the chapter did everything it could, including registering the party in advance, having security people at the door and student medical staff at the party.

The victim signed in at about 11:30 and left at around 1:30 AM. He reportedly returned to his dorm at around 3:00 AM. He was allegedly arrested earlier this year for being drunk and refusing to take a breathalizer when he tried to enter a local restaurant. He listed "alcohol and painkillers" on Facebook as among his interests. That has been removed.

He was a high school honor student and athlete in the Denver metro area.

As is noted in posts above, the CU IFC has banned alcohol at all fraternity parties until the investigation is complete. You might remember that the IFC refused to meet certain university demands after last year's death of Lyn Gordy Bailey. The IFC has no official university recognition at this point if I recall correctly.

As usual, toxicology tests are being evaluated, but it will take up to "several weeks" to get results according to the Boulder County Coroner -- who said there were no signs of trauma on Gomez body.

Beside the fact that any death of this kind is tragic, this will not help the cause of the CU fraternity system -- even if the chapter is completely cleared. It's unfair, but true. I only hope that it can be conclusively proven that Gomez didn't drink at the party because he was underage.

AngieWashU · #4 04-14-2006, 12:34 PM

DeltAlum-

I agree with you. I think this is the last thing the fraternity system at CU needed. In some ways I think it is almost worse that this fraternity followed all the rules. I'm glad to hear that at least some of the fraternities are following the policies, but if attendance at a fraternity party can be linked to this death, then the community and university are going to say that the current policies aren't sufficient.

Angie

Tom Earp · #5 04-14-2006, 04:51 PM

Another Sad Situation at Co. Un.

We in the Greek Community have an answer but, I am sure The Co. Un. Adm. dont want to hear it!

Work With The Greek Organizations instead of using a hands off policy, and see where that gets both sides.

Evidently the Greek System has run rampant as it were and see where it got them. THe Un. takes Houses and makes Greeks more upset instead of Using Their Academian Heads.

The Total Un. Co. System seens to have more Problems than just Greeks.

Let Me or some other Greeks On GC Be President for 2-5 Years and there would be big changes all around.

Un. Co. is So Sad!

exlurker · #6 04-14-2006, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
. . . Work With The Greek Organizations instead of using a hands off policy, and see where that gets both sides. . . .

Well now, Tom, I think the U. of Colorado isn't totally at fault for the present hands-off situation. Let's remember that the fraternities -- with strong and well-publicized backing from the national NIC -- refused to go along with deferred recruitment.
There's probably plenty of room for charges of bullheadedness on both sides.

Lorem Ipsum · #7 04-16-2006, 04:17 AM

Deferred rush was a tactic used to try and weaken the greek system and make sure that the university has a nice convienient excuse if anything else did happen. It's well documented that deferred rush does nothing to curb alcohol abuse or underaged drinking. That is why the fraternities refused to take on added hardships at the request of the CU admin. It simply didn't make sense.
On this same line, it's also meaningful to note that this incident happened in spring semester, outside of any recruitment event and the student had no real affiliation with the fraternity. So deferred rush would have had no impact on what happened. What's needed is realistic drug and alcohol education for incoming students. Something the greek community, at great expense since they're no longer recognized by the university, has taken upon their shoulders. The fact that Theta Xi had not only sober security at the party, which is something that you would never find at any house party on the hill, but also EMS techs, wristbands for those over 21 and police notification of the party, shows how seriously the greek community takes the risk of alcohol abuse and underaged drinking.
Nothing happened at that party that doesn't regularly happen at any bar on the hill. If I were anyone looking for answers I'd start not with the fraternity, but with Jesse's friends and the CU dorm staff who should have been watching him as zealously as the men of Theta Xi. I'm not trying to shift blame or anything. It's a terrible thing when someone with so much potential is lost, but be realistic about who had the opportunity to prevent this tragedy. Rest assured it's keeping me up at night, wishing that there were something more that could have been done.

DeltAlum · #8 04-16-2006, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lorem Ipsum
It's well documented that deferred rush does nothing to curb alcohol abuse or underaged drinking.

Where?

I'd be interested in reading that.

Lorem Ipsum · #9 04-16-2006, 07:46 PM

This is the only link I still have online. We researched it extensively when VC Stump first "suggested" deferred rush. The rest I compiled from lexis nexis of which I have hard copies. If you really want the information, send me a message and I can give you more resources, but the overall finding is that there is a small correlation between deferred rush and improved freshman year gpa's, but that's about it. Alcohol culture is alcohol culture whether your house has letters on it or not.

http://greeks.unc.edu/orgs/chancello...tment_1996.pdf

DeltAlum · #10 04-16-2006, 10:27 PM

Thanks for the link.

I've never understood how defered rush would affect underage drinking. I question whether it's really well documented either way, though. It seems that either side could make a case.

At the same time, I'm also not sure that deferred rush is a terrible thing for any university Greek Community. Where it is in place, chapters seem to work just fine. The opposite is also true.

The University of Colorado has been working at odds with Greek Letter Organizations for years, and it's good that IFC has set rules for parties, and this chapter appears to have followed them to the letter. I'm not sure, in the long run, that even a strong IFC can win a war against a major university -- especially one that is state supported and funded. There are heavy politics involved here.

I think (hope) that the good news is that the current President is a Delt from CU who was supportive of the Greek System when he was President at Northern Colorado -- although I'm not sure how much he can help against the political pressure in the legislature as well as the university community. This is at least the fourth alcohol related death in Colorado colleges during the past two academic years and almost all of them were fraternity related. That's tough.

exlurker · #11 05-02-2006, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum . . . As is noted in posts above, the CU IFC has banned alcohol at all fraternity parties until the investigation is complete. . . .

The ban reportedly has been lifted. Although the investigation is not complete, the fraternity presidents at the U of Colorado reportedly voted to lift the ban so that graduation parties and parent events with alcohol could be held. There is an expectation that parties will be kept small and low-key -- not big bashes.

See article:

http://www.thecampuspress.com/news/2...rtybanlift.php

Tom Earp · #12 05-02-2006, 05:48 PM

Maybe it is time for Greeks and School decide to work together for the betterment!

Both Need to quite being so damn hard headed and work together for all!

Who does eithers Ideals help?

exlurker · #13 05-15-2006, 05:59 PM

Update: Cause of Death Undetermined -- Not Alcohol

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...696607,00.html

The cause of Mr. Gomez' death has been ruled undetermined. Looks like foul play, drugs and alcohol have all been ruled out.

AngieWashU · #14 05-15-2006, 06:25 PM

Thanks for posting that follow up story. I'll be surprised it that makes the news.