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

[JonoBN41]

No one knows the extent to which an incident like this angers me. I have no sympathy for anyone involved.

First off, I don't generally get down on other fraternities, but that chapter is toast. They should be closed down and prosecuted. Why should I pity an organization that gives us all a black eye?

The parents are not faultless either. They obviously did not teach their son how to drink in moderation - just sent him off to college.

The 21-year-old drinking age is not working. I can't recall even one instance like this happening when I was in school in the '70s when the age was 18. Now it seems to happen regularly.

The Darwin Award, of course, goes to the kid himself. I don't even sympathize with him. How does one get into college (with a scholarship?) and still be stupid enough to drink that much alcohol?

To quote the Times of Trenton, "Brittney Coates said she knows that Gary made his own decisions, but like her brother she is finding it hard not to place blame.

There is one thing she does know, however. If she or any of DeVercelly's other hometown friends had been with him Wednesday night, he would still be alive. 'Honestly, if any of his true friends had been there with him this wouldn't have happened,' she said. 'He just needed a good friend to be there and there wasn't."

You can say that again!

[shinerbock]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

No one knows the extent to which an incident like this angers me. I have no sympathy for anyone involved.

First off, I don't generally get down on other fraternities, but that chapter is toast. They should be closed down and prosecuted. Why should I pity an organization that gives us all a black eye?

The parents are not faultless either. They obviously did not teach their son how to drink in moderation - just sent him off to college.

The 21-year-old drinking age is not working. I can't recall even one instance like this happening when I was in school in the '70s when the age was 18. Now it seems to happen regularly.

The Darwin Award, of course, goes to the kid himself. I don't even sympathize with him. How does one get into college (with a scholarship?) and still be stupid enough to drink that much alcohol?

To quote the Times of Trenton, "Brittney Coates said she knows that Gary made his own decisions, but like her brother she is finding it hard not to place blame.

There is one thing she does know, however. If she or any of DeVercelly's other hometown friends had been with him Wednesday night, he would still be alive. 'Honestly, if any of his true friends had been there with him this wouldn't have happened,' she said. 'He just needed a good friend to be there and there wasn't."

You can say that again!

I agree with most of this, except for the fraternity thing. They'll probably get closed down, just because thats how HQ's respond to events like this. However, other than the specific individuals (if any) that purchased the alcohol or provided it to the kid, I don't think they should be prosecuted. I hope the parents don't sue the school or national fraternity, although that seems likely. I hate when people blame others for something they had an equal role in. Of course, I don't blame the parents entirely. They may have been fantastic people who raised a good kid, but that kid just acted irresponsibly.

As for the drinking age, that may or may not make a difference. While it may be true that kids didn't do this when the drinking age was 18, it was also a different breed of kid. We are at the lowest point in this country's history for self-responsibility. My parents generation was more mature and responsible at 18 than mine is at 22.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by JonoBN41

No one knows the extent to which an incident like this angers me. I have no sympathy for anyone involved.

First off, I don't generally get down on other fraternities, but that chapter is toast. They should be closed down and prosecuted. Why should I pity an organization that gives us all a black eye?

The parents are not faultless either. They obviously did not teach their son how to drink in moderation - just sent him off to college.

The 21-year-old drinking age is not working. I can't recall even one instance like this happening when I was in school in the '70s when the age was 18. Now it seems to happen regularly.

The Darwin Award, of course, goes to the kid himself. I don't even sympathize with him. How does one get into college (with a scholarship?) and still be stupid enough to drink that much alcohol?

To quote the Times of Trenton, "Brittney Coates said she knows that Gary made his own decisions, but like her brother she is finding it hard not to place blame.

There is one thing she does know, however. If she or any of DeVercelly's other hometown friends had been with him Wednesday night, he would still be alive. 'Honestly, if any of his true friends had been there with him this wouldn't have happened,' she said. 'He just needed a good friend to be there and there wasn't."

You can say that again!

Yeah, i'm like Shinerbock. I agree with you for the most part.....except for the part about prosecuting the fraternity.

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Yeah, i'm like Shinerbock. I agree with you for the most part.....except for the part about prosecuting the fraternity.

First the first time, IIRC , all three of us are in agreement.
However, in one way or another, the chapter is toasted (no pun intended) just over RM issues.

[jon1856]

Some updated news links:
DeVercelly Sr.: `A single mistake does not define a man's life'
By Kevin Butler, Staff writer
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_5562738

Hour after passing out, 911 is called

Rider freshman incoherent before falling unconscious
Sunday, April 01, 2007 BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD AND LISA CORYELL

LAWRENCE -- Gary DeVercelly fell unconscious nearly an hour before medical help was summoned to the Rider University fraternity house where he had been binge drinking, friends said yesterday.
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...700.xml&coll=5

04/01/2007Rider remembers Gary JOE D’AQUILA , Staff Writer
http://www.trentonian.com/site/news....id=44551&rfi=6

04/01/2007Editorial: Help is available for problem drinkers
One of the biggest issues facing America today is alcohol abuse. Just look at the tragedy that occurred on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., last week in which 18-year-old Gary DeVercelly died of alcohol poisoning. DeVercelly, who was a freshman at Rider, died at a Trenton, N.J., hospital Friday of alcohol poisoning, a little more than a day after drinking excessively at a fraternity party that began Wednesday night.
According to the Associated Press, Rider’s 15 Greek organizations are expected to register parties with the university and follow campus rules against underage drinking. Wednesday night’s party wasn’t registered. Many on campus said DeVercelly’s fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, was known for its Wednesday-night parties.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...id=18168&rfi=6

[exlurker]

CBS3 in Pennsylvania is reporting that the blood alcohol test results have been released, and Mr. DeVercelly's BAC was .426.

http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_092192145.html

Edited to Add: For more information on what the various levels of BAC typically mean in terms of symptoms and likely outcomes, one place to check is this Michigan State U. site:

http://www.healthmed.msu.edu/snc/bac.htm

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by exlurker

CBS3 in Pennsylvania is reporting that the blood alcohol test results have been released, and Mr. DeVercelly's BAC was .426.

http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_092192145.html

Edited to Add: For more information on what the various levels of BAC typically mean in terms of symptoms and likely outcomes, one place to check is this Michigan State U. site:

http://www.healthmed.msu.edu/snc/bac.htm

Follow-up links:
Dead frat pledge had alcohol level five times legal driving limit

By CHRIS NEWMARKER
Associated Press Writer

April 3, 2007, 5:03 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. -- The blood alcohol content of a Rider University freshman who died last week after drinking at a fraternity house was more than five times the legal limit for driving, authorities say.

Gary DeVercelly, 18, of Long Beach, Calif., had a blood alcohol content of .426, and died from his alcohol intoxication, according to autopsy results released by the prosecutor's office.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wi...on-apnewjersey

A rather interesting side bar story:
Paterno makes a point

One may not agree with everything he says, but Joe Paterno, Penn State's iconic football coach and National College Football Hall of Fame inductee, has, if nothing else, earned the right to be heard.
That's not usually a problem, as his current and former players will attest. Paterno's shrill voice cuts through any noise that dares to compete with him during Nittany Lion practices and on game day.
But when the rest of us have the chance, and he's not screaming, "Block somebody, for crying out loud," we owe it to Paterno -- and more importantly, to ourselves -- to listen.
http://www.centredaily.com/145/story/58165.html