UConn Hazing

[33girl]

I know that some schools have a good Samaritan policy (for lack of anything better to call it) for people who take care of over-imbibers, underage or not. The fear with GLOs is that someone will turn it around and say having such a policy means excessive drinking is something that happens often and possibly open them up to more lawsuits. Obviously I think this is crap, but I also think it's what would happen with a written policy.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I know that some schools have a good Samaritan policy (for lack of anything better to call it) for people who take care of over-imbibers, underage or not. The fear with GLOs is that someone will turn it around and say having such a policy means excessive drinking is something that happens often and possibly open them up to more lawsuits. Obviously I think this is crap, but I also think it's what would happen with a written policy.

Legally speaking, I think it's a pretty strong defense for GLOs that our undergrads assume the risks of what goes along with drinking when they do so and therefore assume the liability for the foreseeable consequences. I really don't think this young lady has much of a legal case. I'm not hearing that she was under any sort of duress when told to drink. Peer pressure, legally speaking, is not the same thing as duress. A gun held to her temple is duress.

The hazing concerns are real though and any investigation should rightly address those issues.

[Nanners52674]

I know its a whole different discussion, but I honestly think lowering the drinking age to 18 is the responsible thing to do. It's difficult situation for a college since students start underage and come of drinking age during college. The alcohol will always be there, but underage drinking is still illegal so as a result kids drink more quicker, go to great lengths to hide it including not getting someone help and many other things.

If it was legal at 18 I think it would solve a lot of these issues.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

I know its a whole different discussion, but I honestly think lowering the drinking age to 18 is the responsible thing to do. It's difficult situation for a college since students start underage and come of drinking age during college. The alcohol will always be there, but underage drinking is still illegal so as a result kids drink more quicker, go to great lengths to hide it including not getting someone help and many other things.

If it was legal at 18 I think it would solve a lot of these issues.

When I was in college, the drinking age was 18 for beer and wine, and 21 for liquor. I know the reason for the federally-forced change was drunk driving among young drivers. I'd be interested to see statistics analyzing whether the change in the drinking age had an effect on that problem. It certainly seems to me that binge-drinking among college students is much more of a problem than it was when I was in school, though I have no clue whether that is just my perception and whether a variety of factors may be at play there.

But I've always thought it odd, to say the least, that a 20-year-old can be sent off to war to die for his country, but he can't legally have a beer before he goes.

[Nanners52674]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

When I was in college, the drinking age was 18 for beer and wine, and 21 for liquor. I know the reason for the federally-forced change was drunk driving among young drivers. I'd be interested to see statistics analyzing whether the change in the drinking age had an effect on that problem. It certainly seems to me that binge-drinking among college students is much more of a problem than it was when I was in school, though I have no clue whether that is just my perception and whether a variety of factors may be at play there.

But I've always thought it odd, to say the least, that a 20-year-old can be sent off to war to die for his country, but he can't legally have a beer before he goes.

I've always thought that, and also its weird to me that at 16 you're mature enough to drive and get a job but aren't ready for the responsibility of being able to vote.

[33girl]

Part of the drunk driving issues were people driving over state lines (PA has always been 21 and Ohio was 18 til the last minute, to cite one example).

The only reason states changed was that they were blackmailed - if they didn't change they lost federal highway funding.

This should be eliminated, but to avoid the state to state issues you should either have to be a permanent or temporary (college id) resident to drink at the lower age. That would eliminate a lot of the crossing of the border.

[Maman]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

I know its a whole different discussion, but I honestly think lowering the drinking age to 18 is the responsible thing to do. It's difficult situation for a college since students start underage and come of drinking age during college. The alcohol will always be there, but underage drinking is still illegal so as a result kids drink more quicker, go to great lengths to hide it including not getting someone help and many other things.

If it was legal at 18 I think it would solve a lot of these issues.

I absolutely agree with you.

I hate the idea of 'pregaming.' Drinking before an event because students think they will be unable to drink at the event. So they try to guess how much to drink before they leave. They usually overestimate. Then if alcohol is present they continue to drink to excess.

I also hate the mystery punches common at some schools. What the heck is in there?

Allowing 18 yos to consume bottles or cans of beer allows them to monitor their intake more closely and become responsible drinkers.

[ree-Xi]

What makes her story unbelievable is not that she's legal to drink, or that she may have been an initated member, but her own language.

"I was driven to dinner"

"I was led..."

"I was told..."

Not:

"They blindfolded me and shoved me into a car then pulled me out of the car and dragged me by the hair into a fraternity house"

"They threatened me that they'd take away my membership if I didn't do what they wanted"

"They forced me to play beer pong by tying a string to my arm and making me 'throw' a pingpong ball across a table full of red solo cups filled with beer"

"They held me down and poured alcohol down my throat"

Every accusation in the (albeit edited) interview is a passive statement. Victims don't normally speak that way; they typically use active verbs.

Obviously, I don't want her to have been hazed/hurt/threatened, but the story just doesn't add up to her victimization.

[ree-Xi]

I saw an older interview in which the news reporter said that there was a party going on and Holt said that there were "7-9" other people in the room. However, in the Katie Couric interview, there's no mention anything about a party, giving the impression that it was just her that was driven to the SAE house, and Holt says there were 10-15 people in "that room".

http://boston.barstoolsports.com/aro...e-blacked-out/

[Kevin]

Again, what corroboration of her story is there?

[Just interested]

Totally agree, 33 girl.

[OPhiAGinger]

Dr Phil, it's not as simple as someone just wanting to make some noise. My points about being from Hawaii (and thus being introduced to sorority life at a later age with little context) speak to *why* she felt the situation at SAE was a big deal. And that's why she called the police and went to the media.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

Dr Phil, it's not as simple as someone just wanting to make some noise. My points about being from Hawaii (and thus being introduced to sorority life at a later age with little context) speak to *why* she felt the situation at SAE was a big deal. And that's why she called the police and went to the media.

You keep saying this, but I still think your points are roughly equivalent to 2 + 3 = orange. If I were faced with a situation in which I felt forced or pressured to do the types of things that have been described, I would want to do something about it because it is a big deal but that wouldn't involve the media or Gloria Allred.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

Dr Phil, it's not as simple as someone just wanting to make some noise. My points about being from Hawaii (and thus being introduced to sorority life at a later age with little context) speak to *why* she felt the situation at SAE was a big deal. And that's why she called the police and went to the media.

Last I knew, they have TV and movies in Hawaii, and that's where lots of kids get their ideas of what Greek life is like. I just don't see the connection.

And I just don't think people who are merely trying to shine a spotlight on a problem engage Gloria Allred. People who want publicity for themselves, however, do.

[Nanners52674]

Originally Posted by OPhiAGinger

Dr Phil, it's not as simple as someone just wanting to make some noise. My points about being from Hawaii (and thus being introduced to sorority life at a later age with little context) speak to *why* she felt the situation at SAE was a big deal. And that's why she called the police and went to the media.

You do realize that Hawaii is part of this country and is throughly monder society. With the same TV shows and Internet as the rest of us. Meaning shows like Greek, movies like House Bunny and Legally Blonde etc... Sites like TSM/TFM, Instagram, Twitter and the list goes on.

You're acting like this girl being from Hawaii is akin to being from a foreign country/culture.

Perhaps you might be swerving a bit.