Death of Fraternity New Member at U. of Kansas (Sigma Alpha Epsilon)

[exlurker]

Sad news about the recent death of a young man at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house at the University of Kansas. My condolences to his family, friends, and the KU SAEs.

The local paper reports, with special attention to the reaction of the man’s family:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/ma...ku-fraternity/

The Kansas City Star’s site has an article, too:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/break...y/1077063.html

Excerpts from the Star’s article:

. . . the teen’s father said Monday that Jason Wren, a former Arapahoe High School honor student, drank heavily before he died. . . .

Brandon Weghorst, spokesman for Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national headquarters, said Jason Wren was a new member, and national SAE staffers were in Lawrence investigating the death, along with SAE alumni who live in the area.

He said Sigma Alpha Epsilon policies warn members to be alert for the signs of overdrinking, and each chapter is expected to adhere to local campus rules and state law concerning alcohol.

[Honeykiss1974]

I saw this on the newsw this morning. My condolences and prayers are with his family.

[Kevin]

Former Arapahoe High School honor student Jason Wren drank margaritas and then as many as a dozen beers and also whiskey before dying in a University of Kansas fraternity house, his father said Monday.
"One week of fraternity living killed him," Jay Wren said. "He overdrank. Kids have got to understand alcohol is the worst."
Wren, a 19-year-old college freshman, was found dead in KU's Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house about 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Jay Wren said Lawrence, Kan., police told him that his son had gone to dinner Saturday evening with friends at a local restaurant, where he drank margaritas.
They then returned to the SAE house, where Jason had 10 to 12 beers and drank from an open bottle of Jack Daniel's, his father said he was told.
As he walked around with the bottle, Jason boasted that he never got sick when he got drunk, said his father. Jay Wren said that after his son passed out, his fraternity brothers put him to bed. After he stumbled out of the bed, they put him back in the bed instead of taking him to the hospital, he said.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11874855

[srmom]

Wow, very sad. From reading the article, he was just the typical all American kind of kid, athlete, good student, gregarious and fun - just tended to drink too much at times, and it ended up killing him. I feel so terrible for his parents.

As a mom, I've sent two kids off to college who could have been this boy. We talk until we're blue in the face about dangers of drugs and drink. We hope they will make good choices and not do anything to a dangerous excess, but honestly, once they are out the door and on their own they're out of our control. It's scary....

My prayers go out to his family and friends

[ZTA72]

Originally Posted by srmom

As a mom, I've sent two kids off to college who could have been this boy. We talk until we're blue in the face about dangers of drugs and drink. We hope they will make good choices and not do anything to a dangerous excess, but honestly, once they are out the door and on their own they're out of our control. It's scary....My prayers go out to his family and friends

I feel so much sorrow for this family. I can really relate to what you said. Parents can talk, set good examples, etc, but when we are (were) young, the sense of invincibility is present and is very difficult to counteract.

[ECUJacob]

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and fraternity. It's sad, but all too common among college students today.

[Kansas City]

Bump for an update ...

http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-dry-party...,6953387.story

[srmom]

Thanks for that update. It's nice to see that they had such a good response to the event and that they are planning to make it an annual event.

Some good to come out of a tragic loss. I'm sure it means alot to his parents.

[SOM]

Updated:
Picked this up from http://twitter.com/Plegd

Sigma Alpha Epsilon files defense motion as part of lawsuit

Attorneys representing Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 1301 West Campus Rd., filed a defense motion in a a meeting of attorneys held Wednesday. The motion is part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of former student Jason Wren against the fraternity. Wren, a 19-year-old freshman from Littleton, Colo., died in SAE from alcohol poisoning March 8, 2009. The plantiff in the suit, Jason’s father, Jay Wren, alleges that fraternity members failed to seek help for Jason the night he died. The defendants in the suit include the national and local chapters of Sigma Alpha Epislon and 10 members of the fraternity, listed as John Does....
http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/nov/...ion-part-laws/

[SOM]

Attorney says KU fraternity not changing its ways
Lawrence, Kan. —
An attorney representing the father of a University of Kansas student who died last year of alcohol poisoning says Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity still hasn't changed its approach to underage drinking.....
http://www.eldoradotimes.com/newsnow...nging-its-ways

Lawyer: KU fraternity still has alcohol issues

LAWRENCE | An attorney representing the father of a University of Kansas student who died last year of alcohol poisoning says Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity still hasn't changed its approach to underage drinking.


Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/18...#ixzz15hrF9gtO

[lucgreek]

I wonder, are they pursuing litigation against the restaurant who sold him the margaritas?

[SOM]

Originally Posted by lucgreek

I wonder, are they pursuing litigation against the restaurant who sold him the margaritas?

That is a very good question lucgreek.
Sent a note to Kansas City Star asking them that.
Lets wait and see if I get a reply.

[SOM]

Believe it or not-I recieved this note this morning:
Dear...:
There hasn't been any follow-up about the restaurant at all. I will tell the reporter you're interested in the topic, though, and new stories will be posted to KansasCity.com if anything comes out of it.

Best wishes,
Derek Donovan
Readers' representative
The Kansas City Star

[AGDee]

"Wren was living at the fraternity house because he was banned from living at a university residence hall after he violated the school's alcohol policy."

I find that line particularly interesting. Does anybody know what it takes to get banned from residence halls? One beer? Multiple violations?

[SOM]

Originally Posted by AGDee

"Wren was living at the fraternity house because he was banned from living at a university residence hall after he violated the school's alcohol policy."

I find that line particularly interesting. Does anybody know what it takes to get banned from residence halls? One beer? Multiple violations?

Not all to sure but here is the Code of Student Conduct:
https://documents.ku.edu/policies/St...sibilities.htm
and review (Student Court?)
http://www.vpss.ku.edu/pdf/SCRT_brochure_web.pdf