DML: Eighteen members of a Penn State University fraternity face criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, after an intoxicated pledge fatally fell down a flight of stairs at hazing event, according to prosecutors.
Timothy Piazza, 19, a sophomore engineering major from New Jersey, died Feb. 4, two days after he was injured while pledging the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
He reportedly sustained traumatic brain injuries from several falls after partaking in a heavy drinking contest known as “the gauntlet,” and later fell head-first down 15 basement stairs around 11 pm, said the prosecutor. read more
Massive amounts of alcohol and young men (or women) is never a good thing. I know from personal experience when some so called friends of mine when I was in the Navy thought it would be funny to get me drunk on liberty in Olongapo City in the Philippines. I have never been drunker or sicker before like that night and the next day and I still don’t know how I got back to the ship except that a good friend found me and helped me get back to the ship. I pretty much found out the hard way that I don’t like drinking after that and very rarely will even drink a beer. I just don’t like getting drunk or being stoned for that matter. Worshipping the porcelain gods and being shitfaced, lamp post hanging drunk is not for me.
At least he wasn’t raped by a football coach…
Dan, yer cold.
I was also young and stupid and had to learn the hard way. And a lot of it was my fault for allowing myself to be talked into it and to think it was fun to get massively drunk like that.
Yet another example of how horrid our education system has become. Living a hedonistic lifestyle is largely expected on most campuses. It’s so disgusting… this young man didn’t need to die. God be with his family. (And have mercy on his soul.)
Senseless, Tragic event. Prayers for his family and friends.
And this is what has happened to the Greek system. I know we can’t go back to the ’50’s, but there is not enough charitable works to make up for the stuff that goes on in them now. #1 daughter made it through three days of pledging and decided against the idea. We’re glad she did. There’s a lot of mischief-making in an anonymous group of kids who think they’re all that.
Timothy’s brother is my nephews roommate at Penn State.
The family is devastated. My nephew drove his brother to the hospital
Very sad. His wounds were horrific. Please pray for the family.
Yes, when I was in college we drank far too much, but this wasn’t just limited to the greek system and was a campus wide culture. But times have changed, and some fraternities have not adapted.
I can’t speak for this particular chapter, but fraternities have a lot to offer its members which aren’t normally found in other student housing or apartment life. I had a lot of upper classmen mentors in my house who helped tremendously in a large university setting, and the greek system provided a much larger social network than I would have found in typical student housing. And unless one was a complete dick, pledges and brothers are automatically accepted as part of the organization without having to prove yourself.
There is no room for the conduct which led to this incident, and it’s a horrible tragedy that should not have occurred. There are rogue and bad houses – we had a couple when I was in school – and while this house should have been shut down, I wouldn’t condemn the entire greek system.
Wyatt — I don’t know when you were a brother, but trust me on this, the Greek system is in serious trouble across the country’s campuses. They still offer the social life as always, just a little too much of it for many of the houses, now. The focus seems to be less, for example, on building real character and more on not getting caught.
I’ve never understood the whole getting drunk thing. I grew up watching what it turned people into, and I made the decision not to do it. I don’t mean to sound as if I’m being judgmental toward anyone who drinks. But, I have always thought having control of your faculties is a good thing. So sad this young man had to lose his life.
This stuff has been going on at least since I was in college 46 years ago. Doesn’t seem any better or any worse than it was in 1970.
I read the story, but it’s all Greek to me.