22 NIU frat members charged in freshman's hazing death

Quoting Michael Ellis from his Facebook post:

A young person's death is a tragedy in everyone's eyes. The vanquishing of the bright future of a young man, because of silly over-indulging in alcohol is saddening, dismaying, disheartening.

The letters on this young man's sweat shirt were not Sigma Phi Epsilon -- this time. But this tragedy happened to all fraternity members everywhere, regardless of campus, fraternity affiliation or year of graduation.

Please take the time to talk about this event, its root causes, and whatever we can do in our own chapters to ensure that our Brothers are informed and educated about the choices they make and that they press others to make. No one has to behave this way and by the time you're 18 - 22, you really need to know better and do better. *Let's all get better at making sure everyone understands that*.

22 NIU frat members charged in freshman's hazing death - chicagotribune.com

(Note: the video was removed becaus of an "autoplay" issue. It can still be found on the Chicago Tribune link abouve)

Chico State suspends Greek activities after death

A senseless and tragic death shuts down the entire greek system
Chico State suspends Greek activities after death - San Jose Mercury News:

CHICO, Calif.—Chico State University suspended all Greek activities Thursday after the death of a student who drank too much alcohol while celebrating his 21st birthday.

Campus President Paul Zingg said fraternities and sororities will be barred from recruiting students or having social events until the spring semester. They also will have to cover or remove Greek letters from their houses during the suspension, according to the Chico Enterprise-Record ( http://bit.ly/XKiWDf).

Mason Sumnicht, a communication design major, was found unresponsive at an apartment last week after a night of drinking at downtown Chico bars with friends. The San Diego native was taken by ambulance to Enloe Medical Center and placed on life support after being treated for extreme alcohol poisoning.

Sumnicht died Thursday from an alcohol overdose, according to the Butte County coroner's office.

CSU officials would not comment on any fraternity affiliation for Sumnicht, but the campus newspaper, The Orion, reported that he was pledging the Sigma Pi fraternity this semester.

In addition to the young man's death, school officials said there have been other recent problems involving fraternities and sororities, including allegations of hazing, sexual assaults and drinking with potential new members.

Students don't get a "free pass" for allowing a brother to drink 21 shots on his 21st birthday and "pass out in his vomit,"

Asaid Zingg, speaking to a gathering of the Greek community in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium. Zingg said he had demanded changes from campus Greeks seven years ago when a student died during a fraternity hazing incident and there was a riot in downtown Chico. Things improved greatly, but the situation has deteriorated recently, he said.


"I don't think it's fair to generalize us all into the negative group," Courtney Wessel, a member of the sorority Sigma Omega Phi, told the Chico Enterprise-Record.
———
Information from: Chico Enterprise-Record, http://www.chicoer.com (More detail)