Boulder – On a day that was both the anniversary of the death of fraternity pledge Lynn “Gordie” Bailey and the eve of the kinds of initiations that killed him, Rus Hackstaff wanted everyone to remember one face: Leslie Lanahan’s.
“This is the most important person in the room,” Hackstaff told about 200 assembled Greek leaders at the University of Colorado on Saturday.
“Gordie’s mom.
“Do not let your brothers and sisters in fraternities and sororities down, and do not let their moms down.”
A year ago, Hackstaff’s son made the 911 call from the Chi Psi fraternity house to report that he had found Bailey’s lifeless body. On Saturday, Hackstaff offered an apology.
“The Chi Psis are great people. … We just got a little lost in our way,” said Hackstaff, himself a Chi Psi alumnus. “We’re truly sorry about that.”
He said it was time to face some difficult truths.
“This is very hard for us to listen to, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear it,” he said.
The cautionary theme carried through the day to a vigil Saturday night where more than 300 people crowded on the lawn of the former Chi Psi fraternity house to honor Bailey’s memory.
Today, interested freshmen men will learn which fraternity has selected them to join. Bid day, as it is known, was supposed to fall on Saturday, but fraternity officials delayed it a day to participate in the alcohol-awareness symposium and honor Bailey’s anniversary.
The event was organized by Bailey’s former fraternity brothers, who formed G.O.R.D. Colorado (Guidelines and Objective of Responsible Drinking). Greeks heard tearful testimony and blunt warnings.
“If you are vomiting … while drinking,” Dr. William Mcllvaine told the group, “now it is time to be calling 911. … It is only going to get worse.”
Bailey was participating in a Chi Psi initiation when he died. As part of their acceptance into the fraternity, Bailey and 26 other pledges were encouraged to drink copious amounts of Ten High whiskey and Carlo Rossi wine.
After Bailey passed out, fraternity brothers wrote slurs on his face and body. By the time anyone called for help, Bailey was already dead.
Bailey’s stepfather, Michael Lana han, recounted a year of frustration during a speech he referred to as a “core dump” of his ideas. He castigated every level of leadership in the community, from Gov. Bill Owens on down through CU and local officials to the fraternity’s student president – not even sparing himself.
Lanahan called a recent decision by fraternity leaders against signing an agreement with CU officials that would require them to delay recruiting until the spring a “slap in the face,” but he said students are only reacting to a lack of leadership.
“We have set up an environment that makes it very dangerous for you to be here,” he said, adding that there is an opportunity for change.
“How dare us all let Gordie die and not be committed to a number of changes in this community.”
Lanahan received a standing ovation. Leslie Lanahan did not speak, but she received a standing ovation when Hackstaff ended the forum by calling her up on stage and putting his arm around her.
“If you want to see what guts looks like,” he said. “This is guts.”
At the vigil for her son later in the day, Leslie Lanahan told the tearful crowd that she was overwhelmed by the turnout. Many of Bailey’s former fraternity brothers were there to show support even though the local chapter was dissolved following Bailey’s death.
She pledged that her efforts to curb dangerous drinking would be sustained.
“Our family is in this for the long haul,” she said. “We’re not going away.”
Many of the students who turned out were wearing Greek letters, and Michael Lanahan asked them to remember Bailey.
“He would want you to know that Gordie doesn’t blame anyone for his death,” he said. “But we all know we can do better.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
