A Colorado State University fraternity is in trouble for allegedly making an underage girl sick on alcohol, days after a documentary was shown on campus detailing the drinking death of student Samantha Spady.
The CSU chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon was suspended by both its national chapter and CSU on Friday while the Sept. 16 incident and other possible recent violations are being investigated, the university said Tuesday.
The university and national Sigma Alpha Epsilon may also take action against individual members of the fraternity, said CSU spokeswoman Dell Rae Mollenberg.
The girl had to be hospitalized but no details about her condition were available. CSU and national fraternity officials either declined to comment or couldn’t be reached.
The girl was not attending an official event at the fraternity but rather was informally provided alcohol by a fraternity member, according to CSU’s campus newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian.
The newspaper also said it’s not known how much she drank before going to the fraternity or whether she was a CSU student.
The incident occurred the same week hundreds of CSU students watched the Spady documentary at Lory Student Center. The 30-minute film examines Spady’s life, including her death in 2004 caused by binge drinking at a CSU fraternity house.
Spady’s death spawned several reforms at CSU, including the banning of alcohol at all Greek houses at the university.
The 19-year-old’s death also heightened awareness of the dangers of binge drinking, said CSU senior Sadie Conrad.
“I don’t think there is anyone here who doesn’t know about Samantha Spady,” said Conrad, also vice president of the student body.
Still, students will overindulge because they have a hard time relating Spady’s death to their own lives, Conrad said.
“I think there are always going to be students who will not drink responsibly, no matter what the university or the Greeks do,” she said.
A year ago, CSU severed ties with one fraternity and penalized seven other Greek organizations for holding a fall drinking ritual known as “Rise and Ralph.” During the ritual, participants drink alcohol at several Greek houses through the early-morning hours to celebrate the end of sorority recruiting.
Lisa Miller, director of CSU’s Drugs, Alcohol & You programs, said 850 students have participated in alcohol-treatment classes. But with each fall term, a new crop of students faces new temptations and challenges when it comes to partying, she added.
“It’s always an ongoing thing to reach as many as possible,” Miller said.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
