Penn State-Altoona Phi Sigma Kappa Suspended

[LillyPhi]

This is very sad........

"A Penn State Altoona fraternity has been suspended after one of its members committed suicide in New York over spring break, and based on photos and notes on the deceased fraternity brother's phone, his family believes hazing drove him to take his life..........Marquise Braham, an 18-year-old freshman at PSU Altoona, jumped off the Marriott Long Island Hotel in Nassau County, N.Y., on Friday night.
While Nassau County police are investigating Braham's death, Logan Township police are investigating his Penn State Altoona fraternity, Phi Sigma Kappa."

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/co...r-suicide.html

[ASTalumna06]

Ugh. I can't believe the fraternity members said this to his father..

Braham said his son did not speak much about his fraternity. But the day of his son's death, Marquise's hometown friends told Braham that Marquise had been disturbed by the hazing rituals at the Penn State Altoona fraternity.

"They told me the types of hazing that went on," Braham said.

The day after Marquise's death, some of his frat brothers visited in New York. Braham said he spoke with them outside of his home.

"Everybody liked him," Braham was told.

Braham kept quiet about the information he had about the hazing when the frat brothers visited his home. But he asked the young men in general about hazing.

"'It made him a better man,' they told me," he said.

[Kevin]

So he was the secretary, he wasn't being hazed, he was allegedly doing the hazing and the thing everyone is blaming for driving this kid to suicide wasn't mentioned in his suicide note. Either someone is trying to construct a wrongful death case out of thin air or... wait... I can't even think of an alternative. This article didn't go to any effort to rule out girl troubles/boy troubles/depression... just a hatchet job.

I as always condemn hazing. It's a relic of the past. I equally condemn folks who blame hazing when there's little to no evidence it is the cause of the harm. Sometimes it's a clear cut case, this time, not so much. I don't think the article was fair at all in that regard.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Wow, my heart goes out to the family, and I am shocked that the fraternity, if their comments are reported correctly, doesn't seem to have learned anything.

That said, mental health issues are very complex, and can rarely be attributed to one cause like this. Drawing a straight line from hazing to suicide does little to improve understanding of either one.

Given the number of people who struggle with mental health issues beginning in the college years, I really wish it was a priority topic for chapter development (or whatever you call your meetings where you learn about stuff). Virtually every campus has resources available, and I'd love to see presentations where these are discussed with members, along with some warning signs that you should keep an eye out for, both in yourself and in peers.

[33girl]

How is it that freshmen get to pledge? Um, it happens at the majority of colleges. How is it that they get leadership positions the semester after initiating? Because there aren't enough other experienced brothers to fill them. I can see this causing all the other groups to rethink if they want to be there ( unless Altoona very quickly gets to where Behrend is and I don't see that happening overnight). Not because of the hazing but because of the unequal class distribution.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

How is it that freshmen get to pledge? Um, it happens at the majority of colleges. How is it that they get leadership positions the semester after initiating? Because there aren't enough other experienced brothers to fill them. I can see this causing all the other groups to rethink if they want to be there ( unless Altoona very quickly gets to where Behrend is and I don't see that happening overnight). Not because of the hazing but because of the unequal class distribution.

I assume (and correct me if I'm wrong) that you're saying more students transfer to the main campus from Altoona than they do from Behrend? I admittedly know very little about Altoona's campus culture and the makeup of the students there, so I'm just guessing that's what you were referring to with "unequal class distribution."

[33girl]

Behrend has been 4 years a LOT longer than Altoona has. It's also been "Penn State Erie-The Behrend College" not just Penn State-InsertCityWhereBranchIsHere."

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Behrend has been 4 years a LOT longer than Altoona has. It's also been "Penn State Erie-The Behrend College" not just Penn State-InsertCityWhereBranchIsHere."

Ah, ok. I didn't realize that. I don't really know the history of the other branch campuses.

[*winter*]

Agree with DBB.

No one can say for sure why someone commits suicide.

The gun thing is harrowing.

How long has Altoona been 4 years?

[naraht]

On July 1, 1997 the Penn State Altoona Campus became Penn State Altoona, a four-year baccalaureate degree-granting college of the University.

[ASTalumna06]

The fraternity will be suspended for 6 years:

http://onwardstate.com/2014/09/22/al...investigation/

[ASTalumna06]

Family Files Lawsuit Against Penn State, Phi Sigma Kappa For Negligence Prior To Son’s Suicide:

http://onwardstate.com/2015/12/17/fa...-sons-suicide/

[33girl]

Not that I think they have a case, but this would be interesting regarding the autonomy of branch campuses.

[Kevin]

I couldn't comment on whether they really have a case because I know nothing about the peculiarities of Pennsylvania law. Generally speaking, I think the Plaintiffs are going to have a very difficult time with causation, i.e., proving that hazing was the proximate cause of the suicide.