After Student's Death, Campus Tries to Dry Up

[MindLikeAParachute]

NORMAN, Okla. — Just beyond the stately brick buildings and the graceful elm trees at the University of Oklahoma, the boys were draining a bottle of liquor called "Hot Damn" — and more. At the Sigma Chi fraternity house, the night wasn't much different than many others, until Blake Hammontree died.

Hammontree, 19, was found the morning of Sept. 30 with a blood-alcohol level of 0.42, suggesting, investigators said, that he had consumed more than 15 shots within two hours. It was the third alcohol-related death nationwide at a college fraternity house that month, and here in Norman, the hammer came down. University President David L. Boren called underage drinking a "national epidemic" and handed down a strict alcohol policy.

In a 15-point plan announced Dec. 1 and approved five days later by the university's Board of Regents, Boren banned alcohol in residence halls and fraternity houses. Some campus-affiliated organizations will be allowed to serve drinks, but only on weekends.

Boren issued restrictions on fraternity "rush" events, functions at which new members are recruited, and on hazing by campus organizations, which often comes in the form of excessive drinking. He instituted a "three-strikes" policy under which students who violated alcohol rules three times would be suspended for at least one semester. Parents would be notified of all violations.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&e=6&u=/latimests/afterstudentsdeathcampustriestodryup

[K8-EEE]

1. I Know That This Extreme Drinking Goes On At All Campuses

But it seems to me these red states are completely insane with this shit...15 shots in 2 hours for a 19 y/o? Come ON...

[Sandpiper]

2. In a related story

The University of Oklahoma saw its application numbers plunge on the heels of Boren's announcement.

The Board of Regents is at a loss to explain why. ;-)

[BRLIB]

3. Big 'Guvment' is what killed this man, with their prohibitionist

drinking laws, which makes the illegal the 'object of ultimate concern'.

This never happened to such a degree when 18 was the legal age.

21 is the highest in the world, with only a few countries having that distinction, and that few almost reads like a list of the countries which refuse to sign the treaty banning land mines!

[OKNancy]

4. Don't believe everything you read

There is still plenty of drinking going on at OU.