The closer The opens up Rider News 15 www.theridernews.com The student newspaper of the Rider community since 1930 Volume 82, Issue XVI1I - Friday, March 30, 2012 FROM SADNESS TO PROGRESS Tragic incident leads to change for the better By Katie Zeck In December of that year, [email protected] the DeVercelly family filed a Gary DeVercelly was an wrongful death lawsuit against the University and also charged Rider’s Alcohol Policy 18-year-old student from Long Beach, Calif., who died as a Phi Kappa Tau president Mike What it was then: What it is now: result of excessive drinking on Torney with aggravated hazing. •Consequences ranged from levels 1-5 •A two-tiered system March 30, 2007. Today marks Torney pled guilty and received the five-year anniversary of his three years of probation, 100 •Within any two-year period, the •Tier 1: Possession and/or non-abusive death. hours of community service first alcohol violation would result consumption of alcoholic beverages Following the tragic death and alcohol counseling. The in parental notification, the second •Tier 2: Abusive or high risk University eventually reached a of DeVercelly, Rider’s alcohol would minimally result in parental consumption of alcoholic beverages policy went from a “three-strike settlement with the DeVercelly •Each tier contains 4 levels, all of which family in which Rider was notification and the third would policy” to the current two- minimally result in removal from include parental notification, $100- tiered system that includes the cleared of any wrongdoing and $300 fine, alcohol education, and was not deemed liable for the residency. Good Samaritan policy, stron- community restitution. ger sanctions such as higher student’s death. Amid the lawsuits and •The fourth violation under each tier fines and parental notification includes additional sanctions such as for every level of a violation, funeral, President Mordechai possible dismissal from the University. mandatory alcohol education Rozanski established a presi- classes and additional penalties dential task force composed if the original sanctions are not of administration, faculty and carried out. students with its main focus Graphic by Katie Hambor/The Rider News with parents on the alcohol The new policy has being the alcohol policy, per- education of our students,” said decreased the overall amount of sonal responsibility and student o mark the fifth anniversary of Gary DeVercelly’s Stasolla. “We’re trying to create dangerous drinking on campus, life, said Stasolla, the then-vice- death, The Rider News is devoting an entire an alcohol policy that will serve said Debbie Stasolla, associate chair of the task force. expanded news section to the ramifications it had According to Stasolla, the as a greater deterrent and to T vice president for Planning. on life at the University: help students understand that “We began by reviewing task force made a total of 19 we don’t tolerate risky, danger- From Sadness to Progress: Tragic incident our polices, programs and exist- recommendations for proposed ous forms of drinking.” ing services to see what we changes to the university’s poli- leads to change for the better •1 Stasolla also noted that could do to further reduce dan- cies against alcohol consump- this deterrence was reflected in Past students reflect on student death •1 gerous and binge drinking on tion and binge drinking. Most of these recommendations were the University’s annual Clery both our campuses,” Stasolla A look back at 88 years of Rider Greek Life•3 report — a yearly report that is said. “We really wanted to stress implemented by the start of the required by all college campuses that it is a shared responsibil- 2007-2008 academic year. Rider Greek Life feels impact five years In regard to the higher fines and provides crime statistics for ity that we have as an institu- later •3 the prior three years. tion to consider the choices we and extensive sanctions, Stasolla According to Rider’s make and how they affect our believes they are very effective Recapturing the events of troubled in discouraging high-risk drink- 2010 Security and Fire Safety personal lives and those around times •4 Report, disciplinary actions for us.” ing. liquor law violations on the DeVercelly was rushing Phi “As far as instituting paren- Accepting a fair alcohol policy •10 Lawrenceville campus decreased Kappa Tau fraternity in March tal notifications, that stemmed See Policy, p. 4 Policies of Rider’s past •11 of 2007. from the idea of partnering Past students reflect on student death GUEST COLUMN Poyda, the same building as any other — my roommate wasn’t clear right away what Gary DeVercelly. I had never and I got up and got ready for had happened. Both DeVercelly By Julia Ernst and met him, but my roommate Thursday morning class — but and William Williams, another Kristie Kahl had hung out with him a few then I left Poyda to go to class. student who had been pledging This piece reflects the opinions of times at parties in our build- The Phi Kappa Tau fraternity the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, two Rider graduates who were ing. Waking up in Poyda on house was roped off with police were in the hospital at Capital students at the time of DeVercelly’s the morning of March 29 — tape. Health. Williams was released death. the day before he died — was The details of the day are late in the day on Thursday. something I’ll never forget. For hazy now, five years later, of DeVercelly died on Friday. I Photo provided by the DeVercelly family Julia: Gary DeVercelly died of exces- In March 2007, I was a the first minute or two, the course, but I do remember how remember how uncomfortable sive drinking in March 2007. freshman at Rider. I lived in morning was no different than confusing everything was. It See Column, p. 4 Opinion: p. 11 F&E: p. 8 Sports: p. 16 Flashback: A look Comedy Central star Broncs face Canisius at Rider in 1969 roasts Rider in three game series The 2 Rider News Friday, March 30, 2012 SECURITY BRIEFS Recapturing the events of troubled times Swiped Chain By Dalton Karwacki the respirator. DeVercelly died Campbell and then-Direc- Life, enforced it majorly.” A male resident student Today marks the five-year at approximately 10:30 a.m. on tor of Greek Life Ada Badgely Mike Potts, ’11, was a stu- was a victim of theft over anniversary of the alcohol-relat- Friday, March 30, 2007. were both placed on paid leave dent at Lawrence High School spring break. The Kroner res- ed death of Rider freshman Justin Scerbo, ’10, a Rider and indicted on charges of and had been accepted to ident claimed to have left a Gary DeVercelly Jr. The inci- alumnus, stated in an email aggravated hazing; these charg- Rider when Devercelly’s death gold chain valued over $200 dent brought about a slew of that DeVercelly’s death affected es were dropped due to lack of occurred. in his desk over break. legal actions, media coverage the campus in a major way and evidence on August 28, 2009. “There was quite a bit of On Friday, March 9, his and lasting effects on the Rider caused a lot of anxiety for those Rider’s chapter of PKT talk among the other students at mother came back to campus community. attending Rider. was dissolved because of the Lawrence High School regard- and went into the victim’s DeVercelly, 18, of Long “It was pretty stressful,” he dangerous underage drinking ing his death, so my attending room to retrieve an item the Beach, Calif., was taken to the said. “It seemed a lot of extra that occurred at an unregistered the University became a bit student left in the room over hospital after a night of heavy scrutiny was placed on the cam- party. questionable,” he wrote in an break. The mother said she drinking at the now-defunct pus image and it was obvious. Kahl rushed Alpha Xi Delta email. “I didn’t want to think remembered locking the door Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) frater- Through all the extra mention the semester after DeVercelly’s that the school I was already when she left. nity house on campus. The inside and outside of the class- death and said that, by then, so fond of could actually have When the student came Lawrence Township Police room, Rider wanted to make a lot about the process had such a bad partying reputa- back on March 21, the chain Department (LTPD) arrived sure everyone knew the gravity changed. tion.” was missing. Anyone with after reports of a student vomit- of what happened.” “Looking into hazing was Potts also stated that he and additional information is ing from alcohol consumption Scerbo, who did not know much more enforced,” she said. many other students at Rider encouraged to contact Public at 1:52 a.m., on March 29, DeVercelly personally, also said “After Gary, there was a major discussed the issue of personal Safety at x5029. 2007. DeVercelly and another that the incident had a big change. The process was very responsibility when it came to Public Safety would like freshman, William Williams, impact on the Greek commu- different; there was no drinking DeVercelly’s death during his to remind students to be extra were taken to the emergency nity at the time. allowed at all. The president [of freshman year at the University. cautious and lock all doors in room at the Capital Health “While I was in the process the sorority], as well as Greek residence halls even if just leav- System in Trenton.