Michael Davis: A deadly initiation
Marissa Van Robey
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: News
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Michael Davis was a 25-year-old journalism student at Southeast Missouri State University who dreamed of working on the production of a show like Dateline or 60 Minutes, according to the Major Case Squad.
Then, Davis decided to pledge to Kappa Alpha Psi.
Davis began the pledge process on Feb. 6, 1994, and on Feb. 15, he died. Davis's death was the result of hazing he received from the Kappa fraternity members.
Davis underwent two weeks of hazing before his death. During these weeks, Davis and the other pledges were slapped, struck with books, kicked, beat with a cane and "body slammed," which occurred when the pledges were picked up and thrown to the ground, according to the Major Case Squad.
The final session of hazing took place on Valentine's Day. In a secluded field near the track on Southeast campus, Davis received his final blows as the pledges were forced through "stations," according to the Major Case Squad. As the Kappa pledges went from station to station, they had a particular type of abuse inflicted on them by one of the fraternity members. At one station they were given beer, at another they were pushed and verbally abused, and they were also body slammed and hit.
Davis died from internal bleeding in his brain, according to the medical examiner in the Major Case Squad's report. He also had broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and liver and bruises all over his chest, neck, back and arms.
In one of Davis's notebooks, he wrote, "hazing is the physical conditioning of the mind."
The Southeast Student Handbook defines hazing as "an act, whether on or off campus, which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of any person, or which violates public law or university policy."
Since Davis's death, changes have occurred at Southeast.
In a 1998 article in Black Issues in Higher Education, Karin Chenoweth found that Southeast had tightened rules on hazing and increased education for its campus Greek organization members and faculty and staff. Also, state laws have changed, which has made some hazing acts felonies.
Doug Richards, director of the Department of Public Safety, said that since the death of Michael Davis, there have been five reported cases of hazing at Southeast and all of these have resulted in criminal charges.
During the first two years after Davis's death, Richards said that DPS did see a slight increase in hazing reports. He attributed that to the increased sensitivity after the Davis incident.
Overall, however, Southeast has seen about a 50 percent decrease in hazing, Richards said. Also, "we are in the lower 20 percent of college campuses," Richards said in regards to national hazing rates.
Then, Davis decided to pledge to Kappa Alpha Psi.
Davis began the pledge process on Feb. 6, 1994, and on Feb. 15, he died. Davis's death was the result of hazing he received from the Kappa fraternity members.
Davis underwent two weeks of hazing before his death. During these weeks, Davis and the other pledges were slapped, struck with books, kicked, beat with a cane and "body slammed," which occurred when the pledges were picked up and thrown to the ground, according to the Major Case Squad.
The final session of hazing took place on Valentine's Day. In a secluded field near the track on Southeast campus, Davis received his final blows as the pledges were forced through "stations," according to the Major Case Squad. As the Kappa pledges went from station to station, they had a particular type of abuse inflicted on them by one of the fraternity members. At one station they were given beer, at another they were pushed and verbally abused, and they were also body slammed and hit.
Davis died from internal bleeding in his brain, according to the medical examiner in the Major Case Squad's report. He also had broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and liver and bruises all over his chest, neck, back and arms.
In one of Davis's notebooks, he wrote, "hazing is the physical conditioning of the mind."
The Southeast Student Handbook defines hazing as "an act, whether on or off campus, which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of any person, or which violates public law or university policy."
Since Davis's death, changes have occurred at Southeast.
In a 1998 article in Black Issues in Higher Education, Karin Chenoweth found that Southeast had tightened rules on hazing and increased education for its campus Greek organization members and faculty and staff. Also, state laws have changed, which has made some hazing acts felonies.
Doug Richards, director of the Department of Public Safety, said that since the death of Michael Davis, there have been five reported cases of hazing at Southeast and all of these have resulted in criminal charges.
During the first two years after Davis's death, Richards said that DPS did see a slight increase in hazing reports. He attributed that to the increased sensitivity after the Davis incident.
Overall, however, Southeast has seen about a 50 percent decrease in hazing, Richards said. Also, "we are in the lower 20 percent of college campuses," Richards said in regards to national hazing rates.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
S
posted 3/06/07 @ 11:30 AM CST
Why is it that the Arrow will only publish negative stories about the Greek community? This terrible act of hazing was YEARS ago. The Greek community as a whole has stood up against hazing, as a whole. (Continued…)
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