srsani6 ‘The Univesity of Chicago Mail -ilbept] Pinning night ‘THe UNIVERSITY OF Bcuicaco bl [ilbetpat] Pinning night 2 messages SE 001 Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 3:26 PM Reply-To: lbetpct@yahoogroups.com To: ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com | dort mean to stop (nA {00s ore but | don think this was mentioned at meeting, yesterday: Pinning is Saturday and this time we're goin to ty and incorporate a surprise factor with the party afterwards. This means well do the normal ritual / phi nukes / boat races nen fora 20 min time period wel ack them up inthe basement or atic while we have gis and the newly pinned pledges friends storm in the house preparing for the big surprise party welll be throwing them afterwards, What does this mean? DO NOT TELL THE BIDDED KIDS ANYTHING ABOUT SATURDAY. Do not mention pinning and ‘especially don't mention anything about the party afterwards. In the mean time, brothers start thinking of girs to invite to the surprise party Saturday night and Nibs start compiling lists of the future pledges close friends so that we can be sure {o invite ther too later in the week. YitLOWKEY, = ‘Sent from my iPhone Poco Reply via web post * Replytosender * Replytogroup * Start aNew Topic * Messages in this topic (1) VISIT YOUR GROUP. New Members 2 | YAHOO! Grours + Privacy + Unsure «Terme of Use eee od, Son 21, 2018 1046 FM) a [voted text hon] nap: google com/rnaiVu//2u-22ik-98ee3838Fe8view-pAsearinbox th dbdc7b04acdcBsim!=I4bde2HMacO99de esmnISTAfcBatb4dGOeS “imeno6 ‘The Univesity of Chicago Mail - Dry Pledge ‘THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO eee Dry Pledge 8 messages Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 10:57 PM To: ibetpdt@yahoogroups.com" I don't think it's sali ea bea ia | ‘When we told him to sit with everyone else @iproom, he escaped and started running away. When he ran Cutside, sas@sfamigaa and | tried to restrain him. He broke free and ran, then slipped and fell, cutting open his face. He also banged his head against walls and knocked shit over the entire night. | think for attic night, as his pledge brothers work through two kegs and a two handles, (Qi challenge should be to kill six iters of Sprite ermaserent NAM [tb 217241) Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:00 PM Reply-To: lIbetpdt@yahoogroups.com Rent lbetpdt@yahoogroups.com” Dry pledges drink milk. | got nipples digump. can you milk me too Sent from my iPhone {Quotes toxt hidden} Posted by: ia aaa? Reply via web post * Replytosender * Replytogroup * StartaNew Topic * Messages in this topic (2) VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 2 | YAHOO! GRouPs + Privacy + Unsubscribe + Terms of Use | mene —eeiptitemeneuremer sep Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:12 PM To: “ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com” I don’t think milk is a good option for Dry Pledge especially for the beer olympics. The water and alcohol Used is already terrible for the house, both structurally (the wooden support gets rotted out) and in terms of the residents’ health (the mold caused by all of the moisture). Milk would make the entire house smell terrible on top of that. | think soda would be the best option for @@JMip as a dry pledge, assuming he doesn't drop (he has said he ‘naps: google comma Wui=2&ik~9ee3838fe8viewspttqrdry pledge qs=tuedsearchequeryth=dbrToeeSce2eftadsimle] 4b ToecSea2etiagsimls... 8snse06 ‘The Uaivesity of Chicago Mal -Dry Pedge wants to drop because of his degrading pledge name). yit {Quoted text hidden} =e ‘Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:17 PM fo “ibetpdt@yahoogroups.com” On the subject of altering tradition, | don't think phi nukes are a good idea for pinning night. Making 18 year olds take many shots of Everclear is a terrible idea. | think boat races and shots are fun, but what's the point of pinning night if none of the pledges remember it? Hell, we can still make green shots and call them phi nukes, but they shouldn't be as strong and/or we could not make pledges drink absurd amounts of them. yitfucktradition -= [Quoted text hidden} {ilbetpat) Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:52 PM Reply-To: ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com To: “ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com” Dry pledge with redbull. Yitaurine Sent from my iPhone On Mar 7, 2015, at 11:17 PM, i iletpct) wrote: On the subject of altering tradition, | don' think phi nukes are @ good idea for pinning night. Making 18 year olds take many shots of Everclear is a terrible idea. | think boat races and shots are fun, but what's the point of pinning night if none of the pledges remember it? Hell, we can sill make green shots and call them phi nukes, but they shouldn't be as strong and/or we could not make pledges drink absurd amounts of them, yitfucktradition w= On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:12 PM, SVT wc: | don't think milk is a good option for Dry Pledge SJ especially for the beer ‘olympics. The water and alcohol used is already terrible for the house, both struct! Urally (he wooden support gets rotted out) and in terms ofthe residents’ health (the ‘mold caused by all of the moisture). Milk would make the entire house smell terrible Con top ofthat. I think soda would be the best option for MN as a dry pledge, assuming he doesn't drop (he has said he wants to drop because of his degrading pledge name). oe (On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:00 PM iS [ilbetpdt] wrote: nips: google com/mallwO/i-24ie-9tee3838felview=pdq—try Mpedgedegstrundsearcinquery hel sbeToecSeeeffsimln! wrote: When we told him to sit with everyone else in gm he escaped and started running away. When he outside, MANENNEERY and | tried to restrain him. He broke free and ran, then slipped and fel, cutting opan his face. He also banged his head against walls and knocked shit over the entire night. | think for atic night, as "is pledge brothers work through two kegs and a two handles, MEBBD challenge should be to kill six liters of Sprite yitriskmanagement Posted by: aT Reply via web post * Reply tosender * Replyto group * StartaNew Topic * Messages in this topic (5) VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 2 | YAHOO! GRours + Privacy + Unsubscribe «Terms of Use [ilbetpdt] Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 12:10 AM Reply-To: lbetpdt@yahoogroups.com To: “ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com' Can't wait to explain to @™i—ijwhen he wakes up tomorrow why the fuck he was phi nuked with Everclear shots after already stating, “this is the drunkest I've ever been”. | probably could be misinterpreting the story though because he threw up before, during, and after telling it. There are some pretty stupid things that we do but this is ‘naps: mal google comma ui=28ie=98ee3838fe8 view=pldgiry 2Ipledgeas-truedscarchquery hI 4b ThecScetetatsimlnI4btTbecSceleffisinls.. 3/8rnsno1s ‘Tae University of Chicago Mail-Dry Pledge blatantly irresponsible. Als looked like he was on bath salts tonight. Reality check, some of these kids did not drink in high school. They want to impress us and drink their fair share. This is BAD. So far we've gotten really fucking lucky but all we need is one kid to fall out the window on the third floor or hit his head on the side walk and we are boned. Goddamn, lets use our fucking brains. YiThegreenBastard = Sent from my iPhone On Mar 7, 2015, at 11:52 PM, {ibetpdt] wrote: Dry pledge with redbull. Yitaurine Sent from my iPhone On Mar 7, 2016, at 11:17 PM, i RERSTERS [ic] wrote: On the subject of altering tradition, | don't think phi nukes are a good idea for pinning night, Making 18 year olds take many shots of Everclear is a terrible idea. | think boat races and shots are fun, but what's the point of pinning night if none of the pledges remember it? Hell, we can still make green shots and call them phi nukes, but they shouldn't be as strong and/or we could not make pledges drink absurd amounts of them, yitfucktradition = On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:12 PV, I wrote: | don't think milk is a good option for Dry Pledge Sl especially for the beer olympics. The water and alcohol used is already terrible for the house, both struct! urally (the wooden support gets rotted out) and in terms of the residents’ health (the mold caused by all of the moisture). Milk would make the entire house smell terrible on top of that. | think. soda would be the best option for @ilgg as a dry pledge, assuming he doesn't drop (he has said he wants to drop because of his degrading pledge name). & On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:00 PM, [ilbetpdt] wrote: | pry pledges drink mi, | | || got nipples (MB. can you milk me too io4 ‘ntps: nal google cominallwO/Pu=24ik=98ee3838"e8 view=pdtqndry f20pledgedeqe=tetsarchaquery the 14b¢ToecSce2effaBsimla!4btToecSce2efaasiols, amanos ‘The Univenity of Chicago Mail -Dry Pledge ‘Sent from my iPhone (On Mar 7, 2015, at 10:57 PM, Sa? daford @uchicago.edu [ilbetpat] wrote: | don't think it's arguable that 44 should When we told him to sit with everyone else in MMB, he escaped and started running away, When he ran outside, WEEP ard | tried to restrain him. He broke free and ran, then slipped and fell, cutting open his face. He also be his head against walls and knocked shit over the entire night, | think for attic aight, as his pledge brothers work through two kegs and a two handles, q4gg96 challenge should be to kill six ters of Sprite yitriskmanagement Posted by: Ci aaa Reply via web post * Reply to sender * Replyto group * StartaNew Topic * Messages in this topic (6) VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 2 | YAHOO! GRouPs + Privacy + Unsubscribe » Terms of Use ‘Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 1:43 PM. To. “ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com” ‘The unfortunate events that took place last night were completely our fault. QP went to the hospital to take an ‘X-ray and CAT scan, and found that he not only has large cuts on his face but also a concussion and fractured ‘cheekbone. He's said that he’s going to drop. We gave him copious shots of Everclear, we failed to restrain him as he tried to run out into the night, we failed to salt the icy ground outside to prevent people from slipping. The blame collectively falls on all of us as a house. We completely failed this kid. Pinning night is seriously flawed; we give these kids way to much alcohol and don't have enough people managing risk. It's a stupid fucking old house ‘tradition and needs to be changed. ups: googlecom/mailw0/Min2&ih=d8ee3838Feview=pdsgndry%20pledgedqstruedsearchequery uihel 4b TbecSce2etaksimlelTecSeeleffdsimle.. 578isno6 ‘The Univesity of Chicago Mall -Dry ledge | suggest we all collectively pay for his hospital bills regardless of whether he drops or not (he most likely wil). It's the very least we can do. yitfucktradition [Quoted text hidden} lbetpdt] Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 2:45 PM Reply-To: ilbetpdt@yahoogroups.com. To: “lbetpdt@yahoogroups.com" This discussion ends now. Absolutely no discussion of this on the list host. Any brother who posts will be J- Boarded and severely punished. On Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 12:10 AM, REET [i!betpct] wrote: ‘Can't wait to explain to {MP when he wakes up tomorrow why the fuck he was phi nuked with Everclear shots after already stating, “this is the drunkest t've ever been”. | probably could be misinterpreting the story though because he threw up before, during, and after telling it. There are some pretty stupid things that we do but this is blatantly irresponsible. Also, Mp looked like he ‘was on bath salts tonight. Reality check, some of these kids did not drink in high school. They want to impress us and drink their fair share. This is BAD. So far we've gotten really fucking lucky but all we need is one kid to fall out the window on the third floor or hit his head on the side walk and we are boned. Goddamn, lets use our fucking brains, ‘YiThegreenBastard a ‘Sent from my iPhone (On Mar 7, 2015, at 11:52 PM, (i [ilbetpdt] wrote: Dry pledge with redbull Yitaurine Sent from my iPhone On Mar 7, 2015, at 11:17 PM, I (betpdt] wrote: On the subject of altering tradition, | don't think phi nukes are a good idea for pinning night. Making 18 year olds take many shots of Everclear is a terrible idea. | think boat races and shots are fun, but ‘ntpa/mal google com/mailAs0y)in2&ik=- Vee 38388 view=ptSsj~cry%20pledge s=tuedisearchaquery the 4 ThecSce2etadsimlel AbfToecSceeffasinl=, oeangrn6 ‘The University of Chicago Mail -Dry edge What's the point of pinning night if none of the pledges remember it? Hell, we can stil make green shots and call them phi nukes, but they shouldn't be as strong and/or we could not make pledges drink absurd amounts of them. giiectracion On Sat, Mar 7, 2015 at 11:12 PM, Sac wrote: | don't think milk is a good option for Dry Pledge ‘especially for the beer olympics. The water and alcohol used is already terrible for the house, both structurally (the wooden support gets rotted out) and in terms of the residents’ health (the mold caused by all of the moisture). Milk would make the entire house smelt terrible on top of that. | think soda would be the best option for @RIas a dry pledge, assuming he doesn't drop (he has said he ‘wants to drop because of his degrading pledge name). = On Sat Mar 7, 2015 at 1:00 Pa brome wrote Dry pledges drink milk. | got nipples iggy. can you milk me too Sent from my iPhone On Mar 7, 2015, at 10:57 PM, eEY [ib tp wrote: don't think i's arguable that should be a dry pledge. ‘When we told him to sit with everyone esa in he cocapod and cian g sway. When he ran outside, re tied to i restrain nim He broke tree and ran, then slipped and fel, cutting open his face. He also banged his head against | walls and knocked shit over | the entre right think for attic night, as his pledge bette enlarge bhatt eScesimin. 78mnsr016 ‘The University of Chicago Mal - Dry Pledge brothers work through two kegs and a two handles, HEIMIW challenge should be to kill six liters of Sprite. | a gpranagement Posted py: a as Reply via web post * Reply to sender * Reply to group * Start aNew Topic * Messages in this topic (8) VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 2 | YAHOO! GRours + Privacy * Unsubserbe + Terms of Use npn google comma Puix2&ik=98ee3838e8views=plegrary 6 2pledgedqs-traesearch=query Sth sbfToecSce2effaesimlaLabeTbecSce2etidsimle.. 88RE ites Statement My name is MINIM) and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago. I currently am a pledge at the fraternity of Phi Delta Theta on campus. On the night of Saturday, March 7, 2015, the other pledges and I were invited to the house for a formal event of which we did not have much knowledge. We found out that the event was the pinning ceremony at which we received our pins and after which a surprise party was prepared for us. Directly after the pinning ceremony, after drinking some alcohol, the pledges were brought down to the basement of the house while the party was being set up. While in the basement, one of my fellow pledges, IEEE began to act slightly paranoid, knocking down a bookshelf and asking ‘the brothers to et him out of the basement. The brothers reassured him that they would let him ‘out soon, but could not tell him about the party because it was to be a surprise. sust pushed a couple brothers out of his way and ran out of the basement. This was around 10:00 PM. I did not sce J again that night until later, around 4:00 AM of Sunday morning, when he ‘messaged me a picture of his face which appeared to be severely injured. Shocked, I went to his dorm and forced him to go to the emergency room with me, where I waited with him until 6:00 ‘AM and left when he was taken to the doctor. ‘This is the full extent of what I directly witnessed that night. Between the times of 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM, I have no concrete testimony to offer. I have heard, however, much speculation about the events during this time frame and many testimonies of the brothers of the fraternity. The most ridiculous rumor that I have heard is that [J stole a piece of Phi Delta ‘Theta property and that the brothers of the fraternity offered him a bid, proceeding to drug him (on the night of the pinning ceremony and assaulting him. The idea of such a plotted assault is not only completely against the values of the fraternity and contrary to the character of the brothers ‘whom [have come to know extensively through the recruitment process, but also makes no logical sense in that the brothers would obviously know that such an event would bring an ‘enormous amount of negative attention to the fraternity. The version of events that the brothers of the fraternity have told me is that once leaving the basement, [MJ proceeded to hit his head against multiple objects in the house, then leaving the house and falling on the ice and pavement, ‘Once the brothers realized that this had happened, two of the brothers helped [J back to his room in Max Palevsky, called his Resident Head, and watched him until he fell asleep. The idea that the brothers assaulted my friend MJ is not only horrifying, but literally unbelievable, ‘There is not a single brother in the fraternity whom I could imagine have performed such an act, and am personally convinced that the rumors are not true, 3/16/2015RRB tess Statement John way” Ellison From: EEE SE. 50-00» Sent Wesnestay pita f015 1200 Aut To fay Eon subject: Viitten Statement Good moming Dean Ellison, ‘Lave my written statement below. Please let me know if there is anything else T ean do to help. T suppose the first thing that should be said is that I want to know the truth. I do not want to be a part ofa group that would physically harm their pledges. someone they lad taken on as one of their very own, woke up the morning of March 7* having made the decision to take part in the pledging process of Phi Delta Theta Fratemity. It was not an easy decision to make: [had been offered a bid to join this process the year before and did not accept it because at the time I diel not kuow anyone particularly well in the fratexnity. This year I was taken to lunch on March 6% by EEE who became my eventual pledge father. He convinced me that joining a fraternity was something I should reconsider if Treally want to go into the Finance field because of the networking Tagave my decision.to iJ close to Lam on that Saturday moming. March 7°, HBB texted me back later that moming telling mie it was great and that he would take care of some things. I lidn’t hear back all day. but people had known that [ had committed to the process. I found out that Pinning Night was that night. One of my itiends mentioned that she was going to Phi Delt later that night and told me there was going to be a celebration for the pledges I was not supposed to know about. At that point [ was not told of anything that would be happening that night The brothers of the house had a meeting at around 6pm to determine if I wonld get a bid or not, since their bids had been given out the previous weekend. I was notified that everything was okay at around 6:55pm, but I needed to show up at the house in formal clothes within the next 20 minutes. I met may fellow pledges that night, though understandably all but one of them did uot know who me. We made sinall chat, lined up outside the house, until [EEE and one other brother took us to the 5% floor of the Regenstein. We made introductions and were told to make 3 pledge father choices on a piece of paper. After doing so. the pledges were left in the room while the brothers left the room to determine our pledge fathers. One of the pledges, JME made it a luge point that there would be no drinking that night. He said it 6 or 7 times. with a huge grit on bis face. We left the Reg and went fo the house where we were told to form a single line and walk in with our eyes closed and our hands on the person in front of us. They brought us into Chapter Hall, where there were 13 ‘chairs, one for each of the pledges, lined up down the midate of the room, A lot of brothers were crowded around the room and I heard some talk about “the other [EEE since there is a brother named in that Gaternity. We were given our Phikeia names as we took turns standing on our respective chairs. Twas farthest on the left, so I was last. We were handed our pins aud told of our pledge fathers. Mine is I HBB | co not remember who fs was.Afterward: _— recited an oath to us which we were told to repeat. We were told to close our eyes after that, and when we were told to open them, brothers rushed at us and frantically told us to stand up and sit down. I was grabhed by the shoulders to stand up and pushed to sit down. I banged heads with on the brothers during this approximately 2 minute process, We were then told to run into the dining room, where there were a lot of green shots lined up to form the Greek letters Phi Delta Theta. Pledges were told to drink from the Theta. We raised our plastic cups every time we took a shot, I was later told the shots were of Everclear at the Theta end of the table and the brothers took more diluted shots. After 3 cycles, we were rushed into Chapter Hall, where each pledge was handed a beer. We stood across from a brother and some brothers ‘came to put shots into the pledges’ beers. They conducted “boat races,” where the pledges stood in a line and brothers stood in a separate line, and we were to chug a beer when the person to our left had finished theirs, 1 spilled a great deal of my beer as one of the brothers saw that I was getting drunk. After another round of the boat race people started throwing up. This included some of my pledge brothers and a few of the brothers in the house. I was told not to drink anymore, to which I happily obliged. I was given some water. I think another round of the drinking occurred, but I was over the trash can trying to make myself puke at that time ‘We were taken to the basement, where we went to the furthest room on the tight. room, ‘The pledges sat on the floor in a circle where everyone puked into a bucket, =a Kept telling us to be quiet, but some of the pledges talked back, and he yelled at us. 1 was pretty drunk and I told him I respected him. He asked winy. and I said, “Why not?” He smiled and walked away. One of my pledge brothers had vomited over the floor and was rolling around in it, and that distracted me long enough until the surprise party which I was in no mood to take part in since I had just thrown up. I remember seeing a lot of my first year female friends that night {wanted to [eave as soon as possible because I was so drunk and so left around 1pm that night a and [BB BEB! went to an apartment on 55" and Ellis, where we played video games and I fell asleep. was told later by Dean Ellison that J had left around 9:30pm. I had some memory of two brothers trying to restrain J who had gotten fairly violent in his drunken stupor and was ramming himself against a wall or a bookshelf. | wasn’t sure. I remember [i getting very drunk very quickly, but 1 do not really know when he left or what happened to him. I haven't seen him since that night, though I sent us an email the following day saying| had slipped on some ice and hit his face on the stairs. Hope the rest of the investigation goes well, and it was great getting to speak with you this morning. Best, = ‘Of Chicago, 2017 B.A. EconomicsMR 2s Scement Satenen or TT Dear Mr. Ellison, My account of the events that occurred during pinning are as follows. After they pinned us, they were drinking events during a span of time, roughly an hour or so. ‘Then, I went upstairs to an older brother’s room and stayed there for 30 minutes. In this room, there were mainly fourth years and I was the only pledge in the room. After a certain amount of time, I came downstairs to the basement, and I was the last person to enter the basement room. As I was entering the room (on the right hand side of the door), MM came out crying at the point (he came out his right side of the door). At this point, his face, from what I remember, remained unhurt was notin the room while the other pledges were in the basement. The brothers in the basement from who I remember were {ER HENNY and a couple fourth years who were just casually talking on the side, The fourth years came into the room when I came into the basement room, so they were notin the room when HBB was in the room. I do not know iff was in the basement alone at any given point. After a certain amount of time, roughly 45 minutes to an hour in the basement, al the pledges went to the first floor for the surprise party. Thank you,MEE Witness Statement ES sco Thursday, Api 09,2015 542 PM Jobn "Jay" Ellison Statement Dr. Ellison, Here is my statement of the events that heppened on March 8. The timing of these events is approximated. 7:15-8:00- All of the Phikeia (new members, or "pledges"), along with two brothers of Phi Delta Theta, are in the Reg where we request pledge fathers and go over a few other administrative dealings, such as exchanging, phone nunbers. 8:15-9:30- After walking to the fraternity house, and waiting outside the house for a few minutes, all of the Phikeia enter the house and the ceremony is held, 9:30-10:00- After the ceremony, the Phikeia are led into the basement where we all wait in (BING room, with a few of the brothers, for guests to arrive for a surprise party. 10:00- IEE knocks over a bookcase and exits the room. This is the last I saw of him. 10:30- Guests arrive and we go up to the first floor where the party is held for several hours. Teventually leave the house a while later and walk back to my dorm (Max Palevsky East) and go to sleep. Let me know if I can be of further assistance,