11-13-2019

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Wednesday, Nov. 13 - Tuesday, Nov. 19 2019 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 106, Issue 14 www.thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Student dies after allegedly attending fraternity event; 14 chapters suspended

Left: File photo, Middle and right photos: Alexa Oslowski

by Michael Cline Kaitlyn Little

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A San Diego State freshman died on Nov. 8 after allegedly attending a fraternity event, resulting in the suspension of all 14 Interfraternity Councilaffiliated chapters. SDSU President Adela de la Torre confirmed the death of 19-year-old Dylan Hernandez of Jacksonville, Florida, in an email to the university community Monday afternoon. “It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to say that Dylan Hernandez, the student who was hospitalized last week, has passed away,” de la Torre said. “His family gave their goodbyes late Sunday night.” SDSU Police has launched an investigation into the events surrounding Hernandez’s death after a 911 call was made from

his residence call on the morning of Nov. 7. WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND A press release from the county medical examiner’s office said Hernandez “was found pulseless and apneic by his roommate in their dorm room” in the early hours of Nov. 7. The report said he was then transported to Alvarado Hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead on Friday, Nov. 8. Hernandez died of “blunt force injuries (to the) head,” according to a Nov. 12 update to the medical examiner’s report. His death was ruled an accident. There is no confirmation that alcohol played a role in his death. Hernandez, who lived on the sixth floor of the Tenochca residence hall, was a freshman pledge in the Phi Gamma Delta

fraternity, or FIJI, said someone who lived on the same floor and spoke on the condition on anonymity. In the wake of the investigation, de la Torre announced the suspension of all 14 IFC-related fraternity chapters in a statement released on Nov. 8. The list of IFC chapters suspended from campus includes: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Upsilon, Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Theta Chi and Zeta Beta Tau. The National Pan-Hellenic Council, the College Panhellenic Association and the United Sorority and Fraternity Council, or chapters affiliated with those organizations, are not affected by the suspension.

Bird’s bad day causes power outage across university, city by Kaitlyn Little NEWS EDITOR

San Diego State and various areas of San Diego lost power around noon on Nov. 12. According to the SDG&E outage map, Kensington, Talmadge, West State College, City Heights, Chollas Creek, Oak Park, Rolando, East State College and La Mesa were affected by the outage. 24,000 customers were without power, according to SDG&E Spokesperson Sara Prince. The outage was caused by a bird coming into contact with a substation, she said. “The bird ceases to exist,” Prince said. The outage also affected water

supply on campus. Various emergency portable restrooms were set up around campus due to buildings and floors experiencing low water pressure. An SDSU spokesperson said they had received reports that toilets aren’t flushing due to low water pressure. University Towers Kitchen, Huaxyacac and Chapultepec food trucks, the Aztec Markets at Huaxyacac, Cuicacalli, East Commons and Aztec Student Union remained open during the outage and accepted meal plans. By 2 p.m., power had been restored to some areas of campus, including the Education and Business Administration building on the east side of campus. But the university cancelled all classes

through Nov. 12 due to the outage, according to SDSU urgent alerts. By 5:53 p.m., power had been returned to most on-campus residential communities except South Campus Plaza North and South, Huaxyacac and Chapultepec, according to a campus-wide email from the Office of Housing Administration. SDG&E said it is still working to restore power to about 13,000 customers out of the 24,000 who lost power earlier this afternoon. Full power was expected to be restored by 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night. Classes are delayed to 10 a.m. on Nov. 13. For more updates surrounding SDSU’s outage, visit urgent.sdsu. edu.

HOW WE GOT HERE This week’s fraternity suspensions are far from the IFC’s first brush with disciplinary action from the university. In September, three IFCaffiliated fraternities — Delta Upsilon, Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Phi Epsilon — landed on interim suspension for alcohol-related incidents at fraternity events that led to hospitalizations. Three additional IFC chapters joined them on interim suspension in October, with Kappa Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon disciplined for alcohol and health and safety violations. Theta Chi was disciplined for violating alcohol, health and safety and hazing policies, with violations of dishonesty and harassment and abusive behavior. At the time of Hernandez’s death, four other chapters were subject to university investigations, bringing the

total number of IFC-affiliated fraternities under some level of elevated judicial status to 10 out of 14. The interim suspensions came but a year after the IFC ended its self-imposed social moratorium, or party ban, in October 2018. The social moratorium had been implemented in March of the same year amid administrative investigations that brought six fraternities to an elevated judicial status. The social moratorium prohibited any chapter events involving alcohol and required fraternity members to attend educational events aimed at creating a “culture change” within the organization. The council, in announcing the end to social moratorium, also imposed a hard alcohol ban at all fraternity events. SEE FRATERNITIES, PAGE 2

President Adela de la Torre creates two task forces in repsonse to student death by Kaitlyn Little NEWS EDITOR

After the death of 19-year-old Dylan Hernandez, President Adela de la Torre called for the creation of two Presidential Task Force groups in a Nov. 12 campus-wide email. The Presidential Task Force on Student Activities and Safety and the Presidential Task Force of Alcohol and Substance Misuse have been created to address issues occurring at San Diego State, according to the email from de la Torre. “This is part of a larger issue facing college and university

campuses nationwide and we want to ensure SDSU is leading the conversation regarding student safety and well-being,” the statement said. “To do that, we are launching this process to identify and adopt best practices for the benefit of all of us.” The university is currently identifying chairs and members for each task force and intends to have their first meetings this month. Members of the SDSU community are encouraged to provide input on these decisions. SEE TASK FORCE, PAGE 2


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11-13-2019 by The Daily Aztec - Issuu