The Pitt News
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The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | April 20, 2018 | Volume 108 | Issue 153
PENNSYLVANIA SENATE PASSES ANTI HAZING LAW
FARMERS’ FRESH
Sarah Shearer Contributing Editor The Pennsylvania State Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would make hazing in fraternities a third-degree felony in cases of serious injury or death, and could allow universities to seize offending Greek organizations’ houses. The law is sponsored by Republican Senate Majority Leader and 34th Senatorial District Rep. Jake Corman, who worked with Tim Piazza’s family to create the bill. It defines hazing as coercing an individual to participate in any illegal activity in order to join a social group, including the use of drugs and alcohol to inflict physical or Students buy bread and other products at the first farmers market of 2018 outside of the William Pitt Union. emotional harm or the use of other forces such Salina Pressimone CONTRIBUTING EDITOR as “whipping, beating … or extreme embarrassment.” Lawmakers named the anti-hazing legislation after Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State University student who died February 2017 Davis — an internationally renowned jazz courses, particularly his History of Jazz class, were following a hazing incident involving exces- Madeline Gavatorta saxophonist who founded Pitt’s doctoral jazz pro- big hits as well. sive alcohol consumption in a fraternity house. Staff Writer “I have heard from so many of his former stu26 members of the fraternity were eventually Deane Root can easily recall how often Na- gram — died April 8 in Palm Beach, Florida. He dents who would tell me how much they enjoyed charged with offenses including reckless endan- than Davis “worked the phones” to bring jazz was 81 years old. Born Feb. 15, 1937, in Kansas City, Kansas, that course and how much it meant in their lives,” germent and hazing. studies to higher education. Davis met Root in 1982 when Root came to Pitt Root said. “So he was an inspiration for a lot of Theodore Simon, a lawyer for convicted stu“You know, [like] they talk about members dent Luke Visser, said the charges against Visser of Congress or lobbyists or other people working to teach. The two would talk about the jazz pro- people — even if they didn’t go into music, even if were “unfounded, unwarranted, and unjustified,” the phones for a campaign,” Root, chair of Pitt’s gram and Root would help Davis find places to they were not music majors or music performers and a judge dismissed several of the charges in music department, said. “He was on a perpetual perform. When Root became chair of the music — for the rest of their lives.” Davis received a bachelor’s in music department in 2002, he helped Davis start the March. campaign.” See Anti-Hazing on page 5 jazz doctorate program. Davis’ undergraduate See Davis on page 5
Pitt remembers jazz professor Nathan Davis