美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Horror' Of Student's Hazing Death At Penn State Sparks Change

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Today Penn State University is expected to announce big changes for its fraternities and sororities, this after 19-year-old fraternity pledge Tim Piazza¹ died of injuries after an alcohol-fueled party back in February. That party was captured on surveillance video. Eighteen people face criminal charges related to the death. NPR's Jeff Brady reports.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE²: At Penn State, Beta Theta Pi was supposed to be a dry fraternity. It was not. Alcohol was at the center of sophomore³ Tim Piazza's death, says Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller⁴.

STACY PARKS MILLER: Right after the gauntlet - which is what they call it where they bring the pledges and make them go from station to station and drink copious⁵ amounts of alcohol really quickly - he fell down these steps, which are really long.

BRADY: Parks Miller says the video shows Piazza stumbling around for hours and falling down those same stairs a second time. When medical help was finally called the next day, it was too late.

Parents Evelyn and Jim Piazza stood next to the prosecutor⁶ at a press conference last month, but they can't imagine watching the video prosecutors⁷ relied on to bring charges.

EVELYN PIAZZA: It's bad enough that when I close my eyes, I see him in the hospital. And that whole night - that's burned into my brain. I don't know that I want to see his head hitting a floor, a wall, a railing.

BRADY: She would also see that fraternity leaders were aware of Tim Piazza's injuries. But they did little to help him. The prosecutor says some people on the video were pointing to Piazza's head. Court documents show someone put a backpack on him to reduce the risk he'd roll over and choke on his own vomit⁸. The prosecutor says one person wanted to call 911, but a fraternity brother stopped him.

Penn State banned the local chapter of Beta Theta Pi and will issue report cards on other fraternities and sororities, so students and parents can learn if there's been trouble in the past. Tim Piazza's brother Mike, also a Penn State student, wants the school to do more.

MIKE PIAZZA: Our main goal and most important focus is making sure that some kind of positive change is effected to ensure that this type of thing never happens again. It's not supposed to happen. It can't happen anymore.

BRADY: Penn State President Eric Barron says change is coming and details will be announced this afternoon. Beyond Penn State, the Piazzas⁹ want laws changed so hazing-related crimes get stiffer penalties. The family may end up filing a lawsuit¹⁰ against the university and others. But right now, they're focused on the criminal case. Attorney Pete Sala is representing his godson Joe Sala, who was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

PETE SALA: These charges - involuntary manslaughter, aggravated¹¹ assault, simple assault - they require an element of intent - OK? - and not only that, that you intended for the result, but that the result actually occurred from your actions.

BRADY: As the Piazza family waits for the criminal trial, they're adjusting to life without their son. Evelyn Piazza wears a heart-shaped pendant around her neck that has Tim's thumbprint on it.

E. PIAZZA: It's like holding his hand when I rub my finger across the thumbprint. It's him. I'm wearing him.

BRADY: The family has started a foundation to offer scholarships in Tim's name and to further one of his passions. If he'd lived long enough to earn an engineering degree, he planned to spend his career making prosthetics for children and veterans.

Jeff Brady, NPR News, Philadelphia.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE AMERICAN DOLLAR'S "TIME")

1 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 sophomore   

n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的

参考例句：

• He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
• I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 copious   

adj.丰富的，大量的

参考例句：

• She supports her theory with copious evidences.她以大量的例证来充实自己的理论。
• Every star is a copious source of neutrinos.每颗恒星都是丰富的中微子源。

6 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

9 piazzas   

n.广场，市场( piazza的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In the cities of Italy, piazzas are the acknowledged centers of local activity. 在意大利的城市里，广场是公认的群众活动中心。 来自互联网
• Alleyways wind through the city like a maze, opening up into surprising, sunny fountained piazzas. 小巷子像迷宫一般蜿蜒穿过这座城市，出现在令人惊讶、绚烂的喷泉广场上。 来自互联网

10 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

11 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。