Gordie Bailey incident highlighted at Oregon

On Sept. 16, 2004 Gordie Bailey was a freshman at the University of Colorado at Boulder attending the year’s first pledge event for the Chi Psi fraternity.

On Sept. 17 he was dead.

Hackstaff discovered Bailey’s body the morning of Sept. 17. A recently graduated Boulder and Chi Psi alumnus, he now travels to universities telling Bailey’s story and warning students about the dangers of overconsumption of alcohol.

Hackstaff rolled the tape of the call to the police, which detailed him finding Bailey face-down in the fraternity’s library.

Hackstaff said the fraternity brothers checked on Bailey every 20 minutes until the time they went to bed and gave him water and food. They thought Bailey’s snoring was a sign of his “sleeping it off.” But snoring or shallow breathing are signs of alcohol poisoning, Hackstaff said. The six symptoms of alcohol poisoning, he said, are pale skin, passing out, vomiting, seizures, confusion and irregular breathing.

Hackstaff dispelled the myths that eating bread or drinking water helps to prevent further intoxication; at this point the alcohol has already entered the blood stream and water and bread cannot lessen the effect, he said.

Hackstaff reiterated throughout his presentation that people make their own choices, but his motto is “One rule: Save your friends.”

He presented choices in a personal way, as if he were a concerned friend, because he understands that most college students will reject advice that seems condescending, he said.

“People are going to make their own decisions,” says Amy Higdon who is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

All fraternity members and sorority members were encouraged to attend, and they were signed in as they went through the door.

Greek Week, a week filled with new member events ends Monday, Chi Psi Vice President Jeff Manzer said.

“The talk is in anticipation for bid parties,” he said.