When September rolls around and cooler weather starts to set in, everyone gets excited for Fall. But this September, while Fall waited right around the corner, tragic events popped up in the media left and right. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know what I’m talking about. But in case you’ve forgotten, or you just want to be updated on a few of the latest stories, here’s a breakdown of three of the top stories that have been in the news this month:
First, the death of comedienne Joan Rivers hits the news on September 4th. (This also came while everyone was still recovering from the news that Robin Williams had passed away this August.) It’s said that during a routine surgery on her throat (an endoscopy), Rivers suffered both cardiac and respiratory arrest during this procedure. She was then transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died. The autopsy was inconclusive and it is being investigated whether there was any malpractice by the doctors and staff of the hospital.
The second story is about the newly crowned Miss America Kira Kazanstev. It was reported that she was kicked out of her sorority at Hofstra University last year for “abusive hazing”. In an interview with Good Morning America, Kazanstev says that the allegations are not true, but then goes on to contradict herself quite a bit. Though she starts off saying it’s not true, she then says, “Under the broad definition of hazing, yes, I was involved”. She says that she had new members perform “menial tasks” and goes on to say that while she was a new member she herself was hazed, and was then under the impression that hazing was appropriate behavior in her sorority. One article reports that while under Kira’s supervision (at the time she was her sorority’s head of recruitment) new members were “called names, berated for their perceived physical flaws and imperfections, and made to perform physical tasks to the point of bruising and exhaustion”*. In the interview with GMA Kazsanstev says that she was finally kicked out of the organization because of an email she sent with a joke she made in it about making the night scary for new members, which was then sent to the national office.
Finally, the third story hits a lot closer to home here on Long Island. Six Commack High School seniors are in hot water after two controversial pictures of them were posted on twitter. In the first photo, five boys stand in a line, their shirts spelling out “rape?” and in the second photo, the shirts spell out “rape.”, with a sixth boy on the ground with his hands tied. Though the photos were removed shortly after they were posted due to complaints, the boys are still in a whole lot of trouble, as they should be. The school has stated, “At this time, we are actively engaged in a comprehensive investigation to determine the full scope of this matter and whether or not this was an isolated incident. At this time, it does appear that this is an isolated incident. Moving forward, and upon completion of our investigation, we will take the necessary and appropriate actions including, but not limited to, disciplinary and legal action if applicable. We deeply regret the turmoil caused by the actions of these students, and know that it does not reflect the values of the rest of Commack High School or the Commack community”**.
With all this sad news lately, we’re hoping for a happier October and a more positive rest of Fall.
*Article information found on: http://jezebel.com/miss-america-was-kicked-out-of-her-sorority-for-abusive-1636095561
**Article information found on: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/19/commack-high-school-students-in-hot-water-after-posting-rape-t-shirt-photos-on-twitter/