Your opinions (kinda long)

[Guest guest]

I know this may be a confusing read, but I'd really like to know

y'all's opinions on this...

At a particular university, the annual fire is entirely built,

supervised, and burnt by one student organization on campus. The vice-

president of the organization is in charge of bonfire, and that's

about it--no outside university or adult supervision, first aid, etc.

I offered to be an onscene first aid responder when I wasn't in class,

but I was told, " I know you were a paramedic, but if someone gets

hurt, we want professionals. " When I further explained that I wasn't

going to do open-frickin'-heart surgery, just on-scene stabilization

to the best of my abilities and equipment, he said, " oh, I guess

that's ok, but we still want professionals. "

One afternoon on the building site, a girl was hit by this same

individual with a broken slat from a pallet; it hit her square in the

cheek with enough force to knock her to the ground and leave an

imprint of the nailhead on her face. She initially stood up

and " seemed ok " and was joking about it. So they told her to go sit

down and rest.

Now that much is sure. It gets heenky after that, depending on who

you talk to. But pretty much what happened was they left her alone

(sitting in the hot sun without any water) and didn't check on her.

She fell asleep; they told me " oh, she normally falls asleep sitting

in a chair. " I know that she was left alone (with no one checking on

her)for about 2 hours; I don't know how much of that time she slept.

The same individual that hit her woke her up to tell her that either

she needed to get to building or be clocked out; when she stared off

into space & didn't respond, he regarded it as " she's being a

bitch/rude/etc. " Another girl on site who later walked by her noticed

the vacant stare and that she wouldn't respond; when someone talked to

her, she'd either start laughing or crying hysterically (i.e. in

appropriate behaviors.) Still, she was left unattended, as " she's

fine; she's just faking it. " Several other members came down and told

her to go home. She was confused; she didn't know where she lived or

how she was supposed to get there. It was still apparently assumed

that she was fine. It wasn't until another older member with 2

children came on site and tried to talk to her that something was

done. The lady that come in said, " she stared into space, she

couldn't swallow the water I gave her, and when she did answer, she

was extremely confused. " The girl's cheek was also beginning to

swell. This lady tried to find my phone number to call me and ask for

advice, but no one seemed to have it or felt it appropriate. She

decided to take the girl to the hospital; these same members that felt

she was faking initially refused to help or find the girl's emergency

contact sheet. The lady finally decided to take her to the E.R. down

the road; she said on the way to the E.R., the girl passed out in the

back of her car. There is hearsay from another person at the scene

that when someone asked if they should call for an ambulance, one of

the executive members said, " No, we don't want that kind of publicity

here! "

At the E.R., they were able to awaken her, and brought her straight

back, putting her on O2 and in a C-Collar. She came around with

oxygen and seemed to be doing better. After a CT and xrays, it seems

she's had a concussion, and a possible crack in her cheekbone (the CT

showed no break, but the physician thought it was cracked due to the

massive swelling.) She was released that night.

Her parents are understandably beside themselves. They have retained

a lawyer and have already been talking to Dean of Student Activities.

The people from the group involved, of course, still maintain " she's

fine, she's faking " and that nothing will happen. The girl has even

told her parents that this same person returned to the site after

admitting to drinking alcohol at Hooters despite the no alcohol rule.

(I can attest that this one is true.) Other examples of " rule

bending " have also been brought out, and also there is no provision in

case of fire, such as a fire extinguisher, or first aid available.

(Apparently, her parents found out that this same vice-president

didn't want my help, and they about had a cow.)

Considering the horrible collapse at TAMU and all of the " rule

bending " that came out, is this something the University can wave

off? Do you think anything should happen?