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Inside America's 'Deadliest Fraternity'

WUNC | By Laura Pellicer,

Frank Stasio

Published January 26, 2018 at 12:56 PM EST

Between 2005 and 2013, 10 students in the national college fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) died due to alcohol and hazing. Bloomberg journalist John Hechingerreported extensively on the frat and dubbed it the “deadliest fraternity in America.”

Host Frank Stasio speaks with John Hechinger about how Greek organizations became inextricably linked with the American college system and how the power and influence of fraternities strong-arms the schools themselves.

John Hechinger is Senior Editor with Bloomberg News and the author of 'True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities.'

In his new book “True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America’s Fraternities” (PublicAffairs/ 2017) Hechinger explores how Greek organizations became inextricably linked with the American college system and how the power and influence of fraternities strong-arms the schools themselves.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Hechinger about Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s changing legacy.

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio

Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

See stories by Laura Pellicer

Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

See stories by Frank Stasio