Minor says she drank Everclear, no rohypnol at ZBT evening party

The University of Arizona student, a Coronado Hall resident who asked to remain anonymous, said she and a handful of friends went to the ZBT fraternity house early Sept. 13.

While at ZBT, the minor said she consumed Everclear and punch, a combination known as jungle juice, in a private room at the house.

"I had a few sips to taste it and see what it was," she said.

ZBT President Brian Landun would not comment last night about the Sept. 13 situation, except that the "night has become quite a big problem, evidently."

Landun did say that neither Everclear nor jungle juice is served at ZBT.

"It would be against our national chapter policies," he said. "We do not distribute or use that because it's very unsafe."

The minor also said three other people at the party drank from the same cup that allegedly contained jungle juice, including an 18-year-old woman who was later diagnosed with a .359 blood alcohol level at University Medical Center.

The minor and her two friends, who all asked to remain anonymous, refuted claims last night that the woman had been drugged by fraternity members.

The Arizona Daily Wildcat reported Monday that an e-mail from Kimberly Bowie, a Residence Life assistant director, alleged that someone slipped drugs into the 18-year-old woman's drink.

"It is suspected that one of the students had something given to her, that caused her to lose her memory of the evening," Bowie's e-mail stated.

The Wildcat obtained the e-mail through the UA Office of Decision and Planning Support after Residence Life Director James Van Arsdel and Bowie refused to release the public document.

Bowie and Van Arsdel would not comment last night about the Sept. 13 incident.

UA Dean of Students Melissa Vito said last night that Bowie's e-mailed claims, which were sent to UA residence hall directors and other department officials, were "unsubstantiated."

"There were a couple of things about the way she did it that were worrisome," she said.

Vito also said she has worked with Van Arsdel to handle the situation.

"We've addressed the need to be accurate as a staffing issue," she said.

Vito would not confirm whether Bowie was reprimanded, saying only that "her intent was good."

The minor and her Coronado Hall roommate, who also asked to remain anonymous, said last night that they all drank from the same cup and no one showed signs of being drugged.

"I don't know if they (ZBT) did it the next night or right now, but I know they didn't do it that night," the minor's roommate said.

She said the woman who had the .359 blood alcohol level drank about 10 beers and five shots of vodka before arriving at ZBT. She then tried to drink more, and did before her friends cut her off, the 17-year-old said.

"When I noticed she was falling down drunk, I cut her off," she said. "I was holding on to (the woman with alcohol poisoning) the whole night - she was never out of my sight."

The roommate said the Coronado resident who received alcohol poisoning told other hall residents that "she was roofied."

The roommate said the rohypnol claims were made in an effort "to put the blame on someone else."

"She was falling everywhere," the roommate said. "She did drink more at ZBT."

David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.