Sherman Raftenberg Day

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Revision as of 21:32, 20 December 2007 by Jackdavinci (talk | contribs) (info from Skip, comment from Kevin)
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Performed every February 7th in memorial of the death of Sherman Raftenburg, a fourmite in 1973 who sadly died his freshmen year.

Skip's research

2 years ago, I went and scanned through the microfilm for Newsday in February 1973. I found three articles, two of which state that the death took place on the preceding Thursday. The articles were on Sun Feb 11 and Tue Feb 13 and Wed Feb 14. Looking at a calendar for 1973 puts the death on Thu Feb 8, 1973.

I have scanned the articles for reference and will transcribe them below. They are from Newsday in February of 1973. I will include the links to the scans here as well. Feb 11: http://pics.livejournal.com/reddywhp/pic/0009axby/g51 Feb 13: http://pics.livejournal.com/reddywhp/pic/0009bf6s/g51 Feb 14: http://pics.livejournal.com/reddywhp/pic/0009cc4x/g51

Feb 11: STUDENT DEATH - A freak accident claimed the life of Sherman Raftenberg at the State University of New York at Stony Brook Thursday. The 19-year-old student from Valley Stream fell into a steam-filled manhole when, officials said, he tried to jump it in response to a dare.

Feb 13: Memorial for State U Student Stony Brook - Nearly 200 students at the State University here gathered yesterday for what one youth described as "a quiet and personal memorial" to 19-year-old Sherman Raftenberg, who died Thursday when he fell into a steaming 25-foot-deep open manhole on campus.

Raftenberg, A freshman engineering student from Valley Stream, reportedly had tried to jump the steaming manhole in response to an offhanded dare and slipped in. At the noontime memorial service yesterday in the Student Union Building, several students read poems and offered spontaneous prayers.

Sunday night, about 150 students and faculty members met in the union for a five-hour discussion of "the urgent problem of campus health and safety conditions," according to acting student government president Danny Weingast

Feb 14: Safety Demands at Stony Brook Stony Brook-About 300 students and some faculty members, angered by the death of a freshman engineering student on campus last week, presented 40 demands yesterday for increased safety measures to University President John Toll.

Toll, who agreed to reply to the demands at a meeting at 4 PM Friday, was frequently shouted down by the students as he attempted to provide a point-by-point outline of safety measures the university is adopting. Some of the students said the university was directly responsible for the death of the studen, Sherman Raftenberg, 19, of Valley Stream, who dell into a steaming open manhole.

During the meeting in the Administration Building lobby, Toll said he had appointed Ronald W. Siegel, assistance executive vice president, as interim coordinator of safety. He also said he had received $30,000 in emergency funds from the state university system for lightning on campus. Another $170,000 appropriation for additional lighting and "general campus safety" was awaiting approval by the State Legislature, he said. Part of the south campus loop road will be closed because of a dangerous curve, Toll said, and permanent covers are being installed on three manholes. Temporary plywood barriers are being placed around all 24 manholes on campus, he said.

The students' 40 demands covered a wide range of safety and health conditions on campus. A flyer issued by some students said, "TOll will be allowed a period of two weeks from Tuesday [yesterday] to begin acting on these demands. During these two weeks there will be a day-by-day countdown while administrative activities are closely monitored by the total campus community."

Suffolk County police said yesterday that their investigation into Raftenberg's death supported a university report that the student fell into the hole after accepting a dare from other students to jump across the steaming 25-foot-deep shaft.

  • (Commentary from Kevin Conod: I'd have to look at the Statesman article again but I think the accident happened late Wednesday night (Feb 7). By the time the body was extricated from the steaming hole (again sorry for the inappropriate holiday topic!!), it would've been early Thursday morning...so I think that's why there's a discrepancy.)*

Kevin Conod

Gallery



External Links

The Tale of Sherman Raftenberg

Another Tale of Sherman Raftenberg

Sherman Raftenberg-News Paper Articles