Pledges Branded Like Cattle

Fraternity hazing isn't a new story by any means. Hazing takes many forms - forced alcohol consumption, paddling, naked adventures, etc. The New England College chapter of Sigma Alpha Beta may have won the award for "hottest" form of hazing.

Apparently, two active brothers, Nicholas Weiss & Kevin Phelps, decided to take heated WWII-era bayonet and brand at least 7 pledges. Six of the pledges had chest burns while the 7th had burns on his rear end. Naturally, the two fraternity brothers were arrested and charged with 4 misdemeanors.

Now, I have been a part of the fraternity system and I was not personally hazed but I do know that it exists. I even understand why it is done - even if the argument for it is completely ignorant. I have to say, these were some dumb pledges. I know what it is like to want to belong, but you have to be pretty stupid to allow someone to brand you like a cow! How much alcohol do you have to consume to say, "yes, please take a scalding hot gun and press it on my skin so I can prove what a strong man I am!"

If they can get into a relatively good school like NEC, you have to think they'd be smart enough not to let people do this to them.

Morons.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009 and is filed under . You can leave a response and follow any responses to this entry through the Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) .

3 comments

Wow...when I was a rookie in marching band the worst I got was food dumped on me.

What would possess somebody even into thinking "hey, let's brand the Freshmen".

Lisa  

I personally don't believe in hazing, I think it's wrong because too many times it is taken to far. Like this incident...what were these kids thinking?!?!?!!! The branders and the brandees?!?!!!And there are many deaths attributed to alcohol poisoning due to hazing too. Just my humble opinion.

Hazing makes me sick -- and I saw and heard about plenty of it when I went to Plattsburgh... There was even a guy I knew who was branded with a ring of the frat's letters... People are so effing dumb!