Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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r » • >(\(vc ,,*v v.«sjt * >ir>rrvr4M>4'> hht THE MIX Page 10 B M " ^ UL-1 —I— -I JL- m Wednesday, Nov. 16,2005 Hello, my name is: Jason Wheeler, fourth-year chemistry and biology student WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS AN RA? “Helping with the Maxcy rave this year. I’m always thrilled to see what the new kids can come up with.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? “Probably Practicing Medicine taught by Dr. Scharstein, because most of the books we read were anecdotal stories of physicians in rural and urban settings, and the discussions were so relaxed and insightful.” WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CAROLINA FOOTBALL PLAYER? “Of all time, probably Steve Taneyhill because of his personality, ponytail and win against Clemson.” WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PLAY IN THE FLORIDA GAME? “USC’s first touchdown after the interception. It was a real teamwork play.” HOW MANY TIGERS DOES IT TAKE TO SCREW IN A LIGHT BULB? “Why would they need to? They can just use the lights on the tractor.” WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION OF THE SCORE ON SATURDAY? 35-21 USC. WHAT DO YOU WANT EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? “I’m an avid hockey fan.” —Jaren Hayes , KRT CAMPUS Edwin Rodriguez, a University of Central Florida student and member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, shows off his brand outside their student union earlier this week. I Many frat members opt to get branded: ‘It makes me feel like I’m closer to living what our fraternity stands for.’ Rline Rlendelsohn KRT CAMPUS ORLANDO, Fla. — As his fraternity brothers heated a wire hanger shaped in the form of a Greek letter, Matthew Mitchell felt sick to his stomach. For about 10 seconds, as the metal touched his skin, Mitchell gripped a fraternity brother’s arm. It was the worst pain he had ever endured. But he chose to feel this pain, and later he was glad that he had. Mitchell, a Phi Beta Sigma member at Florida A&M University, was going through a ritual known as branding, a burning-of the skin that results in a scar. A graduate of Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Fla., Mitchell had considered being branded for three years before going through with it. Ultimately, he says, he wanted a physical representation of his bond with his fraternity — a symbol that would be with him forever. So he decided that it would be only fitting to have the letter sigma branded on his left upper arm, close to his heart. “I’m going to be a Sigma for life, until the day I die,” said Mitchell, 23. Branding has long been a form of body art, and in the past century it has emerged tis a tradition among some black fraternity and sorority members. Some Greek organizations have policies banning the practice; others don’t prohibit it, but don’t condone it, either. Fraternity brothers say it comes down to an individual choice of expression. “It’s just like a tattoo,” said Aaron Brown, 23, Mitchell’s fraternity brother at FAMU. “It marks a time and a life, a milestone in your life and a commitment to the organization.” The practice of branding dates back thousands of years, said Sandra Mizumoto Posey, a folklorist jnd professor at California State Polytechnic University who has researched the subject. Branding is most commonly associated with slaves and cattle. But secret societies and religious orders, such as those in ancient Greece, also used brands throughout history to mark followers, Posey said. As for the college Greek system, the earliest recorded incidence of branding dates back to 1931, but because of the secretive nature of fraternities and sororities, it is difficult to determine an exact timeline, Posey said. Some believe that the ritual was inspired by African scarification traditions. And while branding does have ties to slavery, fraternity men with brands dismiss that connotation. Although the practice, is associated with black fraternities, there are exceptions. President George W. Bush is rumored to be branded with a symbol of his Yale fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, for example. It’s hard to determine exactly how many black fraternity members have brands, but Ricky L. Jones, University of Louisville professor and author of “Black Haze: Violence, Sacrifice, and Manhood in Black Greek-Letter Fraternities,” estimates that more than half do. Members acquire brands for a number of reasons. Brands can display a sense of belonging, a mark of the successful completion of a challenging pledgeship. And they can be a symbol of manhood, of toughness. “It’s one of the most prominent and personal ways you can adopt something into your identity,” Posey said. “You are physically changing the shape of who you are.” “It’s an indication: 'I am a member; I’m proud of that fact,”’ said Tamara L. Brown, editor of “African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision,” a book that features Posey’s research on branding. Brands often appear in discreet places such as the chest or the left upper arm. But when they are visible, bearers often display them with pride. Posey pointed out that on the cover of the sports book “Rebound: The Odyssey of Michael Jordan,” Jordan appears shirtless, showing off his Omega brand. Louisville professor Jones is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, ( and has two Kappa brands: one on his left arm and one on his chest. “I saw it as something nothing more damaging than a tattoo,” Jones said. A brand is different in character than a tattoo, however. It is achieved when a hot iron or piece of metal — often a hanger shaped like a Greek letter — is pressed to the skin for about 10 seconds. A wound forms in the shape of the metal and eventually becomes a scar, explained James Spencer, a St. Petersburg dermatologist and professor at | the Mount Sinai School of BRflllDftlf What to do while waiting for Tigers Carolina Productions Burn Strong offers numerous rivalry week activities Devon Ulceh FOR THE GAMECOCK Carolina Productions’ Burn Strong activities are in full swing this week, as a blood drive, tailgate center and other events lead up to Saturday’s rivalry football game. The Red Cross will be stationed outside of the Russell House all week, accepting blood donations. The drive is a competition with Clemson University to see which school can ^ollect the most donations. Students have different reasons for donating blood. “One pint saves three lives, and I was pretty excited about the community service hours and T-shirt that I got from it,” said Kirsten Walsh, a first-year undeclared student. The Clemson-Carolina Blood Drive is the largest blood drive in the state of South Carolina. “We have a healthy rivalry with Clemson, but when it comes to the real purpose of the blood thrive, both schools really just want to help people,” said Mariel Razalan, a first-year English student. “Students are always willing to donate blood to save a life,” said Rhonda O’Banion, public relations director for the Red Cross Blood Services Center in Columbia. “We always want to do better than the year before, and the students are very eager to help out and to beat Clemson.” Also following the competitive and charitable flavor of the blood drive is a canned food drive. All donations will go to Harvest Hope Food Bank. Caroling Productions’ Wacky Wednesday on Greene Street will play host to the Burn Strong Tailgate Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tailgaters anxious for Saturday’s game can decorate cups and mugs in the spirit of the Carolina-Clemson rivalry. Closing Burn Strong Week is Tiger Burn, free to students, faculty, staff and any member of the Carolina family. “This year’s Tiger Burn will definitely be the biggest it’s ever been. Blatt has a capacity of 5,000-plus people,” said Carolina Productions Traditional Events leader Amanda Alpert, a second-year broadcast journalism student. Tiger Burn will be hgld at the Blatt field Friday. Gates open at 4 p.m. with events starting at 5 p.m. Country acts Dierks Bentley and Cross Canadian Ragweed will perform as part of their High Times and Hangovers Tour II. The pep rally will also feature a hip-hop act and a performance by Alpha Delta Phi sorority and Delta Tau Delta fraternity, the winners of this year’s Cockfest. “I’m really excited to do our skit because it pokes some fun at Clemson,” said Rachel Cope, a first-year studio art student and Alpha Delta Phi member. The Sigma Nu Ball Run will finish at-Tiger Burn, bringing Saturday’s game ball wit^ the brothers. A special Clemson video will be shown at the pep rally, followed by a few videotaped words from USC football coach Steve Spurrier. The night will end with the burning of a Clemson Tiger. This year, the tiger was constructed by engineering students and measures 25 feet long, 24 feet high and 11 feet wide. Carolina Productions encourages all students to participate in this week’s events and join the fun at Tiger Burn. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeattffres@givm.sc.edu m