Dear Penn State Frat Boys,
Specifically the ones of Beta Theta Pi, but this article will apply to all frat boys who attend PSU at some point. I am so ashamed, disgusted, and disheartened by the events that took place leading up to the death of Timothy Piazza. You all enabled this excessive drinking environment, you didn't call for help, and you hid evidence. But hey, congrats on being a part of a fraternity, though! Your biggest accomplishments should have been graduating college, partaking in community service with your fraternity, and gaining a college experience that allowed you all to become respectful leaders of the Pennsylvania State University. However, now your biggest accomplishments are being charged with involuntary manslaughter and over one thousand other charges held against you.
Each male that was a part of Beta Theta Pi is responsible for the death of Timothy. Each male involved in fraternities are also responsible. Here's why, and let me break it down in the harshest, simplest terms possible. Frat boys care more about dressing like easter eggs than your actual fraternity. You know- the too short and too tight shorts that you all wear in vibrant colors with the matching polos, or the diy sleeve cut off shirts. News flash- you all look like mega douches to the general public. They care more about drinking into oblivion than helping your brothers who may not be able to tolerate alcohol. They also care more about a guy to girl ratio than you do about not raping and sexually assaulting girls (yeah, frat boys are statistically known for higher rates of rape than just the average college kid). They care more about their letters than you do actually living through those letters in a positive way. And, they also care more about forcing pledge brothers into dangerous activities (called hazing, even though many frat brothers refuse to believe hazing exists yet still partake in hazing activities), than they do creating relationships and bonds with their brothers. Granted, fraternities at Penn State may do some good by contributing to THON and other charitable organizations, but try going to frat row from Thursday-Saturday and you'll see what these boys are really about.
The saddest thing is that members of other Pennsylvania State University fraternities have been bitching and complaining about restrictions held against them, rather than mourning the death of a fallen "brother", and attempting to ensure that the same tragedy never happens again. Sorry men-children, but your party and fun is over now. It's time to grow up and act like members of society who don't kill other students for shits and giggles to become a part of a fraternity. Beta Theta Pi, more specifically: Brendan Young, Daniel Casey, Jonah Neuman, Nick Kubera, Michael Bonatucci, Gary Dibileo, Luke Visser, Joe Sala, Michael Angelo Schiavone, Craig Heimer, Lars Kenyon, Parker Jax Yochim, Ed Gilmartin, Ryan Mccann, Lucas Rockwell, Braxton Becker, Ryan Foster, and Joseph Ems, you deserve the charges held against you. These men are responsible for the death of Timothy Piazza, and i'm sure these males are also responsible for countless other reckless endangerment activities that they have provoked other students into. 18 Students now are criminals- let's call them what they are- and more importantly, they are murderers. By not calling for help when the first sign of trouble happened, they killed him. By snapchatting Timothy while he was convulsing and falling down steps, they are murders. By forcing pledges to go through a drinking obstacle course, they killed Timothy and recklessly endangered other pledges.
I don't feel bad for these boys, and I don't feel bad for their lives now being ruined because of the activities they decided to partake in. I don't feel like the charges should be dropped, or the restrictions should be dropped. Because of them, a student lost their life. Because of them, Penn State now has a "bad rep" associated with the school. Because of fraternity life in general, people are constantly endangered for a little "fun". Timothy Piazza deserved better from his "brothers", and these boys deserve the fullest extent of criminal law.
