, ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁two ▁weeks . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Will ▁Mc Le an ▁is ▁a ▁senior ▁cad et ▁at ▁the ▁Carolina ▁Military ▁Institute , ▁a ▁school ▁that ▁out ward ly ▁promises ▁to ▁produce ▁men ▁of ▁honor ▁but ▁practices ▁brut al ▁ha zing ▁against ▁the ▁junior ▁cad ets . ▁Among ▁these ▁are ▁the ▁over weight ▁P ote ete ▁and ▁the ▁Institute ' s ▁first ▁black ▁cad et , ▁Tom ▁Pear ce . ▁Mc Le an ' s ▁ment or , ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁" B ear " ▁Ber r ine au , ▁asks ▁him ▁to ▁protect ▁Pear ce . ▁Mc Le an ' s ▁ro omm ates ▁at ▁the ▁Institute ▁are ▁" P ig " ▁P ign etti , ▁Mark ▁Sant oro ▁and ▁Tr add ▁St . ▁Cro ix , ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁whom ▁offers ▁him ▁a ▁key ▁to ▁his ▁parents ' ▁house . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁term ▁begins , ▁Mc Le an ' s ▁ro omm ates ▁particip ate ▁in ▁breaking ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁cad ets , ▁while ▁Mc Le an ▁remains ▁al o of . ▁This ▁draw s ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁school ' s ▁command ing ▁officer , ▁L t . ▁Gen . ▁Bent ley ▁Dur rell , ▁who ▁war ns ▁him ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁soft . ▁Both ▁P ote ete ▁and ▁Pear ce ▁become ▁targets ▁of ▁the ▁Ten , ▁a ▁traditional ▁c land est ine ▁group ▁of ▁sen iors ▁dedicated ▁to ▁r idd ing ▁the ▁school ▁of ▁" un fit " ▁cad ets . ▁P ote ete