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My side
Now that Basseq has resurrected this post, I figure it is time for me to offer my side of this event. I am Saam Fouladgar and I (along with all of DSP) was unfairly characterized in most of the coverage of this event.
Basseq is completely right about things being exaggerated.The fact is that what transpired was a personal argument between myself (a brother at the time) and my little brother (pledging at the time). We continue to be great friends and have even been roommates since this incident. Unfortunately, this argument occurred at the fraternity house where I lived and was immediately after an organized exercise session. Also, a third-party who witnessed portions of the argument panicked and got authorities involved unnecessarily. This final piece led to the escalation and exaggeration of all the events.
The truth is that everyone who was close to the situation knows that any pledge activity during the UVA Delta Sigma Phi pledge process was identical to what one might expect to experience at high school football or wrestling practice, or in some cases, military exercise. Unlike most other fraternities, our pledge process was based on strengthening the pledge's mind while strengthening and challenging the pledge's body, through cleaning responsibilities to build dedication to the house, team activities to build camaraderie, or exercises to push the body to its perceived limits and then break through them. Basically mopping, push-ups, and conferences.
On that fateful night after a normal pledge activity, things did get a bit out of hand and escalate into an argument between myself and my own little brother in the fraternity, but that is the only shred of truth you will read in any of the accounts of this story. One common misperception regards someone's account regarding "substances" that people were doused with. The only substance that any pledge was "doused" in was vinegar. During push-up drills, one of the brothers thought it would be funny if he poured vinegar on a pledge who is very health conscious and eats a lot of salad. It was a joke, to which the pledge in question was amenable to at the time.
What ultimately launched the fraternity into a state of turmoil was when publicity surrounding my altercation with the pledge and opened the door to scrutiny from authorities who were begging for an example to be made out of fraternities. We all know that frat scandals make great headlines.
Basseq is right, this situation was exaggerated. The subsequent "re-organization" rendered our frat unrecognizable so all but 2 brothers left in protest. I'm sure that those who remained and continue to be members had and are having a great time, etc. it just wasn't what the rest of us signed up for.
So hopefully people who bother to look up my name and see me associated with this debacle would also bother to read my side of it. All I can say is that if you don't believe me, just notice how the supposed "victim" is one of my best friends in the world and that all the charges and accusations regarding hazing, etc, were dropped entirely.
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Hybrid Mode
