“Don’t just remember me. Fifty years from now you should give me a call so we can meet up for a drink!”
With those words, Brother LaFave is off to the races in a verbose recollection of best days of his life, as part of a group that helped mold him into the man he is today. Here is his story in his own words:
“While I was at the fraternity, it was a very exciting time. My pledge class was large, and the fraternity had been growing in the past years, so there was always a positive atmosphere about the fraternity and how it was viewed on campus. I think that buzzing atmosphere is still present around the fraternity now. With the building of the new house, I hear the undergraduate members are doing well and I, for one, am looking forward to Delta Chi’s immediate future.
Everyone said when we pledged, “Look around you, these will be the men who stick with you. They’ll be there when you need them most. They’ll stand next to you at your wedding. They’re your friends for life.” I thought it was all a little blown out of proportion, but now that everyone is getting married, I can say they definitely weren’t lying. We have groups of Delta Chis from my era all around the country, and they’re always texting out photos of them hanging out. I’m standing in Nathan Panzlau’s (’11} wedding; he’s standing in mine. God knows I’d have them all up there next to me if I could.
I lived in the house for two years, and my roommates were Nico Fotieo ’11, Sam Ramsey ’11 and Peter Martin ’11. We switched rooms halfway through the year and used one room primarily for sleeping and the other room for watching TV. It was a great set-up if you never wanted to get any sleep!
They called me “Boy Scout.” I think it was because I always followed the rules and could build anything. The ironic thing was that I was never in the Scouts. I kept telling everyone that I never made it past Cub Scouts, but they didn’t care. To them, I was “Boy Scout.”
Sam Ramsey thought it would be funny to move the ladder up to my loft bed in Penthouse. I swung my feet down to climb out of bed and ended up dangling by my arms, screaming for help. I could hear him laughing outside the room, but he never came. I landed so hard I thought I was going to fall through the floor. We were always playing pranks on each other like that. It’s amazing we never got hurt. One of my favorite memories of Delta Chi is sitting on the front porch with my brothers just talking. Brothers who didn’t live at the house would stop by just to chat in between classes or on the weekends.
My undergraduate degree was in biology. I haven’t worked after college because I’m still in school. I’m currently in medical school at Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine (Nathan Panzlau is, too), and I finally graduate in May. I’m interested in emergency medicine and am interviewing for residencies currently. I lived in East Lansing, Mich., for the first two years of medical school, and now I live in Clinton Township, which is near Macomb, Mich.
I’m currently engaged to be married. My fiancée, Margaux, got her master’s in social work at the University of Michigan. We currently live together in Clinton Township, Mich. We have a Swiss Mountain Dog named “Chevy” who takes up a lot of our time. We plan on moving again soon after I graduate and start residency.
I like to go fishing, especially with my dad. I try to go on at least one fishing trip a year, but it has been getting harder since I started medical school. I keep a pole and tackle box in the trunk of my car just in case I get off work early. I also like to go golfing, and this is probably the pasttime I spend with the most Delta Chis.
I call Adam Davis ’12 from time to time. I call Patrick Kellam ’11 every chance I get (I still have to pay you back for that bet, Patty! Who knew the Queen of England would live so long?). Peter Martin is in my phone favorites, and I saw him last time I was in LA. There is a large group of Delta Chis that play fantasy football every year, so we stay in contact that way. I get dinner with Chris Bence ’10 occasionally, and I see Nathan Panzlau regularly at school and after. I bump into Jamie Capellari ’09 when I’m in Ann Arbor, and Jack Dean ’11, too! There are so many more.
My biggest success so far is finding the most amazing woman to marry. I would say that my second-biggest success was getting into medical school. Quite a few of our brothers are in medical school, actually. I’m proud of where all my brothers have ended up.
My biggest failure has been that I still haven’t learned how to budget. I’m just terrible at saving money. I’m barely scraping by in medical school. I remember that we talked about budgeting while I was an associate member in Delta Chi, and sometimes I think back to those lessons. I’m getting better, just need some more time. I’ve been active organizing volunteering events for other students — mostly volunteering at a food bank in the area or at recycling events held by our community.
Remember that college is only four years of your life. Study hard and play harder. Wake up early and go to bed late. Take advantage of it while you can, but don’t jeopardize your future. Take that once-in-a-lifetime trip while you still can.
Don’t just remember something about me. Fifty years from now, you should give me a call so we can meet up for a drink!”
Those wishing to reach brother LaFave, may do so at [email protected]
