My earliest introductions to Delta Chi included Joe Howard ‘95, Dave Karow ‘94, Doug Brandon ‘96, Dave Winey ‘95, Molson Goldens, and a night at the cemetery where there may have been a death-defying maneuver that resulted in a celebration of being alive. Incidentally, these were the early signs of becoming a beer connoisseur, given that Molson Golden is, after all, a foreign beer.
As a young miscreant, I remember looking up to Don Sweeney ‘94 as an older brother who had wisdom and maturity – I understand this is an odd way to describe the man, yet it is as true as any other paradox. I feel the influence of many brothers from the house to this day, in terms of valuing ambition, getting things done, being leaders, trying new things, accepting differences in others, making time for fun, understanding the value of the “rush” in creating new relationships, being socially responsible, and doing what is right. Perhaps the real power and continuity of ourselves, as reflected in humanity, comes with our ability to accept influence as well as our ability to have influence.
Our house was small, but eclectic; we had all kinds of guys – jocks, extroverts, geeks, musicians, connoisseurs of fine herb, and all kinds in between. We maintained standards for academics all the while. Equally important was the love and loyalty at the time, as it was solid, if not perfect. I once joked that all we needed to round out the diversity in the house was a gay brother and a vegetarian — of course in those days, it was difficult to come out as a vegetarian. And there were epic events – such as that beach party led by Greg Endres ‘94 and Dave Winey ‘95; this event was unparalleled in ambition and boldness, and it rocked. It included a waterfall built to flow over the second floor bannister down to the foyer, as well as a deep layer of sand on the living room floor, and a DJ of course (Winey). We also had a streak of long-haired ‘C’s in those days – Eric Condon ‘94, yours truly, Bryan Quinn ’95, and Dennis Carr ‘96.
Rooms I stayed in:
– Middle Earth (roomed with Matthew Holden ‘95)
– Windows (with Eric Condon in Grand Central)
– JR’s room
Some random memories also include:
– John Wiktor ’94 being my “disciple” in pool
– Matt Holden’s ritualistic, painstaking removal of the entire pith of an orange
– Barton pond late night
– Pledge Progressives
– Ring the Bell
– Two dogs in the house – Bandit and Joey
– Painting the rock
– A visit from JR, and having the chance to chat with him
– Hanging out at Thano’s Lamplighter!
My undergraduate degree was in Mechanical Engineering, though I later switched disciplines to Computer Science and Engineering, acquiring an MSE from Michigan as well. Currently I work in the areas of Software Engineering, Cloud, DevOps, and Cybersecurity. I love my job. Although promotions have resulted in having to write more PowerPoint decks, I still have opportunities to get my hands dirty — I always feel better after writing some code.
After moving around the country over a fourteen-year period, including cities such as Milwaukee, Olympia, Seattle, and Chicago, I decided to settle back in my home town of Ann Arbor, where I grew up since 1977. The slower pace, being a small yet cosmopolitan city, the progressiveness, the good people, along with the trees, river, and hills, make this the best place in the country to be. In my free time, I enjoy playing poker (cash games), going to an occasional ball game, off-road biking, and the pub. Poker is probably my favorite hobby, especially when playing at Krazy Kopz – a charity poker venue that is super low-key, with great dealers, 70s music, smoke-free, and crazy loose-aggressive players. I haven’t touched the guitar in a while, but Florence (my Tokai Stratocaster I had since childhood, named after the late, great, Florence Henderson) is still with me, waiting to be re-tuned and strummed. I may yet pick her up again!
During difficult times, I always had family, friends, and the brotherhood. I did not realize at times just how important the constant nature of the brotherhood was. I feel fortunate for the relationships I have had, all of them, even the failed ones. It is the substance of life experiences that has given enough momentum to coast the rest of the way. The experiences of being a Delta Chi brother, working as a dishwasher and cook for six years while in high school and college, working in Hyderabad, India, as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer for ₹10,000/month back in ’96-’98 (equivalent to about $250, not bad for a bachelor in India at the time, but not so great for the 401k), and in recent times committing to a marriage that ultimately failed, all came with risks – yet they all entailed some of the best memories that I can recount.
I hesitated to pledge the fraternity back in ’92, not because of anything I disliked about the chapter, house, or brothers, rather because of the value I placed on the word “brother”. What if there were a brother I did not know well, one who behaved ignobly – would I have to answer for him? Or was I taking the word too seriously and just needed to lighten up? Ultimately, the word “brother” should be taken seriously – the risks associated with the pursuit of relationships are necessary if there is to be a chance of acquiring something of substance. In addition to the pursuit, there is also the need for care and maintenance of existing relationships. Matt Holden stands out as a great example of a brother who regularly maintains friendships via his efforts to get people together on various occasions. “Just say yes” seems like a good motto to follow. For example, Dennis Carr said yes when I invited him to join me and friends on a Mardi Gras road trip back in ’00. The result included good memories, some foggy memories, and a renewed friendship that has continued since.
Though sometimes it is difficult getting motivated, the remembrance of the past and influential people in my life motivates me to accept the challenge of continued risk-taking in the pursuit of personal and professional goals, maintaining friendships, and “rush”-ing to make new friends. And although mullets have fallen out of style, I will pursue long hair in remembrance of those ’90s ‘C’s! I hope to see you all at the next homecoming – if you have not seen the new house, you should plan a visit, it is very nice. Let’s crash Sweeney’s tailgate. And GO BLUE!
ITB,
Sri
https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikaran
