(article written by H. Keith Hellems, M.D. and Chatgpt)
From the moment our chapter doors first opened, the Michigan Delta Chi fraternity has been synonymous with a good time. Whether it was football weekend, Homecoming, Mardi Gras, pledge parties, Halloween bashes, or just another random weekend night, the brothers of Delta Chi could always find a reason — and a way — to celebrate.
Well, the party just got a major upgrade.
The newly elected president, Eli Germain, visited a friend at Tulane and went to a Zeta Psi fraternity party where he experienced a spectacular party thanks to a remarkable lighting system. Eli returned to Ann Arbor and single handedly convinced the one hundred plus members to invest in a new lighting system in the flex/party room.
Thanks to Eli and the bold member-driven initiative, the chapter house now boasts something no other fraternity at Michigan can claim — a state-of-the-art, professionally engineered $60,000 nightclub lighting system in the basement gathering room.
Imagine this: ceiling-to-ceiling neon light bars, 16 rows deep, stretching more than 20 feet each — over 18,000 programmable LED pixels glowing, chasing, and pulsing in rhythm with the beat. The entire system can shift through color palettes and patterns that would make any Ann Arbor club jealous. A custom-built DJ booth anchors one wall, giving the actives full command of both the music and the light show.
The system was designed and installed by Gr8light.com, the brainchild of Jason Garfinkel, a lighting and production entrepreneur whose company motto says it all: “Build Your House Into a Nightclub.” Garfinkel’s team uses MADRIX software — the same professional-grade lighting control used in high-end clubs and concert venues worldwide. The system includes a 27-inch touchscreen, more than 250 pre-programmed visual effects, and the ability to sync precisely with music or be manually controlled for different events. It’s even water-resistant — a detail any fraternity can appreciate.
Best of all, this wasn’t a gift from outside donors or the alumni board — the active brothers assessed themselves to make it happen. It’s a testament to their creativity, unity, and sheer determination to make the Delta Chi house the place to be once again.
From Donor Vision to Modern Marvel
Fittingly, the space that now hosts this dazzling transformation was itself born from the generosity of an alumnus who always dreamed big. During the 2014–2015 fundraising drive for the new house, David Falconer ’62 stepped up with a remarkable $165,000 donation to sponsor the basement “Flex Room.”
At the time, no one could have imagined that David’s gift would evolve into a high-tech entertainment and conference hub unlike anything on campus. What began as a vision for a flexible gathering space has become the heartbeat of the fraternity — the ultimate venue for parties, rush events, and alumni weekends alike.
So here’s to Brother Falconer — for his foresight, generosity, and continued legacy — and to the current actives who took that foundation and ran with it. Together, they’ve given new meaning to the phrase “lighting up the house.”
David Falconer’s Plaque which is displayed in the Flex/Party Room.