These are the saddest of possible words:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”

For Sale: baby shoes, never worn. — Earnest Hemingway

by Dean Santarinala

The Midwest winter air bit through the many layers of clothing and blankets worn by the Delta Chapter actives on this fortunate December night. Only hours earlier, the brothers banded together in front of their luxurious 65” HDTV to hear the good news that their Fighting Illini would be facing off against USC’s Trojans in the 2008 Rose Bowl. After waiting in line outside of their beloved Assembly Hall for more than eight hours in below-freezing weather, it was finally their turn to buy Rose Bowl Tickets.

The following month was harrowing, for the semester was wrapping up and finals were to be taken. The wait for New Years Day was miserable. But during this time, news arrived that Delta Alumnus and Communications Director Ian Santarinala would be accompanying the group – giving the group a renewed sense of vigor to get to Pasadena. Following weeks of e-mail threads amongst the brothers, the details of the trip were slowly set in stone: the men settled on a 2,000 mile road trip from Champaign to Pasadena along the remnants of America’s historic Route 66. Unfortunately, for some of the fellowship, the plan was shot down by their parents, who feared that driving would be too dangerous. Of the original group of eleven, only seven would be road-tripping, while the rest flew.

Eventually, the long wait was over, and the date of departure had finally arrived. After loading their luggage, the seven brothers from Delta chapter got into their vehicles (one rented and one borrowed from parents) and hurried out of Champaign. With the first few states passing by quickly, the drive was as not as uncomfortable as they had imagined. But as the sun fell below Oklahoma’s horizon, so too did the will-power of the Delta men. Carrying onward, the Texas night proved particularly treacherous. Icy roads prevented the vehicles from exceeding 30 miles per hour, sky-rocketing their estimated time of arrival. Passing the halfway point on their trip, New Mexico proved taxing as well. Dark, flat, and devoid of all hope, the New Mexico terrain tested the limits of the sleep-deprived Sig Phis. After a few close calls (see Erik Lynch, a box of scorpions) and finding little respite in their Albuquerque pit stop, the drivers found their second wind with the rising of the warm Arizonan sun. Driving through the tall mesas and curving valleys renewed the energy of the brothers, who soon arrived at the California border patrol. “Hide the immigrants!” yelled Chapter President Joe Vivoli, jokingly, over the walkie-talkie. But only a few hours away, the LA traffic emerged like a mirage (or gas station) in the middle of the hot California desert. The Delta men arrived at USC’s Alpha chapter, who was more than gracious to host their rival school’s actives, in addition to a few other actives from Omega chapter. One brother, Christian, had already arrived in LA the night before. Upon suggestions from the Alpha chapter’s Robert Webster and Pierre Johnson about local hostspots, they all decided to check out Santa Monica. Despite being completely burnt out after a 33-hour drive, the group walked around the pier and promenade, and then returned to the Alpha chapter house to rest up for the following busy days.

Early the next morning, the men of Delta chapter drove off to the Illini pep rally held at Universal Studios. Unfortunately, they overlooked LA traffic and arrived too late. Conquered, the group walked around the City Walk, went off to eat at In-n-Out Burger (a popular west coast food chain), and bought some tailgating supplies for the pre-Rose Bowl festivities. Upon returning to the Alpha chapter house, Rob and Pierre kindly offered to give a tour of USC. The plaque commemorating the founding of Sigma Phi Delta, field goals kicked on the Trojans’ practice field, and checking out USC’s trophy room rounded out the highlights of the tour. After posing next to O.J. Simpson’s Heisman trophy, the group decided it was about time to get something good to eat – something different from the fast food joints they had been dining at for the past three days. So the group set off to the Hollywood Hills, where they got to see the sights and eat at ‘The Stinking Rose’ (a famous garlic-themed restaurant) at the end of a long day.

The following day, one lone member of the fellowship, Dean (ie ME, the narrator), decided to separate from the group to hang out with his high school friend from LA. They ate sushi and wandered LA, shoe shopping and having fun. Having to return to Irvine that night, the high school friends ate one last meal at Jack-In-The-Box, and parted ways. Back at the chapter house, Dean met back up with his brothers, who went to Universal Studios for the day to enjoy the Studio Tour, see the attractions, and celebrate the New Year at Central time. The rest of the eleven brothers who were flying out arrived, except for one (Adam) who couldn’t find a plane ticket on standby.

After celebrating the passage into a New Year, the Delta chapter set off early the next morning for what was the longest and most anticipated day of the trip. The group met up (after having found out ‘someone’ left their ticket at the house) at the parking lot of the Rose Bowl, set up their tailgate, and walked over to the Rose Parade route to claim their spot. One of the greatest pre-game rituals in all of sports, the Rose Parade lived up to its hype. The parade lasted about two hours, featuring 46 floats and many bands (including the Marching Illini) strolling down the streets of Pasadena. After standing and watching such a visually loaded display of peace and acceptance, the group decided it was about time to head back and watch the two warring teams face off in the field of battle. Before this, however, the Delta men needed some refueling, and restarted their tailgate. While there were many SC fans that mocked the Illini, most everyone was in a jovial mood, for the Rose Bowl was only hours away.

Rested and renewed, the brothers made their way towards the stadium for the pre-game festivities. Large crowds stood shoulder to shoulder, shuffling in towards their seats. Soon enough, a view of the field emerged, and the brothers found their seats among the sea of orange. The Marching Illini and the USC Trojan Marching band performed their usual pre-game shows, and soon enough, the big game (the granddaddy of them all) began. And so, they all watched, standing tall and proud on their seats for the entire game. Similarly, the Illini football team came to the Rose Bowl hoping to show that they were not just excited to be there. But turnovers and a porous Illini defense created a quick downfall. By the end of the halftime, the score was 21-3. The halftime performance of the Marching Illini and chants from the Delta brothers among a loyal crowd of Illini fans sparked the Orange and Blue, and through the first ten minutes of the third quarter, the Illini were showing signs of life. Ultimately, however, the Trojans proved themselves to be a much better team, as the Illini self destructed. Standing through till the very end, the Delta actives saw their alma mater lose 17-49 in one of the largest routs in Rose Bowl history. Nevertheless, they were all grateful to be witness to a historic team with a lot left for next year’s campaign.

The group walked back amongst the sullen crowd, and returned to Alpha chapter, whose actives were good sports about the game. All the Sigma Phi Delta men went out for dinner that night, and the brothers from Illinois prepared for a long drive back home. The following morning, they packed back into their cars, and drove off for Champaign. On this drive, however, the Delta men decided to take a break in Albuquerque, to get some more much needed sleep in the middle of their road trip. The following day, with the men nearing Illinois in the night time, a call from the local alarm company notified them that a water main had frozen and burst in the Delta chapter home, causing some water damage. Everyone was busy making calls on their cell phones to understand the situation and rectify the problem. Eventually, the men made it back to the cold Delta house safely, where the water and heating system were turned off to prevent further damage.

Despite ending on such sour notes, the journey to and from Pasadena, California was a dream come true. One might imagine that seventy-plus hours in the same car with two or three brothers can be mind-numbingly grueling. They are correct. But the trip was great, nonetheless.