An open thank-you letter to my real educators

I learned a lot my first years out of high school. I think a lot of that had to do with where I was and who I was with. I joined the Army in the summer of 1993 and volunteered for duty with the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia. The nature of Army life, especially being in a combat unit, is so foreign to the civilian world that it is impossible to describe. But, in retrospect, in certain ways it can be likened to living in a house with five roommates, which has been my situation for the last year.

Branden Sanz Dropping the Hammer

I was assigned to a squad with eight other guys and we shared every moment of each other's lives for over three years. Ours was a motley crew, with guys from all kinds of different backgrounds. You want diversity? We had an Irishman from Wisconsin with a degree from UW that spent most of his off-hours playing rugby or drinking large amounts of Guinness; a star baseball player from North Carolina who got drafted by the Expos but thought it wasn't challenging enough; a pretty-boy lifeguard and stud lacrosse player from Maryland who got a full ride-ride scholarship to Syracuse but came up positive for marijuana on a drug test; a bull-riding Mexican-American from Nevada who had a penchant for using long words and two high school state wrestling championships to his credit; a slow-talking farm boy from southern Illinois with the build of an NFL linebacker - just to name a few.

For three years, we did everything together - running, swimming, shooting, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and other crazy stuff. Bar-brawling. Skirt-chasing (on four continents, no less). You name it. If we had anything in common, it was that we were all confident, aggressive, goal oriented individuals, but that was pretty much it. We all had different ethnic, family and economic backgrounds. I learned a lot about people from my squadmates, as well as a lot about myself. The same thing has happened this year, as I have had the privilege of living with some dynamite people. I only knew one of my housemates before the school year began, and although I have some things in common with them, the differences far outweigh the similarities.

Most of my housemates grew up in fairly affluent, suburban white neighborhoods. I did not. Most of my housemates are quiet, studious types. I am not. Most of my housemates dress like they stepped straight out of Abercrombie and Fitch or The Gap. I wear anything from sweats to Dr. Martens to cowboy boots. Most of my housemates are placid, non-confrontational guys. I am not above putting my hands on someone if I think it is the best way to get their attention or cure their chronic assaholia. But I have learned from them.

A couple of my housemates are involved with activism groups, namely Peace Action. From John and Andy I have learned about the nuances of social and political activism, as well as the fact that you don't have to storm the Diag or scream out your cause to get things accomplished.

One of my housemates is Jewish. Before moving to Michigan, I had never had any day-in, day-out contact with someone of that religion. From Clarence, I have learned more about Judaism and what it really means to be a Jew than I ever could have in Religion 201 (with all due respect to Jedi Master Ralph Williams). One of my housemates is a film major. From Matt I have learned to at least understand, if not appreciate, how someone can get so worked up about camera angles, lighting and background imagery.

One of my housemates is a self-professed nerd. He will admit to it. He revels in it. He even wants to be a librarian after he graduates. James is the kind of guy who I probably would have beaten up for sport in high school, but now he is one of my best friends. From James, I have learned that nerds can be cool, too.

All this and much, much more they have taught me. So if you are ready to graduate and about to leave memories of your housemates behind, or if you plan on sharing a house with a group of people next year, remember this: do not dwell on the time when someone stole your milk, didn't clean the bathroom, was late with rent money or borrowed your car without asking. This is trivial bullshit. Instead, remember what you learned from them and how it made you a better person.

- I would like to take this chance to especially thank a man who is my total opposite in so many ways, but I would not have traded knowing him for anything. To my housemate, my friend and my inspiration, James "Miller on Tap, The Reverend, Rev., jäSeamus O'Miller, Jimmy the Saint,

Miller on Crap, Conan the Librarian,

The Hitman" Miller: I'll miss you buddy.

Take care and have fun in Virginia.

Branden Sanz can be reached over e-mail at hammerhead@umich.edu.

04-20-99