Chi Omega - University of Wisconsin

CHI OMEGA 3 Χ Ω W anda Streiff Farrell '70 was a Wisconsin farm girl who found a home at the University of Wisconsin Chi Omega Chapter. Joining a sorority was not something that Wanda or her roommate and good friend Barb Hoesly Leib '70 had intended to do when they le their small town and enrolled in the University. But, as is so oen the case, friendships made in the dorm changed the course of their lives. Carol Ward Knox '70 and Jean Angus Erickson '70 encouraged the two freshmen to look at Chi Omega with them. ey all pledged together and the rest, they say, is history. While walking up Langdon Street aer classes, Wanda oen thought how fortu- nate she was to have a home away from home at the Chi Omega house. It was a tumultuous time in the early seventies; however, the Chi Omega sisterhood pro- vided a much-needed safe haven. ere was a legacy of great leaders at Nu, and Wanda remembers how dely Chapter President Cathy Schmidt Fehrman '70 led the Chapter. Wanda is proud that those members of her era were able to not only survive those challenging years but also recruit quality women who would carry on the legacy. e story of how the capital campaign touched Wanda's heart is due in part to her desire to see the next generation of Chi Omegas have as safe and comfortable a place to live as she did. Aer being contacted by Kathy Suckow Murtfeldt '72 and hearing about the disrepair and the inadequacies of the house for the current growing Chapter, she was distressed to hear about the situation. About the same time, Wanda's daughter, Amy, pledged Chi Omega at Baylor University, and she saw how Chi Omega membership was making a positive impact on her life. A re- newed sense of pride in the Chi Omega organization and its ideals caused Wanda to want to see Nu Chapter remain competitive, and she knew she needed to help with its capital campaign in any way that she could. Probably most of all, Wanda remembers the pride in being a part of something that was much bigger than herself, something that had withstood the test of time and had the potential to endure, if cherished and nurtured. e intangible value in the rituals, songs, traditions, ceremonies, and social connections of the Greek system seemed especially precious to Wanda in a world that wanted to label the Greek system as outdated and irrelevant. Aer getting a degree in English education, Wanda moved to Orange County, California, where she and husband Dan went to law school. Aer passing the bar exam, she decided that she would put her energy and experience into raising their growing family, which would eventually include six children. ey enjoy their retirement now in Sugar Land, Texas, and keep busy traveling, visiting fam- ily, working out, and volunteering at church-related activities. You can connect with Wanda at wandaferrell51@gmail.com. Finding Solace in the Seventies Why Wanda Streiff Farrell '70 Gives Back to Nu Chapter Wanda remembers the pride in being a part of something that was much bigger than herself, something that had withstood the test of time and had the potential to endure, if cherished and nurtured.

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