Delta Delta Delta - University of Kansas

TRI DELTA DISPATCH 2 Alumnae Share Love of Time-Honored Tradition at KU B eth Boozer Buford '75 and Mindy Meidinger Haase '94 may not have shared time together in the Tri Delta house. Their years in the house may not have overlapped, and the memories they have are from different times. Yet there are two common threads that tie these women together: the bonds of sisterhood from Theta Omega, and a remarkable love for KU basketball. Beth grew up watching the Jayhawks. A native Lawrencian, she attended countless football and basketball games during her youth. She followed in her mother's footsteps by attending KU, a third-generation alumna, a tradition that continued with her son, Chase. It was a thrill for Beth to see her son in uniform. "I was so proud of his commitment to the team, and while he didn't play much, he remained enthusiastic and excited for his teammates. A highlight for us both was seeing KU win the National Championship Chase's freshman year in San Antonio, his hometown." For Mindy, her fandom didn't develop until college. "To be honest, I wasn't a big fan at first. In the '90s when I was in school, KU basketball was a spectacle with students camping out and sleeping in Allen Fieldhouse for tickets. I wasn't that committed and only went to one game in my four years at KU. I did, however, have a job bartending at The Yacht Club, so on game nights, I could go into work and have a pretty good night financially. So I did love basketball for that." It wasn't until the last semester of her senior year that she found a reason to pay more attention. A week after KU lost to Arizona in the Sweet 16, she met her now-husband, Jerod, when he came into The Yacht Club. She knew of him, but not in the way others may have, which was a strong factor in their relationship. "I was able to get to know him on a personal level instead of what I learned from watching him play basketball. After we graduated, Jerod played overseas for a bit. We eventually got married, he wrote a book (Floor Burns), and finished his master's before Jerod took a position as Roy Williams' assistant. When Coach Williams decided to leave for UNC in 2003, we packed up and moved to the east coast with the team. Jerod was Roy's assistant coach and head coach for the junior varsity team until 2012 when he became head coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham." It's quite clear that basketball still remains a permanent fixture in both Mindy's and Beth's lives. While Jerod coaches the UAB Blazers, Beth's husband, R.C., is the general manager for the San Antonio Spurs. "Our life definitely revolves around the sport. As GM, R.C. doesn't have much free time, but it's fun to experience the games and to see the result of all the hard work he's putting into the team out on the floor. And while I haven't been back to Lawrence in a while to see the Jayhawks, I will be in Chicago this November when they play Michigan State." Mindy continues to be a diehard KU fan, though it's somewhat difficult to make it back for games with Jerod's busy schedule. "Before this year, I hadn't gone to a game in Allen Fieldhouse since early 2006. It was great to attend the KU-Texas game in February of this year with about eight of my Tri Delt sisters (one was turning 40, so this was a birthday outing). It looked very different than I remembered, but the first person I saw when I walked in was Wayne Simien! There were so many familiar faces from when Jerod coached; it was a nice Homecoming of sorts. "The time when Jerod and I first moved to Chapel Hill was somewhat sensitive because while he was now coaching UNC with Coach Williams, we still had ties to KU. And the times when KU and UNC played each other were tough because you're being pulled in both directions. On one side is your alma mater that you've grown to love and appreciate. And on the other are the personal relationships you've built through the years of coaching. No one can really understand unless you live in this world that we've been in for 18 years, but KU will always have a special place in our hearts regardless of where we are." Mindy and Jerod live in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and have three children: Gavin, Garrett, and Gabby. Mindy does recruiting part time for Northwestern Mutual, which is headquartered in Birmingham, so she makes frequent visits to campus to recruit students for internships and part-time work. Aside from being an avid basketball fan, she is also very involved with her kids' activities and enjoys staying connected in the local community. You can connect with Mindy at mindyjhaase@gmail.com. Beth and R.C. live in San Antonio and have two children, Chase and C.C, and are the legal guardians of two others, Alexis Wangmene (who played basketball at UT and now plays professionally for Slovenia) and Samer Jassar (who played basketball at Baker University and is now working on his MBA at the University of Baltimore). Beth is a former professional golfer who played on the LPGA for two years and four years on the European tour. She currently works as a small-project coordinator for real estate properties she and R.C. own. In her spare time, Beth enjoys playing tennis, taking part in her local book club, and hitting the links with her children. Reach out to Beth at ebb2518@yahoo.com. Mindy attended the KU-Texas game on February 28 with some of her Tri Delt class, plus a few of their Pi Phi friends. Tri Delts pictured, from left: Cyndi Taylor DeMaio '94, Jennifer Hestwood Schuler '94, Mindy Meidinger Haase '94, Tricia Wendling Wolverton '94, Buffy Peschka Wehner '94, and Kim Schlie Grunewald '94. Beth and her family. Pictured from left: C.C., Samer, R.C., Alexis, Beth, Chase.

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