Delta Delta Delta - Kansas State University

S usan Brent Trapp '85 prizes her Tri Delta family heritage. Her mother, Mary Frances Clark Brent '58, her mother's sister, Jane Clark Williams '63, and her father's two sisters, Carol Brent Fogo '64 and Margery Brent Easterwood Prickett '65, all proudly wore the stars and crescent badge. Susan understands the value of the past, but she places the greatest value on her present role as alumna advisor to "the 170 beautiful young women in the chapter" and mentor to the five officers who comprise the chapter standards committee. "I do love this college-age group, and because I have only sons, it is especially fun," she said. Susan also appreciates two other local advisors, Shirley Robinson '10 and Elizabeth Hicks Riffel '05, who provide tremendous help. RECENT INVOLVEMENT WITH THETA IOTA After graduating from Kansas State, Susan and her family moved around frequently; thus, she had little opportunity to become involved as an alumna. That all changed when she moved to Manhattan in 2015 and reconnected with her friend, Fern Grant McGehee '87, who was also her pledge granddaughter. Susan describes Fern, who is a collegiate district officer for Tri Delta chapters at Baker University, Oklahoma State University, and Wichita State University, as one of the most enthusiastic alumnae you will ever meet. Fern convinced Susan she needed to involve herself with Theta Iota when she moved to Manhattan. PAST TRI DELTA AND K-STATE MEMORIES "My favorite memories are living in that beautiful house for three years, formal dinners, participating in Homecoming, studying late at night in the old pledge lounge (now an eight-woman room) at the top of the stairs, and our pledge class sneaking to Los Angeles my senior year," she said. "I was blessed with friends who inspired me to pursue excellence in academics and campus involvement and dear friends who encouraged me in my faith." Besides serving as formal social and recruitment chairman, Susan was selected for Chimes Junior Honorary, served as president of the political science honorary and as a member of the Arts and Sciences Council, and graduated magna cum laude in 1988, later receiving a graduate degree from Georgetown University. When reflecting on her mother's favorite memories, they include candle lightings at formal dinners to announce pinnings or engagements and fraternity serenades. All the Tri Deltas would stand on the main staircase while the fraternity men would stand in the foyer and sing—an impossibility to achieve today with increased membership numbers. Her mother also recalled that college women would wear skirts and dresses to class—jeans would only be worn in the basement at Tri Delta. Susan's parents met at K-State as members of the concert band. When her father's fraternity required he find a date for a formal, he decided to invite "that pretty flute player." THEN AND NOW Other than present-day collegians not wearing their hair as big as women did in the '80s— evidenced in the composites hanging in the house—she sees many similarities with today's undergraduates. Tri Deltas still gather at dining room tables to eat and share their news, they still study in groups, and they still recruit strongly. Young women continue to look for a place to fit in when they start college, a place that feels like home. Collegians still look forward to the next date party or social, and they are excited about their "littles and bigs," known formerly as "moms and dots" or "pledge mothers and daughters." Some of the differences Susan noted are overall chapter membership—K-State sororities average about 170-180 members, and the women only live in the Chapter House one or two years. More students sign up for recruitment presently, recruitment week is structured without elaborate skits and songs, and there are no late-night sessions to discuss and vote on potential members. Rather, the membership selection committee meets every day to go over each woman's score to determine who to invite back. K-State Panhellenic sets strict guidelines for each day of recruitment—what can be worn, what can be discussed, and sororities are required to emphasize the benefits of "going Greek" one day, give house tours the next day, and discuss the chapter's sisterhood and national philanthropies another day. "One of our strengths is Tri Delta's national philanthropic efforts to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The young The Golden Crescent 2 Thank You, Loyal Alumnae Jane Ibsen Pattison '50 Janet Frey Anders '54 Lynne Gradinger Haines '57 Judith Cauble Black-Dyer '62 Marilyn Spainhour Taylor '63 Carole Jean Fry Owen '64 Linda Poell Sturgeon '65 Jennifer Inskeep Larson '70 Diane Line Parks '71 Anne Wiggins Warkentine '75 Kaye Frisbie '78 Julie Youngdoff Baumgartner '80 Sheryl Smith Crist '80 Kayte Kelley Soldner '80 Janet Netherland Karpan '86 Lisa Downing Wright '87 Kimberly Kreutzer Jones '88 Karla Rose Kerschen Shepard '89 Susannah M. McGinn '91 T he kindness and generosity of our alumnae allow for updates to the Chapter House, which contribute to both the safety and the beauty of our home on Laramie. We greatly appreciate your loyal support of the chapter. You make a difference in the future of Theta Iota at Kansas State University. Below is a list of fall 2016 contributors, listed by initiation year. If we have mistakenly omitted your gift, we sincerely apologize. If corrections to your giving records are needed, please contact Gwen McMillian Brustad '75 at (206) 794-3280 or Janet Whitehair Cooper '68 at (785) 410-8283. Thank you, again, for your loyal support. PEARLS IN OUR CRESCENT New Advisor, Susan Brent Trapp '85, on the Similarities and Differences of Her Theta Iota Experiences Susan Brent Trapp '85 and her husband, Tad, stand with their three sons, Ian, Nathan, and Noah.

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