Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

Page 28 text:

Derby Day: a sexist ' s dream Green grass, bright sun, mud holes, torn shirts, Wallace Village, women ' s liberation, $200, a party and a trophy were all part of the 17th annual Sigma Chi Derby Day in Manhattan City Park during the spring of 1973. To some, Derby Day is the Greeks answer to Spring Fling; to the women ' s liberation movement it is a perfect example of male chau- vinism. But to many, it is a chance to break the monotony of studying and enjoy spring with friends. Sigma Chi sponsors the annual event, and the participants are girls organized in teams by their living groups. The groups are usually from sorority houses, but dormitory resi- dents are invited to participate also. They are competing for the three-foot Derby Day traveling tro- phy which is given each year to the house which has accumulated the most points from the various events such as Derby Steal, Dec-A-Sig, Do- Nut Dash, Butterfingers, Limbo and Zip and Strip. This year prior to the weekend games, a benefit party netted $200 in beer and ticket sales for Wallace Vil- lage, a center in Colorado for the treatment of children with minimal brain dysfunction. The events started Friday after- noon with Derby Steal. On one side of the street, about 200 girls waited in the park for the Sigma Chis who were lined up in front of the Sigma Chi house wearing brightly-colored derbies. Finally the guys ran into the crowd of girls, who in response start- ed grabbing and tackling them to get the hats. The group who had col- lected the most ha ts won the competion. On Saturday the weather had turned considerably colder but en- thusiasm and spirit were still in the air. Rooters from sororities, fraterni- ties and dormitories were bundled up on the sidelines with banners for the team they were backing. The events started with the Do- Nut Dash which could best be de- scribed as an inner tube race. Another event, Zip and Strip, received fire from womens libera- tion supporters because they viewed the event as a means of exploiting women. The girls ran across the field to the sleeping bags where they changed into a different set of clothes as quickly as possible. When the games were over, the points were tallied and the Gamma Phi Betas lugged away the trophy. Delta Delta Delta placed second and the Delta Zetas won third. 16 — Derby Day

Page 30 text:

It seems as if I ' m never quite ready to come back to school when summer vacation is almost over. I hate to leave my friends and return to the books. But then I remember how nice Manhattan is in the fall — especially the campus when the leaves start turning. It really is a beautiful time. And suddenly, I ' m ready to start throwing things into my suitcase so I can come back to school. 28 — Fall