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

Page 25 text:

day by day ail THE BASICS Their room had boxes stacked on top of each other, two beds covered with clothing, bare white walls and no room to walk. Lisa Griggs ' , freshman in kinesiology, and Amanda Curth ' s, freshman in elementary education, Room 828 in Ford Hall had only a small path to walk through Aug. 21, the weekend before fall semester began. While attending Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kan., the women knew each other from cheerleading, but did not spend much time together. During their senior year of high school the two became friends. After making the K-State Junior Varsity Cheerleading squad last spring, they decided to become roommates and rush. Griggs said she felt uncertain about attending K-State and thought living with Curth would make her feel more comfortable. We were talking about school, and I wasn ' t sure about K-State, Griggs said. We got along and really didn ' t know anybody else. And our senior year we became friends. At the end of Rush Week, Griggs pledged Pi Beta Phi and Curth pledged Chi Omega. After Rush Week Griggs ' family arrived to help them move in. We knew exactly what we wanted, Griggs said. We went shopping beforehand and got matching bedspreads and had everything planned out. They pushed the desk with books, the microwave, photographs, dirty dishes and shoes into the hallway to create enough room to rearrange. But clothes, refrigerators, shoes and other belongings still consumed the room. Julie, Griggs ' mom, unpacked clothes, filled drawers, stocked the medicine cabinet and made the room feel more like home. Griggs ' brother, Chris, and dad, Steve, put up lofts and created more living space for the girls. Noticing tears while unpacking, Curth asked Griggs ' mom why she cried. Because I ' m leaving my daughter today, Julie said. Julie said it was tough to say goodbye to her only daughter. They will either kill each other or be more best friends, Julie said. I think I ' m just a worrywart. I wonder if she is as independent as I want her to be. I worry about her paying her bills and everything. It ' s a live-and-learn situation. Every parent has to get used to the adjustment. Kids grow up. THE NOISE Twelve hours of classes, two to three hours of daily cheerleading practice and sorority ac- tivities filled their weeks. Every night from 6 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. the cheer- leaders practiced at Brandeberry Indoor Com- plex, working on stunts, chants and physical condi- tioning. Following most prac- tices, part of the team went to the Chester E. Peters Rec- reation Complex to work out more. Curth said appearances played a bigger role in college cheering than in high school. I didn ' t feel like I was in competition with my appearance, my weight, my everything, Curth said. I look at the other girls and want to be thinner. Practice and performances, along with worrying about gaining the freshman 15, made Curth unhappy with college cheerleading, she said. Cheerleading interferes with everything, Curth said. Like date parties. Semiformal, everybody got there at 6, and I didn ' t get there until 10 p.m. because I was cheering at a basketball game. The fun had been taken out because it involved too much time, Curth said. Cheering also took away from her studying, she said. She had hoped for a 3.5 grade point average her first semester but received a 3.0. THE REASON Aug. 22, the weekend before fall classes started, they walked campus together to find their classes. Class had been moved to King 209 so I go, 7:30 in the morning, Griggs said of her first day of class. I go to class. At about eight I realize I was in Chemistry 935. I just stayed there. Then, at lunch, I set my tray down, get my drinks, whatever, have all my food and cups on it, and it falls. Everybody looks at everything break. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 by steven dearinger Between classes. Griggs studies in Hale Library Nov.14 for a test. Griggs also spent two hours a week at the Pi Beta Phi house for mandatory study hours. (Photo by Steven DeatiVe0 their world 21

Page 24 text:

Lisa Griggs, freshman In kineslology. and Amanda Curth, freshman in elementary education. walk together to Bramlage Coliseum Nov. 29. The two were picking up basketball tickets for Griggs ' parents. ' We had football season tickets so we saw her at every home game. Julio, Griggs ' mom said. We see her off and on every two or three weeks. Outing basketball season we won ' t because we didn ' t get as many tickets, but she makes it home enough. ' (Photo by Steven Domineer) Before the Pant the Chant performance in Ahearn Field House Nov. 27. Lisa Griggs bites her fingernail. Tho squad put together the special routine for Homecoming week. Both Curth and Griggs stayed busy Homecoming week with several cheerleacing apperances and late- night practices. (Photo by Steven Domineer) 20 student life

Page 26 text:

from page 19 their world THE CHALLENGES Curth and Griggs went home to Overland Park, Kan., Sept. 24 for their high school ' s Homecoming. As part of a tradition, the previ- ous year ' s cheerleaders came back and cheered during the second half of the Homecoming football game. The experience for Griggs did not turn out how she hoped. When coming down from a stunt, her pinky finger got caught on the girl below her and bent backwards. She thought she had broken her finger, but never had an X ray to confirm it be- cause she wanted to continue her season. Sept. 29, Griggs ' cheerleading coach moved her to the varsity squad. Totally didn ' t expect it at all, Griggs said. 1 thought this other girl was going to get it. I was really excited. The first game I was nervous and didn ' t do very good because I wasn ' t con- fident in myself. THE END We have our times, Curth said. Right now she is busy so she isn ' t picking up her stuff. Griggs felt the same about Curth and nei- In the Shawnee County Court- house Curth waits to see the dis- trict attorney Sept. 16. Curth re- ceived a speeding ticket for driving 50 mph in a 35 mph constr uction zone. She traveled to Topeka to get a diversion. The DA reduced her ticket to a non-moving violation at a cost of 5120. (Photo by Steven Dealing.° ther one cleaned up when they were busy. I think she is a slob, Griggs said. Living together brought laughs to Griggs late at night, she said. The phone will ring at like one in the morning or something, Griggs said. She will jump out of bed and go down that thing (loft ladder) really, really fast and fall on her butt. Living together brought Griggs and Curth closer, but both said they liked in- dividual time. Being on dif- ferent squads and in differ- ent sororities allowed them to have separate lives and still be friends. We weregood friends, Criggssaid. Now we are best friends because you learn a lot about someone when you live with them. She has taught me things like being more outspoken and not to care what other people think about you. I love her. !don ' t have anything bad to say about her. We get along really good. We haven ' t fought at all. Curth said she learned from Griggs as well. She taught me to be nicer to people, Curth said. To be more respectful to people. She ' s a sweetheart. At Ekandebeny Indoor Complex Nov.24 Griggs practices a diamond head stunt. The team practiced five days a week. (Photo by Steven Dealing.° 22 student life