This past St. Patrick's Day sported a new black-and-yellow color scheme, at least at Deano's Grill & Tapworks in Wichita, where members and guests of Women United for the Shockers gathered for fun, food, drink and to fill out NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament brackets with expert guidance from the voice of the Shockers Mike Kennedy '71.
Women United is, explains Dana Fleming Mastio '78, a WU member and one of the hosts of the March 17 Bracket Chatter event, "a fun, fun group of Shocker women with a simple goal: to provide a lasting endowment that will help fund WSU Alumni Association operations. Women United members pledge $1,000 per year, for a minimum of five years. In return, members are invited to unique WU events – no stuffy meetings, we promise!"
Judging from the smiles, laughter and conversational noise level, the Bracket Chatter event easily fell into the "no stuffy meetings" category.
After considering Kennedy's insightful breakdown of the 2014 brackets, WU members completed and submitted their own brackets to await the outcome of the post-season tournament – and then the announcement of the WU Bracket Chatter challenge winner. Who among WU members would prove to be the best NCAA tournment prognosticator?
The winner was announced April 7 by Debbie Kennedy '94, a WU member and president and CEO of the alumni association. "Since we are Women United for the Shockers, and true to that love, no Women United member selected a team except for the Shockers to win the Final Four," Kennedy related. "Therefore, this has been a heart-breaking couple of weeks – not because our Shockers lost, but more because we are not through watching them play. They are our team, our family, and we are proud! I hope you all enjoyed entering the bracket challenge – and now, the winner is … Suzanne Luginbill!"
As a token of her Bracket Chatter win, Luginbill '76, who is among the newest members of Women United, will be awarded a trophy and was applauded by all. Nancy Blackman and Pam Hamrick '70 finished second and third, respectively.
Among the WU members and their guests who joined in the hoops bracket chatter fun were Jan and Jerry '63 Aaron, Rachel '01 and Paul '70 Allen, Paula and Dan Alefs, Susie '72/75 and Dave '68 Anderson, Mickey Armstrong '45, Trish Brasted '96, Doug Blackman, Kathy and Mike '77 Burrus, Vicki Cady, Cindy Carnahan '73, Gayla and Dan '53/04 Carney, Janie Carney, Jean Elliott '79/81 and Brock Elliott '82, Gloria Farha Flentje and Jack Focht, Bill Hamrick '69/74, Joy Heinrichs '00, Bonnie Bing '70/76 and Dick Honeyman '61, Anita Jones '53, Elizabeth King, Errol Luginbill '71, John Mastio, Shelly and Bill '74 Moore, Kathy and J.D. Munley, Alberta and Bernie '61 Nichols, Sherry '79 and Lynn Nichols, Nicki and Larry Soice, Lynn '64/92 and Don '59 Stephan, Kate and Dan '67 Taylor, Alissa '86 and Dan '86 Unruh, and Carol Wilson '00.
Women's United Membership Roster
Jan Aaron • Julie-Ellen Acosta • Paula Alefs • Rachel Allen • Pamela Clancy Ammar • Susie Anderson • Donna Ard • Mickey Armstrong • Patsy Barton • Sharon Bastian • Shirley Beggs • Joan Beren • Nancy Blackman • Trish Brasted • Martha Buford • Kathy Burrus • Vicki Cady • Cindy Carnahan • Gayla Carney • Janie Carney • Beverly Cash • Georgia Chandler • Marla Chandler • Becky Clark • Diane Cline • Karen Clothier • Dorothy Cohen • Missy Cohlmia • Kelley DeGraffenreid • Paula Downing • Mildred Edwards • Debbi Elkouri • Jean Elliott • Patti Elrick • Junetta Everett • DeeAnne Fahnestock • Brenda Farha • Gloria Farha Flentje • Katy Field • Kyle Futo • Carolyn Grier • Patty Grimsley • Renee Hahn • Pam Hamrick • Debbie Haynes • Esther Headley • Joy Heinrichs • Bonnie Bing Honeyman • Tracy Hoover • Linda Howell • Corey Johnson • Anita Jones • Debbie Kennedy • Elizabeth King • Katherine Kirk • Jacque Kouri • Karen Lentell • Kim Lett • Suzanne Luginbill • Gayle Malone • Barbara Mann • Rose Marcus • Lynn Marshall • Dana Fleming Mastio • Linda Matson • Dee Michaelis • Aimee Shank Moeller • Shelly Moore • Terri Moses • Kathleen Munley • Sharon Neff • Alberta Nichols • Sherry Nichols • Susan Onofrio • Margaret Opara • Kristin Price • Sharol Rasberry • Gloria Russell • Renae Ryan • Cindy Schwan • Kathy Sexton • Jan Shannon • Patricia Sherwood • Connie Simcox • Nicki Soice • Lynn Stephan • Pegi Stephenson • Lisa Sutherland • Kate Taylor • Rhonda Turner • Alissa Unruh • Paula Varner • Marilyn Waller • Sherl Weatherbee • Carol E. Wilson • Sheryl Wohlford
