Beth Fisher Oral History Interview, February 19, 2022

Partial Transcript: We will start with some background information so do you want to tell me where you grew up, if you had siblings, pets, family, just give me an idea of your life before college.

Segment Synopsis: Beth grew up in Beaverton, Oregon after being adopted at age four. She grew up the youngest of five children along with three older brothers and an older sister. She graduated from Sunset High School and immediately enrolled at Oregon State University. Her house was like a farm and her family raised pigs, bunnies, and chickens and were neighbors with cows until they moved houses while she was in elementary school. She worked in a video store and a deli in high school and was able to return to these jobs during the summers of her college years. Beth's was active in the DECA club during high school but did not play any sports or participate in other extracurriculars.

Partial Transcript: What was your major in college?

Segment Synopsis: Beth majored in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing with a minor in Behavioral Sciences and was drawn to Oregon State due to its accessibility and the fact that one of her friends would be also be attending the university in the fall. Beth was the first in her family to go to college and was able to afford it through loans and scholarships. She was more independent than most due to the age gap between her and her siblings but found a support system through the other students who had graduated from her high school that also decided to enroll at Oregon State University. She discusses her time in Buxton Hall and touches on the differences between the dorms from her time and the ones now, especially highlighting Weatherford Hall and the creative liberty students were allowed in their rooms as well as the dining hall that no longer exists.

Partial Transcript: Did you join a sorority your first year?

Segment Synopsis: Beth went through the formal recruitment process but didn't end up finding her home in a sorority until afterwards when she went through an informal recruitment process for Kappa Delta sorority which was recolonizing on Oregon State Campus. A few other girls on her floor also joined Kappa Delta and they got to move into the sorority house their sophomore year.

Partial Transcript: This one is a little bit tougher because it takes a little bit of a thought process but in one word how would you describe each of your years at Oregon State?

Segment Synopsis: The word Beth chooses to describe her freshman year was "new" as everything was a new experience. Sophomore year she remembers working at a yogurt shop and discusses navigating work and school and a social life. She describes this struggle with the phrase "learning to juggle." Junior and Senior year get summed up with "networking" as the important parts of these years pertained too internships, working and building a support group.

Partial Transcript: What was a typical day like living in the house?

Segment Synopsis: Beth describes getting woken up from people with wakeup duty who would wake up from an alarm and were tasked with waking up the other members according to times listed on a board. She would then go to class, followed by the library or computer lab, then back to the house for lunch, class, dinner, and finally return to the library or go to work. She also explains phone duty and door duty for which jobs there were secret codes to indicate who was at the house.

Partial Transcript: So you have a unique experience as both of your daughters not only joined a sorority but joined the exact same sorority that you were a part of here. Um what has it been like watching them go through a similar journey and process to the one that you took part of during your part of here?

Segment Synopsis: Beth really tries to remove her experience from her daughters to allow them to experience college and greek life for themselves. She touches on how her oldest daughter, Ryley's, presence in Kappa Delta during the time her youngest daughter, Colby, was going through the recruitment process may have impacted Colby's decision but she thinks her history in the chapter didn't have much influence on their decisions. Ryley had a few other friends on her dorm floor also join Kappa Delta which Beth figures impacted her choice.

Partial Transcript: Just to get started on Mock Rock could you explain what a philanthropy is and then exactly what Mock Rock is?

Segment Synopsis: Beth explains the foundation of Mock Rock which was created during her time in Kappa Delta. Since its creation, Mock Rock has grown to be the biggest philanthropy on campus and Beth reflects on how they thought of Mock Rock as well as the differences between the performances seen today and those from the original event.