After three years on this campus, I have lived in many places. From dorm rooms to apartments to a sorority house, I’ve experienced it all and I have to say, there is no better place to live on campus than the Delta Gamma house, better known as the Deeg.

Living away from home isn’t easy. There are so many things that you miss — the comfort, the food and most of all, the love (or is it most of all the food, I’m still not sure — but I digress). After living in the Deeg, however, I feel like I have finally found a place that I can call a home away from home. And this is all because of one woman — Teresa Mendez.

Teresa Mendez, affectionately called “T” by a better portion of the Greek system, has been the house director of Delta Gamma for 25 years. She not only runs the house, but makes the Deeg our home, ensuring that it is always filled with comfort, food and love.

For every meal, the first girls there get to sit at “T’s table” and eat with her. On Monday, T saved me a seat at her table and while I stuffed my face with mini-corndogs, I was able to ask her a few questions about her 25 years at Delta Gamma.

Samantha Wagner: How did you become the Delta Gamma house director?

Teresa Mendez:“It just happened. They found me. My husband died that May and after that I had been traveling and I came back home … (Delta Gamma) told someone from my church that they were looking for a house director. They asked her if she knew anybody and she said, ‘I know someone who would be great.’ (Delta Gamma) called me and said they were looking for a house director and asked me to come to the house. I became the house director that winter … It was something that came to me from heaven. But it wasn’t easy; everyone was set in their ways and it took some time to get everything up and running and to find the right staff.”

SW: When did you become a member of Delta Gamma?

TM: “I became the house director in December of 1986 and then in ’99 I got a letter inviting me to become a Delta Gamma. I went through the whole thing — I had a member educator, I took the exam, I was initiated. Class of ’99, that’s me!”

SW: What does your daily schedule look like?

TM: “Every morning I get up at 5:30, I clean the kitchen and set out breakfast. Then, I sit down and make menus … I make lists of all the food that needs to be ordered that week and then I call the distributor and order food. After I’m done with that, it’s time to get lunch going. I check the kitchen and make sure the waiters showed up and make sure everything is going well. Then, I have lunch with my girls. At 1 p.m. I take a nap and at 3 p.m. I come down and start dinner … Once dinner is finished I go upstairs and relax until 9 or 10, when I come down and check on everything. But I never know exactly what I’m doing from one day to the next. If there’s no cook, I cook. If there’s no dishwasher, I wash the dishes. I also meet with the VP’s to talk and plan upcoming things.”

SW: What is your favorite part of being the DG house director?

TM: “The friendships that you build. You become such good friends with the young ladies and their families. You get to know them so well and you stay close with them. You go to weddings, christenings — you stay in touch for a long time.”

SW: What is the most challenging part of being the DG house director?

TM: “Not being too judgmental and trying to understand. A lot has changed since I was young and I always try to understand that. Sometimes I don’t get why they do something, but I try to be understanding.”

SW: Why have you continued as the house director for 25 years?

TM: “Either I’m a little crazy or I like it very much. I like it very, very much. It’s a challenge but I learn something from (the girls) every day. They really are amazing. I think they like to have fun, but they also work very hard to be successful. I really admire what they’re doing. I respect them, I respect this house and they respect me. It’s not easy all the time, but it gives me something wonderful to get up for. It keeps me going. It keeps me young.”

Samantha is a senior in Media.