Eileen Allen is the house mother of the Delta Zeta sorority. She tells us about her duties.

The Daily Iowan: How long have you been a house mother?

Eileen Allen: This is my second year.

DI: How did you get involved in being a house mother?

Allen: My friends, card players, talked me into taking early retirement from my other job.

DI: Why did you want to be involved?

Allen: Because after hearing the other ladies talk about their job, it sounded like a perfect job for me.

DI: What are your specific duties as house mother?

Allen: To oversee the mechanics of running a house and to oversee employees, such as the cook and cleaning people.

DI: Have things happened that you never expected you would have to deal with?

Allen: Yes, I never expected to have to chase bats around the house. That was my first fiasco.

DI: Do you have any crazy stories to tell?

Allen: Besides the bats? Last year, we had snow sculptures around the house, and we found someone had made inappropriate images in our backyard.

One night, we had a wrestling fiasco where everybody upstairs was doing Indian leg wrestling — it was unexpected. Everybody was lying on boxes in the car after buying two 9-feet Christmas trees at Hobby Lobby — it was an interesting ride home.

DI: What’s your favorite part of being a house mother?

Allen: My favorite part is the interaction with the women. We have a good house, we really do. I would take this house any day.

DI: What’s your least favorite thing about being a house mother?

Allen: My least favorite is having to enforce rules I don’t believe in.

DI: Is it hard seeing women leave through the years?

Allen: I’ve only seen a few leave so far, but I’m sure it’s going to be very hard.

DI: Where do you live when you’re not at the house — as in the summer?

Allen: I live here through the whole year. In the summer, I travel and visit my kids.

DI: What were your thoughts on sororities before being a house mother?

Allen: I thought sorority girls were spoiled rich girls.

DI: Have your thoughts changed?

Allen: Yes, they are part of a family. My thoughts changed big time.

— by Jess Carbino