Meeting at the office for Student Activities Tam Dunn goes on her lunch break with a student in need of an interview for a profile story. Dunn is the Associate Director of Student Activities for Greek Life and has been in this position for about 15 years.
"In 1996 I was the Coordinator of Greek Activities, since then the title has changed a few times but the job has stayed the same," Tam Dunn said.
Over a lunch of cheeseburgers and fries Dunn discussed her role at Baylor and how it has changed throughout her career. Early in the developement of Greek life at Baylor there were only positions for a coordinator and graduate assistant. Student Activities has since then expanded this department so that there are positions for an associate director, coordinators, and graduate assistants.
"My coordinators, Brandi Barber and Astrid Beltran, along with their graduate assistant Laura Whitmire work with the IFC [Interfraternity Council] and NPHC [National Panhellenic Council] and MGC [Multicultural Panhellenic Council] respectively, and graduate assistant, Ashley Peeples, works alongside me with the PHC [Panhellenic Council]. These women split the work that I once did on my own and are able to get closer to these groups than I ever could," Dunn said.
With thousands of students involved in Greek activities there are many responsibilities that Dunn and her team are held accountable for. Within each division of Greek life there are boards led by members of each sorority and fraternity to oversee the chapters and build relationships within the council.
"I was voted to be on Baylor Panhellenic Council by my sorority and in that position was able to meet with girls from other chapters every week," Delta Delta Delta member Becka Bovio said.
Dunn is looked up to as the figure-head of Greek interaction and spurs groups to encourage one another while maintaining their own identities. Baylor Panhellenic Council encourages chapters to work together throughout the year and to go to one another's events.
"One of our most stressful times is during Homecoming because each group has their own events and wants potential new members to see that we can still work together as a Greek community," Bovio said.
Recruitment is a large part of Greek life and during that time Dunn receives many emails and phone calls from concerned parties. Recalling an ongoing conversation, Dunn laughed about a mother who had been filling out her daughter's online recruitment regisitration and emailed Dunn with an issue. Dunn chose to email the daughter her response and inquired why the daughter was having her mother do the work of registering for her. In the latest, the mother is frustrated that Dunn has emailed her daughter and Dunn is tickled that the mother does not understand her point.
"There is never a time of recruitment that is uncomplicated. With 700 girls registered to go through Fall Parties right now, the chapters and PNMs [potential new members] will be forming bonds and making decisions about one another that will decide their future," Dunn said.
The schedule of the Greek community never slows down. Dunn is constantly working with groups and individuals to improve the livlihood of the chapters at Baylor.
"Tam encourages us all to lay aside any differences and recognize the greater Greek bond that brings us together. By giving a paradigm of service to the Panhellenic ideal, Tam shows us how important commitment to Greek unity is," Baylor Panhellenic Council member Kelsey Jones said.
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