The walls of Debbie Dyson's room are filled with decorations and pictures. A large L-shaped couch spreads across two of the walls, with light blue and yellow pillows and blankets scattered on top. Light blue curtains hang on the windows; a bookshelf and desk are also decorated with lights, stickers, and pictures.
She said it reminds her of her college days.
The Alpha Epsilon Phi House Director said when she began her job in the house last year, the TV, bed, dressers, bookshelf and desk were already there - but the side tables, chairs, decorations, and pictures were not.
"It was nice to be able to bring some down and make it homey too," Dyson said of her picture collection. "I like being surrounded by pictures."
She lives in the house starting a few days before the house officially opens and stays until a few days after it closes. Dyson has a condo in Indianapolis, and she'll travel there every once in a while for book clubs, as long as she's back at the house by the end of the night.
"It's not like I have to be here all the time," she said.
She has two days off each month. She said she'll often spend that time traveling.
Before becoming a sorority house director, Dyson spent 30 years teaching second grade in Pike Township in Indianapolis.
"In the back of my mind, I always thought that would be a fun thing to do," she said of her decision to become a house director. "I really relate well to kids these age."
Dyson attended IU and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Before taking the position, she did some research about it, read books and met the president of Student Life and Learning.
"It's pretty much just what I expected," Dyson said.
Her job includes overseeing the physical house, including the kitchen, housekeeping, landscaping, and maintenance.
"It's like you're running a small hotel," she said.
She also takes on the role of event planner. She'll plan dinners for holidays like Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and she'll organize s'mores nights at the fire pit outside. She'll even leave treat bags for the women on occasions such as finals week.
When members are sick, she'll help them to feel better and keep the parents updated, as many women in AEPhi are from out of state. Dyson also provides support when needed; she said one of the most rewarding parts of the job is building relationships with the women.
"They know they can talk to me," she said. "That part I enjoy."
The most challenging part of being a house director, she said, is always worrying about the members.
"You feel responsible, even when they're not in your sight," she said. "You have to step away from that."
Dyson doesn't live alone - her 15-year-old pug, Lola, lives with her. Sometimes AEPhi members will ask to babysit and snuggle with her when they're sick. When the weather is nice, Dyson said she'll take Lola for walks down North Jordan Ave. and the extension, and over by Assembly Hall.
Dyson said she enjoys how being a house director brings her opportunities to do things in Bloomington that she didn't take advantage of as a student.
"There's so much available to do in Bloomington," she said.
Sometimes she'll get together with the other house directors to attend events or have breakfast in addition to their monthly meetings. Dyson said she's still learning about the job.
"The more I'm here, the more I learn about what we should do," she said. "There really isn't a manual."
Dyson said that, during her two years with AEPhi, she's grown especially close with the current senior class. She looks forward to seeing them around more during formal sorority recruitment in January, as they no longer live in the house.
"I miss them all a lot," she said.
Maddie Goone, a junior in AEPhi, said Dyson has the presence of a mother and teacher figure. She'll buy snacks she knows everyone likes and put them in the refrigerator, and she'll leave candy and notes outside room for encouragement or special occasions like Halloween.
"She goes above and beyond to make everything really homey," Goone said. "Whenever she's home, her door is open."
