Houseboys get to live every guy’s dream: they get to be flies on the walls of sorority houses. They spend most of their time in the kitchen or dining room, where groups of girls come to gossip and recant last weekend’s rompings, so they’re bound hear some good things.
This week, the houseboys of Zeta Tau Alpha are dishing out their kitchen tales. Now, I may be a little biased, but I think we have a group of fine looking gentlemen for houseboys, and I was very excited to talk with some of them about their experiences.
Eli Shepard, fire protection society junior, is in his fourth semester as a houseboy at ZTA. He said that he took over his position from a previous houseboy that he knew, making me think that to be a houseboy, you’ve got to know a houseboy.
“The best part is the food,” Shepard said. “It’s not the best food, but I need it. Some of the girls I’ve met are pretty cool and it’s nice to know them.”
Shepard said that the worst part of being a houseboy is working formal dinner. I can understand that. I wouldn’t want to act as a waiter to a bunch of hungry sorority girls who are already grumpy about having to look nice for food.
“The most annoying thing is probably when girls don’t put their forks in the tub and then try to stack dishes on top of them,” Shepard said. (Oops, sorry boys. I’ve been guilty of that a time or two.)
Boys don’t have to be Greek to be houseboys, despite what some may think. Houseboys can come from other organizations or have no affiliations at all. What makes Zeta houseboys unique is that most of them aren’t in fraternities.
“One of the neat things about us is we have several fire protection guys and ROTC guys,” Shepard said.
So basically, the Zeta kitchen is a safe place to be with these boys around.
Shepard also said he would encourage other guys to be houseboys.
“The pay is minimal, but three meals a day is nice,” Shepard said. “And if the girls like you, you’ll get invited to social events, like date parties.”
When asked how the Zeta girls really are, Shepard said they are down to earth, but act a little differently in the house than when in public.
“They are more crude and humorous, and there’s no more being shy when they’re around their friends in the house,” Shepard said.
Shepard said that Zetas are easy to talk with, and that he wouldn’t say they’re stuck up.
“They’re polite, and eager for food,” he said. "Always say hi to your houseboys."
Follow the Houseboys of ZTA on Twitter through the link listed!
That’s two of 12 groups of houseboys down. Stay tuned for more next week.
