Four months have passed since I’ve moved to LA, and, to my dismay, the only celebrity sighting I’ve had was of Vin Diesel on my way to dinner in Beverly Hills. You can imagine my disappointment, as the actor was (sigh) still bald, and didn’t so much as glance in my direction.
When I heard that the Playboy Mansion was less than two miles from the UCLA campus, I was ready to start the celeb hunt once again, and decided to run there on a sunny Saturday morning with a friend. Unfortunately, this outing turned out to be just as anticlimactic as Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl performance. There were no bunnies frolicking by the pool sipping exotic-looking beverages, no view of the mansion even worthy of an Instagram post, and no Hugh Heff to invite us in for a cold drink and chance to explore his not-so-humble abode. The only thing visible from the street is an iron fence, security cameras galore, and a sign that reads “Brake of Animals” (including but not limited to bunnies, apparently).
On the way back to school, all this talk about playboy bunnies got me thinking about the movie “House Bunny.” If you’re not familiar with the movie, it is a comedy starring Anna Faris, a playboy bunny who is kicked out of the mansion upon turning 27 (59 in bunny years). No longer able to live in the playboy mansion, she decides to move into a sorority house, where she becomes the new house mom. I wondered about the house mom at my own sorority, particularly, why on earth a woman who is now in her 60’s would want to live in a house on Hilgard Avenue along with 50 college-aged girls.
Carolyn Lombardo, one of the beloved house directors for UCLA Panhellenic, was kind enough to agree to an interview.
Lauren: What made you want to become a house director?
Carolyn: A good friend of mine became a house director at my alma mater (University of Florida), and told me how much she enjoyed it. I knew right then that I wanted to do it in LA, where I have been a caterer for over thirty years.
Lauren: Were you in a sorority at U of F?
Carolyn: No, but since I’ve taken this position, I wish I had joined one! I had no problem being social in college, however, especially at a school where the girl to boy ratio was 8:1.
Lauren: What are your favorite things about being a house director?
Carolyn: I have a daughter who was very social, and our house was always the meeting spot for her and all of her friends. I love living here because I can be social if I want to be, but if I want down time, I can go in my apartment (located on the main floor of the house) and get some quiet time. Also, the girls here have been so welcoming and respectful that I feel comfortable here. I know that I can leave the house for a few hours or for the whole day and nothing bad will happen in my absence. I also admire their work ethic. They like to have fun, but when it’s time to buckle down and study, they are all completely focused on school.
Lauren: What advice would you give to women who are new to your position?
Carolyn: It’s so important to constantly communicate with the girls and ask questions, especially with the chapter president. Without asking, you’ll have no idea what is going on in house. Also, focus on running the house, not the girls. The girls will run themselves, and your number one priority should be their safety inside the house. Make them feel safe in their home and safe to come to you with any problems. Have an open-door policy, even if that means being woken up in the middle of the night to help with a problem.
Lauren: Tell me a funny/weird story that has happened since you’ve been living in the sorority house?
Carolyn: One of the girls’ boyfriends is at the house so often, I told him he should just set up a cot in the kitchen and move in!
Lauren: Will you be back as house director next year?
Carolyn: Of course, if they’ll have me!
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