Vandy's 'Brenda & Thelma' 2 peas in a pod
By Roxye Arellano
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.30.02
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| Brenda Owens, in foreground, with Thelma Boyd. |
“Ernie and Bert.”
“Bonnie and Clyde.”
“Chip and Dale.”
“Laurel and Hardy.”
Each of these duos became famous because of their joint association.
On the Peabody Campus at Vanderbilt University, there is a duo famous for asking such questions as, “Who’s next?” or “What can I get for you?” Brenda Owens and Thelma Boyd work side by side at Varsity Hill Café, and they’re known as much for being cut-ups as they are for cutting up sandwiches, salads and other foods they serve to university patrons who frequent the café grille.
Thelma, 55, has been employed at Vanderbilt for more than 20 years. She started in 1965 and left for five years to run her own business, before returning in 1982.
Brenda has been in the Vanderbilt dining-hall business for more than 18 years.
“Oh my, my anniversary is coming,” Brenda said on a recent July afternoon, as she leaned her head back to glance in the direction where Thelma stood.
They have been working with each other during the summer months only for more than 10 years now.
“Ten years too long,” quips Thelma, looking for some laughter. “Brenda, did you hear that?”
“She better be glad that I’m helping her at all,” said Brenda. “I can’t get her to come over here (to the salad station) and do my work.”
“That’s because if a customer asks for some spices, they won’t be able to tell what kind I’m gonna give them,” said Thelma. “Besides, I fill your pans, and that’s the hardest part for you.”
The two chuckled as they brushed by each other.
On any given day, Brenda and Thelma can be found engaged in playful conversation as they go about their work-related tasks. One talks to the other, laughs, and then talks to a customer. It’s as if two sisters are interacting while jointly preparing a home-cooked meal.
“I like my job because it’s easy. The only thing is that it’s getting harder to find good help,” said Brenda, as she points to Thelma.
She adds in jest: “I like her; she works hard, but she’s a mean person, and I do have an attitude.”
“Oh yeah,” says Thelma, girlishly. “If she’s mad, I just keep talking to her, calling her 'Mrs. Owens.' 'Mrs. Owens this,' 'Mrs. Owens that’ until (she decides) to get over it.”
Brenda agrees, “Uh-huh, she just keeps calling me names."
Varsity Hills Café serves breakfast and lunch to about 200 students and staff members each weekday during the summer and to more than 1,000 daily during the school year. But Brenda and Thelma say the dining-hall business at Vanderbilt is just not what it used to be.
“Everything changes so much throughout the years. We used to be a full-size cafeteria without all this stuff,” Thelma said, as she points to the different racks of goodies displayed on the various aisles in the café.
“We used to just punch one button for a plate of food. Now, we have to look for the price of each item on the register.”
She laughs, before adding, "I’m too old for that, and my eyes are getting bad ... . This job wears you out. How old am I?”
“Eighty,” says Brenda.
The two chuckle even harder.
“We work good together,” said Thelma. “We’re a good pair.”
As a customer prepares to leave the cafeteria with a bacon and egg sandwich, Thelma offers one parting shot: “Did she tell you she eats a lot?” she says, looking for Brenda’s reaction.
Her response: one big belly laugh for the road.
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Articles, photos by 2002 Diversity Institute Fellows
Collection page for articles written by 2002 Diversity Institute Fellows.
07.23.02
