Baker University’s parMentor organization has a fresh roster and an updated list of responsibilities for the spring semester, as the new position of banquet server takes on parMentors’ former duties.

Nancy Richard, volunteer chair and head of the parMentor organization, said the group’s new duty is to be official student hosts of the university.

“When we have special guests on campus, they will mingle, visit with guests and be present at those events as student representatives,” Richard said.

Until a recent program overhaul, the parMentor job description was to serve at university functions. Beginning this spring, however, serving food at events will be a separate student job.

A group of 25 Baker students, freshmen through seniors, have become the first to take on the job of banquet servers. They will be responsible for serving food at university functions, which will take that task off the parMentors’ shoulders.

Though parMentors will continue as a volunteer organization, banquet servers will be paid. Richard said parMentors remains an excellent opportunity regardless of pay.

“What they get out of it is the training which helps to prepare them for entering professional life,” she said. “They get professional etiquette training and networking opportunities.”

Tanya Sieber, catering coordinator, said the job of banquet servers began out of necessity when the parMentors decided to focus more on being a host organization for Baker.

“My position still requires me to have people to serve these events,” Sieber said. “We decided to put together a staff of banquet servers, which is made up entirely of Baker students.”

Sieber said she did not originally make it a goal to have only Baker students on the staff, but the overwhelming response from students made it possible.

Senior Kaitlyn Hills is the head banquet server, a position she had to apply for separately.

“I put in about eight hours a month scheduling, e-mailing and coordinating all of the individuals,” she said. “I get paid a little bit more, though.”

Hills said all of the banquet servers receive more than the $5.15 minimum wage paid by many other campus jobs.

Richard said she is thankful the parMentors are willing to work as volunteers.

“We have these students (who) are willing to serve as hosts and represent our students to visitors,” she said. “They can really help people who are visiting or who are interested in Baker.”

Many activities are planned for the parMentors in upcoming months.

“We will help them with obtaining further knowledge in many areas,” Richard said. “We’re going to work on tipping, how to choose your first professional wardrobe, sign language and many other things.”

A future parMentors activity may have some going green. The group is planning an outing to the Baldwin City golf course.

“A lot of business takes place on the golf course.”