Last week HottyToddy.com published “Posh Ole Miss Dorms,” asking readers their thoughts on whether the dorm designers were the incoming freshmen or, rather, their parents.
After a hectic move-in day, one reader speaks out.
“I can tell you that in one case, it was mom-driven. The mom wanted her daughter’s room in every blog possible to highlight and bring attention to the room. Why? She also didn’t communicate with her daughter’s roommate and mother about the decor and plan for the room. The mom took down the panel over her daughter’s roommate’s closet and replaced it with one that matched her daughter’s. She then cut the girl’s panel, hemmed it and hung it under the sink to cover the plumbing. The mom replaced the girl’s towels in the bathroom to match her daughter’s, then put the roommate’s towels on the floor. All of this, without permission. The mom moved her daughter’s desk in front of the window, blocking it. This is used as a fire exit. She also put up black out curtains for the blinds to basically never be opened to let natural light in. The mom brought in all that without running it past the roommate of her daughter. The roommate is in [an Ole Miss organization and had obligations until 11 p.m.] and came back to her dorm room to this.
“Very disappointing and sad to say the least. Does it look nice? Yes. Is it over-the-top and something the roommate should’ve been involved in the decision making process? Yes. The mom did all of this to her daughter’s room so she could ‘Keep up with the Jones’ with no regard for her daughter’s roommate. The roommate was forced to move out and find another room because, needless to say, a disagreement occurred. Even though the girl found the room, she had to move out because it was too much. It caused a major fight between the moms to the point where the mom that decorated the room told the other mom her daughter could go live in Stewart and sent her a screenshot of the application instructions.
“I appreciate what people do to these girls’ rooms to make it look less of a cinder block environment. Especially, when all are on board. But when you railroad your roommate to the point the roommate has to move out two days before classes start, that is a selfish, self-centered thing to do. The girl was crying and upset, and her mom had to drive eight hours to help her daughter move out. The decorating mom has literally posted pictures of the room in every blog and publication she an find. It’s tacky at best.
“I am not a mom in this situation. I am, however, a good friend of the sweet girl that had to move. I am also a 1988 graduate of Ole Miss. The girl’s parents didn’t go to Ole Miss and apparently didn’t get the memo that we don’t treat each other that way. I have told several of my friends who are at Ole Miss what happened, and they are horrified. I know this is not the norm. But things like this, apparently, so happen when the moms get involved with a competitive spirit as their drive, versus making a comfortable and amicable environment for their girls.”
Share your thoughts with us. Has decorating Ole Miss dorms become over-the-top or does it remain fabulous?
Randall Haley is the managing editor for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at randall.haley@hottytoddy.com.
