Well if Ashly weren’t already the odd man out of the trio, she certainly is now. I feel bad for her. Aside from the roommates, probably the RAs and other dormmates will have preconceived notions of her that will be hard to overcome.
I’d have preconceived notions about all 3 of them!
“is interesting that the women in the photo are in white graduation gowns, and the men in pale blue gowns. Around here, that would say one thing–private high school. It could be different in California, though.”
One color for girls and one color for guys would be very common around here in public schools (or any school, really). I still don’t get what you’re trying to imply, QM. What difference does it make whether any of them went to private or public school? It’s as irrelevant as anyone’s ethnicity.
Why can’t people just be jerks (which Ashly appears to be) and perhaps thoughtless in their social media posting (which the other two girls may have been) without having to tie it to a) race/ethnicity, b) public school/private school, c) whether the two girls knew each other beforehand (which it appears they didn’t)? Talk about stereotyping. Sheesh.
Ethnicity aside, I think it’s possible that Ashly might not have grown up with the same privileges as the other two. She may be using email to communicate because the only internet she has access to is a computer at school or the public library. She may not have a cell phone or tablet, without which she would be at a huge disadvantage trying to keep up with social media and the way her roommates communicate. We don’t know what the first exchanges were like, but she might have felt that she had to come on strong and tough to get her basic needs met, which sometimes is a part of growing up in a more challenging neighborhood, no matter what the ethnicity.
IMO, going public was brilliant. It puts UCLA on notice. For those up thread that say, ‘just ask for a different room’, I can assure you, it ain’t happening. UCLA has only Frosh triples for a reason – shortage of beds while they work on a multi-year plan to rebuild/refresh current dorms. (One is always down for rehab.)
One of biggest downsides to UC is it’s bureaucracy, and none bigger than housing. By going public, the girls at least have a chance at a different room.
QM, your speculation based on the gowns that the two girls are private school grads would mean what, exactly? I feel like you want to suggest that private school grads would be necessarily clique-y, or demanding, or rude, or whatever, but you didn’t want to spell it out. So I’m asking - if you found out they were private high school grads, what would you conclude about them? Finish your thought.
They probably emailed because that is what the college provided to them - roommates email contacts. I don’t think you can read more into the situation from that.
QM: our public California HS had different color cap & gowns for guys and gals. And that infers…?
I’m enormously relieved that my daughters have not had to deal with roommates like these. None of them sound like prizes and while Ashly sounds scary-entitled from that single email, the other two sound like mean girls.
"Ethnicity aside, I think it’s possible that Ashly might not have grown up with the same privileges as the other two. She may be using email to communicate because the only internet she has access to is a computer at school or the public library. "
This is utter and complete speculation. There is nothing to suggest this. She’s likely using email because that’s what you use to contact people when all you know is their email addresses!
"She may not have a cell phone or tablet, without which she would be at a huge disadvantage trying to keep up with social media and the way her roommates communicate. "
I thought her complaint was that they didn’t respond quickly enough to HER. Not the other way around.
Anyway, whether she grew up in the 'hood or in a palatial mansion is really no excuse for anything. If anything, one would speculate she was spoiled / indulged / privileged, not underprivileged.
This whole episode seems too calculated - almost manufactured for maximum drama. No one appears in the most flattering of light. I’d like to know how this whole thing started and how it managed to go so badly awry so quickly that it needed to be escalated to the public shamefest it currently is. At first I felt sorry for the two “nice roommates” - now I’m feeling Ashly is more of the victim.
Didn’t Ashly get upset that they hadn’t replied to her email after a day or two? Hardly sounds like someone who has to go to a library to get online.
“No one appears in the most flattering of light.”
Probably more common than not in the real world given human nature.
this sounds like a reality show. it’s definitely not reflecting well on UCLA, which i used to think of as a university rather than a social media career launchpad…i’m horrified to think one of them might become a youtuber that my kid is following. at least there is silver lining here for the young women who thought they wanted to go to UCLA but didn’t get in…if this is what they are missing…
Oh please. It’s 3 girls out of all of UCLA, there’s no need to overreact. Is overreaction the theme of the month or something?
I would have to ask for a new roommate. It’s hard enough to be a freshman entering college but having to live with someone who is demanding and rude would make it harder. I had a difficult roommate my first year and after one semester I ran.
Re the “private school” crack – a quick Google shows that Guistinna went to a public high school in the El Monte High School District, which is in a working class area, has a student population of 80% Hispanic / 20% Asian, and where close to 90% of kids qualify for free or reduced lunch. While El Monte is working class, it does abut an affluent area, so who knows what her personal circumstances are, but really there is no basis for assuming she’s a privileged kid.
(And honestly I wouldn’t be criticizing her grammar either).
Honestly, someone should talk to young people about their grammar. It can have limiting effects on one’s career and opportunities.
That’s a different Arroyo High School. Lots of arroyos in California. The one she went to is in El Monte, near LA