<p>I think we know the difference between making overt political statements and describing our own feelings about our lives. There is much to discuss about how it feels to be a family, have kids in college, or younger, or older, taking care of our parents, our extended family, about our own experiences with illness, housing, employment, community, and many other issues, both positive and negative.</p>
<p>I do feel that making judgmental comments about other people, especially in a blanket way, is not appropriate here. I also know that on many threads on CC, except where they are dedicated to political issues, political and other personal remarks tend to lead to harsh interchanges that often eventually cause the thread to be closed.</p>
<p>We do not know each other’s personal situations, and I think it is easy on some of these subjects to make offensive comments inadvertently. I think it is different to express one’s own opinion versus stating “facts” that actually might be not considered true by many others. </p>
<p>This is a thread for people who are parents of college students to enjoy chatting with and providing support to other parents as we navigate this period in our lives. Remarks about how a specific event or experience at one’s child’s school, how it affected one’s family or friends personally - and this includes political events - are a part of talking about life. But that is not what I am asking us to refrain from. Whether I am involved in actual political discussions in other areas of my life or not, I am saying that I would prefer not to do it here.</p>
<p>My D’s main response to Occupy New Haven is that she wishes they didn’t do drum circles at midnight, since their tent encampment is immediately under her window. I don’t know what her problem is since her a Capella group practices from 10pm to midnight at least one night a week (there is so much competition for practice space that that’s the only time they can get!) and life in the common room seems to run 24/7. Did our body clocks get turned upside down this way in college? I guess life in small town Ohio is different from even a small city.
Also, D (who rejected most obviously ‘bubble schools’ from her list) now seems to feel that anything more than 2 or 3 blocks from her dorm is too far. Anyone else experiencing this? She asked us to bring some basic groceries to Parents Weekend because the grocery store is too far away. There’s a new one opening soon about 3 blocks from campus, but seeing as she never got to the farmers market that was all of a block and a half walk, I’m not too hopeful. Oh, well, there’s nothing wrong with tea or coffee without milk. Just not her usual taste.</p>
<p>My son is at a bubble school, so I don’t know about the venturing off campus much. Although he did manage to get himself home for fall break–even found out how to take the bus to the train terminal! :)</p>
<p>To relate the Occupy to college–DS and his friend are meeting up in NYC next weekend. Friend is a cadet at West Point (WP is playing Rutgers in NYC). I told DS he needed to book a place to stay. I then mentioned he could just take a tent and set up with the Occupy folks. He thought that was pretty funny. How do you think two conservative college students who are both in the military would fit in? </p>
<p>On a totally separate note, I just watched the Tivo’ed episode of the Anderson Cooper show that featured Bertie McConnell the 90 year old woman whose dream was to become a Zeta Tau Alpha sorority girl- OlderWiseMom what a darling woman! She looked so happy to finally have this dream come true, a truly heartwarming story amidst all the craziness in the world out there. Those girls in the sorority looked darling as well (and how nice for the house to get a new flat screen TV from Anderson, very cool :). The regional director Paige was also darling, do you work with her?</p>
<p>I have to say I’m a little perplexed about the Anderson show (other than the Zeta piece of course!). So glad I could fast forward through the 30 minutes of one woman with two boyfriends segment, sheesh!</p>
<p>HH, lol about your D not venturing off campus too far. When we were looking at schools and were at Clark, I asked the guide if the kids ever went into Boston and her answer was never. I wasn’t really surprised, as most student life is on campus, regardless if they are in a big city, near a big city or in the middle of a corn field in Iowa. </p>
<p>When your D is 21 or gets a fake ID she will probably walk the few blocks to Toads, though. ;)</p>
<p>@eb: she doesn’t have to walk to Toads, the college has parties w/alcohol provided, and there have already been lots of opportunities. Happily, D has high standards in drink (asked us to bring her a bottle of her favorite gin and some limes to Parents’Weekend, as she won’t drink ‘just anything’. There were some pictures of her in a bar a couple of days ago, but it looked like an a Capella performance, so I think she is fine. I’ll have to go back to see whether it was Toad’s! She said the rowers had fake IDs back at orientation, and everyone else has been getting them since. Call me a bad mom, but I would rather she knows how to drink socially in moderation, since it it so much a part of college life, than to avoid it altogether and miss lots of social reality. Thank goodness she hates beer.</p>
<p>yalemom: How nice to log into CC after three days of traveling and work and see you nice comments about the ZTA story on Anderson. Paige is actually a senior and the president of the chapter. She was delightful to work with. Bertie is beautiful and very “with it.” A little hard of hearing, but sharp as a tack. Her expressions when she went inside the sorority house for the first time in 70 years were priceless. I’m honored to be writing the feature on this great experience for our membership magazine–and to be able to witness Bertie’s initiation on December 4.</p>
<p>It’s so funny that we were set up to do that taping last Thursday at 11:30 a.m., didn’t start to shoot it until 2:45 and it lasted about 4 minutes! </p>
<p>I’m not quite sure what Anderson is trying to do with this new show. I cringed a little when I learned the story was going to be in the same hour with suburban polygamists. I had to chuckle at the thought of Bertie in her senior citizens home, watching that segment while waiting to see her segment.</p>
<p>Hope to catch up with everyone’s posts tomorrow. Right now, a cup of hot chocolate, my jammies and my favorite chair are calling me. So glad I don’t have to be dresesed up and wearing fancy shoes tomorrow!</p>
<p>After a cursory appraisal of Anderson’s show (from the 20 odd minutes I spent watching it), I think he’s going for the recently vacated Oprah audience. But I don’t know if he has the “EVERYBODY GETS A NEW CAR!!!YOU GET A CAR AND YOU GET A CAR!!! EVERYBODY GETS A NEW CAR!!!” kind of energy that she had. I think he is still struggling to connect with his largely female audience.</p>
<p>Thanks, kathiep. That clip leaves out the part where Anderson gives Bertie a David Yurman turquoise bracelet and chapter a 50-inch plasma TV. And the great cheer that we practiced so many times! Not sure why, but oh well. </p>
<p>I had such a fun time with those young ladies last week. They were so excited and welcoming to me and the crew.The house mother and cook made homemade chili and hot chocolate for the producer, camera and sound crew–and gave them fresh-baked cookies for the road. </p>
<p>One of those days when I really loved my job!</p>
<p>Well, ShawD and the girl she wants to switch rooms with bumped up against some bureaucratic folks. “No, you can’t change rooms informally and if you want to change rooms, you have to apply and we might move one of you and not the other. I wouldn’t recommend it.” So, they bumped it up and the next person was bureaucratic also. But, they went to another set of folks who thought the first two were being unreasonable and inflexible. They seemed much more cooperative and she thinks they’ll be able to make the switch. Glad to hear that she is being proactive and persistent about solving her problem. </p>
<p>Bravo to ShawD. Sometimes the first few levels are automatic NOs to separate the casual whiners from those who really thought out the issue. We are super proud of her persistence. It is more important than an A on a test. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>In my book group we started out talking about the various Occupy protests, and I shared that my D said if she were ever to go (unlikely I think for the “princess” who likes hot water and electricity) she would be good at cooking for large groups and would fit in there. Discussion then morphed into what would each of us do if society changed and we had to abandon our “regular” jobs and contribute to a communal living situation. It was interesting to me to see where D and my friends perceived they would fit in.</p>
since her a Capella group practices from 10pm to midnight at least one night a week (there is so much competition for practice space that that’s the only time they can get!) and life in the common room seems to run 24/7. Did our body clocks get turned upside down this way in college? I guess life in small town Ohio is different from even a small city.
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