OPINION: Mom’s Weekend focused on bouquets and booze instead of bonding

Photo via Gage Skidmore/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons

Alyssa Gray, a Sophomore studying Journalism, argues that Ohio University has failed the majority of its student body as Mom’s Weekend has lost its focus on community and memories.

Mom’s Weekend is supposed to be special – a chance to slow down, reconnect, and share a slice of your college life with one of the most important people in your overall life. But for me and my mom, who’s not only my friend but also a proud alumna, the university’s version of “special” feels more like a Pinterest board of outdated clichés. 

Mom’s Weekend is marketed like a heartfelt Hallmark reunion, but, in reality, it feels more like a poorly planned bachelorette party for moms who visit once a year and want to relive their college years getting blacked out, not a real experience. My mom went to college here at Ohio U. She’s been to Bentley Hall. She doesn’t need a visit with a reality TV star or a bouquet workshop to feel connected to this place, and neither do I.

Our itinerary consists of going to our favorite restaurant, Casa Nueva, for brunch on Friday, then the Dairy Barn for their craft show and then heading back home to Columbus for the night to see my dog. Then, Saturday morning, my mom will accompany me to work as I give a tour to prospective students. After that, we will go to dinner and drink Donkey Coffee and share a chocolate chip muffin. 

We tried to do more university-related activities, but there simply wasn’t much offered. 

Coming from someone who has a mom who once went here, we don’t want to do the activities that people do on their own, like show their mom campus, where they take their classes and their dorm. Been there, done that, and my mom doesn’t need to be shown Bentley Hall again after having classes there 30 years ago. 

We both know the campus by heart. After all, before I was a student, we visited the campus every couple of months since I was 6 months old. We’ve visited everywhere and done everything. There are few places left to show my mom that she hasn’t seen unless she wants to see where I saw a guy get cuffed outside of Red Brick or where I spent the last few weekends surviving Fest Season (which, let’s be honest, as an alumna, she probably already knows about).

We continued to check the university-sponsored event page for any exciting activities to do together, and the page was lacking, to say the least. Friday, there are only three options: Dairy Barn Fest, Mamma Mia at the Athena and the World Music and Dance Concert.  What if my mom and I don’t like Mamma Mia or don’t want to go to a concert? Saturday has a few more options, but none that interest us. Saturday offers hikes, bouquet making, classes at Ping and, finally, Abby Lee Miller. They only cater to one group on campus. Girls whose moms visit once or twice a year and want to do cutesy, Instagrammable stuff with them. That’s not me and my mom. Not to say that’s wrong, I understand some people may like that stuff, but it's a small subset of the student population.

Let me address probably the worst part: Abby Lee Miller. I understand the interest, especially for people who avidly watched Dance Moms when they were younger. Nonetheless, we already had people from Dance Moms last year! We couldn’t have had someone different? Not to mention, it shows how downhill we have fallen in terms of sophistication. In 2000, the university invited Maya Angelou as its headlining guest for Mom’s Weekend. Maya Angelou! Instead of inviting a world-renowned poet and civil rights activist now, the university just invites reality TV stars. What happened to our standards? 

In addition to that, half of the events require pre-registration with a limited number of 

spots. Even if my mom and I wanted to do these things, we’d have to commit to doing these events way in advance before the spots filled up. 

What if you’re a guy? What are you going to do with your mom? Are you really going to Alden Library to make a bouquet of flowers? 

There are no events later in the evening. In the past, the university has hosted stargazing and a hike at The Ridges and ice skating. What happened to that? 

After 7 p.m., options for students not interested in Court Street shuffling with their mom are pretty much non-existent. What about the students whose mom doesn’t want to get blackout drunk with them? What is left for them to do? Often when walking down Court Street mid-day Saturday of Mom’s Weekend, you can see the bars filled and lines starting to form. For a university that is constantly trying to squash allegations of being a big drinking and party school, they are not doing a good job this weekend. 

I’m embarrassed walking down Court St. and seeing everyone’s moms stumbling around while students guide their drunk moms back to bed. That’s your mom! And this is even coming from someone who considers her mom not just as a mom, but as a friend. Do you feel no shame when you're holding your mom’s hair back while she throws up on the side of the Board of Elections? I genuinely pity anyone whose only way to bond with their mom involves slurred words and bottom-shelf vodka. If the only way you can connect with your mom is by getting blackout drunk together, I’m not judging, I’m just deeply, profoundly concerned.

When I turn 21, I’m sure my mom and I may share a few drinks. She’s already promised to buy me a margarita at Casa Nueva, and I’m looking forward to that. But there’s a big difference between enjoying a cocktail over dinner and dragging your mom out of The Crystal at 2 a.m. because she couldn’t hang. There’s a line between bonding and babysitting, and way too many people seem to blur it during Mom’s Weekend.

Mom’s Weekend should be about meaningful connections and creating memories that last beyond the weekend and don’t revolve around cliché, Instagrammable moments. But instead, it feels like the university caters only to a narrow subset of students and their moms who are looking for the easiest, most commercialized way to bond. For those of us looking for something more, something that goes beyond the surface, there’s not much left to do. I’m not saying people shouldn’t enjoy the lighter activities, but it’s disappointing when the university seems to forget that not everyone is looking for a weekend full of crowds, alcohol and “picture-perfect” moments. Maybe one day Mom’s Weekend will return to being a celebration of true connection, one that respects the diversity of student experiences, not just the few who fit into a tidy, marketable box. Until then, my mom and I will stick to our quiet traditions without Abby Lee Miller.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.