Anyone who knows me or has spoken to me for some amount of time, knows that I am a huge fan of my parents. Parents are a strange breed, both nerdy and embarrassing as well as hilarious and comforting. My parents are no exception. While they are both dorky and cool, I think I could spend all of my time with them and never get bored. I really am their biggest fan! So, parents’ weekend at college should be my favorite weekend of all time. It’s three days of super interested, loving parents snapping pictures of their uncomfortable college students in their new habitat. Nothing could be better after the first two months away from home. Since before the big weekend arrived, I have been aware of the tremendous effort that has gone into preparing for this special event, and honestly I get a little heated about it.

I am a huge fan of authenticity. If you don’t like someone, then I think it’s better to be up front about it instead of hiding behind fake smiles and small talk. If you’re terrified of horror movies, it’s better to admit your feelings than pretend to be tough or ambivalent. If you treat someone a certain way when you’re alone with them, don’t treat them another way when someone else is watching. Authenticity seems pretty straight forward and easy. I also find that it can be super obvious when someone isn’t being authentic.

What has been driving me crazy is the fact that colleges behave differently when parents are watching. Colleges throw out all the stops. When parents come to visit, there are activities upon activities on campus. Colleges set up booths of fun games to play and hand out overbooked schedules of interesting opportunities happening on campus. Some colleges even arrange for animals to be brought onto campus for the amusement of students and their parents alike. While some of these fun events do occasionally occur on college campuses, they definitely do not happen in the same excess that they do on parents’ weekend.

On parents’ weekend, food tastes better, hallways look cleaner, and campus is in tip top shape. It’s extremely obnoxious and frustrating when a student writes home about gross school lunches only to hear their parents respond, “Oh well when I was there on parents’ weekend it was delicious. Maybe you’re just being picky.” I think the only time that food is better on campus is during accepted students’ weekend. Honestly, when that weekend rolls around this spring, I plan to carry tupperware around and set myself up for a couple weeks of semi-decent dining options.

What really got me this weekend may seem insignificant to some. Our paper towel dispenser is always empty in my dorm’s bathroom. It was full during the first week of orientation and move-in, but ever since, it has been empty, taunting me every time I have tried pulling on the lever to no avail. My mom and I stopped in the communal bathroom, and I warned her that there would not be any paper towels. As I heard her push on the lever, I expected to turn around and see her disappointed face at the empty dispenser. My expectation was not met. My mom tore off paper towels from a full dispenser, and I fumed. While it seems rather funny and in the grand scheme of things should not be a big deal, I can’t help but feel like some authenticity was lost this weekend. Colleges do not seem to care about ensuring current students are comfortable and have all basic needs met, but they do seem to go the extra mile for parents and prospective students. We are left to fend for ourselves, but I’m here to say that we matter too! I can guarantee that if current students are treated respectfully and with the importance they deserve, parents and prospective students will know about the excellent campus life faster than clicking to send an Instagram shout out to the world. Put simply, if something as insignificant as loading a paper towel dispenser can create a happier and less stressful environment, then I say, “Do it!”