I have a "strong" dislike of the "VMI PARENTS-Family, Friends, Cadets, and Rats" page on Facebook, a page in which overzealous parents are overwhelmingly the active users. I tried to limit my posts to one a week after I started creating these on a regular basis. I still had several days until I was scheduled to post this comic after I finished it. However, the Parents page blew up over yet another stupid minor misunderstanding making it instantly became relevant, as such I published it early.
I have to speculate a little about what started the problem. What I do know is that a Rat mom posted that she heard there wasn't food available in the mess hall during exam week. We believe her Rat just went down during an off peak hour and the staff hadn't put out much perishable food at that moment, and casually explained this during a phone call home. This lack of food is not unusual at off peak hours. I usually eat at around 1000 and 1400, and there's just a sandwich bar available at the time. The food is out in force at 0700, 1100, and 1800.
The mother was enraged. According to her, VMI was deliberately denying her baby food. Immediately the hysterical hoard mobilized itself and replies of condemnation poured in without any attempt to discover what was actually going on. One mother saying she didn't think "starvation" (actual word used) ought to be part of the ratline. The frenzy continued online for a day as confused alumni and cadets tried to make sense of the mothers (and a few gullible fathers) and the bizarre situation they claimed.
Furthermore, it is almost always a Rat mother. Many cannot let go of their baby once they leave home and hover over their child while they go to VMI, an especially uncomfortable situation given the nature of our institution. I have even read a post proudly proclaiming to be a "helicopter parent" then painfully throw in a "lol" at the end of her post. One mom posts countdowns for every class event on an almost weekly basis and at a few times it was even daily. Although novel at first, we don't need to know that there are 301, 300, 299, 298 days until event X for five consecutive days in a row. I've also seen a mother fervently insist her son had the impossibly high GPA of 98 in high school. These posts are nearly universally described to be awkward and embarrassing by the fellow cadets whom I've asked for their opinion.
From what I've gathered the majority of cadets who have joined to page have done so to see the train-wreck that it is rather than to contribute or get solid information from it. "Hate" is a frequent word used to describe their feelings for it, yet it also provides entertainment for them. I doubt any of them would be willing to admit to this on the page or to a parent, there's a potent fear that one of the parental warriors of the page might seek repercussions for the cadet via the Institute.
I have to speculate a little about what started the problem. What I do know is that a Rat mom posted that she heard there wasn't food available in the mess hall during exam week. We believe her Rat just went down during an off peak hour and the staff hadn't put out much perishable food at that moment, and casually explained this during a phone call home. This lack of food is not unusual at off peak hours. I usually eat at around 1000 and 1400, and there's just a sandwich bar available at the time. The food is out in force at 0700, 1100, and 1800.
The mother was enraged. According to her, VMI was deliberately denying her baby food. Immediately the hysterical hoard mobilized itself and replies of condemnation poured in without any attempt to discover what was actually going on. One mother saying she didn't think "starvation" (actual word used) ought to be part of the ratline. The frenzy continued online for a day as confused alumni and cadets tried to make sense of the mothers (and a few gullible fathers) and the bizarre situation they claimed.
Furthermore, it is almost always a Rat mother. Many cannot let go of their baby once they leave home and hover over their child while they go to VMI, an especially uncomfortable situation given the nature of our institution. I have even read a post proudly proclaiming to be a "helicopter parent" then painfully throw in a "lol" at the end of her post. One mom posts countdowns for every class event on an almost weekly basis and at a few times it was even daily. Although novel at first, we don't need to know that there are 301, 300, 299, 298 days until event X for five consecutive days in a row. I've also seen a mother fervently insist her son had the impossibly high GPA of 98 in high school. These posts are nearly universally described to be awkward and embarrassing by the fellow cadets whom I've asked for their opinion.
From what I've gathered the majority of cadets who have joined to page have done so to see the train-wreck that it is rather than to contribute or get solid information from it. "Hate" is a frequent word used to describe their feelings for it, yet it also provides entertainment for them. I doubt any of them would be willing to admit to this on the page or to a parent, there's a potent fear that one of the parental warriors of the page might seek repercussions for the cadet via the Institute.