College girls take coordination to new levels of living

The other day, I read an interesting blurb about men and women becoming more similar evolutionarily. Then I read Matt Keenan’s article in 913 about his college son’s senior house in Lawrence.

No offense to the guy who wrote the ‘we’re all evolving into one person’ article, but no way. Want proof? Take a short stroll down the same street Matt’s son and his frat bros live on to the house where my daughter and her sevenhouse mates, also seniors at KU, are now residing.

The girls, all moving out of the well-maintained, beautiful confines of a sorority house (another over-the-top, gender-different experience than a frat house), took a different approach than the guys down the street. First, they chose a house a year ago (and paid a handsome deposit) with gleaming, hardwood floors, eight bedrooms — each with walk-in closet and spacious bathroom — and a kitchen with granite counters, all-steel appliances, beautiful cabinetry and roomy pantry. This particular house is always rented to girls. If that offends, please read Matt’s article again at kansascity.com and imagine yourself as the homeowner.

Early last summer, the girls created a Google spreadsheet so each could detail exactly what she was bringing. I’m thinking the guys down the street didn’t do that. As a matter of fact, one of my boy mom friends told me that on moving day, her son’s senior house ended up with seven sofas. And three kegs. And no lamps.

Update? Still no lamps.

Despite the fact that my daughter’s housemates are from several states, not Kansas, everyone eagerly rented U-hauls and participated. In addition to their color-coordinated bedspreads, pillows and bedroom furniture, girls all the way from Nebraska brought sofas, end tables and other bulky furniture. My daughter’s pal from Chicago provided all sizes and types of cookware and her Texas buddy brought designer curtains. The Joco types, as usual, couldn’t help themselves. Yep, we overdid with rugs, artwork, poofy pillows, darling lamps, recovered dining room chairs (yes, there is a dining room), patio furniture and on and on.

Everyone pitched in to make sure there were plenty of plates (matching, of course), silverware and glasses. I will note that on moving day there were a whole lot more wine and margarita glasses than water glasses. But no kegs that I could discern.

Lest you think I’m a tad naive, I know that just because the house looks like a well-stocked, vacation home, probably some less-than-wholesome things will happen there. Like Matt, I’m not privy — and don’t want to be — to all that goes on between those walls. In addition to things moms don’t need to know, there will be plenty of guests, more than a few parties and a ton of laughs.

But wouldn’t you know? Though the girls love lounging in their new home, I’m hearing that on many evenings, no one’s around. And it’s not because everyone is bookin’ it at the library. It’s because my daughter and her buds, like hordes of other college kids, are drawn to the Bose-blasting, beer-dispensing (spraying?), bug-crawling, paint-chipped houses that have fun (and more) spilling out of every sagging window. That’s right — the senior boys’ houses.

Just like the one down the street.

This story was originally published September 30, 2014 at 8:21 PM with the headline "College girls take coordination to new levels of living."