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written and photographed
by Missy Votel
It’s hard enough being a college freshman, having to endure
awkwardness, loneliness and disorientation, not to mention dorm
food and the sudden demotion from high school veteran to college
rookie. Add to this the task of cramming one’s belongings
into a room no bigger than a glorified closet and sharing said
closet with a complete stranger, and it’s a wonder dorms
stay in business.
Fortunately, the college freshman
is a resilient and resourceful creature, and those at Fort Lewis
College are no exception. Given, in some instances, a mere 180
square feet, two twin beds, two desks and two stand-alone closets
that resemble freestanding cupboards, they are assigned the
daunting task of creating a habitable space that must serve
as sleeping quarters, study, dressing room, makeshift kitchen,
entertainment center and personal refuge.
How do they do it? To find
out, two intrepid Telegraph staffers dared to go where no reporters
or photographers have gone before (or at least admitted to it)
– the freshman dorms. As expected, we found a few of the
universal, timeless themes – hot pots, ramen and posters.
We also found that approaches to dorm room décor were
as varied as the students we talked to, from minimalist to pack
rat; neat freak to clutter hound; pop-culture junkie to outdoors
enthusiast, and everything in between.
Roomie 1: Heather
M., Colorado Springs
Major: business
Roomie 2: Rebecca Whitehead, Cortez
Major: anthropology
Design approach: Just the basics
Room size: 12-by-16 feet
 Design
problems and solutions: “It’s tight-fitting,”
said Heather of the room’s shortcomings. The roommates
have considered several options to the space dilemma, including
one that may not be so popular with the R.A.
“We considered sleeping on top of the closets,”
said Rebecca.
However, until they can figure out how to rig up such a system,
the girls plan to make do with the traditional side-by-side
bed set up or may ante up the $137 for the loft beds.
Food stash: Supply of ramen, Wheat Thins
and Tostitos
Personal touches:
Heather: Doll with long, curly red hair;
“It’s a mini-me.”
Rebecca: Collage of male models in close
proximity to female models, who seem to have had their heads
superimposed with someone who looks suspiciously similar to
Rebecca.
 Roomie
1: Lindsay Carron, Montrose
Major:
journalism
Roomie 2:
Emily Batcheler, New Hampshire
Major:
biology
Design approach:
Neatnik meets beatnik.
Room size:
12-by-16 feet
Design problems and solutions:
Thanks to a philosophy that would make Martha proud, Lindsay
said she had little trouble finding space for all her belongings.
“I just like to be really neat.
It’s about making your corner of the universe perfect,”
said Lindsay. “I actually felt like I had more room than
I needed. I brought everything.”
Likewise, Emily, didn’t hold
back on her cross-country journey, having loaded down her family’s
truckster with belongings. “I put stuff on top of the
car; everywhere,” she said. While Lindays’s approach
is neat and tidy, Emily goes for more of an eclectic, funky
style, which includes a leopard-print lampshade and a canvas,
high-backed lounge chair.
 The
girls also opted for the bunk beds, for an additional $137.
A word of caution: The beds, which are accessed via ladder,
may pose a problem for active types prone to leg injuries (such
as Emily, who sprained her ankle mountain biking).
Food stash:
A case of ramen because “the food isn’t the greatest,”
and chips and salsa.
Personal touches:
Lindsay:
Drew Barrymore collage.
Emily: Black
feather boa.
 Roomie
1: Lulu McLean,
Tennessee
Major:
Undecided
Roomie 2:
MIA
Design approach:
Las Vegas meets the Vlassic pickle stork
Room size:
12-by-16 feet
Design problems and solutions:
Having driven all the way from Tennessee, space also was a consideration
for Lulu, but she has a master 3-part development plan already
worked out in her head.
“My hopeful plan is to get
the bunk-bed thing, buy a bookshelf and put the desks under
the beds,” she said.
Food stash: Large
supply of pickles. Lulu admits to having, well, a bit of a problem
with the salty snack. “I love pickles; I bring them everywhere
I go.” She noted, however, that she plans to cut back
because “they make your breath stink” and “my
roommate saw them and said she was scared.”
Personal touches:
Christmas lights. “I want to put them up around my window,”
she said. “They’ll look nice when we set them up.”
Also, Pink Floyd concert poster and copy of Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas.
 Roomie
1: Brent Webster, San Diego
Major: History
Roomie 2: Kyle Stamp
Major: undecided
Design approach: Outward Bound meets book bound
Room size: 16-by-18 feet
Design problems and solutions:
Brent, an admitted neat freak, said he faced no challenge in
getting his belongings – mostly pictures and books –
into his room. “I don’t have a lot of posters and
stuff. I’m sort of boring in that respect.”
Meanwhile, roommate Kyle has used up every
available inch of wall space with a road bike, mountain bike
and various snowboarding posters and faces a possible dilemma
come winter.
“I still have got to get my
snowboard in here,” he said.
Food stash: No ramen
in plain view
Personal touches:
Framed baby picture of Brent
 Roomie
1: Dan Unger, Arizona
Major: business/finance
Roomie 2:
MIA
Design approach:
Bay Watch meets Croc Hunter
Room size: 16-by-18
feet
Design problems and solutions:
Apparently unable to stand the sight
of bare walls, Dan has covered them in “weird and random
things to give it a little life.” In the weird and random
category is a shark’s jaw, and in the “little life”
category are Carmen (as in Electra, for those who are so bold
as to ask “Carmen who?”) because “she’s
hot;” Britney (“she’s hot”); and Victoria
(“we don’t even know who she is, but she’s
hot”)
Food stash:
Was going to do the Wal-Mart ramen run that night; in the meantime,
there were plenty of Doritos.
Personal touches:
“Gooch Gulch” sign from a golf course where he used
to work and George Foreman mini grill.
 Roomie
1: Kyle Popish, Aspen
Major: English education
Roomie 2: MIA
Design approach: High-tech bachelor
pad
Room size: 16-by-18 feet
Design problems and solutions:
Kyle opted for the more spacious Lshaped
rooms of West Hall because, “I
was afraid my roommate would be psycho
and have a bunch of stuff.” As it
turns out, his roommate did have a lot
of stuff, but it’s the kind Kyle thinks he can live with:
A DVD player, TV, Surround Sound stereo, Playstation II, refrigerator,
printer and fax. And it all fit wonderfully – in fact
there was even room left over for a babe poster, although Kyle
insists that it’s not his.
 Food
stash: Case of ramen bought at Sam’s Club. “The
whole thing only cost $3.95.”
Personal touches:
Homer Simpson poster extolling
virtues of a certain malt beverage.
Required reading: Lulu McLean’s copy of Hunter S.Thompson's
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
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