The college experience is shaped by many places. Lecture halls, dining halls, quads, and sports venues all blend together to create the basic image of collegiate life. However, the most important foundation of these four years is the dorm room. All on-campus students have experienced a dorm room since their first move-in day, and it serves a central role in a student’s life. For me, my dorm room is a place to get away from the constant motion of college, but it also is a space where I have a great amount of social interaction. This dual purpose has been the cornerstone of my experience so far, despite it being seemingly overshadowed by larger spaces on campus. It is truly an all-purpose hub for student life.
My dorm room is on the Newton campus in Keyes North on the fourth floor. It is the first door on the left after coming up the stairs. This positioning gives the perfect balance between isolation and activity because it is far from the noise of main campus, but it is also a space that many pass by every day. The entrance to the room is guarded by a large wooden door which is the most important feature. On one hand, it is identical to every door on the floor with its light tan color, its smooth metal handle, and the names of its occupants displayed for all to see. On the other hand, it is set apart from the others by the whiteboard that is displayed the exterior. This board is rarely blank as its contents are a community effort. As people walk by, they sometimes stop to write something. Sometimes it is an inside joke for the floor to laugh at, and sometimes it is a funny drawing or design. For example, the board currently says “Brian is a spy” in reference to a game we play called The Resistance. As people passed, they wrote sarcastic and witty responses in the style of an Instagram post’s comments. To add to the humor, this “post” has thousands of dislikes. The board is a reminder of how humor brings the floor together, and its placement on my door gives it sentimental value every time I enter my room.
The door also fills a very important role because its position determines the room’s function. When the door is closed, the room is an isolated world of silence. In this space, one may hear the clicking of keys as an essay is being typed, the opening and closing of drawers accompanied by the ruffling of clothes, or the turning of textbook pages the night before an exam. It is the perfect place for finding time to relax, watch Netflix, or sleep. Overall, it is a quiet space to be alone. However, when the door is open, the room becomes a completely different place. Typically, a dorm room is split down the middle, with each roommate choosing a side, but here, the furniture is distributed around the perimeter of the room, leaving a spacious center to host many guests at a time. When work is finished, or I feel in the mood for socializing, I use my bungee cord to hold open the door, and one by one, my friends file in the room to join my roommate and me. In this space, one may hear the laughter of friends underscored by a blend of EDM, hip-hop, and classic rock. This room becomes a social hub as it is a place to come together and forget about the stress of college. In fact, both functions of the room are forms of escape since college can be filled with stress and exhaustion. Going from class to class can be tiring, and going back to my room at the end of the day offers a chance to recharge. Sometimes I am looking to have a fun night with friends, while other times silence and a nap are needed. Even when I am doing work or studying, this room feels far away from the hustle of main campus, thus still being a place to get away. Whichever function I need, this room can fit that purpose, and it is all determined by whether the door is closed or opened.
On the far wall of the room is the window. My bed is along this window which allows unobstructed views of Newton campus from a position of comfort. From here, I have a clear view of the cul-de-sac at the entrance to Keyes North. Beyond that is a hill with stairs leading to Stuart dining hall. This wide view gives the room the feeling of a watchtower high above the activity of Newton campus. Throughout the day, I can see various groups of people coming and going on these stairs, and I can sometimes even hear their voices travel up to my window on the fourth floor. This is a nice view to have, since it offers a bright open space to look at when brainstorming, and it enables me to see when my friends are coming back to the dorms. At the top of the window is a white shade which can be pulled down to darken the room at night due to the shining of the streetlights outside. During the day, however, the room is at its best when the shade is up because of how it lights up the room. The electric light in the middle of the ceiling bathes the room in a uniform, artificial, yellowish glow, while the sunlight from the window gives a much more natural illumination. With the shade up, the lighting adds to the liberating aspect of the room. All day, students drift between lecture halls and class rooms which can seem cold and unnatural because time is being spent indoors in artificial environments. However, sitting on my bed with the natural sunlight illuminating my tasks through the window gives a feeling of being outside while inside. Coming to this spot after classes is almost a kind of reset for the day. I feel reinvigorated and ready to accomplish any other tasks I have. The light makes the room feel vibrant, and, despite being small and enclosed, the atmosphere feels alive. It is interesting how lighting and outdoor views can change one’s mood, and this is clearly an example of this in action.
Near my bed lies my dresser. It is constructed of the same color wood as the door with five drawers filled with my clothes, and on top of the dresser sits a television and a PlayStation 4. Much like the door, these two aspects of the dresser reflect the dual nature of the room. In the morning, the dresser is at the center of getting ready. Drawers are opened and closed as I dress myself in preparation for the day. This parallels the solitude of my room since this usually occurs either when I am alone or in the company of only my roommate. The television, on the other hand, is something enjoyed in the company of others. The solitude that the dresser represents is transformed into fun and company once the television is turned on. Whether watching a sports game or playing video games, this is the center of the social aspect of the space. We stay up late into the night playing NBA 2k17 and FIFA, mixing it up with the occasional episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or whichever NBA match-up there is that evening. This transformation from solitude to social interaction and back again is a reminder of what makes this room so special. The room’s nature is constantly changing, and therefore, it is never boring.
After four years of living in dorm style arrangements, one may forget the magic that can come from a place as simple as a dorm room. Students forget about more intimate spaces because they live in the shadows of more noticeable locations. Alumni Stadium is large and loud, Gasson is picturesque, and Bapst Library is so quiet that it is almost impossible not to become lost in oneself. Surrounded by places such as these, one may forget about how special a dorm can be. My dorm is definitely not as grand as many locations on campus. The walls are plain white cinder blocks, the carpet is a strange mix of brown and green, and all of the furniture is made of the same beige wood. Many see this and disregard searching for anything greater. They forget what this place can mean to an individual. To me, my room is the perfect place to escape from the stress of responsibilities, but each student can have their own meaning for their dorm room. Students can claim a space on campus as their own, and this is something that one cannot do anywhere else. It can truly be a space for many purposes.
Brian Rust's World 