Home away from home

Students add personal touches into their dorms

Jessica Madrigal, Reporter|April 6, 2022

Ashanti Thompson

Whether a student is 20 miles from home or 431 miles, each person brings what they can to make it seem like their dorm room is their home. 

Residents Brady Ritzmann, a pre-med major from Arvada, CO, and Jaxson Gregg, a sports management major from Keller, TX, were both excited when they got to show off their room. 

While showing his side of the room, Brady Ritzmann shows a scentsy named Rufus. Rufus is the dorm pet in Brady Ritzmann and Jaxson Gregg’s room. (Brianna Rich)

“I have my posters, my stereos, oh and I can’t forget our dorm pet Rufus,” Ritzmann said.

Gregg talked about how living at the dorms was a great way to make those lifelong memories and get a college experience. 

“I like Jen, Jens good, Miss Jen is cool,” Ritzmann and Gregg stated about Jen Malin, student housing director, known as “Mama Jen.”

Roommates Sara Lock, an education major from Dale, OK, and Vallierie Amaya, a sports medicine major from Waller, TX, made their room where they could have their guests hang out and play games or just talk. 

“The best part of living at the dorms is knowing that all your people are right by you,” Lock said. 

Sara Lock’s favorite part about her room is her crystal set up and she says that the best part about living in the dorms is getting to go to her teammates room and just hang out. Lock says that the worst thing about being in the dorms is not being able to have candles. (Brianna Rich)

 

However, the girls both agree that one downside of the dorms is the no candle policy. 

“Sometimes I just want it to smell good with a little burn you know?” Lock said. 

Lock’s favorite part about the entire room would be her crystal set up by her window. Amaya’s favorite part is the floor because after practice she just lays there. 

While some residents love to just chill in their rooms, there are some other residents who make it try to feel more like home.  

Freshman Katie Culwell is an RA from Hooker, Oklahoma, and she thinks the best part of living in the dorms is getting to have her own space to chill in. Culwell’s favorite part about her room is her kitchen because it has a coffee pot, an air fryer, ice maker, and a microwave. (Brianna Rich)

“I really like and enjoy my kitchen — I mean I have my air fryer, ice machine, coffee maker, fridge and microwave,” Katie Culwell, an esthetician major from Hooker, OK, said. 

Culwells bed is filled with pillows and her walls are covered with bible verses to help her get through the day. 

All of these residents mention how they get along well with the RA’s [resident assistants]. 

“The RAs are cool, I mean I am cool with all of them so I don’t have any problems,” Lock said. 

Being an RA for Culwell has given her the opportunity to create friendships with the staff. Overall to her, it is a good environment to work in. 

These residents also feel safe in the dorms as well. 

 “I feel safe because these walls are solid, nothing’s getting through them, not even the WIFI,” Gregg said. 

All these residents believe that the dorms are not such a bad place to live. It overall has more advantages than disadvantages when living at the dorms.