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[torriewickham-blog-blog]

Map of Stairwell/ Fire Tower

This map of the Whitney Hall stairwell/ fire tower is fairly easy to navigate. There’s really only two directions a person can walk in this space, up or down, depending on what floor the person is trying to reach. In this space, up is the direction of walking to the next floor above where a person is standing until they reach the ninth floor and cannot walk up any higher. In contrast, a person would then have to walk downwards if they are trying to reach the floors below them until they reach their destination as well. This space is very confined so I drew it boxed in from the bottom floor to the very top. The only ways to get out are the doors I drew located on the left that appear every two flights of stairs, except for the bottom floor that appears after the first flight.

[loganthatsme-blog-blog]

Map of Upper Bidwell Valley

This is a map of the spot in Upper Bidwell where my space is located. One thing that is helpful in reading this map is realizing that the canyon with the creek flowing through it is the lowest point of elevation. Both the orange and yellow lines represent ridges. From these ridges the landscape slopes down to form a valley of sorts. My space is located at the top of the yellow ridge on the edge of the cliff. When looking down into the valley you can see the trees that are on the near side of the creek. Then the canyon i the next thing you notice, and slightly after that a long windy gravel road that can be seen just to the left of the creek. Lastly you see the opposite slope of the valley spattered with trees, that forms a ridge of at about the same height as the ridge that my space is on. Hopefully this gives you a better idea of the space surrounding my spot.

[lburstyn-blog]

This is a drawing of my dorm room. It is in a rectangle shape and everything is just pushed against the walls so we have a big floor space. Everything is set up in a really simple matter. This is the way it was when my roommate and I moved in; we tried to move around furniture to make the room more interesting but everything we tried just did not work. The room is so small and rectangular, there is only so much you can do with it. The room is designed to just be able to live in, it is not really that pleasant to hang out in.

[lburstyn-blog]

Whitney Hall Sounds

Whitney Hall is typically very loud and my floor is especially noisy. My room is located next door to the bathroom so I constantly hear the door openining and closing. Sometimes there is music playing in the bathroom super loudly and I can hear it through my wall, which is pretty annoying. If the door is open to the floor lobby, which it occasionally is, I can hear people playing video games or watching movies. I can constantly hear people talking but I have gotten so used to it that it does not bother me anymore and people have pretty funny conversations so they are amusing to listen to. In the beginning of the year all the noise would bug me but it has just become very normal to me. It is typically loudest around this time which is late evening, during the afternoon it is super quiet because everyone is out or at class. On weekends when people are getting ready to go out, it is pretty loud with everyone playing loud music. I really like to have my windows open but they are facing Legion which is a noisy street. There are always people down there shouting, picking people up, parking, and stuff. Also the train is extremely loud and I can hear it pass. My room also faces the high school field so I can hear when teams are practing or if they have PE class. In the beginning of the year, there was always marching band practice at 8 AM on the field and it was so annoying, but thankfully it ended. 

[lburstyn-blog]

Reblog

I chose two posts that were about dorm rooms because mine was too. I liked how we all had similiar and different thoughts about our rooms. Dorm rooms are a very interesting space in the way that they are temporary, and I think all three of us agree on that.  I think we would all agree that these rooms are not really our home, just a temporary living situation. 

I liked how one of the posts stated that they did not take time to decorate their room because they wanted a clean space/start, I think that is a really cool idea. Even though all dorm rooms are basically structured the same way, by this time in the year every single one looks different because it reflects the ideals of the person currently living in it. 

[omarquina95-blog-blog]

“Dorm Room”

This part of my life is what many call “the dorm life.” The life of a freshman living on a school sanctioned dormitory. University Village to be exact. Upon move in day, examining other’s dorm rooms there seems to be a noticeable change of atmosphere. Many are decorated with posters of their favorite bands, pictures of loved ones, or even Christmas lights. But for mine I had a different idea.

One of the very few items that can be seen is my stereo. Perhaps the only significant item in my life. Music. Going back a little bit, back to move in day. As my parents kissed me goodbye I ritually put Pandora on and turned the volume up. The song along with the artist that played has become a significant part of my life now. The song was by rapper J. Cole called Villematic. The song kicks off with a funky Kanye West beat but the lyrics that I expected weren’t those of Kanye. The song immediately started with the words:

To the college kids no scholarships, starting your semester. Unpacking your suitcases filling up your dresser. Enjoy it while you got it, after that it’s God bless ya. Life is your professor, you know that bitch is gon test ya.

I was more ecstatic than terrified at the odd coincidence. This kind of put my whole life that had just done a 180 in perspective. This life is all we have and this experience is priceless.

As seen in this photo of move in day all my belongings were able to come along with me 8 hours away in only four boxes. Even to this day when people step into my dorm room they ask, “Where is all your stuff?” “You don’t own a T.V!?” “It looks like a cell with a stereo and a slightly more fashionable choice of clothes.” What people don’t see is my vision. Born from the idea that I was willing to leave everyone and everything I loved in order to chase my dreams. Moved to a city where I know not a soul. Before you know it you’re going to be in the Zoo struggling to work a part time job while trying to juggle to go to school full time. No more RAs checking up on you, no more meal plans for quick go-to lunches, real life hits and you wish you had this lifestyle of a dorm with a small twin-xl sized bed and simpleness back.

I believe that is exactly what my room represents. A clean mind. A new start. No worries. Free of the bullshit. A place of simple happiness and complacency.

[turnerhartley-blog-blog]

“Whitney Hall Room 216”

I started to type “my room” as the title, but thinking about it a little more in depth I realize this isn’t “my” room at all. I pay a lot of money for this little square that I split with one person. I follow the rules set by the dorm for what I can put up on the walls, and what I’m allowed to have in my room.

When we think of our rooms, they are supposed to be a place where we can do whatever we want and are free to express ourselves. Our room should also be our place to escape everyone, and have time to think and just be at peace. Our rooms should be our home away from home, but my room doesn’t feel like that here.

I like my room here but it doesn’t feel like my room really. The lighting isn’t great, I can hear everyone coming in and going out of Whitney Hall, which is awful. I like my flags hanging on my walls supporting the Niners and the Giants. I have my bed, even though it’s not “my” bed, it is very uncomfortable if you don’t have a mattress pad on top of it. I share my room with my roommate Ryan, who is really cool and we get along great. We both keep our room pretty clean and respect each others space as well. My desk is pretty well organized too, that’s where I keep pictures of my family and friends, as well as pictures drawn by my little brother and sister who are 7 and 3. The pictures and my desk are my favorite part of my room because that’s where I spend the most time doing homework or working on stuff. Sharing my room I think is the main reason this doesn’t feel like my room at home because it’s not really a space where I can go be alone for a while because there’s always people in it or my roommate is here.

[lburstyn-blog]

"Dormroom"

This is my dormroom that I share with my roommate . It is in Whitney Hall on the 7th floor. Whitney is right on campus and is located near Tehama Hall and the dining hall, it is a pretty convient location. I can leave five minutes before some of my classes and get there right on time. Living on the 7th floor can be a struggle because the elevators can take a super long time and during fire drills (which we have frequently) you have to take the stairs.

My roommate and I use our room for our relxation and sleeping place. The room is usually empty during the day because we are both super busy. The only times we are both really in there is when we are sleeping or getting ready for the day.

The rooms in Whitney are pretty small and cluttered, so they are not that great to just "hang out" in. The way they are set up is really just meant for a place to store your stuff and sleep.  

Our room is always pretty messy just because it is such a small space it is hard for our stuff not to overflow. You can see the differences in our sides of the room and our personalities pretty clearly in this picture. I took a lot of time decorating my side of the room just because I am into decorating but my roommate does not really care.