ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270121
SECTION: WELCOME STUDENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
You've just waved goodbye to the folks, and it's time to get moving into your new home away from home - the dorm. You unlock the door to your new pad and see ... a whole lot of nothing. Gray tile floors, white brick walls, brown cabinets and one window.
You face the first big decision of your collegiate career - bunks or lofts?
Seems like such a simple question, but there's so much to consider. After all, you'll be waking up in one of those fine apparatuses every day ... maybe every day. The lofts are definitely the early favorite, but that doesn't always last throughout the year.
"Everyone gets lofts, but then they end up taking them down because they take up too much room," said sophomore Ben Rand. "Go with the bunks."
Bunk beds do take up less room, but who sleeps on top and who gets the bottom? Now here's a great ice-breaking conversation for you and your new roommate. But if you brought furniture from home, like a small sofa, upperclassmen suggest staying with the lofts. You can fit the sofa underneath and maybe have room to hide your desk down there, too.
Once that decision is made, it's time to do something about those cold, gray floors. The answer is carpet. It doesn't have to be wall-to-wall, so don't panic. Just pick up a rug or scrap of carpet and cover the middle of the floor - the part you might occasionally sleep on when climbing into bed seems an unbearable task. Check the Yellow Pages for local stores, but also keep in mind that lots of people end up bringing them from home.
Other essentials you'll need to make that dorm room as cozy as possible? Sophomores Liza Pielsticker and Rachelle Wright agree that blacklights are a must, as well as glow-in-the-dark stars for the ceiling and Christmas lights to drape around the edges of the room. The two women say a lot of posters and pictures from home will add a familiar feel to the room - and don't forget the flowers.
For the men, Rand and sophomore Jon Nelson say ``can't live withouts" include a big refrigerator, big laundry bags, big stereos and a big dry erase board for messages. As for where to put all these "big" things in the tiny dorm room? That takes imagination.
For your trek down the hall to the bathroom, other essentials are a shower caddy, bathrobe and plenty of towels. Doing laundry in the dorms is both time-consuming and costly, so most students choose to lug their dirty clothes home for the holidays or a weekend trip. Be sure to have enough clothes to go at least a month without disaster. That follows the big laundry bag theory Nelson and Rand mentioned - for storage.
Now that you know just what you need to make the dorm experience liveable, where can you find all this on a college budget? Kmart and Wal-Mart seem to be the choice for many of the necessary items, but The Emporium downtown still reigns supreme when the desired purchase is posters or other decorative goodies.
But what if your particular budget is smaller than most? Or if you and your new roomie can't agree on anything? What is the one essential element needed to secure a successful freshman year in the dorms, you ask?
A friend with an apartment.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM Staff. Last year's freshman roommates Lizaby CNBPielstickler (top) and Rachelle Wright show off their room in Lee
Hall. color.