Kent State University - Chestnut Burr Yearbook (Kent, OH)

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Dorm Life Pictures, above and upper right, by Jim Fossett College lifestyles offer the best of times and the worst of times — late night chats, late night spats, friends for life and social strife. On- and off-campus living, say stu- dents who have experienced both, sup- plies all of the above and quite a bit more. I wanted a place of my own, privacy, responsibility, no quiet hours, no RAs and real food is the consensus of students who chose to leave the dorms after their required two-year stay. Sue Stepanic, senior bio-chem major and resident of Glen Morris Apartments, said the greatest problem in the dorms was the lack of privacy. I needed time to be alone, and in a dorm room there is no place to go except your top bunk or a bath- room stall. In an apartment, there are at least three other rooms that might be emp- ty and can be called ' home. ' Manchester Resident Adviser (RA) Tony Siekman said the major complaint of dorm dwellers is abiding by the policies, fol- lowed closely by noise level restraints. Senior public relations major Eric Vaughn spent two years in McSweeney Hall, where most partying was reserved for weekends. He said it was relatively qui- et until Residence Services experimented with putting rowdies there to control their unruly behavior. Dorm life can also mean a no-win battle against clutter and mess. Mary Beth Ra- dik, a senior bio-chem major, said, It ' s bad enough that three or four girls and all 28

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The transition to uni- versity life is a big step for most people. New faces, new places and a new lifestyle are just a part of what con- fronts freshmen when they come to KSU. Right Orientation in- structor Jack Podnar takes a break from Ori- entation activities with freshman Jill Sprun- gef. Below Rhonda Metzger, a freshman education major, puz- zles over her schedule at Registration. Orientation Photos by Jim Fossett Making your room a home away from home Is a challenge, but the rewards once you ' ve finished are worth the eHort. 27

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their worldly possessions are crammed into one room. But even when we tried to keep things neat, one thing out of place — one unmade bed or one or two guests — made it totally impossible. On the positive side, dorm life means no utility bills (a real budget-buster), no monthly rent checks, no grocery shopping (except for goodies), no sink, toilet (how gross) or shower scrubbing, no trips to the laundromat and never having to be alone. In addition, most agree that at least one year in the dorms has real merits: making new friends, sharing a common, some- times frightening experience, and some semblance of regulation. When you ' re new to college life, it ' s best to meet as many people as possible, make a lot of friends, and get involved, Radik said. It ' s easy in the dorms be- cause you ' re all in the same situation. Some of my best friends in off-campus life I met while living in Fletcher. Frustration and anxiety run high and it ' s nice to know you ' re surrounded by people who understand, Lang added. Vaughn also felt dorm life was a positive influence for freshmen. It ' s a good idea to have students live in the dorms for their first year, he said. The structured rou- tine might just save them from dropping out. Vaughn said the dorms were more struc- turally sound, built particularly for the race of destructive students. Living in a dorm, you will rarely encoun- ter leaky ceilings, weeds growing through your living room floor or pestering land- Mark Rogers 29