St Marys College California - Gael Yearbook (Moraga, CA)

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LIVING IN STYLE?! LIVING - DORM STYLE By Scott Kahl God, what is that smell? I can re- member saying one morning as I went to leave the dorm. It wasn ' t all that unusual a statement coming from a resident of Justin Hall. Things seemed to happen that year, and every year since, which never cease to amaze me. That particular morning, however, the smell was the residue from a previous night of cow-tipping. That was the ad- hoc sport of the week where the real test of masculinity was to push over a sleep- ing cow standing on a hill. The trick was to get away before the angry mammal came to her senses halfway down the hill, and caught up with you. The shoes seemed to be the primary casualties of the event and they reminded all who had missed the event of just what had happened. At the very least, they gave us a strong hint! One of the most popular complaints from men and women alike was the size of the rooms. It felt like we were living in camp, but competing in an adult aca- demic world during the day. No matter how much any of us complained though, I knew most of us really loved it. Living in the dorms gave us an aspect of college life that not everyone was lucky enoug h to participate in. No mat- ter how bad dorm food was or how much we might long for the privacy of our parents ' homes, I don ' t think any of us would have traded. The first few weeks of college dorm life were the biggest test. It was the most trying time we had seen in our lives in many different ways. We were adjusting to a new school, new friends, and new expectations. Most of all we were expected to sleep in a room with someone we didn ' t even know that first night! Sometimes, the roommate situa- tions didn ' t work out, but other times they provided us with a best friend that we will always cherish. I ' m a senior now and I ' m still on campus. I can safely say I ' ve seen the worst to the best of dorm room situa- tions. My stomach has endured many questionable meals and somehow my appetite has always prevailed. I ' ve had some pretty strange roommates but now I have the very best. There were plenty of times I longed for an off-cam- pus apartment, but I ' m glad I stuck it out. The good far outweighs the bad and somehow shows its better colors in retrospect. I feel sorry for those who did not at least get the chance to live on campus one year. At the very least it was a first hand lesson in sharing. On the other hand, you know it must have had some strange effect if I can still conjure up fond memories with the passing smell of cow patties. 13

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Left Page Top Left; Megan Rackers, computer hacker! Bottom Left: See I told you I only need a small towel, Walter Fitzpatrick advertises. Center: The boys of De La Salle show their humility? Right Page: Rochelle and Chris in one of their studi- ous moments. (Jane Walker)

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r Ai A PERSONAL CHOICE By Kristine Drue Wild parties, deafening music, and lifetime friendships are a part of St. Mary ' s life, along with hard, dedicated studying, endless amounts of reading, and time-consuming term papers. This is the side of college life that freshmen to seniors live for. But if you are one of the many students who do not get hous- ing on-campus, it will probably take longer to get into the swing of the wild side of St. Mary ' s life. Living on-campus in a dorm, suite, or townhouse, is very exciting and socia- ble; all St. Mary ' s students are highly school spirited. People are constantly walking in and out of people ' s rooms, and soon a sibling-like atmosphere de- velops. Going to the school dances, open mic, plays, concerts, club events, and dinner all become a group activity. Posters for all on-campus activities are always on the dorm walls, so on-campus students are aware of school activities. The one major liability of dorm life, besides the undelectable food served in the dining hall, is that the noise and lack of privacy make dorm life difficult for studying. Most students must re- treat to the library until the wee hours of the morning. Living off-campus is not as exciting and sociably busy as dorm-life, and it takes a real effort to become involved in school activities and get to know the student body. Unless one goes into the dorms often, the only advertising for on-campus activities for off-campus students is the school calendar handed out at registration in the fall. This cal- endar has all, or most, of the campus activities going on throughout the year. Unfortunately, some activities are moved ahead or cancelled, and many times the off-campus student receives no news of the change. This causes the student to usually miss the event, and have one less chance to become in- volved in the social side of college life. The benefits of living off-campus are the privacy, the space, and the food. Going home to a peaceful and spacious household is perfect for studying, think- ing and really huge parties. (If you were one of the fortunate party animals to have attended THE RAGER this year, you would know that there ' s no way a party like that could ever take place in a little dorm room!) Having a refrigera- tor full of all your favorite foods is a definite plus. Living both on and off-campus are fun. On-campus living puts you directly in the middle of all the wild St. Mary ' s activities, but living off-campus is bet- ter for studying and throwing large par- ties with kegs! Whether to live in a dorm, or in an apartment off-campus is a personal choice that every college stu- dent will have to make. (Scott Kahl) 14