When my time slot to register for my sophomore year dorm finally arrived last semester, I was dismayed to see the limited number of rooms left. Worried that we would be left homeless if I didn’t act swiftly, I registered for a room in Stanton Hall on South Quad.
After being here a few weeks, my roommate and I have the same question on our minds: does anyone live here at all? Despite my best efforts to say ‘hi,’ I can probably count on my hands the number of people we’ve seen in the dorms. The number of other students who have actually stopped to talk to us is in the single digits. I’m not expecting a welcome committee, but this just feels bizarre.
Hallways and common areas are almost perpetually empty. Sometimes it’s convenient, like when I need to run a load of laundry, but after a while, it starts to get a little boring. Here are a few ways I’ve managed to make my own fun in a dorm where no one seems to live.
Bowling
Sadly, Stanton Hall did not come equipped with a bowling alley in the basement, but that’s no match for my ingenious innovations. First, you need a ball of some sort (basketball, soccer, softball, whatever works. I use a volleyball). Next, prop up some books on their end. I like to use my composition notebooks and leave them slightly open so they’ll stand on their own. Set up the books in whatever formation is pleasing to you; after all, no one else is there to tell you you’re doing it wrong. Then, bowl away!
Karaoke
While I may not be an a cappella star, I do enjoy singing along to my favorite tunes. While a shocking lack of actual residents in my dorm may at times feel like something out of a mystery novel, it does provide me with an excellent opportunity to sing as loud as I want in the shower. On a related note, it’s impossible to feel creeped out by the dead atmosphere when Shakira is on full blast.
Race your roommate
Ever wondered whether you or your roommate would survive the zombie apocalypse longer? Now there’s an easy way to test it. Race across the whole floor with reckless abandon — bonus points if you make an obstacle course with all the furniture that’s not bolted down. Just don’t tell the kid who claims he was the fastest on the playground in sixth grade.
Call Opinion Editor Taylor Powers and go ghost hunting
Is that rattling noise a broken AC unit or a haunting spirit? You may never know unless you suck it up and confront it. Grab your camera and ask Taylor Powers, our trusty TMS opinion editor, to come with you for safety in numbers. She’ll probably turn it into an episode for her podcast, but who knows, maybe you’ll be the first ones to prove that ghosts really do exist!
Editor’s Note: DO NOT go ghost hunting if you are in Peabody Hall. I’ve seen Helen twice, and would not wish it upon my worst enemy.
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