THE DORM SITUATION Joyce A. Barton Every year at various times, in-coming college fresh men are faced with the deci sion of whether or not to board at the college of their choice. Many factors are tak -en into consideration in mak ing this decision, such as re-. lationships with parents, fi nancial standing, and the dis tance between home and school. But whatever the reason, once the decision is made to live in a dorm the student must learn to adapt to his new sur roundings, for he can never return to his former lifestyle again• As soon as he moves in, the student realizes that the differences between dorm life and the comforts of home are some-what striking. Gone is the spacious room with shag carpeting and a double bed.. Nov replacing it is a long strip of a room with cold fea tures, each feature identical to all of those on the floor and in the dorm, The venturer may decorate his room to break this monotony, but restrictions such as no tape on the wall, no candles, hot pots, or fish put a clamp on his creativity. And so, the painted cinder block walls and cold linoleum floors, found throughout the , =l3 0 B S -114HHi1414141 ****IHNI Sporting Goods 133 N. Wyoming St. HEADQUARTEIRS for Hunting Fishing Archery N.! Ia; M ';M Converse All-Star & Adidas Basketball Shoes Tennis Ragnet Restringing OPEN WED. & FBI. Till 9 dorm, continue to remind the resident that he is still in school. Another notable contrast in lifestyle for the student who has taken advantage of his leisurely life at home is re sponsibility, which seems sud denly thrust upon him. No lon ger can he rely on another mem ber of his family to wake him up at a certain hour. His sleep is now interrupted by the annoying jangle of an alarm clock. Two nights a week he spends his time in the laundry room; before, clothes seemed to magically launder themselves. Fluffy collections of hair and dust float about the room and will continue to do so until he realizes that along with his other unplea sant tasks, he must also main tain the general tidiness of his room. After he lives in a dorm for some time and over-comes these basic differences, the student now faces various conflicts within himself. After weeks of doing nothing but homework, housework, and 6 ff lf, e NI gd o ??? , , *z4qa Ole‘m I IV' Highaoree Collegian, December 16, 1974 - Page Five existing, he begins to wonder if studying is getting him anywhere. He is swayed by the majority of his fellow classmates and residents, who feel that social life is as important as studying.- even more so. As he begins to socialize, his grades rapidly decline; assignments are handed in late, and he can put off his work than he ac tually spends doing it. If he is a gambler, all of this seems quite exciting; if he is not, paranoia sets in and his social fling is once more re placed by some serious study. Other conflicts that arise in a dorm student's life are the absence of privacy and the ignorance of current is sues facing the outside world. In a dorm situation, it is virtually impossible to be a lone. Therefore, when the student becomes so wrapped up in his school life that he has no time for any of the medias, he becomes ignorant of the, affairs of the world in which he lives, This could be con,- sidered one of the most seri continued next page An engagement ring with a Continental heritage Light bursting from a band of lace eight diamonds clustered in starlight . . . and each leaf in the band individually handpolished As unique as it is beautiful. Just in time for happiness. Just in time for love. c '"e&lif 14 E.BROAD ST. HAZLETON PA.