Inside My Room – Junior Year
461… that’s the number to remember this year, complete with Braille beneath. Potomac Hall, freshman side, fourth floor, RA room. This is a change from last year, when I lived in the upperclass side, and was in room 409. Room 461 is in some ways similar to 409, and in other ways different. The big difference is that the entire room is flip-flopped. In 409, you entered into the right side of the room. 461, you enter into the left side of the room. Another thing is that this year, I am an RA, and so I have a single room.
The way I’ve arranged the pictures this year is a counterclockwise tour of the room starting at the door, and then a little look outside into the rest of the hall. So let’s get started!
Welcome, welcome, welcome! Come on in to the only room in Potomac Hall where students’ ability to paint their rooms has been put to use! Seriously, I painted this place gray to fix some hideous-looking walls…
However, be warned – the paint-back fee that I got during the summer was $160, so put that aside NOW if you want to paint your room.
Where is Mr. Schumin? Good question… the arrow, cleverly velcro-ed to the door, shows where I am. Done in the same picture-circle theme that I did my Web site in this year, the possibilities are “In” (picture of me), “Studying” (study room at Zane Showker), “On Duty” (a photo of Potomac Hall), “Around Potomac” (the 4th floor upperclass TV lounge from last year), “Out” (I-64 signs), “Do Not Disturb” (a no-left-turn sign slightly modified), “At Class” (Zane Showker Hall, of course!), and “Sleeping” (my loft from last year).
Remember these from last year? They’re back with a vengeance. Clock, mirror, hooked to the wall with stick-on hooks from Wal-Mart.
Right over the bed is Normandie… funny… the Normandie capsized during World War II, and last year, interestingly enough, towards the end of the year, my Normandie picture of all things fell off the wall. We hope that this year, the incident isn’t repeated.
Next to the bed, I have arranged my two desks in an “L” shape, and mounted the computer on it.
There it is – the computer! And what do you know… The Schumin Web is on screen!
The Web Cam is perched on top of the computer this year, and faces the opposite direction from last year. Now viewers can see the left side of my face on the camera!
Across from the computer, is the futon, the slang name for which is the “flip ‘n f—“. Obviously, there will be none of that this year on my futon, as I use it for a couch for studying and watching TV (love that TV card on the computer!).
Above the futon is Queen Mary (left), Liberté (right) and the phone strobe (center).
The phone strobe is a Wheelock PS-11A-WPW. It operates on house current, and has a 75 candela strobe. It is activated directly off the phone line, emitting three to four flashes per ring. I bought it on eBay in order to be awakened by the phone in the event I am needed at an odd hour. A side benefit is that it’s found to be quite interesting by nearly everyone in Potomac Hall.
Next to the futon, beyond the shelf, is the fridge.
And now, let’s head out and visit the remainder of the freshman side!
As you can see, the freshman side of Potomac is exactly reversed from the upperclass side…
Inside the bathroom, all the comforts of home are present to greet us…
…and I’m proud of my residents for keeping the bathroom presentable over the weekend.
This shower is unique on the floor, as it’s handicapped-accessible. Only problem is that the shower-head won’t stay up too well… it’s kind of a position-and-pray kind of deal.
Welcome to the TV lounge! Color TV, now with 70+ channels, provided we have a coaxial cable hooked to the TV, adequate seating, and a view of the Harrisonburg skyline.
The Area of Rescue Assistance… only to be used if you physically cannot get down the stairs in an emergency, since in an emergency situation, elevators are out of service.
On the freshman side, we have the “cool” vending machine, due to the conveyor belt that rises up, picks up your drink, then ferries it to the green receiver section, ready for you to enjoy it.
And welcome to the first-floor lounge, new home of recycling, and on the freshman side, home of three tables-and-chairs setups.
Welcome to the lobby! Through the open door is the upperclass side, and the glassed-in room on the far left side towards the rear is the office, where folks like me sit duty.
Right off the lobby is the entranceway, and inside that is one of the “nerve centers” of this building. On this panel is the card-access in the center along with the “emergency” phone, the Fire Alarm Control Panel (FACP) at the top, and the alarm annunciator at the bottom. Below the FACP is the controls for the rescue assistance buttons.
And on the other side of the office from the alarm panel is the Pavilion Room, actually two rooms. One (below) is generally used as a game room, and the other (above) is a multipurpose room.
So there’s Potomac Hall for ya! Everything I didn’t show you last year… now for you to see!
