Inside My Room – Senior Year
As things in Potomac Hall go, 211 seems to be where it’s at. Second floor, same position as last year. Let me tell you, though – I was initially somewhat disappointed to find out I was in room 211, because it didn’t follow the “4” tradition from my past years. McGraw-Long 104, Potomac 409, and Potomac 461. But then I realized something – it does follow the “4” theme, but in a more subtle way than before. Add up the numbers. 2 + 1 + 1 = 4. Needless to say, I was excited to figure that one out. Still, within the walls of 211, it’s definitely Schumin-land, through and through.
The door itself is mostly functional. Who am I, where am I, and what are the RA phone numbers.
Speaking of “where am I”, I overhauled my locator sign for 2002, with new and bigger pictures. Now, “In” shows me from Microwave Cooking, “Studying” shows Wampler Hall’s computer lab, “On Duty” shows the Potomac Hall Office, “Around Potomac” shows the vending machines, “Out” shows the Metro up in DC, “Do Not Disturb” shows a modified version of a Metro sign in one of their stations, “At Class” shows the entrance to Maury Hall (home of my new major, Public Administration), and “Sleeping” shows the same picture as last year – my bed from my room sophomore year.
Next to the door and above my room number sign is my “No Cellular Phones” sign. Many people have asked me why I have it, and some have hazarded a guess. Two guesses that people made were that they thought it was related to a medical condition, and others thought it was because I had sensitive computer stuff in here that a cell phone would disrupt. Turns out both of those are wrong – I just put it up as a matter of enforcing common courtesy when visiting me. I’ve had people come in to see me, and then their hip starts ringing. All of a sudden, I’m nothing, and I’ve got to wait for them to finish the phone call.
Did I mention that I hate cell phones?
So let’s come on in!
As you can see, my layout is remarkably similar to that which I had last year. The big differences are that I didn’t paint the walls, and the pictures are in different places.
First of all, sleep, sweet sleep. My blue-denim comforter is just lovely, and combined with the rest of the bed makes sleep SO comfortable. And to top it off, my little desk lamp functions as a great reading-lamp.
Next to the bed, in the corner, is the productivity section. The computer and all of its goodies. Nine times out of ten, the thing I’m looking for is either in the desk or somewhere on my computer.
And on the windowsill, various personal effects. King Kong posing with the Empire State Building, a Wheelock 7002T from my Fire Alarm Collection, and the experimental window-cam.
Did I mention that the Wheelock 7002T is almost as tall as the Empire State Building? Made ya look.
On the other side of the room, the futon is back in action, as well as the refrigerator and various supplies.
And speaking of supplies, my newest toy is well worth it. A Melitta Pure Perfection coffee maker is new this year, and SO worth it. It’s got a timer and everything, so I can wake up and immediately have that cup of coffee without having to wait.
The fridge, meanwhile, is my stronghold. Keeper of soda, water, and occasionally food, it’s got all the various magnets on it that kind of trace where I’ve been all through college.
“What happened to the Titanic clocks?” is probably the question you’re asking. Well, they broke after they fell off the wall in the middle of the night last year. So I bought a clock and a mirror (which I really only use for shaving and hair), and hung ’em up.
Meanwhile, on each side of the room hangs a Wheelock phone signal. Above my computer is the phone horn/strobe (pictured at left). It makes the bell tone, though it also can make horn and chime sounds.
Decorating the walls, it’s still very nautical. Titanic has a corner, and then otherwise, 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s ships adorn the walls among the phone signals, including the giant Normandie poster, right in the same place it was last year.
The TV lounge is slightly different this year, too, with the outer walls not being entirely all glass on this floor, due to building design.
The corridors are still as long as ever, and stretch from stairwell to stairwell.
And one thing unique to the second floor – we are the home of the only Wheelock MT fire alarm horn in the building, down by the TV lounge. All the rest of the building is Wheelock AS, and we have a different horn down there…
