Making dormitory rooms look like home may be an objective for freshmen, transfer and returning students who are housed on Southern’s University’s campus, but before students put up a poster of their favorite singer, or hammer that nail, they may want to check campus housing regulations first.
“My roommate and I went out and purchased matching comforter sets,” said Pearl Burnett, a sophomore business management major from Houston.
“We also bought a bathroom set that matched our room as well.”
Burnett’s idea of decorating may be within the limits of the university’s standards, but Marilyn Hill, director of residential housing, said some students ignore or may be unaware of dorm restrictions, such as with wall decorations.
Hill said a major concern of campus housing was how posters and pictures were fixed to the walls. She said instead of putty, which is easy to remove and not harmful to paint, students were using tacks, which leaves holes.
“We don’t have a problem with students putting posters on the wall, as long as they are fixed in a manner that it does not take away the painting on the wall,” Hill said.
Though often done, Hill discourages students from putting posters or other items such as Greek paraphernalia in the windows. Hill said not only is that a restriction dictated by campus housing, but by the state Department of Health.
“Based on the regulations, they cannot put anything inside of the windows,” Hill said. “Sometimes, they (students) like to put newspaper and aluminum foil (in the windows). We strongly discourage that.”
If students are unsure of what restrictions apply to their dorm rooms, they should stop by the residential housing office in Dunn Hall. Some students aware of what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to decorating their dorm have found ways to make their rooms more accommodating.
“I take it upon myself to do anything possible to make my dorm room feel more at home,” said Brandon Burroughs, a junior theater major from Ruby, S.C. “For instance, I have pictures hanging of some of my closest family and friends.
And to show my school spirit, I also have some Southern paraphernalia hanging as well.”
Other students find themselves on the same page as Burnett, by trying to match everything in their rooms, from the bedspreads to the shower curtains.
“We provide the shower curtains for them,” Hill said. “But there are many students who like to coordinate their shower curtains with the spreads. The only thing is, if you’re going to remove the curtain, just let the staff know or make sure that the staff gets it.”
Of course, more could be done to make a room look just like home, and students should not allow the restrictions to deter them from making their rooms student-friendly, Hill said.
“As long as it does not interfere with the construction of the area,” she said.