Calvin
Calvin “likes to be occupied”-- he does not spend a lot of time in his dorm, preferring to eat, do work, and socialize elsewhere on campus. He is also a musician, and spends a lot of time recording and playing music with his band, Passenger Princess. Though he has a guitar, amps, and an interface in his dorm (fig. 4), he was too busy to record music in it.
Though he does not spend a lot of time in his dorm, Calvin sees it as “his own space” on campus, and chose decorations that create a pleasing ambience and remind him of his family. “I wanted to create something warm,” he tells me. “A lot of the decor is stuff that my family gave me after our last move. I thought a lot about lighting.” The harsh dorm lighting posed a challenge to Calvin, who felt it made the room feel less “home-y.”
His mother is an artist, and he hung some of her art on his door (fig. 3). Similarly, he has a painting by his grandmother (fig. 4). He placed art that he thrifted with friends from Philadelphia, his hometown, on his desk (fig. 1). He has secondhand trinkets strewn throughout the room. He also has a collection of post-it notes with drawings by him and friends who visit the space (fig. 4). He looks to the post-its as a reminder of time spent with friends, but also for inspiration. “I haven’t drawn much this year, but I was trying to get really good at drawing,” he says. “I felt like if I put the good drawings up, it would remind me of how far I’ve come, and that I can keep getting better.”
Calvin pointed out his bookshelf, which has practical items like notebooks and a microwave, as well as novels (fig. 2). “My parents always had books growing up,” he tells me. “It’s nice to just look at the covers, and remember what it was like reading them.” The books not only remind him of his family, but relate to his academic interests; many are about psychology, his major at Wesleyan.
Calvin's dorm room reflects a blend of practicality, personal identity, and familial connection. Despite not spending extensive time within its confines, he views his dorm as a sanctuary—a place to retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of campus life. This sentiment is underscored by choice in decorations aimed at fostering a warm, comforting atmosphere reminiscent of his family home, and his inclusion of art made by or acquired with loved ones.
