Guilfordian, September 14, 1983 Page four Treat Your Imagination; By Todd Owens Wandering the dark dreary halls of Milner, I strived to see a dorm room with character and creativity. As I walked down the halls, a bright light grabbed me from the monotony. Without resistance, I glided into a room that was filled with space. Wonder of all wonders! There was a sitting room!! I was in awe. It was room *153, home of Brad Barrow and Andrews Shoff ner, sophomores. Their secret was to raise their beds to loft height and put in some extras such as a couch and a lazy boy chair. But that's not all. They have installed their own unique light fixtures, a ceiling fan, and a huge storage space above their door and closets which are still in the making. "It's a great room. Come on by and have a drink," said Brad as I left to find other creative minds. I made my way to Binford Hall where I met Jenny Mclnnes and Marissa Doolady in room *2OB. They succeeded in covering the obscene baby blue walls and white ceiling by hanging tapestries and batiks. Marissa bought the tapestries in New York but says that you can get them at any import shop for about $20.00. Jenny made the batik, a method of dying and wax ing. They also have shimmering wind chimes, which add to the I I Take Me Along McDonald's r\ WYI earthy atmosphere. Right down the hall, Patti Mc- Cracken made her antique 48-star American Flag into a useful interior decoration. Only a creative mind would think to use this artifact for drapes. How patriotic! When asked if she sup ports unemployment, Reaganomics, and the American Way, she said "No." Having a much better outlook on dorm rooms, I made my way to Mary Hobbs. The rooms are slightly bigger with a lot more possibilities. Carol Nieukirk and Jessica Marlin, sophomores, have outdone themselves by making a loft which has enough room to comfortably hold two beds, a shelf and room enough for whatever. Carol said that they've had up to ten people up there at one time. Room 16 is now known as the party room of Mary Hobbs. "It makes it easier to live here at Guilford. It's a very comfor table thing to have. It's like a home now," said Carol. Conceivably, with Hobbs' high ceilings, a second floor to a room could be made. Carol's loft, almost completely free-standing was designed by her roommate's boyfriend Jimmy last year. Carol and Jessica with the help of many friends erected this "second floor" last year and petitioned to leave it standing over the sum mer. Usually, when individuals change their room in some way, it is expected to be left in its original state. These girls did successfully petition the Housing office to leave the loft intact over the summer. In Shore Hall, I encountered many different efforts of creative minds to make the bare cinderblock a little friendlier. Laura Park and Kelley Little share room *204. They have hung posters with a philosophical trend. One that had a special ef fect on me was "Dreams are wings for the soul; Let your dreams soar." I also visited Kelly Bowden and Samantha Moore in room *2ll. It seemed that everything on their wall should have been in the sea. ...in the air I mean. On the wall was a green and yellow horseshoe crab made out of nylon cloth which I later found out was a kite. A fish kite hanging from the win dow added a certain uniqueness to the room. Other creative un £s|f * ; ?■'%■■' |HH SBk forgetables included a Smurf doll in the refrigerator, Piglet hang ing from a balloon, a red phone and two forest green chairs (looks like Christmas). "...better than the creative room are the creative people in it," said Samantha. Deep. As I made the long trek to English Hall, I thought about all the different ideas in creative decorating I had seen. It was good to know that the students at Guilford try to make their dorm rooms more comfortable. This is only a reflection of the friendly atmosphere that surrounds Guilford. In room 22, English Hall, Lyn Winslow and Nick Davies made their room seem more like a liv ing space instead of a bedroom. They did this by getting different sized pillows and cushions for their beds. Jim Freeman, a sailor at heart, shows his creativity by putting a sail to a sunfish on this wall. It adds a whole new dimen sion to the linear box-like room. I left English and went to Bryan Hall. This is where I found the ultimate in dorm room decorating. Arthur Lynn and Mike Lawson (known to everyone as Rex) reside in the luxurious D 223. What these two have done is not only creative, ingenious, and fantastic but also expensive, challenging, and laborious. Arthur and Rex built a normal sturdy bunk bed, but unlike anyone else, they added several touches that makes it unique. "L" shaped carpeted stairs come down from the top of the bunk to a platform where a refrigerator rests, and from the platform the stairs continue to the floor. Under the platform there is a storage space. The design of this room took place at Rex's home in Virginia Beach. They worked diligently continued on page 5 Photo by Kitty Hubbard