<p>A pretty good article from today’s Philadelphia Inquirer by a student writer about the vicissitudes of dorm decoration when you barely (or don’t) know your roommates:</p>
<p>It touches briefly on the religious-symbol controversy that engaged so many of us a few weeks ago, from a slightly different angle – a kid who likes a variety of religious symbols as decorative elements.</p>
<p>Anyway, one of the striking things about the article is its effortless use of the female universal. There isn’t a boy to be seen anywhere, but there’s no suggestion that only half – well, maybe 55% – of the college-bound population is thinking about this. (I asked my son, and he said, “What’s to think about? I’m bringing three things I care about and I’ll put them somewhere. Maybe two; one’s kind of dorky.”)</p>
<p>Lafalum84–I’m sure my son would have found a way to change roommates if confronted with your situation. As he goes to school in Houston, there are not too many Sox fans there…but he certainly displays his loyality to Red Sox Nation.</p>
<p>My son is a Red Sox fan too, although he will be wearing his Red Sox regalia.</p>
<p>The ultimate roommate/decoration broo-hah:</p>
<p>My friend’s D moving into an apartment with 2 other girls (they knew each other from frosh/soph years, as did their moms)…They show up and paint a “focus wall” (am I saying that right? A single wall in a living room painted some garish color?). Anyway, the other girl shows up with mom, and an immediate war ensues. It becomes a huge skirmish, all parties up in arms. Moms don’t speak to each other anymore.</p>
<p>I had gotten my son a very small Eagles pennant for his room thinking he could stick it on his white board on his door. Sort of a conversation starter. My husband graduated from West Virginia University and the kids have grown up cheering for WVU and the Eagles. Anyway, at parents weekend last year my son said that he really can’t cheer for WVU at his school in Southwestern Virginia and that the Eagles are not highly regarded either. :(</p>
<p>But back to decorating, My son’s total decorating scheme was going with one color - green - and buying some poster putty for a Monty python poster and a print that he got at an end of year dumpster diving expedition.</p>
<p>That’s right, Rachacha… somehow the old alma mater forgot to list “sports team affiliation” on the housing preference survey. But DS knew this was a risk he took when he picked a school where the largest number of kids are from NJ. DS is probably better equipped to deal with this than the average Sox fan, his father (originally from NJ) and sister are Yankee fans. He’s used to living with the enemy.</p>
<p>(Pearriceparent - nice to hear RSN is alive and well in Texas!)</p>
<p>My friend at Northwestern (die hard Sox Fan) got paired with a Yankees fan.</p>
<p>Personally, I’m an Orioles fan–my freshman year roommate and my roommate for the summer (coworker) were both Sox fans. Cool guys otherwise.</p>
<p>I’m at Maryland, but we had a decent amount Hoyas and BC stuff in my room freshman year (I went to Georgetown Prep, and my roomie was from Boston College High).</p>
<p>AFter reading that other thread, I asked my sons about decorating their dorm rooms. Here is their response:</p>
<p><em>blank look</em> </p>
<p>“Who stays in their room?”</p>
<p>When I visited S1 last year, I asked DH to please go in ahead of me to clear
S1’s ‘decoration’ lest I have that horrific visual imprinted on my fragile mommy mind 'til kingdom come.</p>
<p>90 minutes later, I got the call. The 15 x 20 room was clear. The floor was visible. On his side of the room anyway. Thanks to DH, I have a wonderful visual memory of that room with the bay windows looking out to the river.</p>
<p>I have noted though, that jointly purchased items (TV, speakers, futon couch) have been abscounded by selfish roommates–sans renumeration. I won’t let S2 fall into the same trap.</p>