Decorating a dorm room is a very important step to feeling at home during the semester. Posters, photographs and christmas lights are key. However, to uphold the guidelines set by the Fire Master the walls cannot be more than 50% covered with posters, the christmas lights cannot touch posters, reach above door frames, wrap around windows, or be swirled around bed frames. This leads to some difficulties. Christmas lights beg to be hung everywhere the Fire Master says they cannot. And christmas lights are what make a room feel homey, because they alleviate the harsh industrial feel of the standardized fluorescent bulbs in every ceiling fixture. Working around the parameters, and still creating a comfortable room is possible, although difficult. By being extra creative like putting up christmas lights around posters as opposed to on top of them and putting posters on wardrobes, and dressers instead of walls, the Fire Master can’t complain. But if the Fire Master does, and you fail inspection, it means you haven’t tried hard enough. If you fail twice, you are fined $50. Sometimes comfort comes at a price…
Raina Puels ’16