Olive's Room

To the naked eye room 311 would seem like a just another insignificant dorm space in the back corner of Hassayampa building C. This much is not true. Their is much to explore in this room for the eager, "tourist" as Mark Twain talks about, and as Vanclay says, place does matter.

 You walk in through the front door greeted to your left by an assortment of bright blouses, torn jeans and short shorts, striped t-shirts, canvas shoes, and boots. One might say a typical, hip, adolescent girl's wardrobe. Walk a bit further in to find in the corner an old strung up guitar hoisted with some old tied up bandanas. Next to the corner on the adjacent wall is a window with a considerable view of the campus. Adjacent to this window is a bench stacked with small boxes, decorated cups and, pencils. Your typical artsy desk space completed with a Macbook laptop computer. Along the walls are little decorations and stickers of trees, posting birds, a caricature, and art pieces. On either side of the living space are a simple bed stand and a string of pictures above the bed to keep it company.

This may seem to be the typical, standard Hassayampa dorm space. But, the careful eye would see that their is much more. For example each item of clothing that greets you has their own story to tell. A pair of jeans worn out from an exhausting day treading about on a warm summer day during a concert. A sundress worn out for an exciting first date. Even a pair of space designed tights worn on a memorable halloween night. Simple, yet memorable stories the unobservant viewer would easily miss. There is a lot to learn from viewing a simple space. Even a couple scuffs on a pair of jeans can  have a story to tell.

Something about the room is very welcoming yet daunting. Entering room 311, one might feel in some ways like Mark Twain's, "tourist." There is a mystery and wonder to being welcomed in room 311. So much space is occupied with art and pictures, and creatively placed clothing and objects. The way the room is set up, is such that their had to be some very careful consideration and effort. To witness and really understand the process and consideration is really some kind of a treat. Almost like reading a metaphor from a book and not necessarily understanding it; but, having an appreciation and a curiosity to explore the meaning behind it. 

The walls themselves with the guitar, the pictures, and the drawings even have their own significance. The guitar in the corner is a gift from an old friend. Despite the ratty, beat up guitar seeming to be just another instrument, it holds the old memories of a faded but meaningful relationship. The guitar stays in the corner to stand as a remembrance of a past friendship that still holds its bond. The carefully placed boxes and pencils on the desk show the patience and careful consideration of a creative mind. And one box holds a ring also as a remembrance of a old relationship. The pictures on the wall above the bed are a reminder of past experiences, old friends, and family. The walls even hold their own memories and stories.

The room has its own stories to tell and its own bonds to share. The room is a physical embodiment of a girls mind, plastered about a room in its own special way.