About the Dorm
This week dorm raiders visited Warren. Yes, of course I’m serious! And no, I didn’t see any rats or mold, and the smell didn’t force me into running away. Actually, Warren was kind of nice, which left me surprised considering it’s known around Tulane as “that sophomore dorm you don’t want to be in”. If you don’t think you’ve ever even seen Warren, it’s located near SoHo, so it has access to the new SoHo quad. The actual dorm is made up of a new side and an old side—the old side was built in 1927 and the “new” side was built in 1952. Warren’s old age is what gives it that negative reputation around campus, but Sam is here to prove you wrong: she loves Warren for it’s old-fashioned charm.
About the Resident
Meet Sam Howe! She’s from Grand Rapids, Michigan and studying public health at Tulane. Sam doesn’t only love Tulane for Warren—but I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you. She loves the general feeling of our campus. How many of you came here for the first time and just realized how happy everyone seemed? Maybe a group of guys yelled “come to Tulane” to your tour group, it even happened to me. There’s just an atmosphere here that can’t be matched: everyone seems so nice and friendly. And everyone seems to love Tulane. “I came here and it felt like home,” explains Sam.
Don’t Just Love Tulane—Love Warren too!
Sam’s single in Warren is as small as any dorm room you had freshman year. She doesn’t live in one of those Warren balcony rooms. And she doesn’t even have her own bathroom, basically a sophomore privilege here. So why, you might ask, does Sam disagree with the majority of Tulane students about “that dorm you don’t want to live in”? Let’s find out:
When Sam and her roommate were originally placed in Warren due to a late ticket in the housing lottery, they were anything but excited. However, they decided to investigate the dorm considering they had no idea how to even get into that building you might have noticed across from the LBC. These two girls snuck into their new dorm, found their room, and were pleasantly surprised. Although their disappointment had turned into excitement, Tulane’s housing system was yet again destined to disappoint Sam. Freshman boys were placed on the floor Sam was originally assigned to and she had the chance to switch dorms. Sam didn’t switch dorms? You’re probably a bit confused right now—who wouldn’t switch out of Warren given the chance? Sam just “fell in love with the quirks that are Warren”. She couldn’t picture living anywhere else at that point.
If you’ve heard the myth about being allowed on the Monroe roof, you’re wrong. If you’ve heard the myth about being allowed on the Warren roof, you’re right! The roof is the perfect place to tan or even to cut across into the other side of the building. Sam also loves the thick walls her room has. She never has to worry about hearing her neighbor’s phone conversations, or creepily overhearing every word on passing by tours—yes both of these things happen to me everyday. And her room even came with its own floor length mirror. I know you all would’ve been glad not to have to hang up your own mirror. Talk about struggling! No wonder Sam loves Warren.
What are you waiting for? Come in and actually see Sam’s room already!
Sam’s Scarves
Bright colors radiate all around Sam’s room. She has a bright green rug, a bright blue comforter, a tie-dye blanket, and a countless amount of posters. However, Sam’s room pulls off a fun vibe, none of the colors are too overwhelming. The brightest of them all is probably her rug—plus it’s also fuzzy and comfortable in addition to lightening up the room. As far as Sam’s posters go, they represent Sam’s love for music as well as objects that have a vintage feel. She also has a New Orleans landscape poster hung above her sink. The scarves hung on Sam’s wall came from her grandma. Talk about finding a function for one of those grandparent gifts you’re just not sure what to do with. Sam says she never would’ve worn the scarves, but they’re the perfect decoration for her walls.
She also has a bandana hung up from KaBoom build, a organization Sam volunteered with to help build a playground—it reminds her of the fun time she had every time she looks at it. As do the photos of her family on her bookshelf. If you want to represent your hometown, you should find a unique way to do so like Sam did. She has a pinecone on her shelf, sent to her straight from Michigan. Lastly, how many of you have forgotten a meeting you had to go to? I bet a bunch of you have “misplaced” a homework assignment. Sam has the solution to this kind of forgetfulness: she has a whiteboard above her bed to write down anything she thinks of that needs to get done without even getting up! She has a similar whiteboard on her door with a to do list on it. “I always see my door on my way out so I don’t forget anything I have to do” says Sam.
Have you gotten over your fear of Warren yet??
Make it Your Own
- If you end up with a room in Warren, don’t immediately panic! Read over this article and remember the benefits: it has some pretty fancy old-fashioned architecture that’s bound to make you feel comfortable and right at home.
- Get a solid, bright-colored rug to lighten up your room.
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Scatter colorful posters on your wall. Try arranging them in a fun zigzag pattern instead of just all next to each other.
- Sam bought her posters at Michaels. Art stores can be fun for dorm room shopping.
- Have a scarf you never wear but just can’t get rid of? Hang it up! Don’t be afraid to raid your mom or grandma’s closet to find one either. The bigger the scarf, the more wall space it’ll take up too!
- Put up a white board in a easy to access place, or somewhere you know you’ll see it to write a to do list on.
- Your comforter is usually the first thing people will notice about your side of the room, so find a bright one if you want a lively room.
- Stop being afraid of Warren already!
Remember Tulane…Defend New Orleans, Defend Your Dorm!
Do you think your dorm has what it takes to be raided? Email rshinner@tulane.edu