Dorms are small, often shared spaces, with desks that have to function not just as a workspace but as a vanity, a kitchen table, a bookshelf, and even an altar of sorts for trinkets and talismans to remind you of where you’ve been. Because of this, I feel a desk can say a lot about a person. Here’s what mine says about me.
Book Stand
In the center of my desk is a book stand I collaged onto when I was in middle school, which is incredibly helpful for loose pieces of paper. Currently, mine holds several bookmarks from The Three Arts Bookstore in Arlington and The Brew. It also holds an Elf lip gloss and hand cream, all within easy reach.
Books
Not only am I an avid reader to begin with, I am taking incredibly reading-heavy classes this semester. To the left of my book stand, I have my textbooks for my art history class this semester, Painters of Modern Life. We’re learning about French and British art in the nineteenth century, focusing on the movements of Realism, Impressionism, and Symbolism. Our textbooks are Nineteenth Century Art: A Critical History by Stephen Eisenman, Realism by Linda Nochlin, and Impressionism by James Rubin. I’m finding Nochlin’s work particularly interesting because she wrote her book in the basement of Taylor Hall on Vassar’s campus. She was also a known feminist art historian, touching on issues of gender and sexuality in art that are especially fascinating to me.
On the other side of the book stand are a stack of books I plan to read for fun, including The Lives of Lee Miller, about an American photographer, model, and war correspondent who grew up in Poughkeepsie. I also have several of Annie Ernaux’s books, who writes about the feminine experience growing up in France, combining my interests in French language and culture with a woman’s literary lens.
To the right of that is a horizontal stack of required reading for the literature class I’m taking this semester: Dystopian Fiction. Currently, we’re finishing up 1984 and starting The Handmaid’s Tale, both startling and fascinating to read in the current political climate. Both are rereads for me, the books are giving me much to think about in terms of women’s roles in society and the power of female sexuality to threaten authoritarian, male-dominated societies (a theme in every novel so far). Sounds a bit familiar…
Trinket Dishes
Strewn across my desk are all sorts of odds and ends I can’t bring myself to get rid of, and which comfort me to have nearby. Two were given to me by friends, and the other is a trinket dish and ring holder that I sculpted during Ceramics Club on campus. They hold earrings, bracelets I’ve worn to the point of breaking, hair ties and barrettes, stickers, and spare change–I’m a sentimental girl and will admit to being a bit of a hoarder when it comes to small gifts from friends and worn things that have outlived their use.
Unopened Can of Café du Monde
At the beginning of the semester, I was a lot more optimistic about brewing my own coffee in the Keurig in my room–given my aversion to the Deece coffee. I gave up on trying to make this coffee when I realized I would need a can opener, so the mystery will likely have to wait to be solved until I’m home for the summer.
Coffee Mug
Next to the coffee can is a mug that says “I like to party, and by party I mean take naps,” which was given to me by a friend for our mug-themed Secret Santa last December. I do in fact love to take naps, but this semester I have forbidden myself from studying in my bed because it inevitably leads to a nap–besides, that’s what this desk is for anyway.
Dried Flowers
My residential house, Lathrop, hosted an apple-picking trip last October. My friends and I gathered flowers from their fields after picking our apples, and I preserved mine by wrapping the stems with a hair tie and hanging them upside down until all of the moisture was gone. I threw a small vase for them in the ceramics club, which now sits on top of a box of tea and allows me to have some nature in my room without having to worry about killing a potted plant.
Perfume
My grandmother bought me a vanilla perfume from a small batch perfumery called Library of Flowers when I was in middle school, and I’ve been loyal to it ever since. It smells amazing and is subtle enough for every day, and the cute bottle is an added benefit. Having it on my desk both reminds me of my grandmother and makes it easy to grab and refresh during the day.
FujiFilm Camera
Finally, I keep a disposable camera on my desk to have it accessible. I usually bring it on outings or nights out, and when the semester is over, I will get the film developed and reflect on the fun memories I’ve had and be able to share something tangible with the people I took them with. I love the medium because it keeps me more present in the moments I’m capturing, not being able to immediately check what the photo looks like and appraise it. My photos from last semester are now taped to the wall above my bed, happy reminders every time I enter my room of the lovely people I’ve met at Vassar.
Objects can have a significant emotional significance, indicating what and who matters to us and what we’re passionate about. As students, our desks are therefore indicators of how our personal and academic lives collide, and college life is a matter of striking that balance.