LYON College Blog » Housing

Random Thoughts

Jessica — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:06:50 +0000

So it is officially my last semester at Lyon College. While I am not 100 % sure I want to leave everyone I’ve meet here behind, I am ready for a change. The biggest change that I want to happen is living somewhere besides a dorm. Dorms serve their purpose but they get a little old after a while. I’ve figured out that the trick is to stay out of them for as long as possible. Spend all your time elsewhere. Another change that I am looking foward to is having my own parking space. The parking area for Young House leaves something to be desired. If you get lucky you can get a spot in the lower lot which isn’t far from the dorms but the not so lucky have to park in what is called the Way-Out-There Lot (also known as the WOT Lot). I am ready for my own parking spot that is close to my house/apartment/wherever I live. I am ready for a house but I don’t have the money for a house. I am going to grad school next year so I doubt the whole house thing will happen anytime soon anyways…

Another random thought… Whats up with the weather? Last week there was snow on the ground. Monday and yesterday it was in the 60’s and 70’s and then last night there were tornadoes around the NE AR area. And then today it was snowing again! Yes it was snowing. If you missed it - don’t worry, it didn’t last long or stick. The only thing I can say is Welcome to Arkansas!

This is the busiest week of the semester it seems. The semester started not even a month ago and now all of my classes are having tests/papers/exams all in the same week - this week. And to make matters worse - everything is due on Friday.

One last random thought: this week we have started a Swim Club. Why Lyon has an indoor pool but no swim team has always been an issue for me. But we just started a Swim Club. This semester we will meet two days a week for practice. Maybe next year, they will be able to get into some competitions (if there are any other colleges that compete) Well I’m off to practice now…

Moving Along

Katee Castleman — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 01:10:27 +0000

Every time I move, I’m amazed by the amount of stuff that can fit into such a tiny space. Things tend to accumulate over the school year and when it’s time to move out, there’s about three times as much stuff as when the year began.

But thankfully, moving in is no big deal when you’re a freshman. On Freshman Move-In Day, you pull up to the curb and swarms of Lyon students-members of fraternities, sororities, and campus clubs and organizations-start unloading the endless bags and boxes. All you have to do is tell them where to put it, and they get things moving!

As a freshman, Move-In Day was a neat experience. I was, of course, a little scared when I first arrived because I had no idea what to expect; college was a completely new and different stage in my life. But as we were lugging suitcases, boxes, and armloads of clothes, I met a few upperclassmen and just talking to them made me feel better. I actually remember one of the first conversations I had with an upperclassman while moving. Shannon, who graduated this past year, saw that I had a bedspread with pink and red roses on it and said, “Hey! I love that bedspread. The rose is our sorority’s flower!” That sounds like such a simple comment, but I’ll never forget that. Somehow, it broke the ice and made me feel much more comfortable.

Honestly, I think Move-In Day is a perfect example of the type of thing that sets Lyon apart from other colleges. Yes, it’s the middle of August and like 100° outside, and even after endless trips up and down stairs and in and out of buildings, everyone is still willing to tote boxes and do anything to help.

Katee Castleman — Wed, 16 May 2007 03:10:19 +0000

Today I had the priveledge of performing a “key audit” for all the dorm rooms, which is part of my responsibilities as a summer RA. Basically, once I organized the keys, I had to try every key in every lock to make sure that they actually worked. Sounds like fun, huh? Really, it was kind of a pain in the butt, but it’s something that has to be done! I think I’ve gained a new appreciation for keys….

When I was a freshman, I remember being so paranoid about losing my room key. I didn’t want anyone to think I was irresponsible and didn’t want to pay the $40 Key Replacement fee. Needless to say, my fear became a reality–I lost my key. I didn’t flat out lose it or misplace it….it was a bit more interesting than that. Typically, when I ran or worked out, I would fasten a ponytail holder around my key and wear it on my wrist which was much easier than lugging a bulky key ring around. One night while running on the treadmill in the gym, I laid my key on the console of the treadmill…. NOT a good idea. When I began running, the key fell, hit the belt, went inside the treadmill, and was never seen again.

I learned (the hard way) that you can never be too careful with your key!

How lame is my roommate?

Drew Dunham — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:32:14 +0000

What the heck is a house system? The house system really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense here at Lyon until you get here. Basically the “houses” are set up based on class. Of course there the beginning in the Freshman “quad” called Spraggins House. For many, you haven’t met a whole lot of people that are going to be in your class, so the roommate situation can be sort of a worry. Luckily, my roomie graduated with me from high school and we had been friends since junior high, but let’s be honest, we don’t all get that lucky. Sometimes, even after all of Student Life’s attempts to pair people with similar interest and habits, you end up with a roommate that isn’t exactly your style because let’s face it, it’s hard to match people up on just a piece of paper. That’s kinda the beauty of coming and living at a new place. You do actually grow from this and learn a few things. 1) You gotta accomadate from time to time. From this I mean, getting use to your roommates bad habits. For instance, I’m somewhat of a clean freak, but even though we’re good friends my roomie tends to just throw stuff around. All it takes to solve this problem though is a little communication and compromise - Big things to learn for the real world. 2) You’re not stuck with them for all four years. That’s right, you’re gonna get out and meet new people that you get along better with. Maybe that means that you go hang out with your new friend and their cooler roommate. Who knows, but what’s garunteed is that you can find someone else that you fit better with and room with them the next year, or if you’re really that picky - go for a single. It all works out in the end though and my roommate and I have made it through three years and ready to live it up for our final year.

Freshman Living

Katee Castleman — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:40:04 +0000

Freshman dorms. That phrase alone is usually enough to send you running and screaming in the other direction. Do visions of dimly lit rooms and the dreaded community bathrooms come to mind? Well, if it makes you feel any better, the dorms at Lyon really aren’t that bad. The four freshman dorms (Love, Bryan, Blandford and Spragins) compose “The Quad”, so you’re located within a few seconds of your fellow classmates. Yeah, the rooms may seem small at first, but you’d be amazed at all the things that can be crammed into closets and drawers. And community bathrooms are, in my opinion, a blessing rather than a curse. If you share a bathroom with suitemates, you are responsible for keeping that bathroom clean. Blandford, Love, and Bryan all contain community bathrooms which are cleaned by the housekeeping staff at least twice a day!

Fred: The Ghost of Spragins Hall

Katee Castleman — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 01:32:40 +0000

Chances are, sooner or later, you’ll hear rumors of Fred, the ghost of Spragins Hall. I really don’t know when the story of Fred began or if there is even a grain of truth to the tale, but I still find it rather amusing. Apparently Fred haunts a few selected rooms in Spragins. He’s been known to leave messages on computers and randomly turn TVs on and off. Fred is probably best known for the ‘protective’ watch that he keeps over the girls in Spragins Hall. He is not fond of pictures or posters of other guys that college girls often have plastered about their dorm room. Most residents find it difficult to get these items to remain hanging on the walls because Fred becomes jealous and knocks them down. Since I’ve never actually lived in Spragins, my knowledge of Fred is limited to hearsay around campus. I’m sure past and present residents can tell even better tales than this. But still, it gets you thinking….is this just another crazy college ghost story?? Guess you’ll just have to find out for yourself!