Posts tagged bennington rooms series

Vivian, ‘14
Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ
Style: Barnes House
Plans: Dance and education

Vivian is a sophomore here at Bennington, but because she is a house chair of her house, she has a single down one of the upstairs hallways. Her room is a cozy space with a huge window looking out onto the soccer field and the surrounding woods of the campus. The first thing I notice are the custom curtains she has put up. “My mom made them with me,” she says. “They fit perfectly across the windows. It gets pretty sunny in here so it’s nice to have the option to close them.” It certainly creates a warm feeling around her bed, which also sports a couple blankets and pillows for maximum comfort.

Vivian’s studies at Bennington surround dance and collaboration. “I am interested in learning about people through dance and collaboration projects,” she says. “I take part in learning about people’s movement styles by improvising dance with them, and this allows me to learn more about my own movements.” 

I ask Vivian what her favorite things in her room are. She points out her tea collection and a pillow of the state of New Jersey, her home state, on her desk chair. Some other things I personally really like about Vivian’s room is how meticulously she has decorated it, leaving blank wall space but still hanging things up here and there. 

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Casey, ‘14 and Karen, ‘15
Hometown: Chicago, IL and Macungie, PA
Style: Woo House
Plans: Casey just wrote her plan in social ecology and activist studies, and Karen is a freshman so she is still thinking about it. Mostly, she is interested in combining art history and environmental studies with some literature on the side.

I got to see Casey and Karen’s room on a bright Monday afternoon. Karen was in class but Casey promptly invited me in and offered me some tea. My first question for her was what she likes about the room, and she immediately points out the big window and beautiful view. “I transferred from a school in Chicago,” she tells me. “There I had a great city view, but this view of the meadow is just really beautiful.” Casey and Karen’s room looks out over the fields behind the Woo Houses that eventually reach the woods that surround our campus. 

Karen’s area of the room is made cozy and homey by a purple drapery hung over the bed and Christmas lights along the wall. The whole room has a very warm feeling. Casey’s bed is covered in quilts and pillows and I notice a light coming from under the bed.

“That is my little nook space,” she says. “I put my bed up the highest it would go and then shoved my dressed under, which freed up floor space. But then I also got to create this little crawl in. I sit in it when I’m homesick; there are photos of my family.”

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Greg, ‘12
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Style: Woo House
Plan: Music production with a side of music theory, composition, and performance

The first thing Greg tells me he likes about his room are the high ceilings. This is something the Woo Houses have to offer: high, slanted ceilings that reach up to fifteen feet high. In addition to this are the large windows that offer great views and light during the day; Greg’s room overlooks the fields where the student garden is planted.

While not heavily decorated, Greg’s room does have select posters on the wall for different bands. “Another thing I like about my room is that it is a reflection of who I am but also who I have been. I don’t really listen to a lot of those bands with posters on the wall but I did at some point.”

Greg’s room does indeed reflect his passion and interest in music. There is a shelf of nothing but his extensive record collection and the small orange amp he owns sits atop larger speakers that are hooked up to his turntable. He is interested in all sides of it, from the post production to the live performance. “Liberal arts educate the whole person and Bennington is letting me educate the whole musician, I guess,” he tells me. “Each individual thing I study informs each other. Engineering makes me a better songwriter, and being a songwriter makes me a better engineer.”

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Emily Jane, ‘12
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
Style: Colonial House
Plans: Visual art and architecture, working primarily with tactile sculptures

I am completely blown away by Emily Jane’s room upon walking in. Everything is so organized, so thought out, and so tranquil. As I take a seat, I notice right away how close everything is to the ground. ”I put all of my furniture quite low, to establish a low center of gravity which activates the floor as possible seating,” Emily tells me. “Because of that, the room feels larger and can comfortably accommodate many people, letting the people on the bed converse with the people lounging on the floor. There is ample seating and everyone is at the same height.”

Just from this statement it is obvious that Emily has put a lot of thought into her space. As a sculpture student working with interactive and tactile sculpture, her room reflects her interest in the possibility every day designs can have. “I built the bench out of a door and two logs,” Emily says, indicating the bench against the wall upon which I am sitting. The blank wall space also adds to this cohesive, calming effect the room has.

Another lovely aspect to Emily’s room is the rocking hair in the corner next to an awesome plant. “I got that from Hoosick Warehouse,” Emily says. The Hoosick Warehouse (actually named the ERC Community Warehouse) is an amazing second hand furniture/everything else store where many Bennington student procure extra items for their rooms, such as chairs or bookshelves. Emily Jane’s rocking chair is a great example of what can be found there.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Chris, ‘12 and Shannon, ‘12
Hometowns: Boston, MA and Kansas City, MO
Style: Colonial House
Plans: Computer science & Animation (Chris), Theater & Media Studies (Shannon)

Chris and Shannon like to keep their room simple. They tend to hang out in here more than work since most of their work happens in the art building VAPA. Because of this, their focus is more on the room as a functional space to spend down time rather than simply a bedroom.

“We wanted to make it as much like an apartment as we could,” says Shannon. “It definitely feels more like an apartment.” Curtains on the windows and a television help with this vibe. Chris is somewhat of a computer wiz and because of this is interested in electronics of all kinds. And of course, there is their beloved Xbox, definitely an important part of their down time. Perfect for playing games or watching a movie from their comfy double bed that they created by pushing the two twin xl beds Bennington gives everyone together.

On their desk, which remains clean and sparse for Shannon to work at, I notice a Boba Fett clock. “I gave that to Chris for his birthday,” Shannon tells me. Small accents like this, including photos on some of the bookshelves, make the room personal in a subtle way.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Parke, ‘15 and Juliette, ‘15
Hometowns: Los Angeles, CA and Paris, France
Style: Colonial House
Plans: Both Parke and Juliette have not written their plans yet, but Parke is intending to do directing with some literature on the side. Juliette likes lots of things and is looking to combine the history of theater and astronomy.

“My favorite thing about our space,” Parke tells me as I sit down in their double, “is that it really is a marriage of Juliette and I. It reflects our personalities and ideals.” While Parke and Juliette’s room is selectively decorated, there certainly is a distinct choice in what is put up. From the crosses on Parke’s closet door to the red lamp by Juliette’s desk, their space is filled with things that they find precious and interesting.

“Once every couple weeks, Juliette and I just go cleaning crazy and clean everything,” says Parke. “We like to keep our space pretty neat.” Both of their beds are pushed against walls and their desks are nestled away, making for a large open space in the middle of the room that is easy to move around in. “We call that the chasm,” Parke tells me. “We wanted to make our room easy to hang out in, not just a space to study or sleep.”

I can’t help but notice the totally adorable note Parke has left on Juliette’s desk. Upon my bringing it up, Parke says “She is awesome. We were placed together so well.” When Parke and Juliette arrived as first term freshmen and got to their room, they left the furniture as it was and didn’t move it around a lot. However now in their second term, they decided to really try and work the space to their liking.

“I really do feel like I am coming home when I am here,” Parke says.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Mary, ‘12
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Style: Colonial House
Plan: Dance and literature

The first thing I ask Mary is if she is fond of the color purple. Her room seems to rotate around this particular color, from the couch to the drapes on the window and the small rug on the ground. And speaking of the couch, it certainly catches your eye and is, at least for me, the coolest thing in the room. “That couch belonged to another resident,” Mary tells me. “She passed it down to me when she graduated. I think she bought it from a consignment sale.” It is not uncommon for seniors in houses to pass down items they can’t take with them after they graduate.

Mary likes to keep her walls pretty plain and void of decoration. “It’s easier to read and concentrate if I do,” she says. She also likes to leave a lot of floor space so that it is easier to stretch. “I can’t dance in here, but it is very easy to stretch with all the space I have.”

On Mary’s desk, I notice an interesting combination of books: Paradise Lost and the entire His Dark Materials series. “That is actually for my lit class this term on Paradise Lost,” Mary tells me. “Philip Pullman was very influenced by Milton and wrote His Dark Materials as a modern commentary on things Paradise Lost also dealt with.”

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Atticus ‘13 and Rebecca ‘13
Hometowns: Acton, Maine and Los Angeles, California
Style: Colonial House
Plans: Music (Atticus), Astronomy and Literature (Rebecca)

At the end of a long hallway in one of the colonial houses, Atticus and Rebecca have curated their space to reflect what makes them most comfortable and what they are interested in. The array of plants by the windowsill catches your attention right away. “I like to have plants in the room since it is winter so much of the time we are here,” Rebecca says. Next to the plants are books and contraptions having to do with Rebecca’s interest in astronomy and space (including a small Star Trek figurine, one of her favorite shows).

Because they have pushed their beds together on one side of the room by the door, the rest of the room is free to set up as a music space for Atticus to use. He can practice, compose, or just jam. His desk is right next to that, put in a small nook in which it fits perfectly. Above the nook, Atticus points out the little window they have that they also made curtains for.

All the things on the walls are different posters, masks, and tapestries that they have collected. Everything in the room faces the two big windows by the plants and the bed. These windows overlook a tree right outside that stands next to the house in which Rebecca has placed a bird feeder.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Bryan, ‘13
Hometown: White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Style: Barnes House
Plan: Agriculture as more than food production

The first thing you might notice upon coming into Bryan’s room is how incredibly warm it is. “The room needs to stay at 80 degrees for the plants,” he tells me. Bryan’s plan is in sustainable food; he takes biology and environmental studies classes that, when combined together, make for a unique approach to this idea of sustainability concerning agriculture. Bryan is also one of the students who works here on campus in the student garden and helps run the sustainable food committee. His room pretty aptly reflects these interests. The Barnes Houses have large windows for maximum light; his windowsill is filled with seedlings, some already sprouting. Bryan points out chard, broccoli, onion, and kale. “I’m keeping them in here for now until we can plant them in the garden,” he says. “So my room won’t be this hot all term.”

Bryan has pushed his bed into the giant closet, something Barnes houses have to offer, to maximize space. He also notes the violin on the wall, a favorite instrument of his. He studies violin with John Kirk, a Celtic and American folk music professor on campus. Even though Bryan concentrates in sustainable food, he is still pursuing other interests like music.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Madeline, ‘15 and Julia, ‘15
Hometowns: Bridgewater, NJ and San Francisco, CA
Style: Colonial House
Plans: Madeline and Julia are both freshmen, so they haven’t written their plans yet. But both of them are thinking about a couple things: animal science and natural holistic sciences (Madeline) and women and folk culture studies and healing arts (Julia).

“Julia and I basically have the same taste in decorating, so we’re a great match,” says Madeline. Indeed, their room is very homey and well decorated. Both their beds have blankets, quilts, and comforters from home and their walls are adorned with reminders of home, their most recent Field Work Term in San Francisco, and their interests in science and healing arts.

“It’s funny how similar we are while keeping different interests,” Julia says. “Both of us are interested in holistic arts, but through different veins.” Madeline is interested in pursuing her passion for animals and animal science through her education here. For her first Field Work Term, she worked at a vet’s office. Julia assisted a midwife in a hospital for hers. The calming feeling their room gives off definitely provides the setting for a duo that is fascinated by different remedial practices. 

When asked what their favorite part of their room is, Madeline points out their window and the plants hanging in it. “It makes the room feel special,” she says. “It gives it a warm and personal vibe.” Julia talks about her comforter, the one on the bed just under the window: “My mom and I just went to the fabric store before I left for school and made one.”

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Victoria, ‘13
Hometown: Wycoff, NJ
Style: Colonial House
Plan: Public history with a concentration in Irish History

“I hate blank walls,” Victoria tells me the minute I walk into the room. It’s easy to deduce this from all the posters, photos, and various decorations Victoria has adorned her room with. The space is completely personalized down to the last bit of white wall space.

Another thing you notice right away in Victoria’s room are all the maps she has put up. A history buff, and specifically an Irish history buff, Victoria is constantly mapping out things for herself. Many of these thought processes hang on her wall. The most impressive one lives on the back of her door; it is a family tree of the British Royal Family from the Tudors to the Windsors. Victoria studies Irish history but also writes historical fiction as part of her studies at Bennington. Because of this she is always wanting to remind herself of what is happening in England or Ireland at any given moment. The large visual maps help her with this.

Other cool things about Victoria’s room: the fabric over the windows, softening the light and making for a nice atmosphere, the comfy circle chair for visitors, and the totally awesome Star Wars poster above her bed.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look at more here!

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12

Ben, ‘13
Hometown: Concord, MA
Style: Colonial House
Plan: Informal science education

Ben’s studies at Bennington surround exploring science education outside of schools; he is interested in working with the diverse ways in which a science education can be obtained, whether it be through museums or community labs. “I went to a very alternative high school,” says Ben. “So I’ve always been interested in different ways of learning that go beyond traditional textbook teaching. I want to promote exploration in science, find a broader way of learning.”

For one of his Field Work Terms, Ben worked at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, an interactive science museum for all ages. “That is when I realized what I really wanted to do,” he says. “It was perfect.” For all his FWTs, Ben has pursued his interest in science education through various veins. For his most recent one, he worked at a community lab in Brooklyn. For another, he interned at the Boston Museum of Science working with butterflies. One of the things in his room that most catches your eye is a case of butterflies. He tells me that the museum will collect butterflies that are already deceased to put in display cases. At the end of his internship there, they let him curate a case of his own and keep it.

Ben also brings my attention to the bed frames he has propped up against the wall. “I took my bed apart and brought up a futon. I love repurposing things, so I turned the parts from the bed I wasn’t using into a contraption to hang things off of.” Ben has a backpack, frisbee, amp chords, speakers and more suspended from this. Like a shelving unit, but way cooler.

This is part of an ongoing Bennington Rooms series
Look for more in the future here

For more about living on campus, check out the website here
For more about the plan, check this page out

-India K, ‘12