Illustration by Kayla Plater
The gloomy Portland weather and drab student housing at Lewis & Clark can be an unfortunate combination. However, campus residents are finding creative ways to rise to the challenge and decorate their dorms with purpose and care.
When Izzy Huggins ’24 arrived at Manzanita Hall last August, they were not impressed.
“When I first walked in here and turned on the lights, I was like ‘No,’” Huggins said.
Taking a step into Huggins’ quad now, one might wonder if they have stumbled into a particularly cozy art installation. Christmas lights, with each light covered by its own colorful folded paper lantern, snake their way around the edges of the ceiling. Drawings, paintings and collages by her friends cover the walls.
Like many LC students, Huggins has hung up photos of friends and family they miss. Some of the photos, though, are of total strangers. In one of the photos from SCRAP Creative Reuse, an old woman with large glasses and a pink and green flower print blouse smiles gently into the camera.
“Someone asked me the other day who (that) was and I was like ‘It’s my grandma.’ You don’t know,” Huggins said.
In a room like Huggins’, you cannot help but be in a good mood. She has certainly succeeded in creating a comfortable space for herself to live and work in.
“Rooms for sure impact how I go about my day,” Huggins said.
Tessa Robinson ’24 has also decorated her single in Copeland Hall with her energy in mind. A light purple and white tapestry hangs above her bed and most of her other decor matches this color scheme. According to Robinson, these colors and the way that they brighten her room help her feel more vibrant and awake. She has even kept some space on her wall empty so that the light from her window can reflect off the white paint.
“It helps mentally with making sure that, ‘Ok, here’s a new day! This is a good day, I need to do better today, I need to keep going strong today,’” Robinson said. “I feel like the white and light purple aesthetic goes with that mood for me.”
Robinson has also filled her room with items that represent her personality and identity. Her bed is raised so that neat stacks of shoe boxes can fit underneath.
“I feel like shoes are a part of not just me, but also a culture thing for me, because (with) me being half Black I (feel) so connected to fashion and style,” Robinson said.
Robinson also has a painting made by her sister propped on a shelf. It depicts a woman wearing a purple dress and a gold crown floating against a red background. Gold sparkles appear to emit from her hands and white sparkles surround her.
“My sister does this art of Black, beautiful women in their different body figures and shapes,” Robinson said. “That painting means a lot to me because it shows me Black is beautiful. Being in Portland it’s not really shown a lot and I just feel like that is a reminder that everyone is beautiful.”
Perhaps most special to Robinson are notes from her mother that she has hung above her desk. These notes remind Robinson daily that she is loved and has someone in her corner. Sometimes it is almost as if her mom is there, telling her to get to work.
“She used to write me notes in the morning and these are the notes I’ve saved over time,” Robinson said.
By bringing color, light, mementos from home, things to laugh at and reminders of love, Huggins and Robinson have curated beautiful and motivating dorm rooms. The care they have put into their rooms, ensures that not even the rainiest Portland day can stop them.
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