By Raena Doty
Arts & Features Editor
For many freshmen, moving into a residence hall and sharing space with a roommate can be daunting - but for many freshmen, it can also be an exciting prospect.
Such was the case for freshman child and family studies major Oak Blum, who came to FSU excited to live with a roommate.
“When I was growing up, I shared a room most of the time, and I lived in a very crowded house, so I do not like being alone very much,” he said.
He added, “I honestly could not have asked for a better roommate.”
Blum said he wanted to get out of his house for a long time, so the transition to living on campus was “almost flawless.”
He said he has many hobbies that take up space in his room, like playing guitar, drawing, cosplay, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Since coming to Framingham State, Blum has been able to join clubs that reflect these hobbies, including Gaming Club, Anime Club, and Comic Book Club. He’s also become the vice president of the newly formed Dungeons and Dragons Club.
Blum said he would like more space in his room to do his hobbies, but he knows that isn’t always possible.
“I built a kind of sword out of duct tape and cardboard recently, and there’s not a lot of room to store it,” he said. “But it’s a college dorm - what do you expect?”
He added keeping up with his hobbies has become difficult regardless of space because of a lack of time caused by heavy workload from classes.
Blum described the decorations in his room as “blender.
“Like a blender - not like Neural Blender,” he said.
He clarified he meant his room is decorated with lots of different types of decorations, and none of them fit together cohesively, including posters, fairy lights, and a mini hammock full of stuffed animals.
“I guess ‘magpie aesthetic’ would be good. It’s just anything I find that is shiny and I like - it goes on my wall,” he said.
He said his favorite decorations are his “Hollow Knight” posters, and a shadow box he painted to look like a honeycomb with bees on it at an FSU event.
He said if there were anything he’d change about the room, it would be the chair that goes with the desk.
“Hate the chairs. They’re bad. I do not like them,” he said.
To make living on campus more comfortable, Blum said he wished he had brought both of his weighted blankets, and plans to bring his second blanket back to school when he returns for the spring semester.
“I have a 35-pounder, and at home I have a 15-pounder, and usually I use them both,” he said, and added he wanted to have at least one of them at school and one at home, but “I love the 45 pounds just like crushing me.”
He also said students living at school should make sure they have items to help them destress.
“And I would say access points to the people who calm you down and help you work through stuff is the most vital thing that I’ve brought with me on campus,” he said.
He added, “My younger sibling is an important keystone in my circle. My friends on campus really help out a lot with that.”