NO ROOM TO BREATHE

Roommates: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

College to many is a time to meet new people and make new friends, and what better way than starting with the person your going to live with, your roommate. Here at the University of Mississippi, freshman are required to live in dorms, therefore a roommate is required. Many incoming students attempt to find a roommate before entering the scary dorms, but others decide to test their luck and go random with the selection process.

"I think my random selection added to the mystery of college," freshman Jamie Bruchman said, "my roommate and I never met until move in day and I'll admit it was nerve racking." Bruchman said that it was a weird experience beginning his college life with a completely random person in the same room with him, but it allowed him to start anew and make a good friend right from the beginning. "My roommate and I have become close," Bruchman said, "we are really open with each other and can confide in each other when needed."

For others, however, the story has not been so sweet. For freshman Boty Sant, he and his roommate got off to a rocky start. Ironically, they had been best friends for years.

"We couldn't really agree on who got what bed," Sant said, "and for weeks I would get mad about how he always left the television on while I was trying to sleep."

This may seem like a bad situation, but one could never imagine what freshman William Stephens had to go through. Stephens was anticipating a roommate that was quiet, studious, and reserved. What he got was the complete opposite.

"I got a party animal, soon to be nicknamed "The Goose"," Stephens said, "he was going out every night, causing a ruckus when he came in during the wee hours of the morning, and one time he even urinated on our floor." Stephens recalled this memory with a grimace on his face. "Honestly, I cannot wait to move out," Stephens said, "I think I probably should've got to know my future roommate before selecting and actually thought about my decision."

As one can see, roommates can either be a benefit or a tragic story. It is all about clicking together that will make the college experience a good one for both people.

Story by: Matt Sigler