Dorm Life

Social class is frequently defined by monetary substances such as clothing, homes, or vehicles. Yet as a student on the UC Davis campus, students are often classified by their assigned living quarters. Despite the process being determined by random selection, students are often fortunate enough to land dormitories of upper class appearance. Each freshman student is required to pay the same fee for living on campus, however there is a definite divide between the various dorms. For example, Thompson and Alder are some of the newest dorms to the UC Davis campus. This section of student living is representative of a newly remodeled hotel or costly apartment complex. The design is advanced and sleeker than any previous existing dorms on campus. The modern furniture set in the lounges are more applicable to modern design, than the retro couches seen in dorms such as Campo or Indio. The smaller less dense buildings seem to receive a lesser reputation than the large and active communities set forth within dorms like Bixby. Can design influence your interpretation of an individual, without having any direct correlation to that person? Is judgment placed upon students who come from housing of poor and outdated design? The answer is rather controversial, and justifiably open ended.

We constantly judge one another on physical appearance, often wardrobe related. We pass judgement on where they shop, how much they spend, and the overall effort put worth into the final presentation. Yet, can as much be said for where a person lives? The purpose of receiving an education is to extend your field of knowledge and ultimately achieve great success. Is it wrong to judge based on design, whether or not the person is directly related to the design aspects that define them? Design will continue to define multiple aspects of the individual, whether or not the reflection is blatantly obvious.