Dorm Room Dialogue

Gail M. Pokorney ’04

Mather House 411 (Low-rise)

John N. Belitsos ’02-’03

Mather House 405 (Low-rise)

John on Gail

Decoration philosophy: She has a decorating philosophy of filling walls with as many colorful things as possible, even if they’re more cutesy and girlish than I would prefer. I like how she fills up enough space to keep the eye busy but not so much that her walls are overwhelming or cluttered.

Decorating rules: Her rules probably include seeking perfect symmetry and balance. A ruler is necessary to get the pictures as well-lined up as she has on her one wall. That takes more time and effort than I would bother spending decorating, but I like the effect. Also, she sticks in as many cute posters and Disney dolls as possible—she’s probably a really sweet girl.

Hometown: She must be from the States, judging from the fact that she’s got a pro-choice poster up. Very rarely would an international student have something like that up. I would argue that she’s a New Yorker, as half the school seems to be. I doubt she’s from the city, but rather from some random town in Long Island or something. Her room isn’t eccentric enough that I’d guess she’s from a major city.

Concentration: She’s definitely a bio or chem girl. She seems very detail-oriented, and no one reads organic chemistry textbooks for fun. I could also see her studying something like history and being premed on the side. She appears to be a hard worker.

Favorite place to study: I bet she studies in her room. She seems like the type who could get a lot done in her room and isn’t distracted enough that she has to travel to the Yard in the freezing cold to get in a couple good hours of library work.

Fro-yo flavor: I would say strawberry, judging from the Disney characters and puppy poster.

Valentine’s Day plans: I wouldn’t doubt that she has a boyfriend, but based on sheer Harvard statistics I’d have to say that it’s more likely she’s hanging out with her roommates and getting a little homework in.

On a typical Friday night: That’s a hard one to gauge, but her room makes me guess that she’s a sophomore who is probably not too into the bar or final club scenes. I would say she’s more prone to go hang out with friends at room parties.

Favorite Winter Olympic sport: I’d guess her favorite Winter Olympic sport is skating. It’s mine, and I doubt that she’s too into luge.

Movie they’re ashamed to have seen: I would say she’s ashamed to have seen something like American Psycho. I don’t know what movies the typical person would regret having seen but I assume she would find that one quite horrifying.

Taxi, UC shuttle or T to Logan? I bet she takes the T. I doubt she’d shell out the money for a cab, usually, and I don’t know a thing about the UC shuttle.

Favorite vacation spot: I bet she likes somewhere warm, maybe in the Caribbean.

Favorite store in the Square: I doubt she’s into Abercrombie but I wouldn’t doubt that she’s into one of those clothes stores. Not Urban Outfitter, though—too eccentric. I bet she also likes Bob Slate. She could be the type that gets a big kick out of stationery.

Immediate reaction to housing assignment: She’s definitely a Mather girl. Though I love Mather, her room is colorful and cute so I would guess that she was horrified when she got her housing assignment. Though she probably likes Mather a lot now, I’d assume she sat around and tried to convince her blockmates that “it’s not that bad” despite feeling like crying a bit herself.

The last MP3 she downloaded: Maybe “I Can Show You the World” from Aladdin? It honestly was in my most recent 50 downloads, after all.

What’s in her CD player? Dave Matthews is a safe call, but I could also see her having Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in there.

Gail on Gail:

Hometown: Cazenovia, NY.

Concentration: English.

Philosophy on decorating Harvard rooms: If you have a wall, use it. Fill up every possible square inch of space with a picture or postcard.

Decorating rules: Everything at right angles. Poster gum is the new scotch tape.

Favorite place to study: Lamont. I live there during reading period.

Fro-yo flavor: Raspberry. I like the fruity ones.

Valentine’s Day plans: Dressing in black and going to see “The Vagina Monologues” with my roommate.

On a typical Friday night: Studying in my room—Friday night is a weeknight, technically.

Favorite Winter Olympic sport: Figure skating, for sure. I’ll even abandon work to watch it because I wish I could look like that at Frog Pond.

Movie you’re ashamed to have seen: Cruel Intentions. I hate that movie...watching it makes me feel unclean.

Taxi, UC shuttle or T to Logan? T, because when I’m in the process of leaving for a a trip, I’m so excited about getting there that I don’t mind lugging my suitcase through the Square, across three subway lines and onto an airport shuttle.

Favorite vacation spot: Disney World! I’m never too old to appreciate the idealism and I love Donald Duck.

Favorite store in the Square: It’s got to be any one of the Asian restaurants. I learned how to use chopsticks really young.

Immediate reaction to housing assignment: Yes! Singles!

The last MP3 you downloaded: I don’t know how to download MP3s.

What’s in your CD player? Madonna’s “The Immaculate Collection.”

Gail on John

Philosophy on decorating Harvard rooms: Keep it simple—wall space can be beautiful too.

Decorating rules: If it’s not a conversation piece, I don’t want it.

Hometown: New York City.

Concentration: Social studies—this major can best account for the Greek, Iranian and macro textbooks.

Favorite place to study: Must be the room—look at all that desk space!

Fro-yo flavor: Vanilla.

Valentine’s Day plans: Judging from the placement of the cologne on the top shelf, I’d have to say chilling in Mather.

On a typical Friday night: Hanging out with friends

Favorite Winter Olympic sport: The luge—isn’t that everyone’s favorite sport?

Movie he’s ashamed to have seen: Titanic. The consummate chick flick.

Taxi, UC shuttle, or T to Logan? Probably the T—most economical.

Favorite vacation spot: The eastern hemisphere. That should account for most of the artwork.

Favorite store in the Square: Dickson Bros. After all, there are three non-Harvard lamps in the room.

Immediate reaction to housing assignment: Mather—cool.

The last MP3 he downloaded: Ouch. I’m not up on my new releases.

What’s in his CD player? U2.

John on John

Philosophy on decorating Harvard rooms: I don’t really try too much. Mostly I use stuff I stole from my brother. I go for the minimalist style.

Decorating rules: In Mather they didn’t even give us [molding hooks] to hang things up. In DeWolfe we played darts and had to fill in a lot of holes with toothpaste.

Hometown: Baltimore.

Concentration: Economics.

Favorite place to study: My desk or the very, very bottom corner of Widener—no light, hardly any books. Nobody walks through.

Fro-yo flavor: Well, I don’t go for that stuff too much, but straight vanilla. I’m more the cookie type—I make ice cream sandwiches.

Valentine’s Day plans: I didn’t even know what day it was until this girl I met last summer in Greece told me she wasn’t happy. [This year] I’m sticking around here.

On a typical Friday night: I like to do random stuff. Last Friday night at about 11:30 I went to New York with some friends. If nothing else, I’m at the Owl. I like to go to clubs but I haven’t been to too many around here.

Favorite Winter Olympic Sport: I’m a big fan of the Olympic skating event. What other winter sport is violent enough that the athletes hire thugs to take out competitors’ knees?

Movie you’re ashamed to have seen: Bring it On. It has to be the worst movie I’ve ever seen.

Taxi, UC Shuttle or T to Logan? I have a car, so hopefully I’d be driven by my sister [a first-year]. But I would always take the T. It’s quicker and cheaper. Underline the cheaper.

Favorite vacation spot: Paros, an island in Greece. Also, this random farm village in Poland. My roommate was from there. I’ve never been taken care of so well. They forced liquor on us. The first day we had five shots of vodka at nine in the morning. We finished 19 bottles that day. Then there was a dance party with a bunch of old Polish grandmas.

Favorite store in the Square: I was a big fan of that old burger joint that shut down [the Tasty]. I don’t like all the new commercial stores. I liked it when the Square was more old and flavorful. Abercrombie & Fitch doesn’t cut it for me.

Immediate reaction to housing assignment: We hated hearing about Mather. We chose to be in DeWolfe our sophomore year. But I love it now. There are so many weird intersections of planes.

The last MP3 you downloaded was: “Super Stylin’” by Groove Armada.

What’s in your CD player right now? Miles Davis, “Bitches Brew.”