Week Three Part Eight: Sim State Dormitory

One sweltering day in August a bus traveled from Prosperity Plains to Sim State University, carrying Darius Kules, his girlfriend Elise Kalson, Francine Riedmayer (who decided to start introducing herself as Fran), and Blake, Donte, and Jihoon Whitfill. Most of the young Sims had only a passing acquaintanceship with each other, but they were bound together by the idea that they were all from Prosperity Plains, the place where people look out for each other. They all agreed to do that when they got to the university.

As soon as they got settled in their new rooms (girls on the first floor, boys on the second), the new students headed down to the computer lab to declare their majors. Darius chose economics, of course. Elise and Fran both chose Drama, though Elise wanted to be an athlete and and Fran wanted to be a dancer. Blake chose philosophy because he heard it's an easy major and he wanted to have time to socialize. Donte chose psychology because he wanted to be an educator after he's done being a student. Jihoon chose art because he loved the subject (not because he heard art was an easy major).

Jihoon found himself staring at Fran while they sat at their respective computers registering for classes. He had admired her from the first day they met, and in their last few years at home they had struck up a friendship centered around their mutual love of painting, but things never progressed beyond that. After all, Jihoon was seven years her junior. He was pretty sure that since he'd turned 16 it would be legal for her to date him, but surely she wouldn't be interested. She'd find some college boy. Perhaps she'd even go for Blake, who was so outgoing and self-confident. Or she'd fall for Donte, who had such an agreeable disposition and who loved knowledge as much as she did.

Jihoon wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow he struck up a conversation with Fran. Then he shyly told her she was pretty.











She smiled at him, so he gathered up all his courage and kissed her lightly on the lips.












Shockingly, Fran kissed him back! It would have been way too juvenile to ask her to go steady, but Jihoon felt confident that this was the beginning of something amazing.










Shortly thereafter, before things got too busy, everybody decided it was necessary to shop for some new clothes. Fran really couldn't stand the pink pants she'd found at the secondhand store a few days before she left for college, and a lot of the others had similar complaints. Blake also changed his hairstyle--since he was 18 and out of the house, he didn't have to keep it in the neat buzz cut his mother preferred.





Soon, the students got busy attending classes and writing term papers and making new friends. Outgoing Blake was the first one to make contact with Corbin Todd, head member (and currently only member) of the Zeta Zeta Epsilon Greek House. One day Blake invited Corbin over to the dorm and all seven young people lounged about chatting from about 11 p.m. to a little after 7 a.m., at which point a few of the freshmen had to go shower and eat breakfast before their morning classes.

Clockwise from left:
Donte Whitfill, Elise Kalson, Blake Whitfill (notice the dreadlocks),
Darius Kules, Jihoon Whitfill, Francine Riedmayer, Corbin Todd

Predictably, Blake joined Zeta Zeta Epsilon at the beginning of the spring semester. Around spring break, Fran and then Elise joined as well. Darius, Donte, and Jihoon joined near the end of the semester, with Jihoon just managing to squeak in before the deadline. All six freshmen applied to move out of the dorm and into the Greek house. Their applications were accepted and in the midst of studying for finals they moved their things across the road.




Over the summer, Corbin supervised the building of a new wing to the Greek house. The ground floor addition became a massive eat-in kitchen, with state of the art appliances and seating for twelve. The old galley kitchen became a new bathroom and the old hall bath was knocked out entirely in order to open up the living room area.

Upstairs, the new addition became two more bedrooms and another bathroom. The section that had formerly been open to below was made a small study area. Corbin got rid of most of the things that had been in the office, moved the treadmill to the attic, and moved the black-and-red double bed down to the second floor.

The attic was opened up to make a large T-shaped study area, equipped with half a dozen computers and various other things. When the six new students returned the following August, they agreed with Corbin's assessment: It was the best Greek house ever.

Of course, I did not get any good pictures of the renovated Greek House. Those will have to wait until the next college update. (I have played another round of college since this one.) I do think the repairman truck in the road is a nice touch.

For reasons of length, the next three years of college life will be published in a separate installment.