Now that the holiday break has ended, many students will be going back to the dorm life.

It may only be a few more weeks until the long winter break, but people will continue to live in the dorms long after this holiday season is over.

With that said, there are some important issues that arise when living in such small quarters with numerous other college students; the most important being dorm etiquette.

Most of us have had our vaccinations and try to stay healthy, but there are certain residence hall sanitation issues that go unnoticed.

The person that didn’t feel the need to wash their hands after being in the stall for a good 10 minutes would seem appalling to others in the bathroom, but we usually just brush it off as that person being completely disgusting at their own will.

We fail to realize that we too are going to touch that metal doorknob to leave the bathroom. Even if we have washed our hands, we still get to come in contact with those 10 minutes of stall germs.

If you use one of the dorm bathrooms to which someone so graciously donated a radio, I completely feel your pain. There are a lot of people that enjoy listening to songs about shaking your this, or grinding your whatnots, but this music does not settle well at 8 in the morning.

I know in my dorm, we have tried to play Christmas music on different occasions, but someone always feels the urge to put the station back on ‘Club Obnoxious.’

Some feel Christmas music is offensive, and they would rather listen to songs about “shaking your money maker.” I find shaking any body part of mine for money offensive, because I use my brain to get a job.

Music around the dorm in general is not a fun experience. It’s one thing to have your tunes playing loudly once in a while, but not everyone wants to hear your playlist repeated at the highest volume each and every day for the entire semester.

If you insist on forcing others to deal with your music, at least give us some variety.

Also, if you absolutely have to get the best sound system available, what is the point of directing the speakers toward the window?

I’d just assume people would want to listen to their own music with their own system inside their own room.

If you must be out of your room, at least go through the halls staying somewhat sober. Ladies, squealing or screaming inside jokes that only you and your friends understand at 3 in the morning is completely unbearable and extremely rude.

Guys, meandering down the halls with very little clothing while slurring every other word and smelling like vomit is not attractive. If you are searching for female companionship, it’s probably not going to happen if you act like a drunken buffoon.

Lastly, quiet hours are made to ensure all students get a restful night of sleep. With all of the door slamming and oblivious people in the dorms, I have yet to get one full night of peaceful sleep.

If you are breaking up with your significant other, there is no point in parading up and down the hallway yelling at them on the phone; no one else cares.

Also, the doors are not Everlast heavy bags; they can be shut with a slight turn of the handle and a little tap. There’s nothing more startling than hearing what sounds like a cannon exploding right when you finally lie down for bed.

Hopefully with the new year approaching, more students who are forced to live in the dorms can change some of their obnoxious behaviors, and get off to a good start. If you have to stay in a residence hall, you might as well do it with some class.

Send comments to Sarah Barnes at [email protected].