From posters to plants to pillows, students make every precious inch of their residence hall rooms their own. 

This fall, 30 Eagles submitted their spaces to Housing and Residence Life’s Best Nest contest. The six winners were voted on by their peers and AU staffers.

“Students—especially first-years—are concerned with how they can turn the stark white walls of a traditional-style dorm room into a comforting space that celebrates their aesthetic and identity,” says Shamira James, communications and marketing coordinator for Housing and Residence Life, who has coordinated the contest for the last three years. “I love seeing how they create a home for themselves at this university, in this [bustling] city.”

Claudia Olivero, SOC/BA ’27—whose room in Leonard Hall is adorned with twinkle lights, a plush dog, and a print of a skeleton plucking stars from a black sky—won the fan favorite award, the Flock’s Pick (pictured fifth row down, first from left). 

“Having my own space to display everything that makes me happy is a dream,” Olivero says. “From video games to shows to artists, if you look closely, you’ll see the nerd in me displayed on my walls.”