By Acayla Paulette
I knew the moment that I saw Sewall, it was听where I was supposed to live. 听My breath was completely taken away by the lions sitting guard, throats arched upward and a fine stream of water bellowing into the basin below. Behind the pair, a garden of flowers draped themselves over the pebble pathway and vines crept over a small cement bench. Perfectly structured brick walls rose into the air with white lined windows peeking through. In awe, I followed the path around the building - now oblivious to the construction roaring around me. Every brick was perfectly placed into the delicate structure and then, I saw it. A wide curved entrance such as you would see in a roman theatre. Large columns held the masterpiece in the air. Breaking through their arch, you entered an entirely new world. A small green field gently tugged at the edges of the sidewalk and a tree stood, full blossom, in front of stairs that climbed their way to the front door.
Living in Sewall was a dream come true. Being one of the oldest buildings on campus, the rooms were huge, had personal walk in closets and some of the best views. Every morning, when I woke up and looked out my window, I was greeted by crisp treetops and the flatirons gleaming in the early morning sun. The building had spiraling staircases and if you didn鈥檛 want to venture into the cold for food you could take one of the 鈥渟ecret鈥� paths, cross to the other side of the residence hall and find yourself in the dining room. This proved to be a huge perk, not only for the early morning waffles and ice cream sundaes but also when finals rolled around. The dining hall would open its doors late at night with treats, providing an easy (and delicious) study break.听
It was the perfect location on weekends because it was far enough off campus that you couldn鈥檛 hear the noise of the hill and if you were on one of the top floors, you could watch the football games from your bed. The RAs worked to set events that each floor could go to together including catered picnics, breakfasts and random movie nights. There were also endless times where people would come knocking on your door and you鈥檇 end up on a random adventure. My favorite such instance was right at the edge of winter when I got dragged into running the Nearly Naked Mile; a race where you donate your clothes to charity. It was freezing cold and I walked, but it was a fun, spontaneous way of meeting the people who lived on the same floor as me.听听
Sewall, that I later learned was nicknamed the Harry Potter Dorm, provided the perfect place for me to transition to living in Boulder. In no time at all, a simple Residence Hall became my home away from home.
听听听听听