If you were to walk onto the third floor of Carson Hall, you would most likely see one of two things, if not both: four or so people crowding around a board game covered in colorful little houses, and/or two girls sitting at a table with a stack of old posters, which they fashion into paper cranes. This may seem like a weird thing to walk in on at the average freshman dorm, yet people walk around like it’s an average day at the office.
Paper cranes and Settlers of Catan@@http://www.catan.com/@@ (the aforementioned board game) are probably the two main things that define the Carson 3 Hall@@the carson 3 hall?@@ as well as the people associated with said activities. Without them, Carson 3 wouldn’t be Carson 3. But why, of all things, make two completely random activities such as paper folding and a — quite frankly — nerdy@@hell no – settlers rules!@@ board game the norm of the dorm?  It’s simple, really:  They calm the soul and bring peace and tranquility — just kidding, but they serve as good fun and a great escape from academic pressures.
Allow me to elaborate, because I have folded my fair share of cranes and I have been sucked into a couple games of Catan. For those who don’t understand what Catan is about, just know that there’s a board with houses on it, and the goal of the game is to get 10 points. You get points by building houses. At first glance, Catan seems stupid. I mean, really? Building houses with resource cards is the stupidest idea for a game I’ve ever heard.
Yet, the more I watched the game, the more I got into it because the guys who played it took the mundanity of the board and brought it to a level of extreme, do-or-die competition. When I finally jumped in and played for myself, it was a blast. At times, I either blew off homework I really should have been doing or skipped rest I should have been getting. But it was all worth it — not because the game is the best thing on the face of the Earth, but because playing and strategizing with fellow players was a good way to relax. Some people may say that it’s a boring, stupid game, and I simply reply with, “You have never played with the guys I play with.”
Of course, if Catan is a little much, there’s always the Crane Crew (as I have dubbed them). The Crane Crew consists of two of my friends, and they made a goal at the beginning of the year to fold 1,000 paper cranes. For those who are unfamiliar with Japanese culture, folding 1,000 paper cranes will bring good luck. As I type this, the crane count is at a little more than 500. I personally like folding them because it is yet another way to blow off homework I really should be doing.
As a contrast to playing Catan, I find folding paper cranes calming. Don’t get me wrong: It’s not like I sit and fold paper cranes whenever I’m pissed off or completely stressed out or something like that. But when I feel like I have nothing else to do, folding cranes is a good, worry-free, thoughtless pastime. When I do finally get around to that homework, I can focus better.
These great means of escape just go to show that although parties are fun, the little things that don’t involve getting drunk, waking up covered in bruises and wondering how I got back to my room (because let’s face it, we all will be there at one point in time, if we haven’t already) is what we remember the most — or at all.
The reasons the people on my floor engage in these activities are completely their own. I suppose there are little things that every hall has that are unique to them based on the people living on the floor. For those people, I’m sure they will remember their floor’s uniqueness long after they leave, and when I move out of the dorms, I will always remember the Catan and Crane Crews.
It’s like Rule 32 of Zombieland: You have to enjoy the little things.