Quarantine Corners: Sasha Avrutsky Inside the bedroom of a BHSEC student

 Lula Konner, ‘22

The pandemic has forced all of us to become much more familiar with our rooms, whether we like it or not. Quarantine Corners is a new column that glimpses into the bedrooms of various BHSEC students and explores the way in which quarantine has affected all of our relationships to these personal spaces. Email lk826m@bhsec.bard.edu if you are interested in participating in the next issue!

Sasha Avrutsky is a Year 2 at BHSEC, a cofounder of the Build On club, and a thoughtful and enthusiastic contributor to this month’s edition of “Quarantine Corners.” She was kind enough to share with us a glimpse into her room, a cozy space filled with lovely posters, photographs, a tapestry, books, and knick knacks. 

Do you share a room with any other family members, or do you have it to yourself?

I share my room with my younger sister, Masha, who just started her first year at BHSEC:). 

How have you decorated your walls, if at all?

My walls are super super decorated. Most of it is what I put up my freshman year and have been too lazy to change with newer stuff. I’ve got photos I’ve taken, Basquiat postcards I found at a museum somewhere, some poetry clippings I ripped out, a poem my sister wrote for my bday, some drawings my best friend made for me, etc. I like to think of my walls as a projection of who I am, I guess…. so, chaotic. 

Do you have a lot of books in your room? Have you read most of them?

I have so many that I haven’t read!! Half of my bookshelf is filled with little Russian children’s books my mom would read to me when I was little, and the other half is mostly née. There are some books about brains that I still haven’t gotten to. I’d have to say the favorite book I have is Giving Blue by Lois Lowry. 

Do you have a lot of mirrors? Do you find yourself looking at your reflection a lot?

Yes to the first question, yes and no to the second. I have 3 mirrors in my room (I think?), and I definitely have fallen into the trap of constantly checking how I looked before, but now I rarely stare at myself unless I’m trying out an outfit or a new make-up look. Looking at myself too often/too much makes me insecure. 

What do you like most about your room?

Definitely how comfortable it is. I feel like I can just disappear in it, and I LOVE that it’s completely filled. Like, there’s no one corner that isn’t plastered with art or doesn’t have random miscellaneous stuff piled next to it. It makes it feel like home—I love the clutter. 

What do you think your room says about you?

I think it definitely speaks to how colorful I am as a person. I have a lot of things going on in my brain… a lot of things that I’m thinking about, constantly… and I think my room definitely reveals that about me. Hopefully it also shows I’m not that boring? At least I hope so. 

 What do you want it to say?

Hmm.. I don’t really think there’s anything about it that I want to say—it’s for me, you know? It’s a safe space, not for anyone else. 

How much time, on average, do you think you spend in your room?

Way too much time. Quarantine definitely aided in that, but I'll find myself spending all day in there, it’s kind of bad. But it’s also so hard to leave, and my bed is insanely warm and comfortable. 

How has quarantine and the pandemic affected your relationship with your room?

Like Mikayla said in the last issue, it feels weird to sleep, work, basically everything in the same space. I remember back when going home at the end of the day was the best feeling, but now it just feels monotonous, because there’s no way to really “go back to” anything. 

What part of your room do you normally do Zoom classes in? Why?

At my desk on a good day, on my bed on a lazy one. It’s a lot of work to sit up. 

If you could have the room of someone else — from a tv show, movie, book, instagram post, etc — whose would it be and why?

Oh my. I actually have a full pinterest board of rooms I want in the future. I definitely know the aesthetic I want — white wooden floors, lofty looking, lots of bookshelves, and things everywhere. A balcony would be great.