I am writing this article in my dorm room. My suitemate is on my floor doing homework, my roommate is running in and out deciding what to wear to the Well and my other suitemates are doing their hair across the hall. I have to add: we are doing all of this in front of an ocean view.
When else in my life will I get to live in the same room, with my best friends, in one of the most beautiful places in the world?
Pepperdine’s suite-style housing option provides students like me with the opportunity to live with up to seven other suitemates, which I believe cultivates a sense of community and friendship that a typical dorm format neglects.
Last year, I lived with three other members of the Pepperdine Cross Country team and four women who were on the Swim and Dive Team.
Our paths would never have crossed if it wasn’t for our suite, Eden C. I am forever grateful for the friendships that I made in that dorm.
Not only does a suite expand your network of friends, but it creates memories that will last a lifetime.
There were big moments that I will never forget such as having movie nights, decorating our common room with posters and celebrating each other’s birthdays, but I think the little moments are what make suite-style living so special.
Whether it was simply brushing our teeth next to each other or helping each other decide what to wear, we were forging unbreakable bonds.
One of my favorite benefits from this style of on-campus living is that it feels like family.
All of my current suitemates and I are far away from our hometowns. We can’t swing by our houses every time we feel a little homesick.
The sense of love that I feel in my suite allows me to feel like I am not alone, and I will always have someone a few feet away to spend time with.
Now, in my sophomore year, I am living with four of my other cross county teammates and one of our other best friends. I am overwhelmed with excitement for the seven-month sleepover we are about to embark on.
We are in such a special time in our lives. We get to live with our closest friends, in the next room over or right down the hall, in Malibu. Our job to embrace every moment we can, big or small.
The late night talks, chaotic mornings getting ready for practice and shopping hauls from the Malibu Country Mart might seem like everyday activities at the time. Those small moments add up and piece together the relationships we cherish so deeply.
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Contact Emma Martinez via email: emma.martinez@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @emma.martinez17
