The second annual Rate My Space competition had two “Best Overall Room” winners — a first for the competition, announced on Friday. Judges awarded the students from doubles in both Emerson and Hope South for their creative use of space with the grand prize of a private lunch with President Barry Corey.

This Undergraduate Housing competition that rewards students for creatively decorating their dorm rooms was open the first full week of November.

The “Rate My Space” competition aims to celebrate students as they make a temporary home and to honor people’s personal sacred space, according to Heidi Herchelroath, housing manager. The competition was open to students living in residence halls and Biola apartment buildings.

This year’s competition

“We were blown away with the submissions this year,” read Undergraduate Housing’s website when they posted photos of the winning dorm rooms.

The competition received a total of 31 entries, double last year’s amount of 14, according to Herchelroath. The breakdown of categories was the same as last year. The single and double room category was the largest, with 25 rooms entered. Five rooms were submitted for the triple and quad category. For the second year in a row, only one entry was submitted in the two-bedroom apartment category and no one-bedroom apartments were submitted.

Students submitted up to three photographs as well as a participation agreement form, signed by all the roommates. A panel of judges from Student Development and Admissions determined the best room in each category. Each set of winners will receive a goody bag from Dining Services as their reward for their rooms.

Herchelroath created the competition last year as a way for housing to highlight student creativity and further a sense of community in the dorms. Photos of the winners’ dorm rooms are posted on Biola’s website to show off their hard work.

“How cool is it that people who never met you are going to see that? And maybe it will create some new connections and pride and joy for everyone in Biola housing,” Herchelroath said.

While some students could feel like their rooms would not make the cut, she said that the contest is about what you do with what you have and utilizing the space you have been given in the best way possible.

Past Winners

Patricia Diaz, a senior journalism major, agreed to enter the contest last year because she thought it would bring her and her roommates closer. However, she said she was pleasantly surprised when their Thompson Hall room won Best Triple Room.

The judges noted their pink and orange decorations and their good use of space. Although triples can be tight, they opened up the center of the room with a rug for guests to sit and relax on, giving their room a feeling of hospitality, Diaz said.

Diaz encouraged other students to enter their room because they might stand a better chance than they expect.

“People think that things that go out to all of campus, like everyone’s going to enter and they won’t have a chance in the competition, but that’s not true,” Diaz said.