Zoë Van Krey, a sophomore in FAA, has spent years collecting artwork and souvenirs that reflect her passions. Nearly every inch of her dorm in Sherman Hall is covered in these items, most of which she says were gifts from friends and family.  

“We’re all patchwork creations of people who’ve loved us, and I can just see them right here, and then it’s just like a little reminder,” Van Krey said.

Van Krey’s corkboard above her desk is densely packed with paraphernalia from her favorite movies, video games, musicals and other pieces of media. She said her love of the arts was unavoidable.

“My middle name, Amélie, is from my parents’ favorite movie,” Van Krey said. So it’s just kind of like, even from the get-go, before I was born, cinema and music and everything has been a part of my life.”

Japanese art also reminds her of home. Van Krey’s father has taught high school Japanese classes for 27 years, and she is pursuing a minor in East Asian languages and cultures alongside her acting major.

Among her collection are a few items with special significance.

A tiny skunk-shaped box is one of the newest additions to her collection that she bought on a trip with her family last summer. Its small face and sparkly veneer drew her to it after what she said was nearly an hour of poring over a shelf of similar boxes.

“My dad literally just did not say a word,” Van Krey said. “He’s like, ‘I understand this is important to you.’ That’s just who he is. He’s just so patient.”

An old watch that belonged to Van Krey’s grandmother also sits on a shelf, in a small dish, separate from other trinkets in the room. 

Her baby blanket, a pale green with an elephant design, lies folded on top of a neatly made dorm bed, above which posters for movies, bands and video games decorate the walls.

While her maximalist sense of interior design might create a hassle on moving day, Van Krey said it’s worth the comfort it brings. 

“It’s definitely like a labor of love thing. I wouldn’t want it to look like anything else.”

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