As you walk into Julian Chernyk ’10 and Dan Austin’s ’10 room, a suave butler greets you and presents a remote control in his outstretched hands. How many freshmen can say they have a butler in their dorm room? Well, maybe the butler isn’t a real person. He’s just a statue. However, he sets the tone for Chernyk and Austin’s America House double. Their room is the definition of a trendy bachelor’s pad. And the remote in fake butler’s hands is not an ordinary TV remote. Actually, it controls the X-Box 360 that rests on a low, hip table that functions as an entertainment center. An entertainment screen rests on top of the table, and in addition to the X-Box 360, the table has DVD’s and copies of Time Magazine. Three black leather chairs and a black futon contribute to the boyish feel of the room. Chernyk said, “The five chairs and the table are the center point of the room. The whole room focuses around the table, where we can watch DVD’s and play X-Box.” Two posters hang above the table – one is a movie poster for “Scarface,” and the other is a snowboarding poster that reads, “Proudly annoying skiers since 1972.” Adding truth to this statement, Chernyk’s snowboard leans in the corner of the room. To add a touch of traditional Andover spirit to the space, the boys hung an Andover flag next to the posters. Beyond the design and layout of the room, a lamp in the corner alleviates the “hospital lighting” for which Andover rooms are known, and a rug by Chernyk’s bed gives the room a homey touch. “We were trying to create our own common room in our room and maximize the space,” said Chernyk. With the room’s trendy atmosphere, up-to-date video game system, and comfortable futon, it may come as no surprise that Chernyk and Austin’s room is a popular hangout spot for the other America House boys. Chernyk joked, “A lot of kids hang out in our room, except not during Study Hours. Then I have to lock the door.”
