When the team of judges walked into the last room of their Best Dressed Room tour on Sept. 30, they knew immediately that this one was different from the others at UNC Greensboro. Instead of a space bathed in soft, pink tones with twinkle lights and plush bedding, the door opened onto a common space in McCormick Residence Hall with photos of NFL players in matching frames spaced orderly across the wall.
Crossing into one of the two bedrooms of the apartment, a perfectly made double bed sat under a Mamba Mentality flag with more framed photos of Chadwick Boseman from “Black Panther” and a shelf displaying Funko Pop! figures of athletes, superhero characters, and musicians. The vibe was masculine but personal, eclectic but orderly, and every photo, pillow, and curio reflected a different side of the resident’s personality.
This room was certainly different from the others, but all rooms among the Best Dressed submissions had a common thread: Each style was a true expression of its inhabitant’s personality.
Prizing-Winning Spartan Decorators
The Best Dressed Room contest has been an annual tradition for 17 years. Over the years, entries have multiplied as the prizes have become more coveted. This year, students submitted 325 entries to win their choice of prizes, including a PlayStation 5 gaming system, Apple TV, Keurig coffee maker, Apple watch, Bluetooth speaker, and mini photo printer.
Eighteen winners, one from each residence hall area, secured prizes valued at $150 each. Then, a team of judges toured the finalists’ rooms and ranked them based on creativity, functionality, and theme. The grand prize winner and runner-up won prizes valued at $500, with $250 prizes awarded to the third-place winners.
New categories gave students extra opportunities to win this year. Jack Ellsworth won a $250 prize for the Best Room Tour Video. His “Jack Core” room tour showed off Ellsworth’s gallery wall, touches of natural elements, and his vinyl collection. In another first-time category, roommates Angela Reyes and Alexandra Reyes captured the director’s attention with their Godzilla- and Pokemon-themed rooms to take home the Director’s Choice $150 prize.
Housing and Residence Life organized the contest and hosted a reception on Oct. 9 to honor students who entered and award the grand prizes. During the reception, four more students won Bluetooth speakers or Apple Air Tags in a random drawing. Entering the contest paid off for many students, although most valued their bragging rights above the prizes.
Creativity Meets Comfort
When all ratings were counted, the last room of the tour stood out most in the judges’ eyes. Kaleb Sloan earned points for the neatness of his desk, closet with shoes stacked in clear, plastic bins, and bathroom shelves with towels folded next to Lego creations on display. But the personal touches, like the photo of his late auntie and the pillow imprinted with the image of his beloved Chihuahua from home, really won them over.
The fourth-year from Charlotte is a kinesiology major with a knack for decorating. “Sometimes I think I should’ve thought about interior architecture,” he jokes.
He’s enjoyed expressing his creativity through his room decor since his first room at UNCG: “I always want my room to be comfortable, but this has been the best one yet. Sometimes, I come back from class and sit down and take it all in. It’s got a vibe to it, especially at night.” His contest submission included photos of his room illuminated by neon signs and pops of colored light.
The effort to reflect his personality with special details in his room won him a PlayStation 5, which he intends to give to a special family member. “Little sister has been wanting a PS5 so I hope I can win that for her,” Sloane says. Game on, little sis!
On Trend Cozy
Runner-up Elizabeth Sensebaugh’s room is also in Spartan Village, but that’s where her similarities with Sloane’s room end. Elizabeth shares a four-person suite in Union Hall with two bathrooms.
Her love of the trendy Labubu collectibles commanded the tidy space with soft, pastel accents. Plushies sat atop lavender bed coverings, and pink rose garlands brought the outside in. Her sweet space garnered enough judges’ rankings for Apple AirPod Pro Max headphones.
Elevating a Classic
Roommates Jalynn Edney and Autumn Rivens also used floral accents to decorate their third-place winning room in Mary Foust Residence Hall.
The pair, who have known each other since high school days in Charlotte, decided to room together soon after they were accepted to UNCG last spring. Both are first-year Lloyd International Honors College students.
Arts administration major Rivens was interested in living in the Ashby Residential College at Mary Foust. Ashby is North Carolina’s oldest residential college and one of the oldest living-learning communities in the country. She was drawn by the arts, design and media theme of the Ashby community, which is open to all majors. She suggested to Edney that they apply to live there and they were accepted.
“The arts and design theme is all me,” said Rivens. “And I love that Mary Foust has so much history in it.”
“Our room is very comfortable and spacious,” said Edney, a psych major. They worked together this summer to plan their decor, but they really got excited when they were able to catch an early glimpse of their corner room.
“We did Stop, Drop, and Roll, so we were able to move things into our room earlier than everyone else,” Edney explained. “And when we saw the room, we couldn’t believe how much space we had to work with.”
The roommates’ pink and green accents elevated Mary Foust’s classic architecture and pulled in a third-place finish complete with Apple Watch prizes.
Housing and Residence Life praises all the students who entered the 2025 Best Dressed Room contest and the winners for every residence hall area. Every year, the contest features students who are grateful for the halls they call home at UNCG and who continue to raise the bar for comfortable, trendy, and personal room decor.
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
