Messy rooms to be awarded in contest

A battered beer pong table, leftover pizza boxes and unmade beds are not uncommon sights in the living spaces of many college students. While it may be disgusting, living in this kind of filth may finally pay off for students who enter the Walldaddy.com contest for the World’s Worst College Rooms. \nThe contest’s tagline boasts: “If someone lives in a totally stanky, ugly and depressing dorm or apartment, Walldaddy.com wants to help!” \nThe contest began Sept. 4 and will run until Oct. 15. During this time students can submit pictures of their rooms to Walldaddy.com. Representatives will determine the grossest room and reward its inhabitants with a $300 gift card to Walldaddy.com, where winners can buy posters, tapestries and wall art to hopefully improve the condition of their room. \nThe contest is open to all full-time college students in North America, whether they live in dorms or off-campus residences. Contestants can live in fraternities, sororities or houses as long as they are full-time students. \nThe idea for the contest came from results of the Walldaddy.com’s marketing research that started to find reasons why college students buy posters and other wall art. \nDave Hochman, a representative for Walldaddy.com, commented that even some of the best colleges have the worst dorm rooms. \n“A lot of times (the administration) is only going for cheap and functional,” he said. “We just wanted to really put it out there what some of our clients are living through.” \nAlthough the contest is still in its early stages, Hochman said judges have already received pictures of cinder block walls, windowless rooms and holes big enough for a person to jump through. \nWalldaddy.com is a Bloomington-based online company. The business has its own profile on Facebook, where it is advertising the contest. If enough entries are received, pictures may be posted on the site for the general public to vote on. \nAwards will also be given to second and third place entries, but only one entry per room is allowed.