Students deck the walls with classic art

Every year, as IU students face the task of decorating their latest living environment, the IMU Leisure Programs department sponsors a 10-day poster sale with a variety of wall décor at prices less than $10.\nThe sale runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through today in the IMU Georgian Room, just outside the IU Bookstore. Most posters range from $6 to $8 and fall into one of seven categories.\nCashier Krista Zvanitajs said she sees people purchase all types of posters -- some that they may not be proud of.\n"One of the funniest things I see constantly is a customer buying a poster that they must think seems out of character for their appearance and telling me it's for someone else," Zvanitajs said. "I just want to tell them they don't need to give me an explanation. You can't imagine how many times I hear, 'It's for my sister.'"\nTour Director Karen Krinsky also observed the common occurrence of roommates who have just met trying to decorate their room together. \n"It's almost as if they get to know each other through the posters by learning each others taste," she said.\nShe can't help but laugh as the strangers try to be tactful with their opinions, careful not to show what they really think. \nAnother entertaining conversation piece is the infamous, "Official Guide to Mullets." Zvanitajs recommended this piece for an instant icebreaker between people stumped for conversation and a way to show off a great sense of humor. \nJunior Laura Frishberg, an avid Mickey Mouse fan, found a lot of colorful prints to make her room in Foster-Martin feel like home her freshman year. \n"The dorms have a huge amount of white wall space that screams insane asylum if you don't cover it up," she said. "My roommate loved Andy Warhol, so we coordinated both of our tastes to make our room cozy and much more pleasing to our eyes."\nThe works of a variety of well known artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Mark Rothko and Pablo Picasso take up a good portion of the poster books. Krinsky confessed that they consistently sell all of their posters each year and usually place re-orders throughout the course of the sale. \n"I remember a few years ago when Leonardo DiCaprio was popular among the students," Krinsky said. "We could not keep enough of those posters in stock."\nA large array of posters are still available at the sale, so it is not too late to check it out between classes or after you buy your multiple bags of textbooks. Cash and checks are accepted and credit or debit cards can be used for sales over $20. \n-- Contact staff writer Lindsay Kaplan at lkaplan@indiana.edu.