Loud music, interpretive dancing and singing stops people in their tracks as they walk by Greenbrier, apartment 21. What started as one spontaneous show has grown to a weekly event.

Sarah Malone, a senior studying social work, said that as roommates they have learned a lot of new things about each other by doing these weekly shows.  Malone said “it’s a great esteem booster.” So far the apartment has put on two shows and they are getting people from outside the apartment who want to join in. The apartment uses the family room as their stage and the window curtains to indicate scene changes.

Sarah also came up with the theme of the apartment shows: “Whenever we’re spontaneous we’re ready.” This seems a little backwards but she explained that they jot down ideas and whenever they are feeling spontaneous and want to put on a show they have everything ready to do so.

This is one of the many ways that Sarah and her roommates keep their apartment more unified. One of the other ways they stay unified is to have apartment prayer.

“We do apartment prayer and [share] good news-bad news.  And at the beginning of the semester we built a giant igloo together,” said Zach Bunker, a freshman studying physiology. Bunker said that good news-bad news is an activity to do with roommates – it makes time to find out about everyone’s day. Here’s how it works; everyone in the apartment shares something good and something bad that happened to him or her that day. It is a good idea to start with the bad thing, so the apartment can end the conversation on a happy note.

“[Apartment unity is important because] then it’s not awkward in your home you have things to say to each other,” Bunker said. Here at school the apartment is home, and roommates are family. On BYU-Idaho’s website there is a link for student living which has talks and lessons on how to build strong relationships with roommates. This link is good for family home evening lessons and also has some good ideas on how to keep a more unified apartment.

One of the ideas on BYU-I student living is to hold apartment councils; these can be held to solve problems, plan out activities, set goals and to talk with roommates. In the Nov. 1979 New Era article “Ye Are My Friends,” Babzanne P. Barker said, “Get to know those with whom you live. Attend your meetings together, and plan activities with each other. … Working together and striving to create a spirit of harmony and love will bring you some of your happiest moments.” It is important to be unified as an apartment, as a family.

“Have an open mind, everyone is coming from different backgrounds,” Malone said. Different things work for different people; modify schedules or ideas to be sure everyone in the apartment feels involved and loved. One piece of good advice can be found in the Nov. 2008 Ensign, “Pray Always” by David A. Bednar. “Pray for your roommates” Bednar said. Even if getting along is hard, praying is something to do for friends and for enemies.

Whether it’s going on dates together, putting on shows or having apartment prayer, there are ways to become a more unified apartment.