Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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'Messiest Apartment* Winner Gleans Up With $10,000 Prize By Claire Zulkey TMS Campus July 06, 2000 The competition definitely was stiff. Most others would be intimidated by a rival who owned two pet rats or another who held a birthday party for a two-year-old carton of milk. However, through perseverance, John Anderson emerged as the winner. He barely emerged, however. Anderson, a junior at Ohio Northern University, is the win ner of the Messiest College Apartment Contest, sponsored by Apartments.com. Visitors to the site voted on the pigsty prize, based on photographs and essays submitted by Anderson and the finalists, from University of Maryland, and Elgin Community College. Why on earth would anyone reward students for messy habits? Apartments.com reasons that since the Web site offers floorplans, photo, and video of the apartments it features, "What I---—----. . Arbors at Windsor Lake • 1,2 &3 Bedroom Apartment homes available • Full-size Washer & Dryer in every home. • Vaulted ceilings & gas log fireplaces in select homes. • Conveniently located near 1-20, 1-77 & 1-277. • Prompt, Courteous Service. Just 15 minutes from USC. 8720 Windsor Lake Boulevard Columbia, SC 29223 803*699*5400 better way to showcase the country's top college slobs than on the most visual apartment site on the Internet?" It makes sense, in a way, especially since the average college student produces a whopping 640 pounds of solid waste each year, according to a 2000 study by Speedway Disposal & Recycling. In his essay, Anderson said thoughtfully, "I still haven't figured out . what is rotting on my table, but it is growing." For his efforts, or lack thereof, Anderson received $10,000 in prize money (which Anderson, not surprisingly, says he will use to find a nicer apartment), and $2,000 in credit to spend on auc tions.com, the sister site of Apartments.com. What does Anderson credit to his award-winning apartment? Numerous, careless houseguests, he claims. "I am the only one who ever cleans up the place...so I decided to let it go until someone else cleans up, which doesn't happen," he said. Ironically, Anderson is a biology and environmental studies major, certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to handle and remove toxic waste (but not his own.) Now that he is a big winner, does he consider any draw backs to being such a big slob? It should come as no surprise that the landlord of the famous abode would not renew his lease. "Nobody seems to like the idea of renting to me," Anderson says. © TMS Campus, 2000