Anchor the dorm T-shirt graphics with a drawing or picture of the physical place where the people who will be wearing the shirts live. Base the drawing style on the overall tone you want for the T-shirt. For example, an artsy T-shirt could feature an Impressionist painting of the dorm. An irreverent, sarcastic T-shirt could bear an airbrush-style caricature of the dorm that exaggerates negative aspects such as tiny windows or a less than desirable location.
Place a "top 10" list on the back of the dorm T-shirt for a dose of humor and an opportunity to include the ideas and slogans of a seveal people. This is particularly useful if you are designing the shirt by committee. The top of the shirt should have the title of the top 10 list, such as "Top 10 Reasons Brookhaven Hall Rocks" or "Top 10 Reasons Brookhaven Hall Girls are the Hottest". Underneath, place the numbers one through 10 and an item corresponding to each. Top 10 list items can be serious, humorous or a mix of both.
Feature the name of the dorm building on the shirt. You can include it prominently in the shirt design if you go with a "Top 10" list style, or you can place it somewhere on the shirt apart from the main design as a means of identifying the shirt's affiliation. For example, you could put the dorm name across the shoulder blades or have it embroidered in small text on a breast pocket.
Sass up the dorm T-shirt with a cheeky slogan that plays off the name, focus or reputation of the dorm. Brainstorm a list of things people in the dorm frequently say (catch phrases) and words that would be used to describe the dorm and the residents. Play on a widely recognized saying or catch phrase or create your own.