if going the receiver route, the Panny "xr" series (30, 50, & 70?) with the digital amps CRUSH the other cheap offerings from Sony, Yamaha, Onkyo, etc. Don't sweat the "watt" ratings, you should be fine with anything >30 wpc. I also wouldn't worry too much about 6.1 vs 7.1 - in a dorm room its all going to sound the same.
That Toshiba 4960 I mentioned supports CD, DVD-video, DVD-audio, SACD, MP3, and the recordable CDR's and DVD-R's. I have one on the way. The 3960 has become a cult favorite for cheap mod-able player, I bet the 4960 will also have a bunch of mod's available if you find you want to squeeze a little more quality out of it. As for changers vs. single disc, I'd stick with the single - they typically sound better (due to better transport I assume).