By By Sophie Strawser, Staff Writer

Here we are once again, in another issue of The Chronicle. I, sitting in front of my cluttered Hofstra-provided desk, and you accidently reading the first couple sentences of this article as you attempt to eat the food you have just dropped on to my words. If you have chosen to read further, I sincerely hope that your newly created grease stains do not hinder your ability to read this. Let’s talk Dutch. Where I come from, “Dutch” means the language of Pennsylvania Dutch, but I prefer Hofstra’s Dutch much better.

Dutch Treats is an amazing opportunity to grab a container of milk or a snack without leaving campus. That being said, get your card ready because the prices surely aren’t forgiving. Oreos no longer leave me feeling guilty but also disgusted for spending $6 on a container of empty calories. Scrumptious empty calories.

Do utilize Dutch Treats, but don’t let yourself go overboard. You might just find yourself lacking money at the end of the semester. Speaking of not having money, expand your closet by sharing clothes. Maybe you need to do this because you have permanently acquired an Oreo food baby, or maybe because you want more clothing options. Both reasons are acceptable.

When a majority of your friends are here on campus it seems illogical not to swap clothes with friends. You need a scarf and I need a skirt – an easy swap. If you and your comrades are extremely close make an event of it. Over the weekend, you and your friends each pick four items out of your closet and bring them to one designated room. Gather, and make your selections! If you find that the person you picked from also picked something from you, then you swap for the week. It’s like hitting the mall – but without the commitment or cash.

While you are not in the dorm room, talk to the high school seniors who are visiting on tours. Let them know how you ended up here, or why you turned down the other schools. All the while, the thought is comforting to the parents, assuring them that all you do on Friday nights is knit and eat Oreos. I hope that you are proud to be at Hofstra. If you are, then you should yearn for others to experience that same feeling and that same appreciation.

My tip for the week: don’t torture your elevator partner. When did it become a crime to talk to a stranger on the elevator? A

conversation, at least for me, is much more pleasant than standing awkwardly and avoiding eye contact (while playing with my keys in order to fill the dull silence). Say hello.

Whether you didn’t mean to read this article, you are reading because you know me, or because you need something to do while sitting in your dorm with only a copy of The Chronicle and a near empty container of Oreos as company, I hope this makes the week a little bit better.