By Myron Mathis
“S–t Hofstra Girls Say,” a video uploaded by YouTube user ParksM5, is quickly becoming a viral sensation for Hofstra students. Featuring witty lines like “OMG, you threw up in the parking lot of Popeyes last night? Twinsies!” and, “Ughhh it’s freezing, where is my Northface?” coupled with repetitions of the phrase “Hofstra Red,” the video has reached almost 16,000 views in just three days. While the video kids about highly unique characteristics of Hofstra students, it shows the funny side of Hofstra students’ vernacular.
There are, however, more everyday terms that have found a way to permeate the Hofstra vernacular shared by its students. Despite their banality to those on campus, they might sound foreign to those visiting.
A “Dutch Run,” as we like to call it, is actually a walk to the campus convenience store Dutch Treats and back. Meanwhile, ‘Hofusa’ (pronounced Hof-oo-sa), is an abbreviation for the arcade/eatery Hofstra USA adjoining the very same Dutch Treats.
Despite having 17 NCAA Division I sports, “the game” is always in reference to one of Hofstra students’ favorite pastimes which is going to watch the men’s basketball team at the Mack. Many attribute this phenomenon to Golden State Warriors’ guard Charles Jenkins, who as a Hofstra senior last scholastic year, led the Men’s team to an NCAA tournament appearance and remains the all-time leading scorer on Hofstra men’s basketball.
Some upperclassmen have taken the time to explain to us freshmen that they tend to refer to the Student Center as the “stud,” and strip the fanciness off Stuyvesant Hall, merely calling it “New Complex.” This is not to get confused with the “NAB” as it is called by its most frequent dwellers, music and theatre majors.
The funny comments in ParksM5’s Youtube video and the phrases that have become common nature for us aren’t just what makes Hofstra students unique. We take enormous pride in our cultural diversity and fusion of languages.
It doesn’t matter if you say Cauwfee (Long Island accent), Ha-vahd (Boston accent), adeus (Portuguese), or hola (Spanish), in this miniature American melting pot we call Hofstra, we have managed to come together. We come from all walks of life, but find a way to walk (and talk) in unison in our journey to a more educated self. We’ve become a convoluted family that eats, plays, and endures academic rigor side by side. But the end of the day we all just like to have a good time and sometimes it’s from the crazy S–t Hofstra Students Say.
