By Dani Frank & Rebecca Astheimer, Assistant Editorial Editor & Staff Writer
Hello again readers, fans, and students lining their pet’s cage with this article. We hope you have been enjoying the warm weather for the past few days. Don’t worry, in no time, you’ll be running to class, freezing from the weather. But that’s probably because you are wearing leggings, when it is below 50 degrees. Shouldn’t you be wearing jeans or sweatpants over those leggings? No. Of course not. Ignore our weather-related bitching, readers, we have bigger complaints to voice, and then dissect until you think all we ever do is complain (not that we’re denying it). This past Monday, we were plagued with one of the worst situations Nassau Suffolk Hall has ever bestowed upon us–aside from living under a room that has loud sex every night. We. Had. Our suite painted.
About a week before the painting occurred, a yellow door hanger, similar to the do not disturb signs of seedy motels, was hanging ominously on our door. We needed to clear room B of all wall hangings, lights and posters of Nickleback. Thanks a lot, Hofstra, for making us remove the finest Canadian band of all time from our walls. But more importantly, thanks for deciding to paint our perfectly acceptable walls on a random Monday in November. Why was this not done over the Summer? Why couldn’t this wait until Thanksgiving break? Or winter break? Are our walls in such decrepit condition that if we let them be for another few months, the paint would completely chip off? Riddle us that, Hofstra!
So, the day the painting was scheduled, we left for class mourning the loss of our room between the hours of 9 and 5. We trudged back at 11p.m. to mope in room A. Our door was open when we arrived. Cool. Dani’s dog-themed “Happy Birthday!” sign is visible to the hall as well as a picture of our suitemate’s grandma. A painter and repairman are loudly joking to each other about not working too hard. We politely chuckle, but inwardly cringe. Lounging in room A for awhile, we discussed purchasing the super sweet cat clock in Cafe World, until Becca had to get to class. So, Dani did her hair, microwaved her lunch and naped for a half hour. Yes, it’s a hard life.
Next, Dani woke up, served her Homestyle Pot Roast and got herself together for class. The whistling of the painter next door had ceased two hours prior, so she figured he was quietly painting and admiring our sweet stuff. But no, he wasn’t there! Dani texted Becca saying, “The repairman must have better things to do than die of paint fume inhalation in our stuffy room because he left. Minutes later, she discovered the mystery of the missing repairman. He was laying down on the couch in the Suffolk Lounge, watching TV and chatting with another repairman. Better, we suppose, than continuing to work on the job that he is being paid to do!
Our walls were finished when we reentered the room at 430. And, we must concede, the blue color is a nice change. But we are still somewhat in awe. The scheduling of room painting needs to be done in a better fashion! Students can’t just leave their room for eight hours on a Monday. Rooms are for more than just sleeping, eating and Facebook stalking. Our dorms at the University hold everything we will ever need while at this school and to be deprived of them for eight hours is easier said than done. To paint the rooms when students are not living in them is the painfully obvious decision. The workload for students only increases as the year drags on, so if it needed to be done during the school year, why not in September? So many questions, so few answers… Please excuse us as we remount our Nickleback poster.