By Alexandria JezinaStaff Writer
It’s that time of year again with late nights in the Axinn Library, no available computers in Hammer Lab, and where sleep seems likes a faraway dream: finals week. Luckily, Hofstra’s OSLA office has students taken care of with their Stress Busters events such as free massages and free food. With these events, students get the chance to take a break from the stress of their current academic work and gain a little peace of mind.
While some students don’t take advantage of these activities, many of the students who do enjoy the events and find them helpful. This year Hofstra offered free 10-minute massages from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12 and Thursday, Dec. 13. While a short period for a massage, students appeared to leave calmer and more relaxed as their masseuse ended the session by telling the students to take a deep breath in and giving them advice on how to remain stress-free for the rest of the week.
As sophomore student Lexie England waited patiently for her session, she looked at the relaxed faces of students at the end of their massage and said, “You see that look on their face, I want that.”
Junior Annabel Martinez was also pleased with her session, “It was just what I needed. I feel that it really relaxed me after a stressful week,” she said.
If you missed out on the free massages, there are more to come in the upcoming week. If you don’t have time for the Stress Buster events or even enough time to eat, Grab & Go items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be offered in the Student Center Atrium. Late Night Breakfast, one of the biggest Stress Buster’s Events, will take place on Monday Dec. 18 from 10 p.m. to 12 p.m.
However, there has been criticism of the food served by Lackmann at Late Night Breakfast. Senior Damahl Brathwaite, who attended the event a few times, said, “Midnight Breakfast should be sponsored by IHOP. The [Lackmann] food is mediocre and needs pancakes.”
These specific events only come once a semester and are held to give students some comfort during the tedious times to come. While there has been negative commentary about the food served and the absence of the student body at these events, OSLA has made an effort to help students by providing the stress busting events. In addition to these events, there are other year-round activities offered by the University such as counseling sessions at the Saltzman Center and weekly yoga classes at the Fitness Center. There is always time to clear your mind and Hofstra University does offer help if stress ever becomes too much to handle during finals week and beyond.