WELCOME FIRST-YEARS!

Five ways to save space

-By Jessica Czop

It is a distinct possibility that nearly every college student has had a space issue with his or her dorm room. Granted, some dorms are larger than others, but most students have too much stuff and too few places to store it. Here’s a top five list of space saving strategies.

5. Over the door storage. There are a host of possibilities for using the back of your door to save space. Over the door hooks provide a place to hang a jacket, robe or bath towel, freeing up space in the closet for clothes (available for $14.99 at Target). Over the door shoe racks are great too ($16.99 at Target) because they clear up floor space.

4. 3M hooks. If the over-the- door storage doesn’t float your boat, or you need additional places to hang things, 3M hooks can hold up to a pound of weight. Also, their mounting strips come off easily and don’t damage the wall they were attached to. The hooks come in a variety of sizes to meet your needs and are an inexpensive solution to space needs.

3. Stackable cubes. These are a great alternative to bookshelves. They allow you the freedom to change the shape of the space with your needs. ($14.99 at Target) 2. Bookshelf. If your dorm doesn’t already come equipped with a bookshelf over the desk, it’s a smart thing to buy. They are great for storing textbooks, pictures of friends and family or even DVDs or CDs.

1. Loft your beds. If you don’t like bunking or have a single room, PVC pipes can be cut down to loft the bed to the ceiling that way you can fit a couch, dresser, or desk underneath the bed. If you loft only a few feet using plastic bed risers ($9.99 at Target), there’s enough space for a refrigerator and large plastic containers.

Seven tips for train travel

-By Ruth Robinson

One of the benefits of living near Philadelphia is having access to the SEPTA regional rail. The fact that almost every local town, including St. Davids, is serviced by the SEPTA trains, means students without cars can still travel. Following these seven tips should make train travel easy and fun.

7. Plan your trip ahead. Know when your train leaves, the length and price of the ride, and whether you will have to switch trains. The best resource for all train information is www.septa.org.

6. Catch a ride from Security. The St. Davids train station is only a 15-minute walk from Eastern, and you should plan on walking there as much as possible. However, that walk can be dangerous in the dark and unpleasant in bad weather. Security will transport you to and from the train station whenever the weather is bad, at night or if you have heavy luggage. The rules Security follows for transporting students can be found in the student handbook on www.eastern.edu.

5. Be prompt. Many trains are right on time and do not wait long at the station. If you miss your train, you will have to wait at least half an hour for another one.

4. Bring enough cash. Tickets are sold on the train, and you cannot use checks or credit cards to pay for them. Also, prices vary depending on the time of day and the destination. You can check prices on www.septa.org.

3. Bring as little luggage as possible. You are responsible for your own luggage, and nothing makes a trip less enjoyable than trying to manage two or three pieces of heavy luggage.

2. Use conductors as resources. They may look scary, but most are willing to help you with any question you might have.

1. Enjoy the trip. Riding the trains can be fun, convenient and affordable. Take advantage of the experience at least once during your time at Eastern.

Long live laundry

1. If you have worn your clothes, but they still look clean, you may be able to get away with wearing them again. Use the following tips to hold off doing your laundry for as long as possible.

2. Do the smell test. If you cannot smell your clothes, they may not be dirty.

3. If your clothes have an odor but no stains, try putting dryer sheets inside them overnight. They should smell fresh the next day.

4. Count out your underwear. However many pairs of underwear you have, estimates the days you can go without doing your laundry. The rest of your outfits will fall into place.

5. Have a stain? Pat it with white vinegar, rinse with water and spray with Febreze to get rid of the vinegar smell.

6. Remember: Tidestick and Shoutwipes are magical.

7. You know how you have different classes on Tuesday-Thursdays than on Monday-Wednesday-Fridays? Take advantage of that by wearing the same outfit two days in a row.

8. Going to the gym? No need to waste a fresh pair of socks. Throw on some that are not too dirty. You’re just going to sweat in them anyway. 9. If you are planning to re-wear your clothes, hang them in the closet to provide air flow.

10.If your house is nearby, go home every few weeks and use a washroom for free. If you live far away, make a friend who lives nearby and adopt that washroom.

written and compiled by the Spring ’06 Applied Journalism class.