Thank you for always being there and cleaning up our messes, especially when allergy season hits. (Make sure you personally thank the Chipotle napkin with the link below.)

It was a typical spring day on campus. There were people tossing Frisbees, girls sunbathing, and even a few professors eating lunch out on the patio. When warm weather hits Ohio, students flock to the grassy knoll in droves to enjoy the sunshine.

My only problem is that as soon as spring hits, my allergies decide to punch me in the face. By this, I mean sneezing about once every three minutes, a constantly runny nose, and watery eyes. My mom always told me to get the “allergy shot” once a year so my symptoms wouldn’t be a strong. I hate needles so I have always passed on that wonderful opportunity and learned to deal with these inconveniences.

During this standard spring day, I made the decision to head over to Giant Eagle to grab some tissues. Personally, I thought this was a rational action to take since I constantly had a runny nose, but this small trip to the store ended in a rather absurd way.

To keep the story short, I walked to the paper product aisle to grab a few boxes of tissues because I knew it was going to be a rough couple of months. This Giant Eagle was somewhat “under construction” because they were redesigning the store, so when I saw that the paper product aisle empty, I figured it was just in a new location. That was not the case.

The Giant Eagle store was completely out of tissues! I asked one of the managers where I could find the tissues and she said they were out of stock. Time out. How can a store be entirely out of tissues? That is just ridiculous. I broke up with tissues that day and just so happened to find what I was looking for the very next afternoon.

My roommate and I decided to take a trip to Chipotle because stress. After ordering, my roommate went over to the napkins and started filling up his bag! I freaked out a little because he was not being sly at all. He noticed me stressing and told me not to worry, the employees told him to take a bunch for the dorm.

Over the next week, I began to grasp the full meaning of the Chipotle napkin. We used it to wipe off the counters, clean out the quesadilla maker, as actual napkins, to sit our drinks on, clean off the oven, dry our dishes, and most importantly blow our noses. Instead of going across the street to spend money on actual tissues, I had an unlimited free supply from Chipotle! My runny nose didn’t stand a chance.

Now, during every trip it is a requirement to take at least 40 napkins for the room. Not only do they cost $0.00, but they double as paper towels, plates, and tissues. What's not to love? They are exactly what every college student needs. Plus, it’s a great excuse to go to Chipotle.

It has been around two years since I've legitimately purchased tissues and I don't plan to break that trend any time soon. Whenever I’m in someone else’s dorm, I look to see if they have that same large stack of brown napkins on their counter. I would say one out of every five students has that wonderful pile of Chipotle napkins. It only seems right to say thank you.

Thank you Chipotle napkins for always being there when we need you most. For always being in such a convenient location in the restaurant so we can grab two handfuls and toss them in our bags without being ridiculed. For having the thickness to absorb any spill and still look good doing it. Thank you for not being like McDonald’s napkins, plain white and thinner than tissue paper. Sincerely, thank you for helping us financially challenged college students have an alternative to the slightly high prices of tissues.

Calling all college students! If you’re like me, you know how clutch Chipotle napkins are. Say thank you by signing this virtual “thank you” card. We’re really sending it to Chipotle on May 7 at 3:00 p.m., so make sure your heartfelt message is included.

Here’s the link: http://www.groupcard.com/c/kw6KDdRu1RZ