Survival Guide 2005: G-J

GAY, LESBIAN AND TRANSGENDER LIFE – The Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Alliance is a safe space for queer or questioning students to meet with others in a supportive and diverse environment. The group does a lot of activist work on campus, including last year’s Same Sex Marriage Rally, Diversity Day, and the National Day of Silence. Their office is in the Union Basement, around the corner form the SINC site, and meetings are held on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on the second floor of the Union. http://www.geocities.com/sblgbta.

GYMS, WORKING OUT AND HEALTHY LIVING –

• Wellness Center: The SAC is home to the Wellness Center, located on the 3rd floor of the SAC and featuring most of the amenities of any health club, plus plenty of students eager to show off their bodies. The center is open 7 days a week, often until late. Tel. 632-7168, http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/recreation/wellnesscenter.

• In the dorms: Additionally, each residential quad also houses a small gym, with exercise bikes, weights and cardiovascular equipment. They tend to be open in the evenings and are good for a quick workout.

• Biking and hiking trails: The campus also has many miles of often scenic hiking and biking trails, alongside most major roads and through the Ashley Schiff Forest Preserve (more info in Campus Sights)

• Intramural Sports: There are also a number of intramural sports teams on campus, including basketball, indoor soccer, flag football, bowling, volleyball and softball. More info by calling 632-7168 or at http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/recreation/intramural.

• Sports facilities: Finally, there are indoor basketball courts, a swimming pool, and various sports facilities in the Pritchard Gym (adjacent to the Indoor Sports Complex). Outdoor track, basketball and handball courts, as well as, baseball and football fields are located behind the Indoor Sports Complex and LaValle Stadium.  Take the bus towards the South-P lot and one will also find a large soccer complex next to the parking lot. Students can usually be found shooting hoops, playing football, or handball at various times of the day. Pick-up soccer is usually found behind the sports complex typically on late Friday afternoons. Beware of geese droppings.
  

• Healthy eating: As far as healthy eating goes, there’s honestly not much of it on campus. At most establishments, you will likely find some pre-packaged vegetarian meals, and in the SAC and Union, you should be able to find pre-packaged salads, sushi, bagels and other lite fare. More details in the food reviews.

HONOR SOCIETIES – Are they worth it? Depends on your perspective. While many see these organizations as nothing more than money-making tools (and honestly, some of them are pretty much just that), there are some who are actually active on campus and which appear on your transcript if you become a member (Golden Key, Sigma Beta). One constant with all honor societies is that, if you qualify (typically a 3.5 GPA or higher is needed, but the exact number varies from group to group), you will receive a letter notifying you that you qualified and inviting you to an event, but informing you that there are membership dues. Again, for certain groups, paying such dues is worth it, but for others, the money is better spent elsewhere.

ID CARDS – Absolutely vital in your day-to-day life as a student, especially if you are a resident. Besides containing the obvious: your ID number, they are also valid photo ID’s and can be used to purchase food on campus if you are on the meal plans, borrow books at the library, as an ATM card at Teachers’ Federal Credit Union, as a laundry/vending machine card for the laundry rooms and vending machines on campus, and are necessary in order to be able to enter dorm buildings. We’ve probably missed a few items as well. Since these cards are heavily used, they are often lost or damaged. In a choice between the two, try to damage the card instead of losing it—replacing a damaged card that doesn’t work anymore might not cost you a thing (depending on the mood of whoever is in the ID card office), but replacing a lost card will cost you $35. Even if it’s stolen. Welcome to Stony Brook?

ID Card office: Administration Building, Room 103 (this is where you go to get a new card, or to fill it for vending/laundry purposes). To fill your card with more meal plan money, visit www.campusdining.org.

IMPORTANT DATES – Too many dates to remember? Can’t recall administrative or academic deadlines? Unsure of when all the big events are happening on campus? Here’s a listing of some dates you might want to keep in mind…

Fall 2005:

Classes Begin – 8/29
Late Registration – 8/29
Welcome Reception for Commuter Students – 9/1
Waitlist Deadline – 9/2
Campus-Wide Poster Sale – 9/2
Saturday Classes Begin – 9/3
Last Drop/Withdraw Day – 9/4
SAB Comedy Show – 9/9
Last Drop/Withdraw Day (without “W”) – 9/12
Last Day to Add Classes – 9/12
Student Media Open House – 9/12
Homecoming Parade – 9/23
Homecoming Game – 9/24 (vs. Georgetown)
Homecoming Concert – 9/25
Fall Pride Patrol – 10/6
Special Olympics – 10/23
Last Pass/No Credit Option Day – 10/28
Last Day to Drop Courses – 10/28
Correction Day – 12/13
Last Day of Classes -12/13
Reading Days – 12/14-12/15
Finals – 12/16-12/22
Saturday Finals – 12/17
Fall Graduation – 12/18

Classes DO NOT meet on:
Labor Day – 9/5
Rosh Hashanah – 10/3-10/5
Yom Kippur – 10/12-10/13
Thanksgiving – 11/24-11/26

SPRING 2005:

Classes Begin – 1/16
I-CON Festival – 3/24-3/26
Earthstock/Spring Pride Patrol – 4/21
Strawberry Festival – 5/3
Last Day of Classes – 5/5
Reading Days – 5/8 – 5/9
Stony Brook World Environmental Forum – 5/10-5/12
Finals – 5/10 – 5/16
Saturday Finals – 5/13
Graduation – 5/19

Classes DO NOT meet on:
Spring Break – 4/10 – 4/15

For a continuously updated listing of campus events, visit: www.sbindependent.org.

JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS – If you are a work-study student, finding a job on campus is easy. Of course, that’s for the obvious reason that you need the job to pay your tuition. For students ineligible for the work study program, finding a job is a bit more tricky. The SOLAR system has job listings, however, our experience tells us that most listings are outdated and in many cases, the qualifications are such that most undergraduate students cannot meet them.

Early in the semester, there is a large on/off-campus job fair which takes place in the SAC, which is a good place to look for a job. Another option is the Career Center, located on the side of the Melville Library, by the Zebra Path, where you can sign up with MonsterTrak, or speak to someone about finding a job or internship on or off-campus. They also host a number of seminars and workshops about finding jobs and internships and for career options after graduation, and also assist with such matters as choosing a major. As a student, you can receive academic credit for an internship, and the Career Center is able to assist with that as well.

Most on-campus jobs range from 8 to 20 hours a week, and most of them pay anywhere from $6 to $8 an hour, though there are a few jobs that pay more than that. If you are not a work-study student, you receive a paycheck every two weeks, on Friday, in the office of the department that you work for (e.g., if you work in the Student Activities area, your check will be available in the Student Activities suite in the SAC). There is also the option to have your check mailed home. Whatever you do though, be sure to put your academics ahead of employment, and to choose a job that you think you will genuinely enjoy or excel in…there’s no reason to ruin your college experience just to make a few extra bucks.
Career Center: Tel. 632-6810, http://www.career.sunysb.edu.