Survival Guide 2005: L-P

LAUNDRY/DRY CLEANING – Each dorm building on campus contains a laundry room, typically in the basement, with washers and dryers for student use. The machines are not free, and can be used with your ID card, assuming that you have inserted money into the laundry/vending account on the card (you can do this in the ID card office, Administration Building, Room 103). Beware, however, as panty thieves are a common, and unfortunate, part of campus life.

Additionally, the Seawolves Marketplace (SAC first floor) features a wash/dry/fold service, which, as you can expect, is fairly pricey, but promises next-day service.

There are a few establishments near campus where you can get your garments dry cleaned.  The nearest to campus is Stony Brook Cleaners, on Route 25A across from the railroad station.  Phone (631) 751-1501.  There are also dry cleaners on Route 25A headed towards Setauket.

LIBRARIES – Almost everybody is familiar with the Melville Library, the “main” library on campus, but there are actually quite a few branches on campus. Here’s an overview:

• Melville Library: Home of the Central Reading Room (featuring computers connected to the internet, newspapers/magazines and basic research material such as encyclopedias, as well as videos, DVD’s and rooms to watch these in). The main stacks are also located here (second and third floor, entrance on third floor at the top of the giant staircase), as well as the Music library (Tel. 632-7097) and the Science and Engineering library (Tel. 632-7148) and University archives. The building also contains the library SINC site, a commuter lounge, art gallery, the Galleria Café (meal plans not accepted), the alumni office, the academic advising center, the honors college, and various classrooms and department offices. There’s also a Kinko’s on the lower level, where the bookstore and Austin Travel are also located. Somewhat disjointed from the rest of the building is the Career Center, also on the lower level.

• Chemistry Library: Chemistry Building C-215. Tel. 632-7150.

• Computer Science Library: Computer Science Building. Tel. 632-7628.

• Health Sciences Center Library: Level 3, Health Sciences Center (East Campus). Tel. 444-2512. http://www.hsclib.sunysb.edu/.

• Math, Physics, Astronomy Library: Physics Building C-124, Tel. 632-7145.

• Borrowing Books: To borrow books, you simply need your Stony Brook ID card, and can keep the books for 4 weeks. Overdue books, as one might expect, are fined. Don’t take this lightly…if you are about to graduate and have outstanding fines, you will not receive your diploma!

• Tours: Believe it or not, the library also sponsors tours. More information at http://naples.cc.stonybrook.edu/lib/libforms.nsf/tours.

• Online catalog: Finally, the entire catalog of books, magazines, articles and other resources at all the campus libraries can be found online at www.sunysb.edu/library.

• Melville Library: 632-7100, http://www.sunysb.edu/library.
  

LIVE MUSIC - One of the most intriguing and enticing forms of entertainment still remains live music. But where can one go to hear it? Well, happily, Stony Brook University is in close proximity to a variety of excellent places to hear some great live music. Whether it’s a local band or a worldwide sensation, there are many options for fans of live music to get a taste of what they love most. Here’s a list of the best places to check out for your live music needs:

• University Café, Stony Brook University    Right on campus is one of the best venues for live music: The University Café! Every genre, from jazz to blues, folk to funk, is covered by the many signed and unsigned artists that appear at the University Café. Don’t miss out…it’s right in your backyard! For more information, visit: www.universitycafe.org.

• Café Bada Bing, Port Jefferson    Located steps away from the Port Jefferson LIRR station (one station West from Stony Brook), Café Bada Bing features one of Long Island’s greatest acts every Tuesday evening: Reckoning. Paying tribute to The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers and more (not to mention peppering in their own original material), Reckoning never disappoints with their amazing jams and ability to get the crowd dancing. Shows usually start at 11 p.m. For more information, visit: www.reckoningband.com. Call (631) 474-4427.

• The Velvet Lounge, Stony Brook    Adjacent to the Curry Club restaurant at the corner of Nicholls Road and 25A in Setauket, the Velvet Lounge has a unique vibe that no ordinary bar could achieve. Within its unique layout, the room is furnished with candles, antique couches, paintings and wall to wall carpeting. On occasion, The Velvet Lounge also offers some of the band unsigned acts around. For more information, call: (631) 751-7575.

• Port Jazz, Port Jefferson    Atop the Port Jefferson Village Starbucks coffee house lies one of the best venues for live music around: Port Jazz. A very small, intimate setting, Port Jazz is a more classy establishment, requiring collared shirts and pants in order to gain entry. The dress code is often well-worth the performing acts, making it a great place for a more quiet night of musical enjoyment. For more information, visit: www.portjazz.com. Call (631) 476-7600.

• Paula Jean’s Supper Club, Setauket    If you want the best in improvisational jazz and blues, look no further than Paula Jean’s Supper Club. No bigger than your average suburban home, Paula Jean’s is a very intimate setting for music and is perfect for a large gathering of friends or a romantic night for two. For musicians, Sunday is the “Open Blues Jam,” where anyone can sign up and play a song or two. Remember, Paula Jean’s is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, visit: www.paulajeans.com. Call (631) 751-5483.

• The Downtown, Farmingdale    Although this rock club is only accessible to students with their own transportation, The Downtown in Farmingdale is well worth the trip for any fan of live rock music! Voted AOL City Guide’s Best several years running, The Downtown has been the venue for both the hottest unsigned bands and the biggest acts in the country! Upcoming names include Little Feat, Evolution (the Journey tribute featured on the Opie and Anthony Show), Saturday Night Special (Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute), Henry Rollins, The Misfits, Mammoth (Van Halen tribute) and many more! For more information, visit: www.thedowntown.com or call (516) 454-6744.

FOR THOSE WILLING TO TAKE A TRAIN RIDE TO NEW YORK CITY:  Here are some of the city’s best venues for live music, along with some upcoming acts on their calendar. Also, stay tuned to WUSB 90.1 FM, which often features ticket giveaways to venues on both Long Island and the city:

• Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place   Clutch, Presidents of the United States of America, Story of the Year, Liz Phair, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leo Kottke/Mike Gordon and more. For more information, visit: www.irvingplaza.com.
  

• Roseland Ballroom, 239 W. 52nd Street    Los Lonely Boys, Fall Out Boy and more. For more information, visit: www.roselandballroom.com.
  

• Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th Street    The Used, Tracy Chapman and more. For more information, visit: www.mcstudios.com.
  

• Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street    The Hackensaw Boys, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Seu Jorge, Steve Winwood, Nada Surf, Steve Kimock Band, Moby and more. For more information, visit: www.boweryballroom.com.
  

• BB King’s Blues Club, 237 W. 42nd Street    Eric Burdon and the Animals, Tower of Power, Poco, Twiztid, Dave Mason, Spin Doctors, The Misfits and more. For more information, visit: www.bbkingblues.com.
  

• Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street    Basement 31, Tea Leaf Green and more. For more information, visit: www.knittingfactory.com/kfny.
  

MAIL – If you live on campus, you can receive letters in your own P.O. Box (shared with your roommate), located by the main entrance to each building. Ask your R.A. or RHD for the combination. If you need to receive a package, it will go to the central mailroom is in Kelly Quad. You’ll receive a notification when the package has arrived. Tel. 632-6231.
Additionally, there is a U.S. Post Office in the lower level of the SAC, open on weekdays until 3 p.m. There are mailboxes located there, as well as outside the Union (by the parking lot) and on the corner of Circle Road and Engineering Drive.

MEDICAL CARE AND COUNSELING – The university is home to Stony Brook University Hospital, one of the major hospitals on Long Island and also home to the medical school. However, for most minor medical situations, you can visit the infirmary, located on Stadium Road across from James College (H-Quad, by the Stadium Lot). Routine medical care and light emergencies can be handled here, though there is often a bit of a wait. The infirmary is also home to the counseling center, which offers free and anonymous counseling, crisis intervention and therapy year-round. The counseling center also provides emergency services in the unfortunate event of a sexual assault (call 632-7320 during the daytime or university police at 632-3333 or simply 333 after hours). Anonymous STD testing is also available, as well as immunizations, and the infirmary has a pharmacy on premises.

Infirmary: Tel. 632-6740, http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/shs/. Counseling Center: Tel. 632-6720, http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/counsel/.

The phone number for emergencies from a campus phone is 333 or 911. Off-campus or from a cell phone on campus, 632-3333 (dialing 911 from a cell phone on campus will likely connect you to off-campus services).

University Hospital: Tel. 689-8333, http://www.stonybrookhospital.com.

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING – We know about the students that live in the dorms. We also know of the commuter students who live at home and commute to school by car, bus or train. But there’s also a lot of students who, especially after having dormed for a year or two, have chosen to rent a room or apartment off campus. Granted, housing on Long Island is usually expensive, and this is definitely the case for rooms that are for rent very close to campus, especially those within walking distance. However, in the surrounding towns around Stony Brook (Setauket, Port Jefferson, St. James, Centereach, etc.), it is entirely possible to find housing for approximately the same price as dorming, but with the added convenience of not being required to be on a meal plan, and often, the price you would pay off campus for a single, spacious room is equal to that of a cramped double room on campus. Other students have also been known to rent large apartments or even houses, splitting the cost and utilities between them, also a very good option if you have enough friends that are willing/able to do this.

 
The Off-Campus Housing Office has a very useful listing of available rooms and apartments in the area, online at http://och.vpsa.sunysb.edu/och.htm. The office is located in the lobby of the Union, next to the information desk and the Seawolves display, and is open weekdays until 3 p.m. Tel. 632-6770.

OMBUDS OFFICE -- A campus agency which, unlike most others, has an excellent reputation amongst students.  The Ombuds Office is there to assist students, faculty and staff with any problem, question or trouble they may have navigating through the sea of red tape on campus, or with any campus-related issue.  Meetings are confidential.  Their office is located in the Melville Library, but do not enter through the main entrance, or you will get hopelessly lost trying to find it.  Instead, go down the stairs that run parallel to the Zebra Path, and the entrance will be right there.  Tel. 632-9200.  http://www.sunysb.edu/ombuds.

PHONES – Each dorm room is equipped with a telephone, to be shared with your roommate. The phone lines on campus, it should be mentioned, are digital, so odds are if you bring a phone from home, it will not work on campus, but since phones are provided, this is not a problem. Each phone has a voice mail box for the room. To dial a phone number on campus, you need only dial the five digit extension, instead of the full seven-digit number (e.g. 632-6000 is 2-6000, 216-5000 is 6-5000, etc.). Additionally, calls to phone numbers in the 631 area code are free. Just dial 9, followed by the number without the area code.

For long-distance calls (long distance being anything other than 631), you can either use a phone card with a 631 access number (phone cards are available at 7-11’s and convenience stores), or set up an account with the campus telecom service. Call for more info, 632-9137.

As far as cellular phones go, it is widely acknowledged that Verizon has the best reception on campus, though Cingular’s service is also pretty good and they reportedly have towers on campus.

POLICE – For better or for worse, the University Police don’t have the greatest of reputations among students on campus. It is worth mentioning that the University Police are actually State Police, not Suffolk County Police, though for serious crimes, the University Police and Suffolk County Police do work together. The police headquarters is also out of the way in South Campus, impossible to find unless you specifically go looking for it. That could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. That said, they are a bona fide police force, so any arrest or charge will be reported to the Campus Judiciary, and if serious enough, to the appropriate Suffolk County authorities. The number, in case of an emergency, is 333 or 911 from any phone on campus (including the blue boxes that are lit at night outside dorm buildings), and 632-3333 from off campus phones or cell phones (do not dial 911 from a cell phone if it is a campus-only emergency, as the call will likely be directed towards Suffolk County Police and bypass the campus police…they will tell you to call Campus Police).

Campus Police also patrol the roads on campus, and will not hesitate to stop you and write you a hefty ticket if you are caught speeding, passing stop signs, or otherwise doing something that would make them want to stop you in the first place. Unlike campus parking tickets, tickets issued by the police are pricey and can affect your driving record, so keep that in mind.

The Police also have a walk service, especially useful if you feel at risk or uncomfortable walking alone on campus after dark. No, this is not a personal escort service. The phone number is 632-RIDE (7433). Website: http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/police/.