By Aileen Lawrence
Being a new student on an unfamiliar campus is nerve wracking for everyone. A new school year means it is a time full of firsts for everyone! First publication of the year, first classes of the year and for some, first time at CSU Channel Islands! Here are some resources to check out if you are looking to see what the university has to offer.
Food and Fun
Looking for some fine dining experiences? CI has an assortment of little cafes on campus. The dining hall, Islands Café offers an all-you-can-eat dining experience with a variety of options every day. While visitors can pay using card or Apple Pay to eat, the Islands Café offers multiple meal plans for both on campus students and commuter students. The Islands Café is open Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10a.m.-2p.m. for brunch and 4p.m.-8p.m. for dinner.
“Their chocolate chip pancakes are so good, and all of the workers are super nice, especially Sylvia the sandwich lady.” – Maya Uribe, third year studio art major.
Do you have a few minutes to spare before your class at the John Spoor Broome Library? Stop by the Freudian Sip and pick up a Starbucks Frappuccino along with a pastry to keep you awake in class! The Freudian Sip is open Mondays through Thursday 8a.m.-5p.m. and 8a.m.-12p.m. Fridays.
The Lighthouse Café, in The Student Union serves some of the best grilled cheeses on campus. Stop by Monday through Thursdays 7:30a.m.-8p.m. and Fridays 7:30a.m.-3p.m. for smoothies, coffee and fresh salads, burgers, and breakfast!
If you are eager to explore campus a bit and get some tasty food in the process, check out Tortillas and Mom Wong Kitchen in Town Center, located up the hill behind the Broome Library. Grub up on some quality Mexican food Monday-Saturday 10a.m.-9p.m. at Tortillas. While you are there, indulge yourself in some delicious Chinese food and refreshing boba tea Monday through Saturday 10:30a.m.-9p.m. at Mom Wong Kitchen.
If you need some help locating these hot spots on campus, download the CI Go app on the app store! CI Go offers a 3D interactive map of CI that includes building names, descriptions, and a floor map of Bell Tower to help limit the number of lost students. Available for Apple/iOS and Google/Android devices.
Campus Adventure
Across the street from Santa Cruz Village and next to Anacapa Village at Arroyo Hall is CI’s Recreation Center. After scanning your student ID at the front desk, you have unlimited access to all the gym equipment and resources inside. Join a fitness class like JAMZ w/ YAMZ to get a full body workout in while grooving to tunes or check out some rental sports equipment. The Rec Center has everything from volleyballs and basketballs to badminton and croquets available for you. Gym too crowded? Stop by our two multi-use fields, Potrero Field and North Field.
Are you more of an outdoor explorer type? Our Outdoor Adventure program has all you need to indulge in your inner adventurer. They offer trips off campus including day hikes at all physical skill levels, overnight camping trips to incredible places like Joshua Tree National Park or Sycamore Canyon – all free for CI students.
The Channel Islands Boating Center provides free waterfront activities including sailing, kayaking, standup paddle boarding and instructional and safety classes. If you prefer to adventure alone, feel free to rent out camping equipment including backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and more. Student ID is required for all free services.
Campus Culture and Academic Services
There is an abundance of on campus services catered to help students. The Broome Library has a trifecta of academic services to help you with anything from difficult homework, to renting out laptops, calculators and even film cameras.
The Learning Resource Center, commonly referred to as the LRC, uses subject based tutoring in an inclusive environment to help students reach their full academic potential. FREE one on one, peer tutoring is offered every day of the week, online and in person. The LRC has drop-in tutoring for any last-minute help you may need as well as limited appointment-based tutoring. While studying at the LRC, you can check out Laptops, iPads, textbooks and more. Take second-year pre-nursing major, Janelly Meza-Vergara’s advice, “Actually go to the LRC.”
Also, in the Broome Library lies the Writing and Multiliteracy Center. The WMC offers a range of in person, online and asynchronous services and programs to help students unfamiliar with certain forms of communication or programs required by classes. They have quick guides to the most used citation formats, workshops on giving presentations and annotation, as well as links to writing resources to help with grammar, STEM writing and more. If you need to videotape or rehearse a presentation, check out the Multimedia room and play around with the green screen, sound booth or the iMac stations with iMovie, Garage Band and Adobe CC Suite.
In order to take care of your academics, it is important to take care of yourself as well. CAPS, or Counseling and Psychological Services provides short term mental health services to assist students in their overall well-being. Free services for students include individual and couple counselling, psychiatric consultation, 24/7 crisis phone counseling, group therapy and more. CAPS in Bell Tower East suite 1867.
Physical health goes hand in hand with mental health and is equally important to your overall success. Tucked away in a little modular unit in the parking lot behind Sage Hall is Student Health Services that provides basic health care services for all students at CI. The clinically certified doctors, nurses and medical assistants are available to meet on zoom and in person.
Same day appointments are limited but offered as well. Insurance is NOT required for appointments, but your CI Student ID is. It is important to note that medical excuses will not be issued for missing a class. Their services include basic dermatology, abdominal pains, health education and resources, physical exams, STI testing and referrals to free dental services. Student Health Services is open Monday through Friday 9a.m-5p.m. and Friday 9a.m.-1p.m.
Rounding out the trifecta of free health services is the Basic Needs Program. The Basic Needs Program provides emergency food and toiletries, educational opportunities and critical on and off-campus resources for students. Next to the Rec Center in Arroyo Hall room 114 is the Dolphin Pantry, run by Basic Needs. Open Monday 1pm-8pm and Tuesday through Thursdays 1pm-6pm, the Dolphin Pantry is open to provide 5 free food items of choice a day to any student with an ID present. Free hygiene and cleaning supplies are available as well upon request.
While you are at the Dolphin Panty, check out their Hot Meals program where you can get an Islands Café dining card with two free meals loaded and ready to go. If you are not a fan of Islands Café, Basic Needs can help you apply for Cal Fresh, California’s food stamp program. Sometimes unexpected circumstances come up in our lives and put a bit of a strain on our finances. If so, Emergency Funds Grants are available for application through our Basic Needs Program and short-term emergency on campus housing.
Many unexpected hidden gems sit in the tiled red roofs of CSU Channel Islands. Whether you are headed to the Rec Center for a workout or the Student Health Center for a checkup, CI has resources for you to take advantage of. Hopefully with a little help from us here at The CI View and the map on CI Go, you will be able to go out there and explore them for yourself! Have a great start to the year dolphins!
