Last week, we shared information helpful for our course participants who need to make travel arrangements to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. This week, we will cover information that will come in handy during your stay on campus and for your #cshlcourselife: 

• What to Pack

• Arrival and Orientation

• Meals and Accommodations

• Emergencies

• Meetings & Courses Office

• Health & Wellness Center

• The CSHL Bookstore & Gift Shop

• Other Amenities on Main Campus

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory experiences four seasons. To pack efficiently, we recommend referring to this website for the weather forecast surrounding your stay. In terms of what to pack, here is a list of items many course trainees regularly forget but we recommend you bring:

• Any and all anticipated medications

• Bug spray (This is especially important for those attending a summer course.)

• Sunscreen

• Umbrella or rain poncho

• Flip flops or slides (For the shower)

• Toothpaste and toothbrush

• Bathing suit

• Work-out gear

By the same token, here are items you do not need to bring with you, as they are available in the guestrooms or common areas on campus: 

• Shampoo and conditioner

• Hair dryer (Available for pick-up at the Meetings & Courses Office with a $20 refundable deposit)

• Linen (i.e. bed sheet, blanket, towel)

• Lab coats

Other than that, pack comfortable casual clothes in which you're willing to spend sixteen hours a day. If you're taking a laboratory course, be sure to bring closed-toe shoes. If you're taking a computational course, be sure to bring a sweater or sweatshirt if you get cold sitting in front of a computer all day. 

If you do forget to pack something, you can always stock up at the CSHL Bookstore and/or local drug store. Our on-campus Bookstore offers a limited selection of sundry items; including toothpaste, Tylenol/Advil, bug spray, etc. The local drug stores, Rite Aid and CVS, are accessible via the CSHL Shuttle during its hours of operation. Rite Aid has a scheduled weekday and weekend route; CVS runs can be coordinated directly with the Shuttle drivers. 

Arrive at Grace Auditorium and head to the Meetings & Courses Office in the lower level to pick up your arrival packet, which will include your course schedule, room key, nametag, a map of campus, and other materials. 

On the day of arrival, we host a welcome orientation for our course trainees after dinner. Your course registrar will inform you of the orientation start time when you check-in and pick-up your arrival packet. 

For those arriving early or after 7 PM, please inform your course registrar.

On-campus housing is guaranteed for our course trainees, instructors, and teaching assistants for the duration of a course. We have different on-campus housing styles – from dormitory corridors to cabins – and assign housing by gender. Daily housekeeping is provided and so are eco-friendly options relating to linens.

There are three locations on Main Campus where food is available: Blackford Dining Hall, Blackford Bar, and Hillside Café. Blackford Dining Hall is reminiscent of a cafeteria with a daily-changing menu; vegetarian, pescatarian, and gluten-free fare are always available, and kosher meals can be made on request. 

Meals at Blackford Dining Hall are free with your CSHL nametag during these hours:

Breakfast: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Dinner: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Blackford Bar has an a la carte menu for breakfast (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM), lunch (12:00 PM to 2:00 PM), and dinner (5:30 PM to 8:00 PM). Hillside Café also has an a la carte menu but only serves breakfast (8:00 AM – 10:30 AM) and lunch (12:00 PM – 2:00 PM). The a la carte menus at Blackford Bar and Hillside Café do not change daily like the Blackford Dining Hall menu; however, the menu at Blackford Bar is different than at Hillside Café. In addition, during the warmer months and our meetings, a burger and hotdog BBQ stand is set-up outside Blackford Hall. Meals at these facilities are not free for course participants.

Main Campus is patrolled by CSHL Security 24 hours every day. In case of emergencies, contact either the CSHL Emergency Hotline (Ext 5555 from a house phone) or your course registrar. Specific information, including contact information, will be provided in your arrival packet as well as reviewed during the welcome orientation. We suggest you save these telephone numbers into your mobile device or, at the very least, jot them down on the back of your nametag. 

For all life-threatening emergencies, dial 911 (or 9-911 from a house phone).

For any administrative-related questions, feel free to contact your course registrar via email or stop by the Meetings & Courses Office in the lower level of Grace Auditorium. It is the first place to go if you have a question about any amenities on campus, and is staffed 8 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 1 PM Saturday and Sunday. If you need assistance when the Office is closed, contact Security at Ext 8870 from a house phone.

This blog post is part of the #CSHLCourseLife Series. If your course is taking place on Main Campus, be sure to also check out Part I for information related to making travel arrangements, and Part III for a list of the ancillary events and extra benefits that accompany your course. For those whose course or workshop is taking place at the Banbury Campus, refer to the Series' Banbury Edition.

Updated: March 16, 2018