2021 Winter Break Guide for On-Campus Residents

Newcomb Hall and Berkus Hall are the only two residence halls open for Winter Break Housing.  Any students currently living in Newcomb or Berkus will continue to reside in their regularly assigned room.  All other students will be provided a room assignment in Newcomb Hall; our goal is to only have two students living in a room, but we anticipate that you may have up to two roommates during this period.  Please understand that room assignments during Winter Break are final, and no changes will be made during this period.  We expect all residents to be respectful of each other and the community.

REHS will send detailed instructions to all residents with their room assignment and how to retrieve their temporary room card.  During Winter Break, all access to other residence halls will be turned off, so you will need to bring all items you will need to reside in your Winter Break room with you.  You should contact Campus Safety if there is any need for you to retrieve items from your Fall room.

On Monday, January 3, all residence halls will resume operation, and all Winter Break students will be required to return to their regular assigned room.  

As a reminder, during this period, no guests are allowed in the residence hall or your room.  Students found to be hosting guests will be dismissed from housing immediately and be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Masks are required to be utilized inside all residence halls, per the COVID-19 Student Compact.  Due to the continued presence of COVID-19, please do all you can to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.

Cleaning Services will be providing services to Newcomb and Berkus Halls over the break period.  

Dining Services will be closed from Friday, December 17 to Sunday, January 2 and resume operation on Monday, January 3.  Food will be the responsibility of the student during this time the dining hall is closed.  Typically most students utilize delivery services such as GrubHub and UberEats to obtain food, as there is very limited space to cook meals in the residence hall.

Beginning on January 3, Dining Services will reopen, and participation in the dining plan is mandatory.  For non-athletes staying in the residence halls between January 3-14, each will be charged $165 per week ($330 for the two week period). Plans will have a weekly starting balance of $82.50, spendable at the 50% discount.  All charges will be posted to the student account.  

All Winter Break athletes should check in with their coach regarding how their meal plan will work.

Information about hours of operation will be sent by Dining Services in January.

Any questions about dining should be sent to dining@oxy.edu.

Students are permitted to utilize their personal vehicle as they wish.  Students who do not have a personal vehicle, and have a need to leave campus, should utilize ridesharing services such as Uber or Lyft, or other forms of transportation such as walking, biking, or the LA Metro Bus.  Metro Micro is a service provided by LA Metro, provides very inexpensive rideshare transportation throughout Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and Glendale, and can be utilized for local trips to a store or pharmacy.  More information about Metro Micro can be found here: https://micro.metro.net/zone-map-highland-park-eagle-rock-glendale/  Currently, Metro Micro rides are $1.

Campus Safety is not able to provide any personal non-emergency related transportation for students.  Should students have a medical need and need assistance with transportation, Campus Safety can introduce students to the taxi voucher process.

During Winter Break, all of campus is closed, meaning you will only be able to access your residence hall and any outdoor spaces.  This means that common student spaces like the Library and the Gym are not available.

Resident Assistants (RAs) will be on-site during Winter Break in Newcomb and Berkus, and will be on-call to assist with any non-emergency issues that arise. 

The RA Duty Number is (323) 767-6484.

Campus Safety is available 24/7 to assist with any issues, including emergencies that occur on-campus.  Please note that safety is paramount given that there are less people on-campus during the Winter Break, so do your part in ensuring the safety of yourself and others, and report any issues or suspicious behaviors to Campus Safety immediately.

Campus Safety 24/7 Number is: (323) 259-2599.

It is important that you maintain your room access card at all times; given that less staff are working over the Winter Break period, it may take longer than usual to receive an admit to your room, in the event you are locked out.

During the Winter Break period, Facilities will be on-call to respond to any emergency situations. 
The Facilities Work Order System will not be checked until Monday, January 3, so should there be a serious issue or concern in your room or within your residence hall, please contact Campus Safety. 

Winter Break is here, and we want to ensure you have the safest break possible. Please try and avoid large gatherings during this holiday break. Remember Cold and flu season is upon us! These illnesses are caused by common respiratory viruses that activate your immune system, causing your body to exhibit symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever, chills, congestion, and runny nose. These symptoms can be exhibited by someone infected by COVID-19, which is also a respiratory virus. Here are some tips for taking care of yourself this winter break:

• If you are experiencing symptoms, get tested for COVID-19. 
• Get a flu shot to protect yourself against getting the flu. The most common symptoms of flu are fevers, chills, fatigue, body aches, and malaise. If you experience these symptoms, get evaluated by a healthcare professional immediately.
• Reduce spread of viral infections by washing your hands frequently, not touching your face, and wearing masks in crowded or public places. If you are feeling unwell and are having symptoms, stay home and limit contact with others to reduce spread.
• Support your immune system’s fight against infection. Get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and eat a balanced diet.  Viral infections typically resolve in about a week (can last longer in some) and get better with rest. Symptomatic treatments are also available to improve symptoms.
• Antibiotics are effective at treating bacterial infections only, not viral infections. 
• When in doubt, please get evaluated by a healthcare professional.
• You may want to consider stocking up on tylenol, ibuprofen or cold/cough medication just in case you do become covid positive, and would be unable to get these items otherwise.

Emmons Wellness Center is closed during Winter Break.  This means that students who have any medical needs will need to utilize their medical insurance to find resources off-campus.  It is recommended that you contact Emmons Wellness Center before the break begins to discuss any questions you may have regarding your insurance or where to seek proper medical care over the break period.  Information for students utilizing Oxy’s Student Health Insurance can be found here: /student-life/resources-support/emmons-wellness-center/student-health-insurance

Many health resources, including drug stores and urgent care locations are near campus in Eagle Rock; please review the Transportation Services section of this guide to learn more information on how to travel to these locations.

Campus Safety should be utilized if emergency personnel, such as the ambulance or a trip to the hospital is necessary. 

Campus Safety can be reached at (323) 259-2599.

Information about Urgent Care or Emergency Room information can be found on the following Emmons Wellness Center website: /student-life/resources-support/emmons-wellness-center/campus-resources

All students are required to be tested for COVID-19 prior to entering Winter Break Housing.  Students are also required to take two additional COVID-19 tests on campus on December 22 and 28.  

As a reminder, the most common COVID-19 symptoms are:

• Fever or chills Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you experience any of these symptoms or feel that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you are required to seek a COVID-19 test.  If you experience these symptoms outside of a testing date, you are required to test at an off-campus.

Curative 
1268 N Ave 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042
https://book.curative.com/sites/32768

LA County COVID Testing - Echo Park (walk-up only)
2044 Reservoir Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026
https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/

CVS Locations - vary depending on availability and location
https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

Walgreens Locations - vary depending on availability and location
https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing?ban=covid_vanity_testing

Rite Aid Locations - vary depending on availability and location
https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/services/covid-19-testing

Carbon Health - Pasadena
600 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA
https://carbonhealth.com/pasadena?specialtyId=652c64cc-9fcb-442f-b71e-266390ef2f63

1. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you will need to contact Campus Safety immediately, and inform them of your status.  Campus Safety will notify the Dean On-Call, who will call you to discuss the matter.  During your call with the Dean On-Call, you will need to provide proof that you have tested positive, so please have your test results near you for verification.
2. Once the Dean On-Call has confirmed your information, they will coordinate to move you to an isolation room in Berkus Hall (if you are currently residing in Berkus Hall, and you live alone, you are permitted to isolate in your room.)  Once the Dean On-Call has identified a room for you, you will need to pack and bring with you all items you will need to isolate for a ten day period.  The Dean On-Call will inform you of your assigned room.
3. Once you are ready to move, you will need to call Campus Safety when you are ready.  Campus Safety will travel to meet you outside at your current residence hall to deliver your isolation room card, as well as an isolation resource kit, with N95 masks and sanitation wipes.  Please wear the N95 mask at all times in transit to your isolation room.
4. During isolation, you are permitted to continue to order food from services such as Grubhub; you must wear your N95 mask at all times to retrieve your food and to return back to your room.  
5. An RA or the Dean On-Call will check in on you via email periodically to see how you are doing.  If you have any needs or concerns during isolation, please contact Campus Safety at (323) 259-2599.
6. If you need to leave your isolation room for fresh air, you are permitted to do that for up to 30 minutes at a time, but you must wear your N95 mask at all times, and practice proper social distancing.
7. You may take over the counter medications such as tylenol, ibuprofen, cold/cough medications as needed for fever/congestion/headache.
8. Hydrate, eat small meals as tolerated, and rest, limit exposures to others.
9. If symptoms are not improving, and you would like to be medically evaluated, you may call our medical hotline at (323) 341-4141, to be medically triaged by a nurse on call. They may take up to an hour to return your call. You can also go to the Urgent Care on Eagle Rock, or call your telehealth provider on the back of your insurance card if available. 
10. For mental health concerns, you may also call our medical/counseling hotline at 323-341-4141.
11. If you begin to develop any shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, please call Campus Safety or 9-1-1, inform them of your symptoms and COVID positive status.
12. The Dean On-Call will notify Emmons Wellness Center of your status, and a representative from Emmons will check in with you on January 3 when they resume operations.
13. Emmons Wellness Center will communicate directly with you when you are approved to leave isolation and return back to your room.  As Emmons will resume operations on January 3, students in isolation will be permitted to return back to their regular room assignment.

Emmons Wellness Center will be closed on Monday, December 20 and will resume services on Monday, January 3.  If you are interested in meeting with a therapist, please reach out to emmons@oxy.edu, and you will receive a response once their office re-opens.  If you experience a mental health emergency, please contact Campus Safety at (323) 259-2599, or utilize the Oxy Helpline, a 24/7 telephonic medical and counseling triage available for all students. 

The Oxy Helpline can be reached at (323) 341-4141. 

In addition to the Oxy Helpline, the following is a list of various local and national mental health resources students can utilize during the break period:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
(800) 273-8255
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline connects you with a crisis center closest to your location. Your call will be answered confidentially by a trained crisis worker who will listen empathetically, work to ensure that you feel safe, and help identify options and information about mental health services in your area

The Trevor Project
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
1-866-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386)
Confidential online instant messaging with a Trevor counselor, available 24/7Access through a computer.
In addition to providing advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights, the Trevor Project offers a crisis intervention and suicide prevention resource hotline for queer identified people aged 13-24.

The Los Angeles Rape and Battering Hotline
213-626-3393

National Peer-Support Chat
http://www.volunteerlogin.org/chat/index.html

National Youth Talkline
https://www.glbthotline.org/
1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)

Crisis Text Line
https://www.crisistextline.org/
Text HOME to 741741
Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free crisis support via text message.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline connects you with a crisis center closest to your location. Your call will be answered confidentially by a trained crisis worker who will listen empathetically, work to ensure that you feel safe, and help identify options and information about mental health services in your area.

Disaster Distress Helpline
1-800-985-5990
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Disaster Distress Helpline provides crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.

211 LA County
Dial 2-1-1 within Los Angeles County
211 LA County is the hub for all types of health, human and social services in Los Angeles County, providing callers with information and referrals to the services that best meet their needs.

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Project SAFE will be closed on Monday, December 20 and will resume services on Monday, January 3.  If you are interested in meeting with a staff member in Project SAFE, please reach out to survivoradvocate@oxy.edu, and you will receive a response once their office re-opens.

If you or a friend experiences sexual assault, and need immediate resources, please contact Campus Safety at (323) 259-2599.  In addition, the following are off-campus resources students can utilize if they wish to speak to an alternate support:

Peace Over Violence (POV)
https://www.peaceoverviolence.org/
POV offers emergency, intervention, prevention, education, and advocacy services for survivors and their support people. Services are offered in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Their 24-hour hotline can be reached at (213) 626-3393.

Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center
https://www.uclahealth.org/santa-monica/rape-treatment
The Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center provides 24/7, free, expert, comprehensive care for sexual assault victims. Services include emergency medical treatment and forensic services, crisis counseling and longer-term psychotherapy, and advocacy. The center can also provide accompaniments to police stations, medical centers and court proceedings. They can be reached at (424) 259-7208.

LA LGBT Center
https://lalgbtcenter.org/
The LA LGBT Center provides services by LGBT+ domestic violence specialists, including certified domestic violence counselors, mental health professionals and attorneys. They are located in Hollywood and can be reached at (323) 993-7649 for legal services and (323) 860-5806 for advocacy services.

1in6
https://1in6.org/
1in6 aims to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences. Services include a 24/7 online helpline, and free, confidential weekly online support groups. Located in Pasadena, 1in6 can be reached via email.