By As the start of the spring semester welcomes new and returning students back to campus, discover or refresh upon the local opportunities for students to flourish — from food to self-prioritized wellness and entertainment at an accessible cost.
Food:
Students walking through the intersection of lower and upper campus are not privy to Associated Student Inc.’s weekly farmer’s market, which offers a selection of local food vendors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, students can visit several local farmers markets in the city every day of the week to shop for fresh selections of produce, keeping cost accessibility in mind.
A worker at the Oriental Farms 2 stall restocks fresh vegetables for patrons shopping at the Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Oct. 10, 2024. Student food assistance programs, including Beach CalFresh, offer money monthly for groceries that students can spend at local farmers’ markets. Photo Credit: Julia Goldman
The Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons and the Downtown Long Beach Farmers Market on Fridays prioritize food assistance and accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards.
For direct assistance with food insecurity, students can visit the Laurén Chalmers ’83 Beach Pantry at USU-116 up to three times a week and receive up to five items per visit.
Items include fresh fruit, vegetables, canned food, dried goods and student essentials – all free of cost.
Beyond the Beach Panty, campus programs, including the Meals Assistance Program, provide students experiencing food insecurity with meals from the university’s dining halls.
CSULB’s CalFresh program offers up to $291 monthly for groceries through an electronic benefit transfer card for eligible students.
Students interested in the Meals Assistance Program and Beach CalFresh can visit the Basic Needs Center in USU-122 or call 562 985-2038 and 562-317-1492, respectively.
Wellness:
Illness, injuries and health anxiety throughout the semester can be unpredictable and inconvenient.
Students looking to take proactive steps toward their physical health care can visit Student Health Services (SHS), located on the corner of Beach Drive and Merriam Way.
All primary care visits at SHS are free, from immunizations to injury/illness assessment and treatment.
This also includes reproductive health, with free STI testing, treatment and birth control. Some specialty care, such as gynecology, psychiatry and gender-affirming care, is also available.
Students can seek mental health assistance from campus departments, including Counseling and Psychological Services and Project OCEAN.
Both work to provide support to students with mental health concerns through care and on-campus support, from individual counseling to resources and peer-to-peer programs.
A view of the basketball courts, suspended running track and exercise equipment of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC), as seen from the second floor on Jan. 24. Photo Credit: Delfino Camacho
The Yogalution session on Oct. 24, 2024, began with a grounding exercise, where participants were asked to take deep breaths in a seated position while rotating their upper body to prepare for the upcoming mobility. Often, attendees bring their dogs along, with this pup receiving forehead kisses each time their owner swung around in her stretch. Photo Credit: Julia Goldman
Entertainment:
While preparing for the inevitable mid-semester chaos, look for ASI Beach Pride Events’ monthly Noontime Concerts. These concerts aim to provide relief between classes with new music.
Once a month, the event welcomes a local band or artist at the USU Southwest Terrace for a free concert, usually paired with free snacks and refreshments from ASI.
Los Angeles-based band Triptides performed their set of ’60s and ’70s jazz, soul and psychedelic rock for ASI’s Noontime Concerts series on Dec. 4, 2024. Photo Credit: Isabela Zuniga
From podcasting, to VR and 3D printing, students can discover and explore new skills this semester through the Gerald M. Kline Innovation Space.
Located on the lower level of the University Library, the space allows students to try new technology for free or for a low cost of materials for 3D printing.
Every Thursday throughout the semester, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., students interested in learning how to design and blend models for 3D printing can attend a free workshop with ISPACE by RSVP.
If lectures aren’t exhausting enough this semester, students can also explore global developments in animal research, ecology and conservation off campus with the Aquarium of the Pacific’s First Wednesday series.
The lectures are presented by working scientists and authors in biology and ecology who share their often life-long, specialized research.
Previous First Wednesdays include discussions on mountain yellow-legged frogs, bat biology, impact and the importance of recycled water.
The series is held each first Wednesday of the month for $5 in advance and $10 at the door.
Though sold out, the following First Wednesday on Feb. 5, features a discussion on the intelligence, health and conservation research on the Southern Resident killer whales.
Editor’s Note: Added information on upcoming Noontime concert on Jan. 26, at 10:54 a.m.
