September 14, 2021 - Celebrating Latinx History Month

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional students,

September is Latinx Heritage Month, an important occasion for our campus with many different facets to honor. Here are a few: Latinx highlights from the Division of Equity & Inclusion and Latinx faculty who continue to make significant strides on Berkeley campus.

And, please vote today in the California recall election. You can vote in person until 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, September 14) in the MLK Jr. Building at 2495 Bancroft Way. Even if you didn’t register in time, Californians can register to vote on election day and cast a provisional ballot.

Here are this month’s other key takeaways:

You should be aware that the City of Berkeley’s new public health order mandates proof of vaccination for a number of settings and activities. This will affect major campus areas, including Cal Dining, and also activities in the City of Berkeley (separate from campus). Also, students who live in off-campus congregate housing (CalGreeks, co-ops, Bowles Hall, I-House) are strongly advised to do weekly surveillance testing, at least through September. 

Let’s stay safe and be vigilant...and do our part to end this pandemic.

Health and Safety

City of Berkeley: Proof of Vaccination Order 

The campus is now implementing the City of Berkeley’s new public health order requiring vaccination for indoor dining and other activities. Food and drink are now prohibited indoors at student organization meetings and events on campus, including those hosted by the ASUC and GA. To enter Cal Dining, Recreational Sports, and other indoor designated facilities on campus, students will need to show either a green campus access badge on your mobile device or other proof of vaccination, such as your vaccine card issued by the CDC. (Note: Cal Dining accepts only the campus access badge.) Remember to also have your photo ID, which can include your student ID (Cal 1 Card). When off campus, expect to show proof of vaccination and photo ID if you plan to be inside at restaurants, entertainment venues, etc., in the cities of Berkeley and San Francisco. For more details, read the campus message about the new public health order.

New Exposure Notifications

Beginning this week, if a student or instructor tests positive for COVID-19 after attending a class during the infectious period, everyone who is registered for the class will receive an email notification. This notification will be in addition to the usual contact-tracing process, during which UHS identifies and notifies close contacts by phone and/or text. It’s important to know that a “potential exposure” is different from being identified as a close contact (within six feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, whether indoor or outdoor). You’re likely to be at lower risk than a close contact, and no more than, for example, visiting a supermarket. When you receive an exposure alert, however, you still need to take action; UHS gives you the lowdown at its Contact Tracing and Close Exposures web page.

New Testing Guidelines

University Health Services strongly advises weekly surveillance testing for students who live in off-campus congregate housing (for example, Greek houses, co-ops, Bowles Hall, I-House), for at least the first few weeks of the school year. Vaccinated campus housing residents are now required to get tested for COVID-19 at least once a month. (Unvaccinated residents are still required to get tested weekly.) Make your testing appointments via eTang.

Free Mask Pickup

If you are a Berkeley student in need of a face covering, just pick up two free masks at Eshleman Hall, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Activate CA Notify 

CA Notify is a free service that allows you to find out if you were exposed to COVID-19. You can also notify others if you test positive while remaining anonymous. Your personal information is never collected, so you and those around you can stay safe. 

Fire Season Awareness

Find campus resources on fire emergencies and fire season from the Office of Environment, Health & Safety. And note that the City of Berkeley and counties throughout the Bay Area use Zone Haven to help prepare for wildfire; you can use it to learn your evacuation zone, a label that responders will use during wildfires and other emergencies to rapidly identify specific areas under threat. In Berkeley, all zone labels start with "BER" such as BER-E044.

Earthquake Warnings

Yes, we know, fire is enough to worry about, but occasionally the Bay Area is known to have earthquakes, too. Get advance warning by downloading MyShake, a free app designed by UC Berkeley seismologists and engineers for Earthquake Warning California. MyShake’s location services must be set to “always-on” so that ground sensors can alert you when shaking is detected.

Connecting and Community

Connect with Berkeley’s Chicanx-Latinx Community

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month, and it’s a great time to connect with the Chicanx-Latinx student community on campus. Just a small sampling of our Chicanx-Latinx-focused student orgs: De Colores (for queer and trans students who identify as Latinx), the LatinX Pre-Law Society, the Latinx Business Student Association, the Chicanx/Latinx Architecture Student Association,  Mariachi Luz de Oro, and Ballet Folklorico Reflejos De Mexico. There is also a thriving Chicanx Latinx alumni group, as well as campus resources such as Chicanx Latinx Student Development, the Casa Magdalena Mora Theme Program, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Undocumented Student Program, and more. Check out upcoming Latinx events, such as a virtual CineLatino film screening, a virtual documentary film screening about migration and conversation with its director (a UC Berkeley PhD candidate), and a Zoom talk with visual artist Sebastián Calfuqueo.  And check out these Latinx-focused highlights from the Division of Equity & Inclusion staff.

Meet Latinx Faculty 

Student Dixie Jimenez compiled profiles of six Latinx faculty and their contributions. We have by no means covered them all...if you have another faculty profile suggestion, please reach out to us at: sacommunications@berkeley.edu  

bridges Fellowship, Internships, Community

The bridges Multicultural Resource Center is a student-initiated coalition of seven student-run organizations that strive to recruit underrepresented students of color into higher education, and provide resources to retain them. Apply by Sept. 22 for the bridges fellowship, which can be taken for up to three units. Also, some bridges organizations offer internships for credit; all offer community-building and connection. 

Check out their Instagram accounts and contact them to get involved: bridges,  Black Recruitment and Retention Center (BRRC), Indigenous Native Coalition Recruitment & Retention Center (INCRRC), Middle Eastern/North African Recruitment & Retention Center (MENARRC), Mixed Recruitment & Retention Center (MRRC), Pilipinx Academic Student Services (PASS), Raices Recruitment & Retention Center, and REACH! Asian/Pacific Islander Recruitment & Retention Center.

Time for a Pre-Game Huddle

Join other students in Lower Sproul for The Huddle, a pre-game celebration taking place three hours before kickoff for every Saturday home game this semester (Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 23, Oct. 30, and Nov. 13). Enjoy food and beverages along with the best in Cal-spirited entertainment and fun.

Free Group Counseling Available at UHS

University Health Services offers free (no insurance necessary) group counseling sessions facilitated by professional counselors that address specific needs and perspectives including graduate students, Black womxn, BIPOC men, undocumented students, and many more. Check out the group counseling schedule. 

Meet Two Student Artists

Student artists add color and perspective to the community…two such students are artists Geli and Griffin who share their vision and their work on Berkeley Life. (If you want to explore your inner creative genius, check out Berkeley Art Studio, offering in-person art, design, and crafting classes. Registration is now open for the seven-week late-fall session.) 

Student Union Open House: Oct. 1

Celebrate Homecoming at the Student Union Open House, Oct. 1, from noon to 3 p.m. in the MLK Jr. Building. Students will ring in the "Go Bears" spirit with popcorn, cotton candy, arcade games, prizes, and fun at the Bear's Lair. Your friends and family are welcome.

Support Afghanistan: Ends Sept. 15

You have until tomorrow to donate to the Afghanistan Scholars at Risk Fund, which used Berkeley’s crowdfunding platform to raise $250,000 to help journalists, lawyers, and other academics — especially women — evacuate from Afghanistan. Thank you to the Risk Fund and everyone who contributed! 

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Fun at Berkeley continues! Join Rec Sports Intramurals. Volunteer. Express yourself at a poetry slam. (And, ICYMI, check out Fun at Berkeley (Part 1 and Clubs and Orgs: Where to Begin).

Resources and Support

Cal Dining: Open Facilities, To-Go Options

Here’s the current scoop on campus dining. You’ll need to show a green badge in the Campus Mobile App to enter Cal Dining facilities; if you don’t have a green badge, to-go options will be available at the dining commons. All four campus dining commons and all four campus convenience stores are open. Golden Bear Cafe reopened last week, and is open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the remaining campus restaurants are closed. For more details, check Cal Dining’s COVID-19 updates and hours. Don’t forget: In all dining locations, face coverings must be worn at all times when not actively eating or drinking.

Bear’s Lair Now Open

The Bear’s Lair in Lower Sproul has reopened! Hours are 11 a.m. through late night, seven days a week.

Find a Study Place

If you want a comfortable place to study or attend class on Zoom, you’ll find plenty of options at UC Berkeley’s Libraries. Find your new favorite spot at: ucberk.li/find-a-study-space

WiFi Support

For technical support, go to Student Technology Services, which provides free support to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, paid for in part by your Student Tech Fee. STS can assist with resolving WiFi problems and getting online; installing and optimizing free campus software (Adobe, Matlab, Microsoft, and Zoom); troubleshooting device issues (blue screens, slow performance, data recovery); setting up CalNet 2-Step, removing malware, and ensuring security; and locating campus resources for printing, laptop lending, creative labs. Check system outages at IT’s Status Dashboard and subscribe to receive real-time alerts on WiFi outages and other system issues.

Cal 1 Card Scanning

A new design of Cal 1 Card is rolling out, so currently there are two functional and valid designs for the card. Both versions will work anywhere on campus that accepts a Cal 1 Card. Note that Cal 1 Cards printed on or after July 1, 2021, with the new design, need to be held approximately one inch away from card readers for a successful scan. If you experience technological issues, please notify departmental card-key administrators or building managers.

Manage Your Money Starter Guide

Keep on budget with A Starter’s Guide to Berkeley, featuring tips on managing personal finances, finding affordable food and groceries, navigating transportation and more, written by Bears for Financial Success, Berkeley’s peer-to-peer financial wellness program. To develop your own plan for managing student finances (including your financial aid refund!), schedule an appointment with a peer financial educator.

New Berkeley Voices Podcast

Listen up: Check out the rebranded podcast, Berkeley Voices, which goes behind the scenes of the research, work, and personal journeys of students, staff, and faculty at Berkeley.  The podcast, previously called Fiat Vox and re-launched with a new name and approach, will run a new episode every other Friday. The podcast can be found on all the major podcast platforms.

Jobs and Careers

Work-Study Job Fair: Sept. 14 to 17

Don’t forget: The Work-Study Program’s annual Work-Study Job Fair will take place this week, Sept. 14 to 17, via Zoom, and hosts employers located on (and off) campus who are recruiting work-study eligible students.

Finally, I need to end with a Berkeley brag, noting that UC Berkeley is the first public university to top Forbes’ list of top colleges in America. Let’s all bask in the glow. Go Bears!

Sincerely,
Stephen C. Sutton, Ed.D. (he/him/his)
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Berkeley Life Roundup is a monthly email with news just for students: health and wellness information, a summary of important campus updates, resources and support, and opportunities to connect, engage, and learn. Please also check out Berkeley Life hub and Berkeley Life Instagram. Graduate students can also connect with Graduate Division Instagram, as well as other platforms.

This message was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students.