Summer 2013 FAQs

Here are some answers to your frequently asked questions about NBTB 2013:

Did you receive my payment? Is my space confirmed?
First, our thanks to our many students who have paid well in advance of the April 1 deadline! “Zero balance” invoices will be going out as of April 1. If you don’t receive a “zero” invoice from us by the end of April, please email us so that we can check on your account and make sure you do.

Where will we be staying?
We will be staying in the Lagunitas Court housing and dining area, one of Stanford’s most historic residences. “Lagunitas” is Spanish for “little lake,” a reference to one that borders this lovely Mediterranean-style complex of small theme-house dorms. Lagunitas includes the Lakeside Dining facility and is within an easy walk of the Tresidder Student Union, the Stanford Bookstore, “Mem Chu” (Memorial Church) and other campus landmarks. Our dorm will have doubles and triples with a shared bathroom on each floor; we assign boys and girls to alternate floors so that the bathrooms are girls- or boys-only. If you/your student has special needs that we need to take into account, please let us know.

Lagunitas is located at 326 Santa Teresa Street, Stanford, CA 94305. If you are arranging for ground transportation from the airport to Stanford, please note this address when making your reservation, as Stanford is a big campus and it includes more than a dozen shuttle pickup/dropoff locations.

Where will we eat? What about my special dining needs (halal, vegan, lactose-intolerant, gluten-free, other?
Students and staff will eat at Lakeside Dining, a lovely dining room with inside and outdoor seating that is adjacent to our dorm and is part of Stanford Dining’s award-winning food service. Expect several stations with a variety of American and ethnic cuisines (Asian, Mexican, Italian), plus a full salad bar and soft-serve ice cream. Students will not need money for meals unless they want to purchase snacks at Tresidder or a student coffeehouse; click here for a full list of campus eateries. If you/your student has special dining needs, please email Monique Abed at Stanford Dining at mabed@stanford.edu. She will send you a form to fill out so that you can specify your needs. There is no extra charge for this service.

At the Sunday check-in and orientation, all campers — both residential and commuter — will receive meal cards with access to Lakeside Dining. The first meal will be dinner on Sunday, June 23 and the final meal is breakfast on Sunday, June 30. (We will be making alternative arrangements for early check-in students arriving on Saturday.) Residential campers will get three meals a day, and commuters will get lunch. Commuters who wish to stay for dinner on any day may purchase meal cards for $16.25 from the camp office. Commuters are also encouraged to join students and staff for dinner on opening night, and dinner is on us!

What tech tools should I bring (laptop, cellphone, digital phone)? What if I already have an iPad?
While campers may wish to bring some electronic devices, no tech tools are required. Many campers do bring digital cameras, videocameras, laptops and smartphones, but others do not, and they produce excellent work with the tools we give them. Each camper this summer will receive a rented iPad to use for the duration of the program. If you/your camper already has an iPad and would like to use it, please let us know — we can set up your student with the necessary apps and wifi access when they arrive on campus. There is no charge for this service.

Will I have Internet access for my (laptop, tablet, smartphone)? Can I email?
Campers will have Internet access via their iPads, including email. However, commuter campers will return their iPads to the camp office at the end of the day before they leave. A month prior to the beginning of camp, we will send all campers a flyer from Residential Computing Services at Stanford with instructions on how to get your laptop ready for the Stanford wi-fi network. Typically, students have no problem getting online with a smartphone.

Are linens included in the residential program fee?
Yes. Students will receive a bedspread, sheets, blanket, pillow and pillowcase, two towels and one washcloth. A small bar of soap, soap dish and paper cups also are provided. Common areas are cleaned daily, but there is no maid service for the rooms. Our dorm has a laundry room with washers/dryers, which students may use.

What else should I bring to camp?
Please see our suggested packing list, which is in the registration packet that you’ve already received and also at the end of these questions.

When should I plan to arrive on Sunday, June 23? What if I’m a commuter?
Residential students should arrive between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 23 in order to check in and receive their room keys from Stanford Housing. Commuter students should arrive by 3 p.m. for the opening chalk talk and staff introductions, and plan on staying for dinner and the team leader meetings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Residential students who arrive after 3 p.m. should come into our dorm and common room, which will be clearly marked, and join our opening session in progress. We’ll check in late arrivals as soon as it’s over.

Following the opening session, campers will meet with their news groups and team leaders. Parents are welcome to settle campers into their dorms but we ask parents to depart after 3 p.m. so that students can meet and dine with their news groups.

Where should I park for drop-off/pick-up/commuting?
See the map in your registration packet or click here for an interactive campus map, including directions. We will have signs on campus to direct you to Lagunitas and then into our program dorm.

Parking in the A and C lots surrounding Lagunitas is free on Sundays but not during the week, so plan on looking for a free A or C space, or park at the Tresidder student union, which offers ample parking and is close to our dorm.

Commuters can purchase a parking pass for any of the program days when they arrive. Daily parking passes are $4.50 and a week pass is $25 (Stanford sells monthly passes only, so a “week” pass actually is good for one month).

Can I arrive on Saturday? What’s Early Check-In?
We provide Early Check-In for students who are coming to us from far away. At this time, we have several campers scheduled to check in on Saturday, June 22. If you would like to add your name to this list, please email us with your flight number and time of arrival on the Stanford campus. Any time during the day is fine as long as you tell us in advance when it is. We do not provide shuttle service from the airport but we will meet your student on arrival on campus. The cost for Early Check-In is $100, including dinner, housing and an evening activity. Please make your check payable to Newsroom by the Bay and send it to us c/o Beatrice Motamedi, 248 Monte Vista Ave., Oakland, Calif. 94611.

What time does the program begin and end every day?
From Monday through Friday, breakfast is at 7 a.m., the morning chalk talk and afternoon reporting trip signup is at 8 a.m. and classes begin at 8:30 a.m. After lunch, there is afternoon lab time, including reporting events and field trips on campus. Lab time ends at 4 p.m. Unless students are on a field trip, there is downtime after 4 p.m. until dinner at 5:30 p.m. each day so that students can rest and/or exercise. Following dinner, we have guest speaker presentations from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residential campers are required to attend the guest speaker presentations but they are optional for commuters. Team leaders are available for after-hours work until 9 p.m., or students can gather for movie nights. Lights out/bed check is at 11 p.m. Commuters must leave by the 11 p.m. bed check.

How do I get from the airport/back to the airport? Is a shuttle service available?
Due to changing schedules and family needs, we do not offer shuttle service to campers on arrival at area airports. However, after April 1 we will do our best to put you in touch with others from your city or region so that you can make your own arrangements. For transportation from San Francisco, San Jose or Oakland international airports, we can point you to SuperShuttle. Please make sure that you give SuperShuttle the street address for Lagunitas: 326 Santa Teresa Street, Stanford, CA 94305. Do not simply say that you are going “to Stanford” — as you’ll learn, it’s a huge campus (the second-largest in the world!). Make sure you get dropped off at Lag!

We do offer shuttle service for campers on departure; the cost for this service typically is $15 (cost varies according to the number of students we book on each shuttle). Students can sign up, make a reservation and pay at the camp office after they arrive.

When does the program end? When do I check out?
Check out is from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 30 and our program ends promptly at 11 a.m. Unfortunately, Stanford rules and our own insurance policy prevents us from supervising or accommodating students on campus after this time, so please plan accordingly. On Sunday morning, students will wake up at 7:00 a.m., eat breakfast, work with their team leaders to gather their belongings and clear their rooms, and then start saying their goodbyes (this can take awhile!). By 11 a.m., all students should be picked up by a parent/guardian, or be on their way to their airport of choice. Most of our students indeed are well on their way between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

What about my NBTB registration packet?
By now, you should have received your official NBTB registration packet. If you have not already done so, please read, sign and return the required forms. You can scan/email these forms to us, or mail them to P.O. Box 20105, Stanford, CA 94309. If you cannot find your registration packet, please let us know and we’ll send you another right away. Your forms are due May 1; otherwise, we cannot allow you to participate in the program as the signed forms are required by our insurer and by Stanford.

Additional Stanford waiver
Stanford has requested that we send you an additional waiver, which is included in your registration packet. If you cannot find your additional waiver, please let us know and we’ll send you another right away.

NBTB 2013 Packing List

• Clothing (T-shirts, shorts are fine). Note: There are free washers/dryers in the dorm.
• Photo ID (your high school photo ID and/or driver’s license)
• Decent (but not dress-up) clothes for field trips — be yourself
• Personal toiletries, appliances (hairdryer, toothbrush, shaver, etc.)
• Cash and/or access to emergency money: some students may want to buy Stanford
• souvenirs and/or the occasional afternoon ice cream or frozen yogurt. We also strongly
• suggest that students bring cash, a pre-signed blank check, or a pre-paid student credit
• card (available in most drugstores and supermarkets) to deal with emergency expenses,
• such as lost keys ($135) or lost meal card ($15). These costs are payable directly to
• Stanford. NBTB will not advance the cost of these replacements to students.
• Swimsuit and goggles or workout clothes
• Good walking shoes
• Sweater or light coat for (possibly) chilly evenings
• 10 copies of your school news publication (if you have one)
• AP Styleguide (if you have one) or iPhone app
• Laptop computer and Ethernet cable. Note: While you will have access to the Internet on your iPad while in the dorm and classroom, you may prefer to have a laptop at times in order to communicate more easily with family or friends. However, a laptop is not required.
•  Computer charger/adapter
• Cell phone AND charger
• Ipod, iTouch or other music device
• USB, thumb or jumpdrive (or sign up for a free Dropbox account!)
• Books, notebooks or other study items (optional)