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DormCon GBM 24 April 2025

Date: 24 April 2025
Location: Burton-Conner

note

If you find any issues with the meeting minutes, please email dormcon-secretary@mit.edu

TL;DR​

  • Elections next week! Bring your friends/enemies/etc.
  • Exec updates
    • i3 videos are getting reviewed
    • dorms should make sure to choose RACs at the end of the fall semester rather than the start of the spring semester
    • election posters have been made
    • feedback will go to Concord Market soon
    • another AD is getting hired
  • Field day
    • Mixed feedback on whether this should get run - events are cool, but people are super hosed
    • Maybe possible to run a more chill version? centered around tug-of-war?
    • Will decide post-meeting
  • Gyms
    • HRS is going to replace a bunch of gym equipment for dorm gyms, and is working with a contractor
    • in general there’s a good bit of money going into this, though dorms will now need to go through HRS if they want to buy new stuff (they’ll have a specific vendor)
  • President Updates
    • Baker piano drop drop on piano happened!
    • Simmons is dealing with food-stealing issues :(
    • MacGregor is planning a competing field day

Full minutes​

  • “This is our last regular GBM that isn’t elections. Ananda’s sad. I’m not.” - Jordan
  • please bring people to elections 🥺
  • if you’re here and not already on DormCon exec… YOU COULD BE
    • bring colleagues… frosh… enemies… friends… frenemies… people you want to be friends to lovers…

Exec Updates​

  • Tech Chair
    • no updates!
    • added minutes from last GBM (so true!)
  • i3 Chair
    • quite a few updates! met with HRS today for 1st day reviewing videos
    • about half the videos were reviewed, other half requested an extension, due tomorrow at noon, the people who haven’t submitted know who they are :((
      • all dorms have communicated
    • things to be aware of
      • no visible alcohol, bottles, cans, etc.
      • no prefrosh in the videos (privacy/permission issues)
        • it was EC’s video that had the problem
        • upperclassmen don’t submit waivers… but prefrosh are more likely to be minors, etc.
        • probably ok to blur face
        • last year there was a prefrosh and no one noticed 🤷
      • don’t want street signs to be visible
        • because they’ve likely been stolen from City of Cambridge
        • most of EC’s street signs are ethically procured (Random too I think?)
        • only street signs in dorms, to be clear. Not ones that are actually in place as they should be on streets.
        • proof of purchase?
          • apparently yes?
      • posters shouldn’t take up more than a certain amount of wall space
        • but they won’t take down the videos
        • HRS policy - posters can’t take up more than 40x40 inches (?)
        • it’s because of fire code
      • question - should double-decker couch be preemptively blurred out?
        • they had a problem last year
        • find out and see what they say
      • last year they didn’t like someone “rolling around in a big tube” in MacGregor’s video
    • videos were good and did a good job of representing dorms :)))
    • congrats from Ananda to Jackson on making Simmons video!!
    • indigenous living community in BC is getting a Guide to Residences page!
      • can maybe also make an i3 video
  • Housing
    • housing info also now on Guide to Residences! rebranded as undergrad housing?
    • mitguidetoresidences.mit.edu (?)
    • RAC revamp/training is happening (?)
      • note for presidents - RACs should get elected at the end of fall instead of beginning of spring
    • they’ll be sending a survey to RACs
      • “how’s the experience? are you stressed?”
    • rooftops >.<
      • tap pads are being installed, no time restrictions yet, till they do more communication
      • Made recommendations on how to improve communication
    • student IDs will be printed! yay!!
    • gyms
      • this is on the agenda
  • Underclassmen Reps
    • poster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it’s beautiful.
    • we are gonna poster. the posters.
    • going to go print them. so true.
  • JudComm
    • elections happening next week!! in 4-163, quorum is half or ¾? we’re ALL GONNA BE THERE.
    • electing 9 positions, we don’t want it to run till 10pm >.< so JudComm will be sending a form out so candidates can answer commonly asked questions, which will hopefully speed things up for more specific/follow-up questions
    • will get access to form ahead of elections (2-3 days ahead) so people can read the responses
    • favorite color is important. will be on form.
    • Jackson - if one is thinking of running for an office, but can’t be there till a while into the meeting, can still run?
      • should send a proxy!! can talk to JudComm, mess with schedule, hasn’t decided what to run for yet
  • Treasurer
    • watching with CPW chairs to find the admissions money… need to make sure they’ll get it
  • Secretary
    • no updates
  • Dining
    • met with Peter Cummings - Executive Director - yapped about Concord Market
      • aware of ExpensiveTM
      • putting them on dining plan not happening in short term, won’t be a rush decision, working group going on, will share perspectives
    • wants dining option on east side of campus for lunch (swipes should be accepted at Stata)
      • said if we figure out how to make it happen, he can retire lmao
    • in near future, won’t make all students be on meal plan
      • in next two years
      • mid future is 4-6
      • long term is more than 6 years
    • query from Ella - Maseeh is no longer self-serve, so people get too much food, people are unhappy, they’re figuring it out
    • Concord Market has separate lease, Dining can’t tell them what to do
      • Faith is on honeymoon, but talking to Elizabeth, coordinating efforts to talk to Concord Market and communicate student needs
      • committee idea from Ananda - ConcordComm…
    • talked with new HoH, might be on another dining committee…
    • MITIMCO, Concord Market, and Peter Cummings are all gonna meet and work it out 👍
    • if there are questions after the meeting - let people know - one last chance to shadow a meeting, people should run for dining chair!!!
  • Advisor
    • hiring another AD, one vacancy, going to be two
      • still unclear which building it’s going to be for, lots of things up in the air, maybe chained moves, but “it’s one of them”
        • Amanda is probably not leaving Simmons
  • CPW
    • it has been done.
    • Now we have REX!
    • please start figuring out REX chairs!
      • in the next week or week and a half… will need to know.
      • they’ll coordinate early returns
      • are there any dorms who don’t have REX chairs?
      • make sure mailing lists are up to date
    • query for CPW chairs - any more news about REX timing
      • no? there was just the one sad meeting
      • “we might have taken the L” - Ananda
      • for next year - based on Orientation timeline - maybe if they go to Elizabeth Young immediately after this year’s Orientation, things can be changed for next year (advice from Tasha)
        • Tasha has been most successful out of anyone for fighting for REX time
  • there are now 200 posters.
  • President
    • no updates. meeting with Suzy got canceled. CPW happened. everyone is hosed.
    • did meet with Suzy et. al. the day after the last GBM
      • main thing talked about was communication, which needs to go through students and not HoH => students
        • which they were “interested in conceptually”
        • “slightly confused but interested”
        • in regards to roof things, also some other issues
        • other things that might have been issues but weren’t; they hadn’t talked to students, there was something relevant just to one dorm

Field Day​

  • seems like people are not interested or too hosed for field day…
    • there have been eight responses (seven ahead of deadline)
    • not a lot of enthusiasm in terms of people attending?
  • should it run or no?
    • “MacGregor residents had opinions”
      • because MacGregor has its own field day - they’re “field-dayed-out”
      • no one else wanted to support this cause
      • making enemies in MacGregor
    • Random got “surprisingly negative feedback” from Random exec chat
      • “why would they do this we’re all hosed”
      • people are too hosed
      • Ella personally is pro-field-day, but here to represent constituents…
      • it wasn’t universally against
      • was it like against the ask? or against ALL FUN?
      • there’s 1 person who wants to run an event
      • some amount of “bad time of the year for a big event”
    • EC - everyone has been enthusiastic
      • not anti-it-happening
      • just a little confused about the concept
      • people heard field day and competition, thought there’d be tug-of-war
      • people were more enthusiastic about carnival - don’t want to fight frat guys
    • Baker
      • people were excited but suggested athletic events
      • something for everyone
    • McCormick
      • got “not sporty”
    • BC
      • less enthusiasm than expected
      • one - is anyone able to run/organize, and two - would you attend
      • got a few people interested in running, second question - maybe thirty percent of people said definitely too hosed, don’t know what field day is, etc.
    • Random
      • people don’t know what it entails, picturing middle school gym class :(
      • there’s food! exciting!
      • happy carnival/food vibes would get more positive reactions
    • Jordan
      • torn between “if you build it they will come” and not wanting to waste large amounts of money if people aren’t going to come?
      • we want to run events and have people come and have community… it’s just hard to know how to do that
      • people don’t know what it is, and it’s never happened before
    • Hanu
      • everything sounds crazy when you pitch at first (e.g., if you pitched water fight right now) - and then maybe it would be exciting in future years
    • Jamie
      • stress that people don’t have to be there the whole time
      • could pub more aggressively (iFair has been doing quite a lot of pubbing)
    • Decision needs to be made tonight
    • will discuss with Rishika later tonight…
    • maybe Just tug-of-war (?)
    • like Green Building Challenge Bad Ideas event
      • “It’s not really about winning…” - Jordan
        “It’s about winning.” - Rishika
    • Eugenie - more solidity, maybe something smaller
      • tug-of-war with food!
    • “we build this around tug-of-war”
      • doesn’t need to be a huge event
    • Entertainment License
    • “this can be our spikeball era”
  • “maybe the biggest issue here is just MacGregor being in our way”
    • “DO IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR STOVES” - Jordan
  • so general vague idea - maybe field day but more chill?

Gyms​

  • Temkin and Jordan had a meeting with Elise and Zach?
  • some updates to share about gyms
  • mostly good news
    • HRS has started looking at all of the gyms
    • and taking inventory of which ones are in good or bad condition
    • going to start replacing bad condition equipment
    • going to be lots of engagement with house execs on what equipment
    • Maseeh, Next, Random, and Simmons should get notifications soon
  • bad news?
    • they have determined a Minimum Base Package
    • the minimum thing every dorm will get
      • two pieces of cardio equipment
      • cable machines, free weights, one or two benches, Smith machine or squat rack
        • Baker: umm… actually 🤓👆
      • working with every dorm on layout
      • “every dorm has to be accessible, except Random”
        • needs to be safe, but it will “never” be ADA compliant
      • either $400k or $14k being immediately replaced (I can’t hear)
    • all major items will have to go through HRS - there will be a commercial vendor with a contract… they’ll pay for it!!
  • last thing - gym chairs
    • most dorms have gym chairs? Maybe not New Vassar, and New House’s is called something else?
    • some people maybe not answering emails :(
    • responsibilities may become slightly more defined
    • wants someone to check gyms once a week, and send update to HOM
    • accountability + safety
    • emails are maybe not going correctly to gym chairs? 1 gym chair on the working group, vs. all the gym chairs (?) - and lots of grad representation?
    • “they had a lot of numbers”
      • 341 pieces of equipment
        • 369 including Baker’s new gym and EC’s future gym
        • 18% (??) of undergrad equipment needs replacing
    • doing a check-in in 6 months
    • either making a portal or QR codes for repair
    • training maybe for gym chairs? or workshops?
    • will hear more in six months! except in six months I’ll be gone!!!

President Updates​

  • EC
    • hired Associate HoH!!!!! they got Joaquín Terrones
    • AD is going on leave (leaving tomorrow)
    • getting the BC person (Maddy)
      • “but we need her!” - Rishika
    • assigning GRAs to floors!
  • BC
    • adding toptionality to Constitution on suite-by-suite basis
    • solicited feedback, waiting on feedback
    • changing constitution to add penalties for being mean during flex (like floors shit-talking other floors, etc.) - not sure how to add penalties, or what they should be?
      • open to info from other dorms
    • B1 is having a party
    • lots of piano drama - they’re all broken in some way
      • *Baker rubs hands*
      • thinking of buying one of Craigslist
      • they have a 150-year-old Steinway that would cost $100k to renovate
      • talk to Music Department?
    • doing an easter egg hunt
    • wants to do a water balloon fight with lacrosse sticks for launching (for field day?)
    • slip and slide denied for Bad Ideas weekend??
      • maybe because it was cold?
  • Baker
    • PIANO DROP!!!!!!!!
      • happened. given circumstances, and how far they had to fight to get it where it was, went better than anticipated, proud of piano drop chair
      • next year is their year
      • last year, started making a metal ramp, was 80% done, then Housing Manager said the design wouldn’t fly, not safe, two weeks ago
      • had to super scramble last minute, removed harp from piano - 10 hours in Metropolis - used plasma cutter!
    • had a dinner yesterday
    • middle of Baker week
  • McCormick
    • very chill, karaoke and cake, HoH are hosting it, getting stuff for country kitchen, imposing system of locks so things don’t go missing, will see how well it works
  • New
    • got to cosplay as a Baker resident for piano drop
    • for New House - having an exec meeting right after this - will ask about field day again, see if people have opinions
    • GRAs getting hired? in theory?
    • AD is in and out - Next House is covering
    • Wes is still head of house - will continue to bring up - for 23 years
    • had snow cones at CPW, had a polar bear at CPW
      • *quieter* “I was the polar bear”
    • some floors submitted i3 content, some want to reuse the ones from last year
  • New Vassar
    • house team met with HRS to talk about changing room assignment system, they met with them, going to keep it the same
      • resolved now
    • AD is leaving - going to MacGregor
  • Random
    • have a few updates
    • CPW happened, poor CPW chair was very hosed, elected new chairs for REX, some CPW chairs are moving out, getting new ones
    • conducted evil power grab as exec, Random Hall is merging SocComm and exec-at-large to decrease # of discrete positions, will hopefully increase how much SocComm does.
    • fixing laundry machines - we’ve been struggling, have had one (1) functioning laundry machine
      • using the UA money… did already have budget, but we appreciate the extra budget…
      • poor laundry chair is also the CPW chair… poor soul… also RAC
  • Simmons
    • food stealing issue >.< - at least one incident every month since October - people’s cake… rice… curry… various delicacies… people crack other people’s bowls… there’s been mold… people refuse to do dishes…
      • bad things…
      • don’t want to do cameras (invasive of privacy)
      • one kitchen put up flyers that there are cameras, but there aren’t actually cameras
      • maybe going to talk to house team?
    • roofs
      • have scheduled meeting for people with interest to discuss more
      • “it’s brought people together because now they rant”
    • CPW chairs are awesome!!
      • 24-hour Avatar marathon
  • MacGregor
    • planning field day
      • “is this open to everyone?” - Eugenie
        “uhhhhhhhhhhhhh - no.” - Gabriel

last typical GBM!!!