|Introduction

A Closer Look at McCormick Hall Laundry

A freshman may be excited about many aspects of the illustrious life of college students - but one aspect that's definitely not so excting is laundry. In this human-use analysis, we will be examining the experience of doing laundry at McCormick Hall, one of the residential dorms at MIT.

Background Information

McCormick Hall, named after the benefactor of the building Stanley A. McCormick, is the only all-female residential dorm at MIT. The building's construction in the 1960's helped solidify MIT’s commitment to the equal education of women, ushering in an era in which the number of women students steadily grew.

McCormick Hall's larger laundry room is located in the basement below the west tower. It has seven washing machines and eight dryers that are meant to be shared by the residents of the west and east towers. The annex (located between the two towers) has its own laundry room with two washers and two dryers. This analysis will be focusing on the larger laundry room used by the majority of McCormick Hall residents.