meeting minutes

DormCon Meeting Minutes - September 9, 2005

Present: BC McCormick macg simmons senior random EC Next Absent: Baker Bexley New

• Augusta: Pet policy wording is upperclassmen, doesn't address freshmen
  • should ask Karen Nilsson
  • SWE sending a lot of emails, becoming a problem
  • Simmons list is regulated
  • book site spam is a bigger problem

• General introductions: lots of new faces present

Robin Smedick's presentation on housing

• adjustment lottery results and survey feedback from freshmen
• going to analyze data: how many students who got 1st choice in summer lottery entered adjustment lottery?
• some good information on what freshmen think, participation in events
• 60 students didn't enter (~94% participation)

• housing some students displace from Hurricane Katrina
• 3=Bexley 2-Baker; other dorms did a good job of freeing up space
• will start moving ppl from waiting list to vacancies

• Questions: no info on summer lottery in packet
  • email Robin with specific questions like that

• Funding Proposal from McCormick (+Simmons, MacGregor, New House) formal -- want $5,000
• Thursday Nov. 10th at Boston Park Plaza Hotel 8PM-1AM will provide busing, food, two live performances and a DJ, 8-900 capacity expect 400 (~350 last year)
• ticket price= $6 person/$10 couple from sponsoring dorm (8/12 from non-sponsoring dorms) but costs $50 per person
• Other funding sources: LEF funding, Weekends at MIT, MIT Fund
• last year funded by: DormCon, MIT Fund
• Questions: Considered raising the price?--> think it will negatively affect turnout, not looking to generate funds out of ticket sales
• reserved for sponsoring dorms?-->will sell 1 week before to people in sponsoring dorms (helps distinguish between dorm residents and non-dorm residents), space is not currently a limitation
• How many hotels did you get bids from?-->called 12, visited 4, have not made deposit or signed contract
• Snaggs says that you need at least 3 bids for event that costs more than $3,000, should make sure that MIT still does business with hotel, Snaggs thinks staff presence would be good at walk through
• does this fall under our $10,000 event funding initiative?-->this event is inter-dorm, so yes

• DormCon input: want to have confirmation from venue, $5,000 seems a bit high, will vote in two weeks, resolve "Cloud Nine Funding"

• Gifts for freshmen who did well at Orientation Carnival event (money cage)- one frosh present

• Rex Retrospective:
• Schuyler- went well, timing (at beginning) was good, good participation, higher freshmen participation
  • kickoff needs to either be paired to another event or abandoned
  • dorm dinners= big success: high parental participation/satisfaction, some logistical problems that can be fixed,
  • east/west side parties: need better rain contingency plans, good upperclassmen participation
  • water war: fun, good tradition
  • Thrusday after in-house rush
• David- parents concerned that FPOPS ended late, didn't get to participate in events
  • sending out advanced notice of floormates would be good idea--> DormCon thinks it's a bad idea for people to have more incentive to stay in temp Hall/Dorm
• Robin- didn't give roommate information out this summer, thinks giving out floormate info is bad idea but roommate info might be okay
  • giving out information about system (dorms in general) is good
• Jeff- events at Random went well
  • kickoff event not worth our time (not a good idea to have it be dependent on another event), more vestigial, not useful any more
  • Sunday night party didn't bring people to Random, other events saved Rush for Random
  • would it be a good idea to have Random compete for time with less-similar dorms for time?
  • no, because freshmen should be forced to check out all types of dorms
  • Random doesn't have much manpower to use during events, so don't get face time with frosh when running them
• Schuyler- if you have lots of little events, frosh more likely to stay put in their dorms, big event gives critical mass to events
• Shauna-nicer than Stata center because it was a nicer size
• Jeff- should abandon East/West side parties and pair less common dorms on same night
• Andrew- Simmons had lots of bodies to bring to West side party, so it was good for them
• Jeff- Hard for 90 people to compete with flashy EC stuff
• Harvey- Jeff is right that "East Side" can turn into EC and Senior House
• David- thinks 10 minutes of face time during Rush, shouldn't abandon welcome
  • Orientation needs an opening, Dormcon should be in charge of it
  • FPOPs make it hard to know when Orientation begins
• Snaggs- each hall should have a move-in day rep; DormcCon RAC shouldn't have to be dorm RAC; important to have Dormcon look good on move-in day; shouldn't just rely on FSILG help--> need people who aren't already exhausted from other REX activities
• general problems with moving vans being on time
• Jimbo- let early returns know that one of their duties is helping moving people in
• David- how to fine early returns who didn't help?-->dorms should do it internally
• Milo- moving day was same as registration, lose all associate advisors, and it's bad for freshmen
• Chris- Simmons had difficulty getting frosh to move out at the right time
• David- puzzle-solving session/mystery hunt event went over very well (7pm-12am) lots of good frosh interactions

NIGHT AFTER MOVE-IN

• Snaggs- New House had dinner and GRT meetings
• Shauna- BC halls went out to dinner with their frosh
• Schuyler- EC had big meting, then broke into halls (dinner, Home Depot, etc.)
• Jeff- Randoom liked time right
• Chris- Next House halls went out to dinner

//Thursday (night after move-in) is a really good time to have to welcome Frosh

• Schuyler- City Days and 9AM exams after one of our only evenings mean frosh can't participate, need to have definite FPOP end time
• Snaggs- need to read freshmen input--> freshmen disappointed when they miss activities for FPOP

• Harvey- will email out list of what he wants to do this term
• decide on meeting times and place: Monday at 7

• Snaggs reminds everyone about Chancellor's Summit next Monday at Sid-Pac, can still register
• Chia- needs people to turn in contracts for Technique ASAP

• who to bring to DormCon meetings: Chief de fava
• next meeting: Random