Article I: Legislature

The hall legislators are simply the current hall residents.

Rules consistent with this constitution are enacted by a majority vote provided that at least four tenths of the hall residents vote affirmatively. Constitutional amendments are enacted by an affirmative vote from at least two thirds of the hall residents. All rule-making votes are conducted either in person at a meeting or in writing through a petition.

Any hall resident may organize a meeting or petition. Hall residents are encouraged but not required to participate.

Rule-making meetings must be publicly announced -- where a public announcement shall henceforth be defined as an email to the slugfest mailing list -- to the hall four days beforehand so as to provide reasonable opportunity for all hall residents to participate.

Rule-making petitions must be posted in a public place on the hall and must be publicly announced as soon they are posted. Signatures on a petitions only valid if signed within a week of the petition's posting.

At any rule-making meeting/petition a hall resident may cast a secret ballot if he/she so desires. The hall chairs (see Article II) will manage the secret balloting so as to ensure its fidelity if any hall resident so requests.

In the event that a hall member claims a hall rule is in violation of a law of a higher authority, such as M.I.T., the City of Cambridge, the State of Massachusetts, or the United States of America, then the complainant, unless irreparable harm will result, should first organize a petition/meeting in attempt to repeal the allegedly improper hall rule. If the rule is not repealed, the complainant may then appeal to the appropriate external authorities.

The hall legislature shall determine how hall funds are spent at budget meetings (see Article II) as well as through the usual rule making procedures. Allocations made at budget meetings are different from other rules in that they cannot be implemented through petition and that the only requirement for their validity is quorum, which is here defined as the presence of a majority of hall residents.

Article II: Hall Chairs

Every year at the spring budget meeting (see below) three hall chairs shall be elected according to rules enacted by the hall legislature. Only one rule is included in this constitution: Any hall resident who has lived on the hall for at least one semester shall be eligible for the office of hall chair.

In the first few weeks of each semester the hall chairs shall organize a hall budget meeting to allocate that semester's hall money, acting in consistence with any further procedural rules enacted by the hall legislature.

The hall chairs shall manage the hall treasury according to the hall budget. Any additional funds available after a budget meeting may be allocated according to rules passed by the hall legislature as described in Article I.

The hall chairs shall organize the elections of next year's hall chairs according to the hall constitution and any additional hall rules.

Every spring semester the hall chairs shall conduct room wars according to the rules enacted by the hall legislature. The hall shall also conduct mini-room wars as the need arises, also according to the rules enacted by the hall legislature.

In general, the hall chairs are responsible for implementing the hall constitution and hall rules. Hall chairs shall also be responsible for arbitrating disputes among hall residents about the interpretation of hall rules, though their decisions shall be subject to a veto by the hall legislature, with the same requirements as that for a normal hall rule.

Hall chairs may be removed from office by a two thirds vote of the hall legislature. Such a vote must also meet the requirements of rule-making votes specified in Article I.


Article III: Ratification

This constitution shall go into effect following the affirmative vote of two-thirds of current hall residents.