As I'm sure you can tell, we Sponge-dwellers of Simmons Hall would like to give you a hearty welcome to MIT and Simmons Hall. Some of you have been temporarily assigned to Simmons (we call this being "temped" in Simmons, temp referring to the word "temporarily"), and some of you have (unforunately) been temped elsewhere. But as I'm sure you've been told many times, where you are temped doesn't matter all that much, since there is still REX (Residence Exploration) to go through and the possibility of entering the re-adjustment lottery to consider. If you're wondering about the whole housing process, keep reading. Otherwise, click here to find out what REX events we're throwing for you here at Simmons, or email our Simmons Hall Rush Chairs, Annelise Beck and Erin Munsell, if you have any questions regarding REX.
REX. Residence Exploration (REX) starts on Friday, August 24th, and it ends on Tuesday, August 28th. This means that the dorms have from Friday 'til Wednesday to convince you to choose this or that dorm as your permanent residence. Even if you're sure that you want to stay in the dorm that you're temped in, you should still check out the various REX events being thrown in your honor (they're all listed on the REX website, which you should check regularly throughout REX for updates, as well as in a REX guide that will be distributed beginning Friday). Who knows, you may find another that's even more perfect for you than the one you're temped in.
Confirming Or Changing Dorms. REX ends on Tuesday, August 28th, at 6:30PM. That's because 6:30PM is when the re-adjustment lottery closes, so if you're one of the freshmen who have been convinced to change dorms (even if you weren't planning to be convinced), keep this date and time in mind! Even if you're not going to change dorms, you need to go to the housing lottery website to confirm your housing assignment, which basically says that you want to stay in the dorm in which you are temped.
The Re-adjustment Lottery. One point that may require clarification is the commonly asked question, "If I enter the re-adjustment lottery and don't receive any of my choices, am I guaranteed housing in the dorm that I was temped in?" The answer to this question is yes--if you don't receive any of the choices that you entered for in the re-adjustment lottery, you will receive a permanent assignment in the dorm that you were temped in. You're also free to leave some of the slots blank, meaning that you can choose only two choices, if you so desire. For example, if you're temped in Baker House and you decide that you want to move to Simmons, you can enter your number one choice as Simmons and leave all your other choices blank. What that basically says is that if you don't get to move to Simmons, you'd rather just stay in Baker House.
In-House Rush. You will receive your permanent assignment at 6:30PM on Wednesday, August 29th. Then, half an hour later (be on time!) at 7:00PM, each dorm will hold in-house rush. Every dorm does it differently: some dorms employ a lottery, while others use preference sheets (a.k.a. "pref sheets"). Simmons Hall uses pref sheets, which allow you to tell us any particular person you want as a roommate, or list preferences for the type of roommate you want; pref sheets allow you to pick different regions of the building, should you decide that you really want to be in a particular Graduate Resident Tutor's (GRT's) section (Simmons tour guides will take freshmen on tours to meet all of the GRTs during in-house rush); pref sheets allow you to rank importance of a particular room trait--you can say having a large room is really important to you, or that having a curvy wall in your room (or not) is really important to you, etc.
Moving Day. Thursday the 30st of August is moving day! Check out of your old dorm, check in to your new one, and move all of your stuff in. If you're moving to a dorm different from the one you were temped in, frat guys will be on hand to help you move your stuff. But even if you are not changing dorms, you still need to check out and check in again. Finally, at 5:30PM, each dorm will have their welcome event (Simmons will be holding its annual Simhunt, a mini-version of the mystery hunt which takes place every IAP).
The End. So that's that. REX, the re-adjustment lottery, and moving in, in a nutshell. If you have any questions, please feel free to email our Simmons Hall Rush Chairs, Annelise Beck and Erin Munsell.
Italian Dinner 8/24 Friday 7:00PM-8:00PM
Enjoy one of your first free dinners at MIT - meet Simmons residents, take a look at the dorm, and, most importantly, eat some great Italian food!
Arcade Night 8/24 Friday 8:00PM-10:00PM
You don't have problem sets yet, and we have DDR, air hockey, arcade games, Settlers of Catan, and more!
Feynmania! 8/25 Saturday 3:00PM-4:30PM
"Surely, You're Joking" you say. Well, we're not. This is just one of the Perfectly Reasonable Deviations you often find here at MIT. Join us in The Pleasure of Finding Things Out and maybe even discover The Meaning of It All. Feynmania: A celebration of all things Richard Feynman (and physics-themed desserts). QED.
Cheesecake 8/25 Saturday 8:00PM-9:00PM
Try out a huge range of delicious cheesecake flavors, from plain to ridiculous. Can you handle chocolate-peanut butter-cookie dough?
Movie Marathon 8/25 Saturday 9:00PM-Far too late
What has six books, three movies, elves, dwarves, wizards, and will last until Sunday morning?
Housemaster's Brunch 8/26 Sunday 12:30PM-2:00PM
President Hockfield just welcomed you to the Institute. Now it's time to be welcomed into the residential side of MIT. Meet your Housemasters, Graduate Resident Tutors, and members of your house government and have some great food (John and Ellen Essigmann's trademark pancakes and SMOOTHIES). This is a great opportunity to learn about your new residence. Attendance at this event is required for all new students.
Duck Tours Signup 8/26 Sunday 1:00PM-5:00PM
Stop by Simmons Desk to sign up for a duck tour of Boston on Monday, then take a tour of the giant sponge.
Dorm Tours 8/26 Sunday 2:00PM-5:00PM
Use the afternoon to explore the dorms! Take a dorm tour. Talk with upperclass residents. You've been to CPW, visited the web sites, and seen the i3 videos--now see all your different dorm options up close!
Salute Your (Tie-Dye) Shorts 8/26 Sunday 3:00PM-4:00PM
Make your roommate jealous when you sport your tie-dyed Simmons Hall boxers! Remember, the more underwear you have, the less laundry you have to do.
Dinner@Dorms 8/26 Sunday 5:00PM-7:00PM
Hungry for some real food (no hamburgers)? Then Dinners@Dorms is for you! Dine with upperclassmen from your temp dorm and get your (and your parents') questions answered, whether they be about MIT in general, the housing process, or anything else! Stop by your assigned dorm's front desk to find out where your dinner will be held.
Waffle Haus 8/27 Monday 12:00AM-1:30AM
A good breakfast is the best way to start off the day.
Picnic Lunch 8/27 Monday 12:00PM-1:00PM
Yes, Simmons residents do leave the Sponge–-catch them outside, enjoying a picnic lunch!
Duck Tours 8/27 Monday 1:00PM-2:30PM
Did you remember to sign up for the tour of Boston, Simmons-style? If you didn't sign up yesterday, there may be spots available.
Annual East vs. West Water War! Rain Or Shine! 8/27 Monday 3:00pm
Join in the battle! Our water war is engineers style, with siege weapons and slingshots. Maybe you don't know what side you're on yet, but you can still have fun and get wet (even if its raining)!
Briggs Field Fluorescent Block Party 8/27 Monday 8:00PM
Come party indoors and outdoors with the west side of campus. We'll light up Briggs Field with glow sticks, laser tag, and glow in the dark Frisbees! When you're tired of fluorescence, check out the food and music inside each of the surrounding dorms.
No Swim Test Required 8/28 Tuesday 4:30PM-6:00PM
Even if you didn't pass the swim test, you can still try out our water slide. When you want to dry off, return to the good old days of elementary school with juice boxes and snacks.
Created by zhangc, Aug 2006
Last updated: Aug 2007