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 (unfortunately) 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, Christina Johnson and Sarah Laskey, if you have any questions regarding REX.

The Housing Process

REX. Residence Exploration (REX) starts on Friday, August 28th, and it ends on Tuesday, September 1st. This means that the dorms have from Friday 'til Tuesday 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 dorm that's even more perfect for you than the one you're temped in.

Confirming Or Changing Dorms. REX ends on September 1st 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 selected 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 September 2nd. 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 3rd of September 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 rooms, 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, Christina Johnson and Sarah Laskey.

Simmons REX Events

Simmons Movie Night

Friday, August 28, 2009

9:00 PM to 3:00 AM

Simmons Hall MPR

We know REX hasn't officially started yet, but we can't help showing off our glorious ten foot movie screen and Bose surround sound. Come enjoy a movie marathon and see what it's like to have a movie theater in your dorm! Movie snacks will be provided :)

Breakfast and Bleach-design T-shirts

Saturday, August 29, 2009

9:30 AM to noon

Tired of tie-dying? So are we! Grab a muffin from 9:30 to 10, then use stencils and bleach to design awesome shirts that don't look like they're from third grade summer camp.

Capture the Duck

Saturday, August 29, 2009

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Back by popular demand! This is a twist on a classic game involving hidden rubber ducks and hitting your friends with foam pool noodles :)

Chinese Food at Simmons

Saturday, August 29, 2009

6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Simmons Hall Dining

Enjoy the Simmons dining hall and join your friends for a delicious dinner of catered Chinese food!

Simmons Housemaster Brunch

Sunday, August 30, 2009

noon to 2:00 PM

Simmons Hall, Housemaster Reception Hall

You don't want to miss the best brunch on campus, presented by the Housemasters of Simmons Hall. As soon as the President's convocation ends, stop by for pancakes, french toast, the famous Essigmann fruit smoothie, and much more!

Newbury Exploration Day

Sunday, August 30, 2009

2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Meet in front of Simmons

Now that you're officially an MIT student, it's time for you to get to know the amazing city across the river. Join us for a walk down Boston's most exciting street. There will be plenty of shopping, people watching, and J.P. Licks ice cream for all!

Simmons Housemaster's Parent Reception

Sunday, August 30, 2009

4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Simmons Hall, Housemaster Reception Hall

Parents of new MIT freshmen are invited to meet with the housemasters of Simmons Hall. Refreshments will be provided!

Party Room Game Night

Sunday, August 30, 2009

8:00 PM to 1:00 AM

Simmons Hall Party Room

Come to the Simmons party room for all of your favorite board games and video games! It's every gamer's dream... We have 1080p High Def and tons of snacks.

Fenway Park Tour

Monday, August 31, 2009

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Meet in front of Simmons

First on the list of must-see places in Boston? Fenway Park! Join us for a tour of the Red Sox home field, and fall in love with the Green Monster, the Pesky Pole, and the scoreboard they still update by hand.

Inter-Dorm Water Wars

Monday, August 31, 2009

2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Briggs Field

What's the advantage of having a dorm right next to Briggs Field? We'll give you a hint: Grab a gun and super soak your friends.

Simmons Rooftop BBQ

Monday, August 31, 2009

6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Enjoy a summer evening of food, music, and fun on the rooftop terraces at Simmons Hall. You won't want to miss our gorgeous view of the nighttime Boston skyline!

Ball Pit Wars

Monday, August 31, 2009

midnight to 3:00 AM

Admit it, it's the first thing you thought of when you heard that Simmons has its own McD's-style ball pit. Build forts and stockpile weapons as you conquer enemy territory, or just toss balls at your friends to distract them from empire-building.

Baking and Chick Flicks

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Simmons Hall Country Kitchen

Spend some time in Simmons' country kitchen with Sarah and Christina. Then sit down and enjoy with a girly movie in the Night Cafe.

Created by zhangc, Aug 2006
Last updated by wthrowe, Aug 2009