An Update From The Area Director

Hello New House,

I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer break! I’m writing to let you all know that after much consideration, I have recently accepted a position at Brown University and will be leaving the Institute this summer.

My last official day in my role will be June 28th; I will be moving out of New House in the first week of July.  Dr. Harris and others will be involved in the search for your new Area Director; in the interim, please contact Julie Rothhaar (Assistant Dean, Residential Life Programs and FYE) at rothhaar@mit.edu with any questions and/or concerns. The incoming Area Director may choose to continue with the 411 @ New House blog- more updates will come in the late summer/early fall.

I’ve greatly enjoyed working with all of you and wish you the best of luck with all of your future endeavors; please feel free to contact me via e-mail or on social media if you so choose by finding me through the New House Twitter & Facebook pages.

Best,

James

411@NH Weekend Update: May 10, 2013

Hello New House,

Happy Friday! Just a few more days until classes officially end (6 if you’re counting!) and a full weekend is ahead of us. A housemaster brunch, benefit concert and series of dance performances are among some of the highlights of the upcoming days, so make sure that you take advantage of your time and enjoy the last full weekend before cramming for exams begins.

MIT/New House News And Updates:

• There have been changes to the Final Exams schedule- take a look at them here. For the full list of exam times and locations, check out the Registrar’s Office page here. 
• Keep an eye out for updates on New House end-of-year events coming from our Social Chairs next week!
• Reminder:  Academic Year Housing for all non-graduating undergraduate students ends on May 25th and summer housing begins on May 30th; graduating seniors are allowed to stay until June 8th. If you have any questions on deadlines or procedures, check out the Housing Office website here. 

What’s Happening at MIT This Weekend?

• Looking for a good movie to watch this weekend? Pitch Perfect is the latest LSC selection! Catch screenings Friday and Saturday night at 7 and 10 PM in 26-100; tickets are $4. 
• MIT’s DanceTroupe Presents: #DTMF is happening this weekend; check out dance pieces showing contemporary, hip hop, breakdancing and tap styles on Friday (7-9 PM), Saturday (2-4 PM) or Sunday (2-4 PM) in Little Kresge Theater (W16). Tickets are $10 at the door.
• WMBR is sponsoring a Benefit Concert in memory of Officer Sean Collier on Saturday night in the Coffeehouse Lounge (W20)- $8 donation requested at the door (all proceeds will go to the Jimmy Fund in Officer Collier’s name).  Doors open at 8:30 PM.
• The MIT Museum’s 2nd Fridays program continues this month with D-Lab’s Project Showcase- go check out presentations on projects from D-Lab classes on design, dissemination, energy, health, education, biodiversity and supply chains for free! Presentations start at 5:30 PM and the showcase starts at 6:30. 
• Check out Christians on Campus’ Free Spring BBQ from 6:00-7:30 PM- all are welcome regardless of faith.

Enjoy your weekend and see you back here on Monday for our next update!

411@NH Monday Update: May 6, 2013

Hello New House,

Apologies for not updating this space as regularly as it should be- the past few weeks have been tough on all of us but the plan is to be on track with regular Monday and Friday updates at least through the end of the semester. There’s certainly a lot to get done between now and the last day of classes on May 16th; make sure that you take some time for yourself between now and then and to contact any member of the house team that you feel most comfortable with if you’re having trouble and need help. Feel free to reach out to each other and make good use of the P-Set groups you may have started out with this semester to plan for studying for finals.

What’s Going On This Week @ MIT?:

• Remember that for classes with final exams, the last day for assignments, term papers or presentations is May 10th (this Friday); classes without final exams may give limited assignments (one in-class test or one assignment) between the 10th and the 16th- check the registrar’s website for more details.
  
• The calendar for Spring final exams is here; take a look and make sure that you can find all of the courses that you have final exams for. E-mail schedules@mit.edu if you have questions or concerns.
• The UAAP is hosting a session on finding UROPs in 2-142 on Thursday, May 9th from 3:30-4:30 PM- if you’re still looking for either this summer or next year make sure to stop by!

New House News/Events:

• The final massage night of the semester will be Thursday, May 9th from 8:30-10 PM! Signups will be at front desk beginning Thursday morning as always- sign up early if you want  a spot!
• Keep an eye out for upcoming events being planned by the house Social Chairs- you can also suggest joint house study breaks by getting in touch with your house presidents or with the social chairs.
• New House Exec will be meeting at their regular times (9:30 for Chairs this week, 10 for Presidents) this week and next- feel free to stop by the last few meetings of the semester if you’re interested. 

Enjoy your week and see you here on Friday for our next update!

411@NH News Update: Details on Wednesday’s Events

There can be no doubt that we’ve all experienced a range of emotions during the events of the previous week beginning with the tragedy at the Boston Marathon and ending with another tragedy hitting even closer to home and a campus lockdown that likely left many of you feeling very unsafe and uncertain here at MIT and in the Boston/Cambridge area. I know that you’ve heard this many times, and that for some of you it’s probably wearing on you to hear it (and that’s OK), but if you do need ANYTHING at all from any member of the New House house team (GRT’s, me or Professor Harris), please feel free to let us know. We know that it will take time for everyone to adjust to the new normal that has been forced upon us, but with determination and through supporting each other we will make it through. I want to take the time to thank all of you for looking out for your fellow New House residents and for stepping up in times of extreme stress to strengthen our community- everything you do does not go unappreciated.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, April 24) at 12 PM on Briggs Field is the memorial service for Officer Sean Collier; many, many people (in the thousands) are expected to attend including many law enforcement officials from across the region, various federal and state officials (Vice President Joe Biden among them) and various media outlets.  Classes are cancelled tomorrow.

More Details:

• Parking on campus will be heavily restricted- if you have a car on campus you should have already have moved it to one of the designated lots by now.
• As some of you have already seen there will be a significant increase in security; this may be alarming to see but remember that they are only around as a precaution and to help us in the event of an emergency. This is very typical when high-ranking federal and state officials come to a campus.
• You should not be approached by any media outlets- they have all been told to avoid harassing students. If this happens, you are under no obligation to talk to them and can tell them to leave you alone or walk away. 
• I will be in the building if you are looking for someone to talk to and do not want to go to the ceremony; you are by no means required to go so if you are uncomfortable going it is up to you to decide. A more low-key memorial for MIT community members only will be happening later next month, so if you are looking for a less intimidating time to reflect and honor Officer Collier please know that is coming soon.

If you have additional questions about tomorrow, please feel free to look at the MIT News announcement here: 
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/information-on-wednesday-memorial-service-0423.html
.

Following tomorrow’s memorial, Residential Life and Dining will be providing cookies and drinks to all of the residence halls and there will be spaces open for students to come and talk about what they’re feeling and to process the day’s events. “Cookies and Conversation” will be happening directly after the memorial- cookies and drinks will be provided in the Arcade and the House 6 Lounge will be available for students to come and talk with each other and house team members about the memorial and what they’re feeling. Professor Harris will also be available throughout the afternoon and evening if anyone wants to talk.

The UA is also sponsoring a barbecue in conjunction with New House Exec tomorrow afternoon- look out for more details to come (approximate time: 6 PM).

Finally, if you would like to donate to the Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund that MIT is sponsoring, please click here: 
https://giving.mit.edu/givenow/update-gift.dyn
. You can also give to the Jimmy Fund, a charity that Officer Collier supported, here: 
http://www.jimmyfund.org.
 In the coming weeks there will no doubt be other ways to donate funds, time or other in-kind services on his behalf- keep an eye out for more news on this.

Again, we’re here if you need anything- please don’t hesitate to reach out and be well. Regular updates will resume with this weekend’s update on Friday.

411@NH Mid-Week Update: April 17, 2013

Hello New House,

Hope everyone had a good long weekend and enjoyed all of our house’s CPW events! Even with a three-day week we have plenty ahead, and (believe it or not) we’re about a month away from the last day of classes so expect to be busy. Thanks again to all of our amazing CPW Chairs and NHX CPW Chairs Will & Kath for an amazing job!

As you’ve no doubt seen from the many e-mails, Facebook updates and Tweets coming from this direction since earlier this week, if you’re in need of anything in the aftermath of the Marathon bombings on Monday please feel free to reach out to any member of the house team. We recognize that you might be dealing with many emotions (fear, anger, anxiety, frustration, sadness, etc) or that you might not feel anything at all for a while- we’re ready and available to talk with you when you do. Make sure to reach out to your friends and neighbors as well and make sure they’re doing OK- this is a rough time for everyone but with each other’s help we will get through it.

Finally, there will be a gathering of MIT community members to honor those who were injured or killed in the attack and to provide a time to reflect, be with others and to express what you’re feeling; SMASH and other student groups will also be writing notes of support for first responders and the victims. If you’re interested, please meet us at the Kresge  Oval at 5 PM tonight.

What’s Happening at MIT?

• What to know more about what happens “After Dark”? Stop by the MIT After Dark table in the Student Center tomorrow from 11:30-1 and learn more about an initiative that MIT’s Area Directors have started this semester! You can also look out for more information on our next events happening in Simmons and Maseeh in the coming weeks! Check out mitafterdarkblog.com (linked on our page) to learn more.
• Looking for a movie night on Friday? Active Minds is sponsoring a screening of The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 26-100 on Friday night, starting at 7; the first 50 people get free dinner from Flour and there will be opportunities to win raffle prizes!
• Coming up Friday: more information on Earth Day events for next week and MIT’s first Spirit Week!

New House News/Events:

• Check out our new Maker Space! The Maker Space opened over Spring Break in the bike room (in the hallway between New House and MacGregor)- if you’re looking for a place to work on ideas feel free to stop in! Check a list of what we offer here: NH Maker Space Supplies.
  
• Participate in the Dorm Electricity Competition! Help earn money for New House- make sure to turn the lights off in rooms when you leave or when you go to sleep, try using Bright Colors when you do laundry, and contact our DEC rep Ray Hua Wu if you have cans and bottles to recycle.
• Looking for a way to help out after Monday’s events? Check out a list of ways you can help compiled by the Boston Globe here: 
  http://www.boston.com/news/source/2013/04/boston_marathon.html
  

Take care and see you on Friday for the next Weekend Update!

CPW Update: Welcome to New House!

Welcome!

If you’re a potential or confirmed member of the Class of 2017, let me take the time to both congratulate you on your acceptance to MIT and to welcome you to our community! In making the decision to join us this weekend, you’ve already taken a huge step towards making a decision that will change your life, undoubtedly for the better; in deciding to look into New House, you’re even closer to making your MIT experience an amazing one- I might be biased, though .  As a newer addition to the New House community myself (8 months as of last weekend!) and in serving as the Area Director of the house, I can honestly say that living in New House has been the best part of my time here at MIT and if you attend any of the over 30(!) events that we have planned for you this weekend I’m sure you’ll see why.

We pride ourselves on being one of the most diverse, yet close-knit communities on MIT’s campus, and no matter who you are, you’re almost certain to find something in one of our nine individual living groups that will interest you. As you’ll no doubt learn this weekend, there are many, many different people both inside and outside of the residence halls that are here to support you; here in New House a dedicated team of staff members (that includes our housemaster, Dr. Wesley Harris, myself, our house manager and Graduate Resident Tutors) works hard to ensure that all students are happy, healthy and get the most out of their four years here.

If you have a minute, take a look at our CPW Event Schedule and attend whatever speaks to you, and while you’re on the web take a look at our house website and like/follow our Facebook and Twitter pages to learn more about us and what we do and to stay in touch after you leave. I look forward to getting to know some of you this weekend, and hope that you both enjoy your stay with us and that you return to join us in New House in the fall!

James Reed

Area Director, New House

411@NH Monday Update: April 8, 2013

CPW Week has arrived!

Hope you all had great weekends and that your week has gotten off to a great start! CPW is now only 3 DAYS AWAY- get pumped to show off your communities to the incoming Class of 2017! A very busy weekend is up ahead- make sure to check in with your house CPW Chairs if you have questions or concerns about what’s going on or how you can help.

The final list of all house events (both building-wide as well as each individual house) is here: Final Submitted CPW Events- check it out today and make sure to come to your house’s events and talk to prefrosh! Thanks to our individual house CPW chairs and the NHX CPW Chairs Will Conway and Kath Xu for all of their help in planning this weekend’s events! 

*** SCHEDULING UPDATE: Chocolate City’s iLL ViBES will be in MacGregor Dining Hall right next door instead of the Chocolate City Lounge as noted on the schedule; the event is still from 6-10 PM.***

One last update for the week- no Campus Connections or Weekend Update this week; we’ll have a CPW post up on Thursday morning to welcome incoming prefrosh so please make sure to promote the blog to them as well!

What’s Going On at MIT This Week?

• April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month at MIT- check out 
  http://elephant.mit.edu
   for a full list of events taking place on campus that you can participate in today!
  
• Interested in biochemistry related fields? The Undergraduate Biochemistry Association is hosting a Major panel Tuesday, April 9th from 6-7 PM in 4-231 featuring staff from courses 5 and 7 and students from courses 5, 6/7, 7, 9, 10 & 20- free food courtesy of Beijing Cafe and all are welcome.

New House News/Updates:

• Sticking around Cambridge this summer? New House is closed for student housing, but if you’re interested in living and working on campus as a Summer RA, you can learn more about the role and apply here: 
  http://studentlife.mit.edu/reslifeanddining/rlp/summer-ra
  . E-mail me if you have questions.
• Looking for a good cause to donate to? The Brothers of Chocolate City are sponsoring a canned food drive that will coincide with their house’s open-mic night, Ill Vibes. If you have a can or two to donate, you can place them on the table in the Arcade. Ill Vibes will be happening this Saturday (4/13) from 6-10 PM in the MacGregor Dining Room, so you can also provide a monetary donation there as well; all proceeds will be going to the Boston-Area Rape Crisis Center so please donate if you can!
• This month’s massage night will be Wednesday night! Sign up for slots beginning Wednesday morning at front desk.
• Have you signed up for MIT Alert? If not, please make sure to do so here: 
  http://em2.mit.edu/mitalert/
  - as many of you saw during the blizzards, power outage and campus security incident in the past few months the e-mail and text alerts that SEMO sends out are very helpful and important for student safety. Signing up takes only a couple minutes- do it today if you haven’t already!

See you on Thursday for the CPW Post- enjoy your week!