Life at Ashdown

From GradBook

Ashdown House was the first graduate residence at MIT (and only the second in the United States). From the very beginning, it has actively promoted social interactions among its residents and has fostered a tight-knit community of students. Like any great endeavor, this would not be possible without the dedication of several important people, as described below.

Running the Dormitory

At the center of the Ashdown community are (and have always been) the Housemasters. Currently, the Housemasters are EECS Professor Terry Orlando (orlando@mit.edu) and Dr. Ann Orlando (aorlando@mit.edu). Since accepting the position in 2001, the Orlandos have worked tirelessly for the welfare of Ashdown House and its residents. Not only have they continued several important traditions, such as Thursday night Coffee Hour, the annual Thanksgiving Banquet and Housemaster Dinners for residents, but they have also spent countless hours voicing our interests to the MIT administration. In addition, the Housemasters are actively involved in the dorm management, which helps to ensure a smoothly-running, successful community.

Working hand-in-hand with the Housemasters is our House Manager, Denise Lanfranchi (dlan@mit.edu), and her staff, Leonard Ferrari, Jean Drohan, John Gallagher, Pablo Lara and Marie Meguel. Together, these individuals facilitate the day-to-day running of Ashdown. This includes administrative tasks (such as maintaining a database of residents, issuing keys and receiving mail) as well as facilities-related tasks (such as fixing broken equipment and ensuring common spaces remain clean). Without these individuals, the dorm would not be such a friendly and comfortable place to live.

Ashdown residents also play a key role in ensuring a successful graduate experience. The student-related issues of the dorm are managed by the Ashdown House Executive Committee (AHEC). The current AHEC members are Archana Venkataraman (AHEC Chair), Will Leight (Treasurer), Dheera Venkatraman (Operations Officer), Ben Kaduk (Officer Coordinator), David Dalrymple (Secretary). AHEC is elected annually in the spring and oversee most aspect of the dorm life. They promote community by encouraging social events, manage much of the Ashdown budget, organize the student officers and run the room assignment lotteries. Additionally, they are the official representatives of Ashdown to the MIT administration as well as the primary liaisons to other student groups. All residents should feel free to contact ahec@mit.edu for any questions regarding life at Ashdown House.

Working under the supervision of AHEC are the Ashdown Officers. This is a small "army" of students devoted to improving life at Ashdown in a variety of different ways. Some officers are responsible for organizing events such as Coffee Hour, Brunch, dance parties and alumni outreach events. Others are responsible for the equipment and resources within the dorm such as the computers/printers, the athletics equipment, the fish tank, the piano, the dorm TV’s, and the common kitchen supplies. Although their duties vary, the dedication of each officer is important to the well-being of our community. A complete list of all the officer positions can be found at http://ashdown.mit.edu/officers.html.

Life, Traditions and Culture

Ashdown House has always been a place of culture and social life, a tight-knit community of graduate students who truly embrace the advantages of dorm life at MIT. It is a uniquely diverse environment where students from nearly every corner of the world bring their own traditions, languages and perspectives.

Besides the socializing and cultural exchange that arises naturally among students living in Ashdown House, we host a number of regular social and cultural events for residents. These include

• Thursday Night Coffee Hour: Perhaps the most well-known and longest-standing Ashdown event, this weekly gathering provides residents with an opportunity to chat with one another and escape from the stress of MIT academics.

• Sunday Brunch: Ashdown House is one of the sites for monthly Sunday Brunches. This is open to all graduate students (on and off campus), and typically has an attendance of more than 300 people.

• Dance Fusion Parties: For the past few years, Ashdown House has also hosted at least one dance party per semester. These are full-blown galas with varying themes.

• July 4th BBQ: This event features an outdoor picnic of hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, chicken and various side dishes.

• Cultural Committee and Floor Events: A number of other outings and in-house events are made possible each semester. Watch out for advertisements to learn more.

Getting Involved

New members of the Ashdown Community are encouraged to take an active role in the dorm life. The quickest and easiest way to do so is by becoming an officer, since we are always looking for dedicated people to take on various responsibilities throughout the dorm. Not only will residents earn tons of seniority points (thereby improving your chances for a better room), but they will get a chance to interact with more people within Ashdown House. See <INSERT LINK HERE> for more information.

We also welcome the help of volunteers during large events, such as Sunday Brunch and the Dance Parties, whether or not they are officers. This, too, is a great opportunity to get involved (and get first dibs on the free food).

Finally, Ashdown House welcomes new ideas. If residents have a desire to organize random Ashdown events, AHEC would be happy to assist with the publicity, preparations and funding. We hope all new residents will get involved and enjoy their time here.