Former Bexley residents granted lounge space in Walker Memorial
Former Bexley residents granted lounge space in Walker Memorial
According to an email from Campus Activities Complex (CAC) Director Phillip J. Walsh, members of the Bexley community will now have 24/7 access to the Pritchett Lounge on the second floor of Walker Memorial. Bexley Hall, the undergraduate dormitory located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue — right across the street from 77 Massachusetts Avenue — was closed for renovations after inspections in April uncovered serious structural issues. The dorm is scheduled to be closed for up to three years. All residents, including GRTs and housemasters, moved out after commencement in June.
The lounge opened to Bexley students this past Monday with support from the CAC and Residential Life & Dining. The lounge itself comes furnished with furniture, a pool table, TV, refrigerator, and a microwave for community members to use. The space will be maintained by the CAC just as a regular event space would otherwise. In accordance with being treated as an event space, sleeping overnight in the lounge will not be allowed and noise is expected to be kept to a reasonable level so as to not disrupt events going on in the nearby Morss Hall space. In addition, no smoking, cooking with devices other than microwaves, or alcohol will be allowed. Organized events are allowed (and may serve alcohol if registered and approved), but they must follow MIT event policies and procedures. Bexley residents will also need advance approval from Residential Life and CAC before altering the space in any fashion. To facilitate continuation of Bexley culture, freshmen could express interest in Bexley and be added to a mailing list (94 members of the Class of 2017 did so).
As the lounge is used, any issues that come up will be addressed by the coordinating group when it meets within the next two weeks. The group consists of Walsh, Kristjan Eerik E. Kaseniit ’14, Christopher J. Sarabalis ’14, Nicolas M. Brown ’16, former Bexley housemaster Robert M. Randolph, assistant deans of Residential Life Julie E. Rothhaar and Naomi Carton, and Director of Residential Life for Capital Renewal, Renovations, and Repair Dennis Collins. An overall assessment of the program will occur at the end of fall semester.
—Stan Gill