AHEC Meeting Minutes | May 7th, 2015
AHEC Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 7th, 2015, 7:30pm @ Crafts lounge
Attendees: Lisa, Chris, Drew, Orpheus, Calvin, Adam, Katie
Presided by Lisa, Minutes by Orpheus
- Agenda
- [Upcoming] - Summer Budget Allocation (Lisa - 2 min)
- [Discussion] - Duties of AHEC Secretary (Orpheus - 10 min)
- [Discussion/Vote] - Committee Discretionary Funds (Calvin - 10 min)
- [Discussion] - Authorization for GSC/ASA/External Meetings (Orpheus - 5 min)
- [Update] - Left Turn Signal at Albany St. & Massachusetts Ave (Drew - 10 min)
- [Discussion] - Residential Scholar Coordinator (Katie - 10 min)
- [Discussion] - Communicating/Enforcing Ashdown policies (Adam - 10 min)
- [Discussion] - Response to Resident Survey (Lisa - 10 min)
- [Update] - GSC Meeting Debrief (Lisa - 2 min)
- [Update/Discussion] - Wiki (Orpheus - 3 min)
- [Update/Vote] Google Express Account (Drew - 5 min)
- [Update] - Cabinets for Fabyan Room (Drew - 2 min)
- Open Floor (10 min)
- Requests for officer budget proposals for the Summer Term
- Process to be initiated 5/11/2015
- Deadline: 5/22/2015
- To be discussed and decided upon: 5/23-24/2015
- Secretary Duties
- Agenda to also be posted & filed
- "Commmittee communications" defined to be limited to only mail (physical, not electronic).
- Meeting minutes to be approved by AHEC before becoming official.
- AHEC representatives to meetings
- AHEC members appointed to attend ASA, GSC committee and other meetings have full authority to represent Ashdown.
- Left-turn signal
- [Context]: Follow-up from 4/16/2015 meeting. Summary: Incident on Mass. Ave. & Albany Str. intersection prompts discussion about installing a left-turn signal.
- No records found in either Cambridge Police or MIT Police recording said incident.
- Traffic Police records may be searched.
- Historically police have been posted in that intersection.
- Next step:
- Is that a dangerous intersection in Cambridge?
- The intersection near the MIT Museum more dangerous.
- Most incidents occur 8-10am.
- On the fence about how we should proceed; get in contact with City of Cambridge traffic engineers?
- Adam & Deidre (Housemasters) know people in the City Hall.
- Will get in contact with them and pose the issue.
- Search for new Residential Scholar Coordinator
- Residential Scholar Coordinator would work with Residential Scholars, hold events.
- Pros: AHEC doesn't have to worry about the whole issue.
- Con: Outside the whole officer structure.
- Katie proposes that the position should be an officer position.
- AHEC agrees on principle.
- Residential Scholar Coordinators are recruited from former AHEC members.
- Alin Tomescu Nicolescu (former AHEC Secretary, current tech officer) interested in the position.
- Orpheus (Secretary) & Chris (Vice-Chairman) opposed to him becoming Residential Scholar Coordinator.
- While he would be good, deprives Tech of a valuable officer, instrumental for the wiki, very competent, will lead to tech becoming understaffed.
- Is it necessary that Residential Scholar Coordinators be former AHEC? Why not former officers?
- Communicating & enforcing Ashdown Policies
- Put a 1-page leaflet on the inside of room doors.
- Possibly with symbols.
- Denise Lafranchi (House Manager) supportive of the idea.
- Commonly violated policies.
- Overnight guests, trash policy, drinking/smoking.
- Trash policy:
- 10% non-compliance to the trash policy.
- We may want to designate a place in the trash room for people to leave their trash bags.
- Responses to resident survey.
- Laundry room needs cleaning.
- TV room setup.
- Posters with resources to go to.
- To be included in aforementioned 1-page leaflet.
- Issues with Music Room.
- Common kitchen issues.
- Jordan Romvary (former AHEC Chair) started the process of acquiring cleaner supplies & holders.
- Floor officers to make sure they are kept stocked.
- Hulsizer room & floor lounge usage:
- Open Hulsizer room for use as quiet space study.
- Get current/former officers to supervise while it is being used.
- Perhaps designate some of the floor lounges as quiet space.
- Make sure people share the lounges; non-reservable, make sure people are respectful.
- Encourage use of the 1st floor lounge (the one with the Athena terminals).
- Committee Discretionary Funds
- Committees like Brunch/Coffee Hour/Events want to do end-of-year parties.
- Authorise maximum budget of $5/person per committee.
- GSC Meeting Debrief
- One-MIT board created.
- Amendment to GSC bylaws creating an External Action Committee failed to pass.
- New Executive Committee took over.
- Google express
- Follow up from previous meeting.
- Catalogue includes about 1,000 snacks & 1,000 beverages.
- Committees interested.
- Approve $95/year for this purpose.
- We might want to talk to them about delivering orders in lobby instead of right outside Ashdown.
- Cabinets for Fabyan room
- We have access to a carpenter through Denise. Will probably task them to build our cabinets.
- Will Fund
- Can be used for capital purchases & programming.
- Adam (Housemaster) will look into the creation of an endowed fund to pay for the dinner that precedes The Beth & Vernon Ingram Concert.
- Tentative name: Avery Ashdown Spring Dinner.
- Engaging residents
- Idea: Attend coffee hour, invite residents to come & talk to us.
- We (AHEC) might want to wear nametags.
- Officers who missed the transition dinner.
- ~10 people.
- Will have to attend a future AHEC meeting.