Categories
2012-2016 Minutes

March Meeting Minutes

Attendance

  • Lauren Anllo
  • Burcin Cakir
  • Xiaoyu Tang
  • Julia Wittes
  • Sarah James
  • Allison Chaney
  • Joey Vella
  • Olivia Martel

Discussed Items

  1. Instagram: The Graduate School is on Instagram. You can check out pictures of the Lawrence Committee meeting on the Grad School Instagram.
  1. LawrenceChat Listserv: We discussed the status of this new listserv that we have been piloting this month. The purpose of the listserv is to allow residents to connect via e-mail to build community. Potential uses of the listserv include organizing small social events with neighbors, asking to borrow an item, or asking a question about Lawrence in a social setting.
  1. Time required: Setting up the listserv took a lot of time, but maintenance requires less of a time commitment.
  2. Usefulness: Currently, about 20 people are on the listserv, and 5 messages have been sent this month. These messages have concerned a question about insects outside of the buildings, borrowing a car jack, and similar issues.
  3. Policies and Conclusions: The committee will not intervene with issues discussed on the listserv unless they are of a serious nature. The listserv seems like it is useful right now, and we will allow it to continue without considering its continuation a “trial” period. If the listserv maintenance becomes a burden, or if the discussions become inappropriate or not useful, the Committee reserves the right to shut down the listserv.
  1. Laundry:
    1. Building 10: This laundry facility is only open for certain hours during the day, and shuts down at night. The hours of use that are posted in the Laundry room conflict with the hours that are posted on our website. We are looking into what the actual hours of this laundry facility are so that the correct hours are posted.
    2. Building 1: Often, the back door to this laundry room is found propped open. Residents often close the door if they see it propped, only to return to the laundry room to find the door again propped open. Propping the door causes the room to become uncomfortably cold, and also allows people who do not live in Lawrence Apartments to have access to our laundry facilities. We are looking into whether it would be possible to install an alarm on this back door to prevent it from being propped open inappropriately.
  1. Garden: Since the Spring weather is approaching, residents are interested in starting use of the garden facilities for the 2016 season. Our garden coordinator is going to find out when the garden will be tilled so that use can begin.
    1. Lakeside gardeners: It is currently unclear when the Lakeside garden will open for residents to use. Lakeside gardeners would like to be offered the option of using garden plots at Lawrence. Our garden coordinator will give priority of plots to Lawrence residents, and if there are remaining plots, Lakeside residents will be offered the option of using these.
    2. Plot applications: Within the next couple of weeks, our garden coordinator, Sarah, will send out instructions for how to apply for use of a garden plot. Claiming a plot will involve an online, and an in-person procedure, to ensure that potential gardeners actually use the plots that are given to them. Plots that are not used create a problem of weeds, so we would like to ensure as much use of the garden as possible.
    3. Tilling: Sarah will mark off the perennial corner of the garden to avoid tilling of this region. 
  1. Events and Budgeting: Our hot cocoa event was well attended and enjoyed! We consider the execution of this event a success.
    1. BBQ: Our next event is likely to be our annual community BBQ in the Spring. We are in the process of finding an appropriate time to have the Lawrence BBQ.
    2. Budget planning: If our budget allows after the BBQ, we would like to have our community piano tuned, and/or check the status of any needed garden supplies.
  1. Lawrence Yoga: We have external funds, secured by our President, allowing us to have community yoga classes. All Lawrence residents are welcome to participate in yoga. Since this class is meant to be a community-building club, we are restricting participation to Lawrence residents only. In the near future, we will send a survey asking for times that are best for residents interested in participating in Lawrence Yoga.
  1. External Events News: Our GSG representative has presented news from the GSG meeting and the GHAB (Graduate Housing Advisory Board) meeting.
  1. GSG News: This month, Dale Trevino spoke about diversity in the Graduate School. Also, the GSG is in the process of drafting a survey about Princeton graduate housing in general to ask about its use. The survey is designed to be a short, branching survey, and is expected to be informative concerning all graduate housing.
  2. GHAB News: This month, hardship housing applications were reviewed.