Years of work by hundreds of student resident leaders have produced the Sidney-Pacific events, infrastructure, and traditions that you see today. Events such as coffee hours, barbeques and dance parties are entirely resident-organized. The website, "My Account" and SPTV systems were built by residents. The bikes, plants, aquarium and movie library are resident-maintained.
Applications are now open! You can submit your application here.
Reasons to get involved
Remain a Sidney-Pacific resident next year if you join the house council
*New* Get reserved bike and/or parking spot
Interact with other residents and meet new friends
Contribute to the community
Learn new skills
Do things that you enjoy, and share them with others
Serve on campus-wide committees deciding on high-level policies
Gain leadership experience
Make a difference in your MIT experience and that of others
Meet an outgoing and motivated group of student leaders
Power and prestige
Hang out with fellow students in a non-academic context
I want to live at S-P next year. What can I do?
There are two ways to extend your stay at Sidney-Pacific. You can enter the continuing student lottery, but chances of getting into S-P are slim; far less favorable than the first-year lottery. Alternatively, you're guaranteed housing if you are either appointed as a committee chair or elected as a hall councilor. For more details, see the S-P housing flow chart.
(Officers can choose their rooms through the internal house lottery and get priority over new residents.)
How is the S-P government organized?
The S-P house council consists of approximately
37 Committee (Co)Chairs
13 Hall Councilors
5 Sidney-Pacific Executive Council (SPEC) members.
To help coordinate the efforts of this large government, the house council is divided into five offices, each headed by a SPEC member:
There are monthly house meetings, as well as monthly meetings of each office.
The list of officers lists all the members of the house council, organized by office.
How do I become a committee chair?
Committee chairs are appointed by the Sidney-Pacific Executive Council (SPEC) every year in April, after submitting a written application and completing an in-person interview. Committee chair applications are competitive, usually with many applications for each position. The single most important factor is the applicant's previous level of involvement with the government. It's never too early or too late to volunteer.
How do I become a hall councilor?
The hall councilor on each hall is elected by the hall's residents each April. In April 2006, a total of 19 candidates ran for the 13 hall councilor positions. The best way to win an election is to attend regularly the events put on by your hall councilor so you can become acquainted with other residents.
How do I volunteer?
There are many ways to get involved with the student government. Look at the list of officers and find a committee that interests you. You can then e-mail the chair (or hall councilor) and ask how you can help. Many committee chairs are actively recruiting volunteers.
Volunteer occassionally when the need arises by joining the S-P helpers email list: (Sign up here). Committee chairs send email when they need help to set up, tear down or eat free food.
Contact a member of SPEC to ask for guidance. To learn more about a particular office, you can attend the monthly meeting.
