Avery House is part of the housing system at the California Institute of Technology, housing undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and visiting guests. Avery's members are called "Averites" or “Slaves.” The terms "Averoids," and “Birds” have been used by some undergraduates, but they have largely fallen into disuse.
Previously, Avery had only housed upperclass students, graduate students, and faculty, but by a 10-to-1 vote in May 2004, the Faculty Board approved the decision to make Avery open to incoming freshmen on a two-year experimental basis. Since the 2005–2006 school year, Avery has been part of the Rotation process and houses incoming freshman. As Avery has only recently become open to incoming freshman, it does not have as many established traditions as the North and South Houses.
Avery House, however, has demonstrated the establishment of some traditions such as Team Gotcha (Assassins using water guns), an Iron Chef competition, and a Faculty Dessert Night with an open talent show. Avery House also participates in Interhouse Sports, holds an annual Interhouse party, and organizes annual ski trips, beach trips, and BBQs. Avery embraces an accepting mindset whereby anyone who wants to become an Avery member only needs to attain ten signatures from Avery members. There are no social memberships, only full memberships. Any member is welcome and encouraged to participate in house events, but is not pressured to do so.
Avery enjoys an environment of graduate students, some of which are TAs for undergraduate classes, and faculty families. The Faculty in Residence (FiRs) are chosen by the students in an interview and discussion process and the faculty are provided budget to hold social events for the undergraduates of the house. Events held by faculty include Super Bowl parties and casual dinners.
Avery House has several facilities, including a dining hall with a large kitchen, a conference room, a piano room (Gary Lorden Recreation Room), a library, a garden, and a basement garage. The dining hall, library, and conference room are available to the Caltech community for official events after approval by the Avery ExComm. Avery also holds a number of “off-campus” spots, which are physically in the house but can be chosen by any undergraduate participating in the off-campus lottery. Finally, owing to a policy said to have been put in place by R. Stanton Avery himself, Avery members are not allowed to place anything "nonremovable" on the walls, though the true origins of this policy are unclear.
Read more about this topic: House System At The California Institute Of Technology
Famous quotes containing the words avery and/or house:
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—Tex Avery [Fred Avery] (1907–1980)
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—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)