Sutton Place
At Sutton Place, we try to maintain a friendly, homelike atmosphere, with comfortable furniture, a fireplace, one large TV, a VCR/DVD player, a study room, a computer (with DSL connection), a large kitchen, and a large dining room. Because the majority of residents are graduate students on busy schedules, we seek to provide a place where people can relax and feel at home. Residents often choose to cook, eat, shop, or study together, depending on schedules.
Activities
Sutton Place seeks to have at least one major social event per month, often a potluck dinner, game night, movie night, party, or holiday celebration. In addition, informal activities are often planned, sometimes spontaneously, by house members, including meals out, concerts, movies, day trips to Chicago or elsewhere, camping, or longer trips during breaks. Other residents play soccer or basketball together regularly. House Bible studies and prayer meetings are available to the residents.
Co-operative life
As a co-operative, we share responsibility for running the house. Each member is required to complete one house duty per week, which normally takes 1-2 hours. Sample duties include vacuuming and dusting, lawn care, cleaning bathrooms, or mopping floors. In addition, members take turns cleaning the kitchen each evening.
Mandatory house meetings are held once a month. Each semester we have a required eight-hour workday, in which we clean the house thoroughly and complete larger repair jobs.
As a co-operative, we strive to work together and assist each other in keeping the house running well. At the first house meeting of the year, house officers and position-holders are elected to oversee various aspects of the house. The house President is responsible for assigning duties, running workdays, assisting other officers and residents with responsibilities, and generally overseeing the house as a whole. The Vice President assists the President, above all in enforcing house rules. The Secretary sorts and forwards mail, and takes minutes of house meetings. The Steward is responsible for the physical upkeep of the house, including purchasing supplies. Other positions given to house members include: Social Chair, Captain Planet (in charge of recycling), Chaplain, Network Coordinator, Handyman, and Public Relations Chair.
It is not required to be a Christian to live at Sutton Place. This house is part of the Baptist Housing Ministry, and we strive to be a place in which Christians can encourage each other to grow in and live out their faith. Non-christian men are are welcome if they are comfortable living with Christians and are willing to follow house rules.
