The Foley House, for a fortunate few, offers all the amenities of affinity housing without the academic connections.
Located at the corner of Maple Street and West Street, Foley House is described by House Manager Pieter Ott '98 as a "cooking cooperative" and a type of affinity housing quite different from others.
"We don't speak Spanish, French or German," Ott said. "This house is specifically a cooking cooperative. Part of the idea is that we cook for each other a certain number of times and cooperate in the upkeep of the house."
Foley House has "no specific agendas," Ott said. He said the College has expressed some concern about this lack of academic affiliation, so the organization began searching for one Spring term.
This week, members will begin discussing a specific mission statement, something the organization also lacks.
"We thought it might be a way to ensure the house's security," Ott said.
"We have had several constitutions ... that were forgotten for a while," he said. "We do not need a constitution but a mission statement will revolve around the [idea of] community living, cooperative living, an alternative to the dorms."
Most members really are not interested in formalizing the group's aims any more so than its current mission to provide a friendly place for people to live together, Ott said.
Foley House "never had an academic affinity at its root," Ott said. "It was always a community type idea."
"We would rather have a diverse group and not pin down with any specific interest," Ott said.
Member Matthew Girard '98 said he enjoyed the "community living style" that the house offered.
To become a member of Foley, students need to sign their names on a registration sheet found at the house. Foley houses a maximum of 10 members per term. Members are generally chosen in the order they apply, with some consideration given to having a balanced house. The house manager makes the final decisions on occupancy.
"It is first-come-first-serve but ... we don't want 10 men or 10 women only in the house," Girard said. He said Foley House prefers to have people with Dartmouth plans allowing them to live there several terms in a row, to create a better sense of unity.
Girard said the "house is in flux" because many '98s are leaving, but the house is always filled to capacity.
The College gives the house a certain amount of money each term for programming activities. The house received $200 for the summer term, Ott said.
"We have co-sponsored activities, had a picnic, and have movie nights or whatever," he said.
Living in Foley costs about the same as standard College housing, with additional costs for staple food supplies.
A student decides what days he or she intends to eat at the house and pays $4 for each intended meal. Meals are held five times a week at 6:30 p.m.
Members "have to cook, definitely," Ott said. "You have to be interested in living in a cooperative situation. It is understood that you are going to help with keeping the house clean and keeping everything in order."
"You have to be involved with the other people," he added. "We are not happy if you just come, eat food, live in your room and spend the time away."
"I personally joined because I wanted to be in a house where I could cook for myself," Ott said. "I was interested in a chance to eat a meal with people in kind of a family situation instead of going to cafeterias."
The atmosphere is "different than dorm life, for sure," Girard said.
"It is nice to have a room of your own but also a kitchen, dining and living room downstairs," he said.
"You know everybody in the house and ... you have to take into account other people here," he said.
The original Foley House was a fraternity, Epsilon Kappa Phi, located on Webster Avenue.
It left the Greek system in 1966 and became the campus' communal-living affinity house. Later, the organization moved to its current location, Ott said.
The house is named after a well-liked advisor of the original fraternity.