We are now accepting applications for long term residency starting in September 2020!



Welcome to the Gamma Alpha homepage! Gamma Alpha is a scientific cooperative house located south-east of the University of Michigan campus. We are a diverse mix of graduate students who maintain a clean living space, eco-friendly habits, and a respectful environment. We come from a variety of fields including Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Microbiology & Immunology, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Sociology, Public Health, History, and Bioinformatics, among others.

LIVING AT GAMMA ALPHA

THE HOUSE

The house has thirteen private rooms, and every resident has their own room. We also have a guest room for visitors. Besides the rooms themselves, the house has plenty of amenities, including:

A kitchen with a gas stove and plenty of kitchen utensils and appliances

A living / dining room with plants and a fireplace

A sun room with even more plants, a television, and lots of sun

Laundry facilities in the basement

Two and a half baths

A tool room with … tools

A garage where we keep our bikes

Plenty of storage room

HOW WE KEEP THE HOUSE IN GOOD SHAPE

Every resident has roughly one chore per week, which is either cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, or living room/hallways. Besides these regular chores, each resident devotes about five hours every semester to miscellaneous repairs around the house. Examples of repairs include replacing tiles, repainting, and fixing leaks. Using the house budget, we do hire specialists for larger or more complex repairs. Twice a year, we have our house cleaning. On this day, we all work together to thoroughly clean the house from top to bottom. Safety is one of the top priorities of the house. While maintaining house safety equipment (fire extinguishers, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, door/window locks, etc.) and practicing good safety habits, we also have our house regularly inspected by the city of Ann Arbor.

As a cooperative house, every resident has a specific house job such as treasurer, recruiter, and maintenance manager. We also have regular house meetings (one a month) during which we discuss ideas and issues to improve our cooperative.

WHAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOUSE

Every resident enriches the house with their background, interests, and hobbies. For instance, there is a gardening contingent cultivating our modest plot three seasons a year. Other activities include playing music, sledding in the nearby Arboretum (winter only), and movie nights. You can often find residents studying around the fireplace in the winter and enjoying the sun room during warmer months. We also have ~monthly house dinners where we get together to cook and enjoy cuisines from around the world.

Two house parties mark the fall and winter semesters: the Halloween party at the end of October, and the wine and cheese party, which rings in the spring.