Take the Lester House Virtual Tour!

Lester is one of the older houses in the ICC and was originally an all female house. Audrey Koch (Lester 1943-45) recounts the time when she invited Alice Lloyd, the Dean of Women who had an ultra-strict reputation, to a Lester House Open House. Audrey's roommate, Sue Whitman, was an art major and had sketches of nude men posted all over their room's walls. The other members of Lester were concerned about the Dean's reaction to the nude sketches, and wanted them taken down during the visit. "Certainly not!" Audrey and Sue exclaimed. "The art stays!"

Dean Lloyd's appearance at the Open House was the first visit by a Dean to a Co-op. Dean Lloyd loved Audrey and Sue's room, and remarked that she was glad that their liberal ideals did not extend to "Bohemian living," noting that they had the cleanest room in the house. Dean Lloyd never commented on the art.

Lester received national publicity in 1943 when it was featured in The Saturday Evening Post. The article brought the cooperative movement right into the living room for millions of readers.

Today, Lester is a cozy co-ed 15 person vegetarian co-op with a vegan option. Situated in the tree-lined corner or Arbor and Oakland just south of Hill St., we are close to campus, the Michigan Union, the Diag, and the beautiful Law Quadrangle.

Lester is well known for high quality food. No meat is allowed in the house, so keep your salchichas out of the fridge! We love our great big wok, which makes a cool sled too! We also love fresh organic produce and the massive amounts of high quality Zingerman's bread that we get for free. In addition to the 15 members of Lester house that live "in house," we also have a few boarders from outside the ICC.

As a smaller house, Lester definitely has a different feel than some of the other co-ops. When you move into Lester, you move into a home. That means that you know everyone in the house and it is noticeable when you aren't around. This is good and bad, depending on what you like. Our house meetings are run by consensus, so that everyone's voice is heard. Compromise and communication are paramount in Lester.

Parties at Lester House are never run-of-the-mill keg parties. Although there are a few big parties each term, there are also cozier events whose happening is spread by word of mouth. Parties often have a creative theme, and folks actively participate in the theme with creative costumes and interact with each other "in character."

As a member of the house you have certain responsibilities. Every in house member must put in 5 hours of work in the house, whether it is cleaning the bathrooms, taking out the trash or composting. Boarders work only 3 hours. However, beyond your work responsibilities you have a responsibility to each other; these are your housemates, respect them, listen to them and have fun with them. Be aggressively friendly because everyone has something to offer if you give him or her reason to.

Room picks are done by seniority within the house, then seniority within the ICC, and then the date of signing the contract. These will be held in April at the same time that the house president is chosen. The remaining officers are elected in the fall.

Welcome again to Lester, your home. May your days be filled with laughter, learning, and frolicking on the waterbed!

More Pictures of Lester!