Freeside

“I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.” -Kurt Vonnegut

ABOUT

Freeside will be an on-Mars community within the larger Mars ecosystem that offers off-grid housing and other amenities but has no specific academic or programmatic focus. Freeside may be the camp for you if… 

1. You are an “undeclared major.”

   1. Different programs at Mars will be offering classes in which Freesiders will be welcome to participate. You may want to try many different things or wait and decide on a concentrated track after you arrive. We anticipate taking a number of “freshmen” but welcome returning Martians as well. 

2. You are working on an independent project that doesn’t fit into the other Mars programs.

   1. If this is you, another possible camp could be Sunflower Labs. The difference between Freeside and Sunflower is that Freeside is in the desert while Sunflower is in town. Also, Sunflower will have an increased emphasis on documentation and project accountability. Whereas Freeside will support your endeavors but not expect any sort of project check-ins. 

Finally, Freeside could be the camp for you if:

1. You want to co-build a cool community and hang out in the desert for three months.

   1. Doing nothing is an important part of the artistic process. And also, there’s no need to justify your existence through productivity. We’re going to trust that you’re the expert on what you need to be doing at Mars, whether that’s a lot of a lot of things, a lot of one thing, or a lot of nothing. 

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Housing

We will be located on Mars, in the desert about a mile from the nearest town. Past versions of Freeside have had a dorm structure made out of pallet racks, with fully or partially enclosed areas, and residents staying in tents or building their own cabin-like enclosures. Each year we build something different, depending on needs and inspiration. At minimum, we’ll have some kind of barrier to blunt the wind, some kind of roof cover to mitigate dust, rain, and sun, and places to insert water, power, and hanging out.

The rest is up to us – if we want a cozy hangout space or toothbrushing station, we build it; if you want snazzy storage space or a moon-viewing window in your tent/tiny-dwelling, you build it. Some basic materials (e.g. pallet racks and plywood) will be provided, and there are a few tents and mattresses available from past years - if you/we want more, you/we have to make it happen yourself/ourselves.

As a baseline, you can think of living in Freeside as camping in the desert for three months. But the experience can be whatever we want to make it. By our powers combined, we can aspire to glamping. At least some of us are returning Freesiders, so we promise it’s doable and even… kind of nice. 

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AMENITIES 

We will also have a kitchen (another pallet rack structure) with camp stoves, fridge, freezer, and pantry space. We will be organizing a regular weekly grocery run. (The nearest grocery store is a 40-minute drive away. You are, of course, free to go whenever you want if you have a car.) We will be;

• fully solar-powered

• have internet access

• access to running water in town

• We will also figure out some sort of solution to showers, laundry, and toilets 

If you have your own housing already (RV, car, tent, etc.) and just need access to the rest of the amenities, you are still welcome to join Freeside.

If you are fully self-sufficient but would still like to be part of the Freeside community, you are also welcome to apply. 

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COMMUNAL LIVING 

While Freeside won’t provide or require any artistic/academic participation, we will expect a certain amount of community buy-in. This will include;

• Attending 1 or 2 Freeside-specific zoom calls before the beginning of Mars.

During Mars, it will mean;

• Contributing to Camp Services/Activities like

  • Mars build weeks (if at all possible)

  • Power

  • Water

  • Trash

  • Grocery runs

  • Kitchen deep cleans

We aren’t proposing a formal meal plan, but if Freesiders want to organize one, we’d be stoked about that. We can discuss and decide on specific chores and duties during those pre-Mars meetings. 

Freesiders were an active part of Mars’s communal kitchen last year, and we’d like to make a chill social eating space a part of our ongoing tradition. What this will look like in the upcoming year is up to us, but a relaxed working, chatting, eating, card games environment is something it would be great to see Freesiders contribute to the larger Mars community. 

In addition, as part of the larger Mars community, we will be benefiting hugely from the offerings of other programs and camps. As such, be prepared to pitch in on wider-Mars needs and activities, as well.

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COST 

TBD for now, but Freeside will emphasize low-cost living. We are planning on stocking some items in a communal pantry;

• Eggs

• Oats

• Rice, etc.

Intend to contribute some amount of money for that (or if there is interest in a shared food plan). We’ll also be collecting funds for shared infrastructure like

• Porta-Potties rental

• Propane

• Internet

• Extra building (supplies if needed)

Ballpark estimate is to be prepared to budget something like $300-$500 per month while living on Mars (with significant individual variation depending on how well-equipped you are on arrival, your eating and amazon habits, your own project supplies, etc).

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SCHEDULE

Note: The biggest lift we have to do as a community will be constructing the dorms and kitchen/dining area. It would be really really helpful if you’re able to participate in build weeks.

• Monday, December 30th, 2024 through Sunday, January 12th, 2025

Note: Some construction prep may happen in advance of these dates 

New Years

• Groundbreaking Party Tuesday, December 31st, 2024

• Official semester start date is Monday, Jan 13th, 2025 (full moon.)

A one-day MIDTERM like event

• Tentatively on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 (full moon).

Exhibition of work as "FINALS."

• Tentatively on Thursday, March 13th, 2025 (full moon)

:Stop: 

• Official semester end date is Sunday, April 13th, 2025