Simday 90: New project initiated but not yet executed

The Sims Science team has been working hard preparing an upcoming survey that we hope to run in November. Households from all SUN participating hoods will be invited to participate. The survey will focus on how duties and chores are shared between household members.

There has been an epedemic cold in Simmerville on the first day of Autumn (day 90). It's typical that Sims don't notice the temperature before they run into the garden wearing way too little clothing.

Cassenda S. Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Science Advisor

Simday 77: Watch Them Eat project closed

So we did a great research, including filming a lot. Simmerville households are pretty good at varying their dinner menu, but I was not impressed. The lack of salads is alarming! I wish we would have time to analyse the tabel routines too, like behavior, seating, manners. That would be more interesting to my profession. 

The report is available from the Medical Center.

Rudie S. Swims
Simmerville Hood - Science Advisor

Simday 74: Nothing new

Okay, I did not do anythingfor the scientists. But I never was paid for being the Advisor. No harm done then. I'm leaving Simmerville for good, for personal reasons. Goodbye!

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 58: A better situation for all

Not many of my hopes for the Age of Business were fulfilled. But I'm glad after all, as Mrs Shalloe told me that Simmerville's financial situation is better than ever and that we might afford a major upgrade of Simmerville House at campus. All we contributed with this far was §20.000. The house is working fine thanks to the students helping. It would be great to organize the house better, focusing more on studies than on living. With §30.000 we could upgrade the library as well as the rooms.

I'm welcoming the new Craft & Business School that the Light couple opened today, downtown. It will certainly take some of the pressure away from Simmerville House, as many young Sims want a practical education rather than a academical. I have my doubt to the owners' intentions though, as I heard the student conditions are poor, and I assume the main purpose is to gain cheap labor. I'll give that school a chance though before I examine it!

We also have encouraged business owners to offer trainee stays. It means a young Sim will move in with the business owner to build business experience from working there for 4 simdays. All trainee stays, and Craft & Business School stay, starts on simday 61, 66, 71 and Social Services will be coordinating the applications and travels.

I really wish I could stay Science Advisor for one more Age, there is so much to be done, still!

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 48: Reporting needs for new business deal

I was asked to comment on how the science track can benefit from the new OfB deal.

1. We should definitely keep Simmerville House on campus out of the new deal. No business interests should influence our young adults' studies.

2. The local library at Gothan Quarter could be a pay per use service. The build is old and preserved, and it's well frequented because of the poker table. We could charge Sims to enter the build, but I don't see how the hood could sell only the building and not the graveyard. Or should also the graveyard be turned into a business? I don't really think it is a good thing to charge Sims to visit the graves. I don't see how we can make money from the current library while the lot is a regular community lot without individual owner interests.

3. We should encourage local businesses to include aspects of skill building as skill building seems to be an option also on community lots.

4. We could need a local museum, although I personally think the downtown museums would cover our needs too. I know the Mervils at Maple Inn are considering to close their hotel and rather open a club society with a certain historical twist (focused on the Mervils of course).

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 46: Chaos on campus

The Simmerville House had to be rebuilt. The students was in charge of the entire operation, and from what I heard they did well. The house is slightly bigger and will serve them the better. But there is a catch. They could not afford more than the basics, and there are no wallpaper, windows etc in the house yet. The students have asked Simmerville Hood to help economically, with §25.000.

I''ll inform the Hood Council and suggest that we spend §10.000 on Simmerville House right away, then additional §10.000 in 5 simdays.

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 45: My final suggestion conserning university costs

The deal that has been tried for 5 simdays was okay, but it cause4s too much administration. I suggest that we move the total administration to Simmerville House, and that Simmerville Hood will have no income not costs with the educational program (university level). Students will have their personal Account and will contribute to the house's Account as needed.

The new routine has been tried for 1 simday already, and this is the current practice:

A Sim needs a personal cash balance of §5.000 or more when moving into the Simmerville House on campus (including scholarship/grants).
Upon arrival the Sim is charged §3.000 (added to the house's Account), this includes the grants. It is supposed to cover food and bills for the entire stay (4 simdays/8 semesters). Each student must be prepared to pay up to §2.000 more if the students decides so.
When graduating the student will now get only §3.000 per GPA, and nothing from the hood. The student will of course keep his/her personal Account. The students can decide to adjust the GPA fund as well as the entrance fee but changes will not have affect for current students.

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 40: The right to a University degree

The Simmerville Hood is short of finances, we have been paying students more than we could afford and this needs to be changed. The last 5 simdays period we had 6 students going to Uni and 7 who graduated. The current deal per average student:

-§2.000,  charged when attending Uni
+§20.000, max graduation fund from the hood
=§18.000,  networth when graduate returns to Simmerville

This means a hood cost of §18000, where of §4000 per student is taken from Simmerville House at campius (rent). The hood's net costs is redused to §14000, which is a lot more than we can accept in the future. Here is the new deal:

-§5.000, charged when attending Uni
+§7.000,  graduation fund from the hood
+§16.000, max graduation funds from Simmerville House
=§18.000, networth when graduate returns to Simmerville

The new deal means a net hood cost of §2.000 per student, which is §12000 less than today's deal.

My objections would be:
1. Charging parents §5000 to send a child off to Uni might be hard on the poor households, especially if they have many children. On the other hand, those poor households normally don't send students anyway, because they don't study hard enough to get accepted. This is not a rule though, and I think all sims should have the same right to Uni, and not be stopped by poor finances.
2. The new deal means that we will gradually take funds from the Simmerville House. The house's current networth is aboout §70.000, so I think we are safe for at least 10 simdays. The new deal should be evaluated in 5 simdays.

Agatha Brybrey
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 31: We need to know more!

There is so much that we don't know. Sims' brain, mind, dreams, body, health. I wish we could use Sims Science more effectively to gather such information. The current project, Right or Wrong, is only focusing on life length. The project is too tedious to collect a good amount of facts. I think we should run many smaller projects instead.

Simbille Ballong
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 30: University a success

This far we had 8 locals graduating from Sim, State University, and this very moment there are 5 more young adults on campus and 2 more on their way tomorrow. We require only 10 skillpoints, grade D or better and total scholarship of more than §500 to be accepted for the University. There are opinions raised that we should limit the number of students, so I suggest we require 15 skillpoints, C grade or better and total scholarship more than §500 to attend University.

The Simmerville House on campus is a success. Students with GPA of 3.0 or more are allowed to move in there after their freshman year. It holds only 6 beds, so when more than 6 students want to live there those with the better freshman result will move in. Students will keep their share of the Simmerville House networth. Students staying there for 6 semesters will get to keep §5000, anyone staying there shorter should get to keep less.

Simbille Ballong
Simmerville Hood - Council member

Simday 22: University deal delayed

Many tasks to be looked at. First the long awaited University seems to be delayed. We preordered a good deal, but our teens are not able to enter University on the date we expected. Anyway, the first group will go during this simday. They are Agathe Brybrey, Bart Gobelin and Gary Snakespeare.

We are soon establishing a brand new communical library, where residents can read books for free, but also where Simmerville's history will be archived. We have a very long past of nearly 325 simdays (300 years + 22 simdays).

I need to contact Sven Hornsby of the Mazaloom Historical Society.