Barbie’s Dreamhouse or Ken’s Mojo Dojo Quincy House? Is it going to be “Pfoho at your front door” or the Mather gorillas? Will the Whole Foods by the Quad be your newest CVS, or is Cardullo’s still the spot?
From River Run to dorm storming, if you are a first-year, you have surely been anxiously awaiting Harvard’s much-anticipated Housing Day. On Housing Day, first-years discover which House out of the 12 upperclassmen communities will become their home for the next three years. This renowned tradition brings a true sense of school pride and unity to Harvard’s campus. However, before the Currier Trees, Winthrop Lions, Kirkland Boars, and more can swarm the Yard, each House must undergo weeks of preparation. Likely to top the July 2023 film phenomenon “Barbenheimer,” the 2024 Housing Day videos seek to offer a similarly life-changing cinematic experience, as every house is determined to convince the Class of 2027 that they are the best housing that Harvard has to offer.
Famously known for its cozy dining hall and prime river location, Eliot House residents pride themselves on their commitment to its Housing Day video, eager to flaunt their incredible home. Helen Scarboro ’25, co-Housing Committee Chair, spoke on her favorite parts of Eliot, commenting, “I think community is my top priority or my favorite component of Eliot. I think everyone here is just so nice and so welcoming. That was the first thing that struck me on my own Housing Day and has definitely remained true for the past couple years.” Affectionately dubbed “Domus,” from Harvard Yard to the corner of the river, Eliot is filled with incredible people and staff, all of whom its housing video seeks to showcase. From the tutors to the Faculty Deans to beloved HUDS staff member Grace, as Helen emphasizes, Eliot’s video truly had “so many people from different parts of the house give their skills” as so many people were all so eager and “willing to be involved.”
But beyond highlighting their general robust community, Eliot’s Housing Committee also sought to showcase some parts of the House that are representative of not only the amenities the dorm has to offer but also the specific student involvement in its vibrant culture. Working hard to ensure their video affectionately showcased Eliot, the Housing Committee understood their video to be a multi-step process as they first arranged a few meetings to find interested (and enthusiastic) writers, recorders, and, of course, editors before releasing their approximate 4-minute pitch to the Harvard community.
Eliot is truly Helen’s “home-away-from-home” and if you happen to have the Mastodons at your dorm Housing Day morning, Felix Chen ’25, co-Housing Committee Chair, and the rest of the Domus, is “really psyched to see everyone and in the evening welcome everyone to the new house.”
However, if you end up finding yourselves a little farther down the river, Harvard housing still has plenty to offer. Molly Bosworth ’24, a member of the Leverett Housing Committee, is also a firm believer in the House community. From STEM night to board game night, there is never a dull evening over in Lev as the House’s dining hall is always quite busy, bustling with Harvard community members all looking for a break from their academics. Eager to showcase the smiles that greet newcomers and the people that make Lev so unique, Bosworth has been involved in the making of the Housing Day videos for two years in a row.
When Bosworth was a first-year during COVID-19, Leverett instantly won her over with its Taylor Swift parody, “It’s a Lev Story.” Recognizing how much fun the process is when it is not taken too seriously, Molly has wanted to make Lev’s videos as amusing as possible to ensure that even people who are not lucky enough to be the newest bunnies will find themselves at the House at some point.
But beyond just boasting the physical space, Bosworth thinks “the Housing Day video [doesn’t] need to be the best produced—they just need to show off the house and as many people as they can and as many people as possible. And so, in the Housing Day video, we’ve got loads of people involved, I want to say at least 40 people… We’ve got people from all parts of the community, not just students but our deans in it, HUDS staff, security.” Similar to Eliot, Bosworth and the rest of the Leverett Housing Committee hope to emphasize the theme of community throughout the video.
Feeling incredibly confident that no bunny or mastodon can surpass Lowell’s superior blue men, Sofia Giannuzzi ’25, Lowell Housing Committee Co-Chair, expressed that “it’s not really hard to hype up Lowell.” From art studios to the chandelier in the dining hall to the sprawling courtyard, Lowell seems to have all the glamor it needs to welcome new “Lowellians” to the community for the next four years.
Beyond the amenities, Lieh Vu ’25, the other Lowell Housing Committee Co-Chair, explained that the people at Lowell truly make the house a home. “I think it is really special that people put so much effort into making this community really vibrant and really for everyone… We have so many different events for different pockets of Lowellians.” From tea every Thursday at 5 p.m. with the faculty deans to Lowell speeches where students describe personal anecdotes, Lowell House works hard to ensure every member is represented and appreciated. Though Giannuzzi ensures that Lowell has a “great housing video,” Lieh reminds everyone that we may not see the full scope of what Lowell has to offer “through just a short video, but it is just like a preview of what we can be as a community. And obviously, we hope people show up to all of the amazing festivities on Housing Day to meet everyone in person and…just really connect with the rest of the community.”
So is Kirkland on top or is there really no better House than the Q? I hope everyone was ready for the echoes of the Currier trees and eager upperclassmen to be heard from way beyond the Yard on Thursday, and may the housing odds be ever in your favor.
Sara Kumar ’27 (sjkumar@college.harvard.edu) is already having nightmares about Cronk.