House Life
‘Incredibly Surreal’: Harvard College Seniors Receive Diplomas at House Ceremonies After Turbulent Spring
After morning Commencement proceedings in Tercentenary Theatre concluded, graduating seniors made their way back to their residential Houses for the last time to receive their diplomas at House ceremonies.
Faculty Deans, Department Administrators Express Support for International Students
Harvard College faculty deans and departmental administrators sent messages of support for international students after the Trump administration revoked the University’s ability to enroll them — even as Harvard’s top leaders remain quiet.
As Deming Leaves Kirkland Post for New Job as College Dean, Students Say the Moment Is ‘Bittersweet’
David J. Deming was met with a standing ovation as he entered the Kirkland House dining hall Tuesday evening, hours after Faculty of Arts and Science Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced he would leave his current role as faculty dean to serve as the next dean of Harvard College.
Revenue and Revelry: How House Committees Spend on Student Entertainment
With different budgets, revenue streams, and degrees of extravagance, resident satisfaction with House social calendars varies across the River and Quad. The Crimson spoke with HoCo chairs from all 12 upperclassmen Houses about how they prioritize spending to bring House traditions to life.
DSO and Crimson Key Society Debut Housing Day Video Awards Ceremony ‘The Johnnies’
Currier House took home the people’s choice award Wednesday at the first-ever Housing Day video awards ceremony, dubbed “The Johnnies,” which featured a reception and stand-up comedy at the Graduate School of Education’s Gutman Conference Center.
Adams House Withdraws Support for Anti-Zionist Passover Event, Citing Policy on Unrecognized Student Groups
Adams House administrators withdrew funding and revoked a room reservation for a Saturday “anti-zionist Passover seder for liberation” organized by a group of Adams students as the College ramps up efforts to limit the presence of unrecognized student organizations on campus.
Students Left ‘Out of Commission’ From Harvard Power Outage
A power outage across Harvard campus early Thursday morning left at least seven residential Houses without hot water for several hours. The electrical outage was caused by a circuit failure on Allston’s Blackstone Street — which is home to Blackstone Steam Plant, the facility that distributes power to many of Harvard’s campus buildings.
‘Surreal’: Intramural Rowing Returns to Harvard at Full Speed
Harvard intramural rowing, a nearly a century-old tradition, has glided back into undergraduates’ lives this spring after a several-year hiatus.
Pop Hits and Politics: At Yardfest, Students Dance to Bedingfield and a Student Band Condemns Trump
Hundreds of students packed Tercentenary Theatre on Sunday as Grammy-nominated artist Natasha Bedingfield took the stage for Yardfest — the College’s annual spring concert — following three student band performances, one of which criticized recent federal attacks on pro-Palestine protesters.
Eliot Renovations To Proceed As Planned Amid Funding Uncertainty
Renovations to Eliot House are on schedule to begin after Commencement and conclude by fall 2027 — despite financial uncertainty causing the University to tighten its belt.
AFRO Holds Discussion in Adams Dining Hall, Despite Warning to Organizer
Roughly 20 Harvard members of the African and African American Resistance Organization gathered in the Adams dining hall on Saturday to discuss campus policies and censorship — even after administrators warned a leader not to use House spaces for meetings.
Adams House Resident Dean Issues Warning to Student Who Booked Room for AFRO Event
Adams House Resident Dean Charles “Chip” Lockwood issued a warning Friday evening to a student who reserved a room in Adams for a meeting of the African and African American Resistance Organization, an unrecognized student group.
Uncensored Humor: Mather House Satire Newsletter To Tone Down Lewd Jokes After Complaints
This semester, the Gorilla Gazette’s satire sparked debate over the boundaries of tasteful humor — and eventually intervention from House leadership, a brief rebellion against bowdlerization, and promises from the paper’s writers to change their tone.
‘Reclaiming What’s Ours’: Adams House Residents Storm and Annex Apley Court Ahead of Housing Day
Prior to the event, posters were taped to the walls and front doors of Apley, with one reading “Gold Coast Members Only.” One day before the storming and annexation, Adams residents received a message from Mischief and Traditions co-chair Christopher B. Ruiz ’26 announcing the “storming and annexing” of Apley Court to “restore the Gold Coast to its former glory.”
‘Warm Welcomes and Open Arms’: Students Show Off House Pride with Housing Day Videos
Housing Day videos, an annual tradition spanning back to 2009, are an opportunity to showcase “House spirit” — while “dissing on the other Houses too.”
‘My Heart’s Broken’: Freshmen Fear Renovations, the Quad As Housing Day Approaches
Ahead of Housing Day on March 13, when first-year students are randomly assigned to one of the College’s 12 undergraduate houses, some students hope they do not get Eliot — which will be renovated over the next two years. Others expressed perennial worries about walks to Mather and the Quad.
Harvard Lets Students Charge Scooters in Dorms. Some Schools Have Stricter Regulations.
As micromobility devices like e-scooters, e-bikes, and hoverboards grow in popularity among students, Harvard’s policies on storage and fire safety differ from peer institutions, a Crimson analysis finds. Harvard’s micromobility policies require students to keep paths clear, and to follow building guidelines regarding parking, safe charging, and storing overnight.
Students Hold Vigil To Recognize Third Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Dozens of Harvard affiliates gathered on the steps of Memorial Church on Monday to show support for Ukraine three years after Russia’s invasion began.
‘It's Not Like Goodbye’: Students Seek Convenience, Friends With Interhouse Transfer
Nearly 200 students applied in the February interhouse transfer applications, according to Harvard College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo. While some applications were approved on Feb. 17, many other students’ attempts to transfer Houses were unsuccessful.
After the Salient Complained About Restrictions, Harvard Will Make Door-to-Door Distribution Easier
Harvard College announced plans to reinstall inboxes on dormitory doors after The Harvard Salient, a conservative student publication, complained that faculty deans in upperclassmen dorms restricted their monthly door-to-door magazine distribution.
Pforzheimer House To Install Locks on Bathrooms Following Repeated Indecent Exposure Incidents
Keypad locks will be installed on the communal bathrooms in Pforzheimer House after students repeatedly encountered a man allegedly entering the building half-naked, according to a Thursday email from Pforzheimer House administrators.
‘It’s Honestly Not That Serious’: Peer Advisors Help Freshmen Navigate Blocking Decisions
Freshmen annually learn of their housing assignments when upperclassmen boisterously storm into their dorms on Housing Day — a tradition that dates back to 1995. But tension builds in the weeks leading up to the reveal when freshmen must select up to eight other students to “block” with, forming blocking groups that are guaranteed to be assigned the same House.
Harvard DSO Hosts ‘Mattering’ Initiative Kickoff Event
Over 50 Harvard students shared fun facts over free Playa Bowls in Cambridge Queen’s Head Monday to celebrate the kickoff of the Dean of Students Office’s “mattering” initiative — an effort intended to instill a sense of belonging among students.
Harvard Freshmen Face Continued ‘Pervasive’ Rodent Problem
When Harvard freshmen moved back into their Harvard Yard dorms last month after winter break, several students returned to evidence of unwelcome visitors: mouse droppings and chewed-through belongings.