House Rankings 2014: Housing Day Videos

By Bryan Li

It’s spring break, but you know you miss the excitement of Housing Day. And in spite of the Kirkland Controversy, the Battle of the Beyoncé’s, the Battle of the “Adele Dazeems,” and the face-off between what the Moose says and what the Tree says, Harvard’s twelve houses got creative with their housing day videos this year. If The 2014 Housing Market or the Roving Reporter: Which is the Best House? did not give freshmen a full glimpse of which house is best, here’s a Housing Day videos ranking:

12. Kirkland
Well, although Kirkland’s “Kirkland Didn’t Start the Fire” video sure was a humorous hit, the initial Kirkland “album” didn’t turn out so well. Luckily Kirkland’s housing and location are better than its spontaneous album drop.

11. Currier
Not a huge fan of "What Does the Fox Say", so Currier's Housing Day video did not top the charts.

10. Leverett
Not even sure which Leverett rap song was its real Housing Day video, but either way, the songs that Lev chose to make a parody of were not too impressive. Tip for Lev: use a song with love in it for next year. Drunk in Lev or Lev on Top could’ve been even better than Lowell/Winthrop’s versions.

9. Dunster
Again, with the "What Does the Fox Say" but with a moose. But at least Dunster’s use of the moose mascot, a Scooby-Doo costume, and an adorable kid in a tiger costume was entertaining.

8. Quincy
Although the vocals in Pfoho’s take on “Let It Go” and Quincy’s rendition were both off the charts, Quincy’s actual music video was definitely not as impressive as Pfoho’s number one spot. The awkward photo sequence that played at random points throughout this Frozen parody was not very aesthetically pleasing.

7. Eliot
Even for someone who doesn’t watch House of Cards, this Housing Day video was undeniably humorous and creative. Props to Eliot for being the only house this year not to do music video and get away with it.

6. Cabot
There’s not much more to say than they’re happy. Since over half the people in Annenberg on Housing Day were rocking Cabot sweatbands, let’s hope the Cabot residents look like they have as much fun as they did in this video.

5. Mather
Using one of the Final Clubs’ top party songs as a music video only adds to the fun that was “Talk Mather to Me.” This Housing Day video not only features the Mather Gorilla and hilarious lyrics, but also the Matherites just look like they’re having a genuinely good time.

4. Adams
Adams already boasts some of the most desirable housing on campus, but its music video to Lorde’s “Royals” makes it all the more intriguing. The lyrics are genius and suit the house perfectly, and the vocals are top notch.

3. Winthrop
For a house that doesn’t get much attention for great housing, Winthrop did a great job promoting its house with the ingenious “Love on Throp.” Just like Lowell, using a Beyoncé favorite basically sealed the deal for Winthrop in and of itself. Plus, apparently this was filmed in one take—major props.

2. Lowell
Nothing can compete with Lowell’s “Get Lowell” Housing Day video from last year, which features its housemasters and Lowell’s own version of the Ying-Yang twins. Still, Lowell’s “Drunk in Lowell” was impressive enough to grab our attention. Of course using one of Beyoncé’s biggest hits was a nice touch, and the lyrics and title were quite intriguing. Honestly, though, the best part of “Drunk in Lowell” was its trailer.

1. Pforzheimer.
This might come as a surprise, since it’s, you konw, the Quad. However, Pforzheimer (if that’s how it’s spelled) really turned up its game this year with its own take on Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.” It isn’t too surprising that the PfoCo created one of the better Housing Day videos, after its “Hitler Gets His Housing Assignment” video four years ago, but nonetheless, Pfoho wins the award for best Housing Day video. This video not only boasts vocals that are arguably better than Princess Elsa’s, but also offers some of the best lyrics and video action to come from a Housing Day video. Though Quincy released their version of “Let It Go” well before Pfoho, Pfrozen was much more impressive in its lyrics and music video.