A Letter to the Class of 2019

To the class of 2019:

By now, you’ve heard all the rumors—and a few that even we haven’t heard. You’ve been told there are ways to game the system and win the lottery. You’ve compiled your own official ranking and you’re sure that you know which House is best. You’ve heard the Quad is too far and the River Houses are full of cockroaches. You know that there’s an objectively worst and best House. And come Housing Day, you’ll be sitting in a room thinking to yourself, much like Harry Potter: “Anything but Slytherin… anything but Slytherin.”

We’re here to tell you: you’re wrong.

We are so excited to meet you on Thursday. We could not be more thrilled to have you join our communities. And we were all like you once—terrified, worried, and just a little bit excited. We’re writing to encourage that excitement. Because whichever House comes through your door, you will come to call it home.

If you’re in Mather, you can enjoy stunning views of the river and Boston from your single or the sun-filled d-hall. In the fall, get involved with Mather’s annual intramural competition, the Louie Cup, featuring pancake eating contests, house-wide Assassins, and trivia nights. And we can’t wait to see you at our biweekly happy hours and our legendary annual foam party, Mather Lather.

If you’re in Adams, you can Carpe Noctem every Thursday, join the Palfreys in Apthorp House every Sunday night for fires, hot cider, and snacks, and enjoy the adorable babies running through the dining hall or daily puppy office hours. You can participate in House traditions like Drag Night, caroling after Winter Feast, and wearing boxers on Housing Day, all while living in our historic home.

If you’re in Cabot, there's no better feeling in the world than laughing over hot drinks with friends in Cabot Café after a day of soaking in the sun on the Quad lawn. Cabot’s inclusive and entrepreneurial spirit creates the most welcoming community in which to share your thoughts, hopes, and dreams, celebrate our talents at Festivus, and write our own stories (shout out to Rakesh and Stephanie!).

You might be in Kirkland. Kirkland is for lovers—a phrase that can be applied any way you want. From making dreams come true during Secret Santa week to sharing the dining hall with Bob Butler, Kirkland will be your home for life.

Or you might be in Quincy. There are many reasons why Quincy is called "the peoples' house." Quincy houses great people and welcomes great people. Where else can you finish your last p-set while enjoying fresh, hot mozzarella sticks? Nowhere.

Expansive duplex suites in the newly renovated McKinlock Hall and some of the best views of Cambridge await you in Leverett House. From hors d’oeuvres at weekly Not Just Sherry Hours to delicious and tantalizing mokeybread, Leverett House is full of traditions that will steal your hearts and satisfy your stomachs.

In Currier, there are rooms called the Bee Hive, the Fish Bowl and the Mouse Hole, and our mascot is a tree. Are you ready to be one with nature? And by nature, we mean days spent lounging on the Quad lawn, three years of singles, the best d-hall on campus (just look up "Cafeteria" on Wikipedia), kickass stein clubs, and the best community there is.

You might be in Eliot House, Hollywood's favorite Harvard backdrop, which will make you feel on top of the world. Get ready for "Fête," the magnificent 1920's style formal in the house's beautiful riverside courtyard. Bring your best thoughts about provocative themes to "Question Table" during community dinner and let the Inferno Grille make you delicious mozzarella sticks and milkshakes while you make great conversation and friendships that will last a lifetime.

You could be in Pfoho, where you’ll enjoy a strong community (or pfamily) of polar bears enjoying their spacious quad housing. Add the gorgeous quad lawn, quadling community, and easy access to the benefits of Porter Square, and you’ve got a great House to call home for the next three years.

John Winthrop set sail from England to the New World with a vision that would rewrite history. Over the next year, Winthrop students begin their voyage through swing housing and will return just as triumphantly to the New Winthrop.

Nestled alongside the mighty Charles is a residential gem: Dunster House. Lauded widely for its supreme dining, state-of-the-art gym, basketball court, art and music rooms and our student-run late night Grille, the newly renovated Dunster has everything you'll ever need and more.

You could be in Lowell, a place with great community, strong tradition, and a house we know you can call home. From Trivia Night and Coffee House, to Bacchanalia, our steins, and our renowned tea, we know that you'll be able to enjoy your time in Lowell with friends new and old.

When we come through your door on Thursday, we hope you’ll be as excited to join us as we are to welcome you. And we can’t wait for you to fall in love with your new House. No matter how you feel about it on Thursday, we know next year you’ll don your suit and boxers, speedo, face paint, or whatever else with love and House pride.

Welcome to House life!

Cecilia Laguarda '17, a human evolutionary biology concentrator, is co-chair of the Adams House Committee. This piece is a collaboration between the House Committee co-chairs of the 12 undergraduate Houses who sit on the House Committee Council. Each of the 12 Houses participated in the piece’s creation and formation.