‘Reclaiming What’s Ours’: Adams House Residents Storm and Annex Apley Court Ahead of Housing Day

Approximately two dozen Adams House residents “annexed” Apley Court on Tuesday evening, returning the freshman dormitory to the Gold Coast ahead of Housing Day.

Adams House dormitories were originally private “Gold Coast” dormitories built for rich Harvard undergraduates at the turn of the 20th century. Apley Court was built in 1897 as a private dormitory and became part of Adams House after the House’s founding in 1931. But around 1952, Apley was converted to an office space, and in 1954, it was indefinitely announced as a freshman dorm.

Last Sunday, freshmen in Apley received red envelopes with a “decree” of the annexation, which announced that “on the 11th of March a great assembly of Adamsians shall make their noble passage unto Apley Court.”

“This most auspicious gathering shall serve to hold a solemn Referendum of Annexation, wherein the distinguished denizens of Apley may, by their own free will and enlightened judgment, determine whether their fair dwelling shall be forever restored to its rightful place within the dominion of Adams House,” the letter stated.

The seizure of Apley comes just two days before freshmen participate in one of the College’s most cherished annual traditions — Housing Day. On Thursday morning, upperclassmen from each House will “dorm storm” the Yard to welcome freshmen to their House for their next three years.

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.”

As Adams upperclassmen gathered in Claverly Hall Tuesday evening, Ruiz — who organized the annexation effort following a request from a House resident — announced the plan for Apley’s seizure.

“Adams remembers. Adams reclaims. Adams reigns,” he said.

The horde of upperclassmen who arrived at the foyer of Apley Court, decked in Adams gear, were met by a group of ten freshmen — about one-third of Apley’s residents — for the referendum.

Ruiz called to the group, “All those in favor of annexing Apley Court, restoring the Gold Coast and granting full citizenship and dining privileges to its residents, say ‘aye.’”

The crowd responded with resounding cheers.

“The ayes, have it,” Ruiz announced.

According to the decree, Apley freshmen were granted “the right of citizenship within the Gold Coast, welcomed as equals to partake in the grandeur, revelry, and unyielding spirit of Adams” — which includes swipe access into the Adams dining hall — upon the passing of the referendum.

Several Apley freshmen said Adams ranked higher in their list of House choices following the annexation.

Maher Harp ’28 said that he felt “ecstatic” and that it “was a great performance by Adams.”

“Adams is definitely one of my top choices for houses,” Harp said. “It definitely went up on that list.”

Radhik C. Wickramasinghe ’28 said although Adams was his second choice, the “gap between two and three is now bigger.”

Some freshmen said they plan to eat at the Adams dining hall until they are placed in their upperclassmen houses on Thursday.

“I’ll be there, because now I have that right,” Elizabeth R. DaCunha ’28 said.

For Adams upperclassmen, the annexation was a way to honor the House’s history and bolster House spirit ahead of Housing Day.

Adams resident Ana V. Aguilar ’26 said she felt “empowered” and “amazing.”

“I feel like a part that was missing from my heart and from my soul has been restored, and it just feels so great,” she said.

“We’re simply reclaiming what’s ours,” Aguilar added.

Ruiz said that Adams is “here to win” on Housing Day.

“We have a whole building now of new comrades and new brethren, who also — I would assume — came to win,” Ruiz said. “And it feels right. Justice was served today.”

Adams resident Émilie M. Blondin ’25 said she joined the annexation effort because she wanted to “participate in some chaos.”

“Pfoho is next,” she added.

—Staff writer Dionise Guerra-Carrillo can be reached at dionise.guerracarrillo@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at akshaya.ravi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @akshayaravi22.