Dunster House
Moosing Around
Updated March 11, 2025, at 2:18 p.m.
You can’t talk about Dunster House without first mentioning their esteemed mascot: the moose! Freshman (freshmeese) who win the housing lottery can expect to be welcomed in as a member of the ’meese’ community, joined by notable alumni including former Vice President Al Gore ’69 and actor Tommy Lee Jones ’69. Today, it’s composed of about 400 undergraduate students, making it the medium-sized House with the largest moose pun fanbase. From the weekly Mooseletter (newsletter) sent by the Resident Dean to the Moose Droppings House mailing list, this mascot will grow to have a special place in your heart (and scattered — get it? — throughout your inbox)! Funnily enough, as House Committee chair Ellie P. Cassidy ’27, a Crimson News and Multimedia editor, points out, “Meese may not be grammatically a thing, but it is a thing in these walls. Don’t bring your dictionary.”
Here at D-Haus (what the locals call Dunster House), the community knows how to moose around and have a good time — and it doesn’t stop with the puns you’ll grow to know by heart. HoCo chair Spencer J. Lee ’27 spoke more about Dunster’s vibrant traditions, socials, and community, naming the House’s spring formal and Goat Roast as absolute go-to events you won’t want to miss. The latter used to involve an actual goat being roasted in the courtyard for everyone to see (the lore goes crazy). Due to sanitary reasons and community pushback, however, the event has undergone an endearing rebrand, now featuring an adorable goat petting zoo, bounce houses, and a special meal for Dunsterites. “It’s now a G.O.A.T. party,” Cassidy remarked, “Greatest Of All Time party.” D-Haus? More like D-Place to be.
Additionally, Dunster is known for its rich arts-oriented scene thanks to its lineage of great Visual Art and Music tutors! If you weren’t able to snag tickets to see your favorite artist this year, no need to fret. Dunster’s library doubles as a stage for special concerts hosted year-round, where meese have the chance to present musical (moose-ical) performances, solo recitals, and poetry readings! In the wintertime, you can look forward to the annual Messiah Sing, a choral performance set in the dining hall and sung by everyone — both professionals and the everyday Dunsterite alike. You’ll also be joined by the Harvard Bach Society Orchestra as well as guest conductor Edward E. Jones, music director at Memorial Church. With delectable treats including eggnog, hot chocolate, and an assortment of snacks, everything about this event is perfect for the holiday season — and for cheering up when seasonal depression might have you feeling moose-rable!
Better yet, incoming sophomores are introduced to Dunster’s traditions before the school year even begins by joining the Faculty Deans for an exciting cruise in Boston Harbor. “Everyone is loaded up on Shirley Temple,” Cassidy said, as she recalled fun memories of playing board games with friends under the backdrop of a gorgeous waterfront sunset. Take it from Cassidy when she says that the deans sure “know their way around the sophomore’s heart!” In general, meese enjoy House life so much that they leave glowing reviews, boasting one of the highest survey participation rates among all the 12 Houses. Since Dunster has a “pretty big budget” according to Lee, this means you’ll be rewarded by Tutors who dutifully listen to your feedback and often splurge on community-requested events such as sushi nights. Your wish is Dunster’s command!
Postcard Living
As you wander through Dunster’s winding hallways to get to your dorm, it won’t take long before you ask yourself: Is this D-Haus or D-Hotel? Sophomores in Dunster can usually expect to get put into overflow housing in DeWolfe, which is a short walk away from the main Dunster courtyard but has interiors equally as wonderful as the House proper. Featuring spacious rooms, an en suite bathroom, and its very own kitchen, it’s no surprise that Cassidy actually “wanted DeWolfe” and is personally a “big fan.”
Once you grow from a fledgling calf to a true moose, your options only get better! Juniors and seniors participate in a classic lottery (we’re talking a choosing-a-little-marble-with-a-number-out-of-a-box kind of lottery) to pick from housing options ranging from hallway singles all the way up to an eight-man (eight-moose?) suite. In fact, some suites — like the one Aaron J. Kang ’25 calls home — are two stories! The first floor of this duplex boasts spacious common rooms perfect for parties, socials, lounging, and studying — while the second floor is where you’ll find hallway singles and two (two!) bathrooms. If you’re lucky, the best view at Dunster might even be right outside your shower! Kang calls the one in his suite “the famous window,” where you can see a “beautiful, sweeping view of the river” and Weeks Bridge.
Living in the House proper also means that you won’t need to go outside for anything. From dining to laundry, everything you need is in one building! Your morning routine just got a whole lot better, whether you live for the window of your aesthetic get-ready-with-me dreams or for the comfort of getting to walk to the dining hall in your PJs without needing to brave the cold. This applies to incoming meese as well — with the exceptionally large class of 2025 graduating this year, more space in the House proper will be available to sophomores. DeWolfed or not — meese can expect to live in luxury!
House of Firsts
Not only was Dunster named after Harvard’s first president Henry Dunster, but it was also the first of Harvard’s 12 Houses to undergo renovations in 2015! Needless to say, Dunster is a trendsetter (with big moose tracks to follow in). From its dark wood dining hall adorned with elegant chandeliers to its Hogwarts-esque library that enjoys an immaculate view of the courtyard, magic radiates from every corner of Dunster’s walls. You’ll find Pinterest-worthy views everywhere, as the House was “built in a way to maximize light,” according to Cassidy. While this means you might have to take “seven lefts and four rights to get anywhere” as she puts it, the twists and turns pay off once golden hour comes around and the entire House is bathed in sunlight, perfectly complementing the red and gold colorway seen on every Dunster flag and crest. Speaking of things that are red and gold, both HoCo chairs strongly agree that if Dunster were to be a Harry Potter house, it would undoubtedly be Gryffindor. Not only do they share the same colors, but both are home to our favorite main characters (we’re talking to you, freshmeese)!
While Dunster might have endless nooks and crannies to get lost in, that’s simply because there are endless amenities for residents to enjoy. You’ll find something new with each adventure, including facilities such as an art room, a squash court, a state-of-the-art gym, four seminar rooms, brand new laundry machines, and even a hand-washing station located right inside the dining hall! “No other dining hall does that,” Lee said. “I brought my parents here and they were like, ’Hmm, this is a top House — just because of that!” Dunster brings to you an underrated amenity we sometimes forget about: the luxury of being able to easily impress your parents. Have we mentioned late dinners ending at 8:30 p.m? Impressing your friends will be easy too.
Dunster is also the only House in the River East neighborhood to have a student-run Grille, where you can purchase late-night bites and mingle with other students in the lounge until 1 a.m. on most days. If you don’t know what to try first, Lee recommends the dairy slam set with a cheese chicken quesadilla and an Oreo milkshake. The best part? You can purchase it using your semester’s allotment of BoardPlus! Stick around long enough, and you may even witness the many screenings hosted in the Grille area on its enormous flatscreen TV. (One of the most recent screenings was a community-wide Super Bowl watch party.) Perhaps Cassidy puts it best: “What isn’t an amenity here?”
Meese Tell All
Can’t get enough of Dunster? Don’t worry – we’re not dun yet! Check out what the HoCo chairs have to say to a few more burning questions!
Which song best describes Dunster?
EPC: It’s definitely not something, like, pop. It’s giving The Beatles or Fleetwood Mac to me. Aw, maybe “Here Comes the Sun.” I don’t know if that’s accurate, but that’s what my brain tells me.
SJL: I have one that’s also based on the sun: “Another Day of Sun” from La La Land. There’s a pretty iconic Housing Day video back in 2017, and my now roommate (my freshman blocking mate) saw that and he was chanting it inside of our freshman congregation while we were waiting for Housing Day to happen…He was like, “Another day of Duuunster!”
What’s your favorite view at Dunster?
EPC: My personal favorite view is sitting in the library facing out towards the window.
SJL: I'm Canadian, so I had to do the F-1 visa, where they send you a little envelope with a packet or whatever, and that postcard had Dunster and the Weeks Bridge. Fast forward: Now I’m here, and there's a circular window — you can see it outside, if you walk along Memorial Drive — where you get a full view of the Weeks Bridge, and you see Memorial Drive, and you see the river. Oh my gosh, it’s one of my top three views ever — and it’s in my bedroom.
What’s the biggest misconception you’ve heard about Dunster?
EPC: Oh, I have one. It’s a big one: that Dunster doesn’t have community. We do have community. It looks different than other people’s communities, but we still have community.
SJL: Yeah, Dunster is a very chill House. I think we’re not as in your face. We’re really organic.
EPC: We keep it classy.
At the end of the day, if there’s one thing the HoCo chairs want to emphasize, it’s that they don’t gatekeep. “Even if you don’t get Dunster, you’re always welcome,” said Cassidy. The community of Dunster — in all its beautiful, vibrant, moose-tastic glory — has a place for anyone who wants to be a meese in spirit. Look out for Dunster at your door this Housing Day season!
At the end of the day, if there’s one thing the HoCo chairs want to emphasize, it’s that they don’t gatekeep. “Even if you don’t get Dunster, you’re always welcome,” said Cassidy. The community of Dunster — in all its beautiful, vibrant, moose-tastic glory — has a place for anyone who wants to be a meese in spirit. Look out for Dunster at your door this Housing Day season!
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Correction: March 11, 2025
A previous version of this article incorrectly described Henry Dunster as a Harvard alumnus in the class of 1634. In fact, Dunster received a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in 1634. Harvard was not founded until 1636.