House Life
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.
‘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.”
‘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.”
‘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.
‘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.
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.
