John F. Kennedy Slept Here

Forget Animal House. Residential life for Harvard first-years does not involve frat houses caked with years of party residue.

Nor are there any immaculate sorority houses with teddy bear wallpaper and plush pink carpets. And there are very few generic college dorms, with long communal hallway, box-like cinderblock bedrooms and bathrooms shared by the entire floor.

Harvard is different. In large, that's because most dorms in and around Harvard Yard are old--many date back more than 100 years.

Most first-year dorms are also designed around an entryway system. This means each dorm consists of several unconnected stairwells, with only two rooms per floor.

Some students try to pretend Harvard is just like every other college by calling the entryways "vertical hallways." This is deceptive logic, though, since climbing stairs to the fifth floor of Matthews is significantly tougher than gliding effortlessly down a normal dorm hall.

The entryway system has its ups and downs. The rooms are more likely to be private and quiet, a boon if you're into a sedentary lifestyle. On the other hand, casual dropin visits to anyone above the third floor are bound to seem a little contrived. Some find the entryway setup picturesque and charming. Others are less gracious, grumbling that a social life determined by stairwell is both tiring and stifling.

It's hard to categorize first-year living across the board, though. The effort to preserve an authentic, Kennedys-and-Roosevelts-slept-here feel in the dorms has created wide discrepancies in room size and quality. Three months from now you could be showing your quarters to a photographer from House Beautiful. Or you could be consulting a shrink about your newly-acquired claustrophobia.

Massachusetts Hall is the quintessential historic dorm. Dating from 1720, it's the oldest academic building in the country. Now, it's the 10 Downing St. of Harvard Yard: the offices of the President and the central administration occupy the building's first two floors.

This means you may find the occasional diplomatic motorcade stationed outside your front door. Unfortunately, it also means thatVIP guests seeyourrooms when Harvarddecides to show them a typical student lifestyle.Mass Hall residents are rumored to be handpickedby some mysterious criteria that some how qualifythem as model Harvardians.

Not all Yard dorms have such impressive histories, however. Built in 1974, Canaday is the newest Yard residence. This massive dorm consists of seven rectangular buildings located in the northeast corner of the Yard.

Canaday is ugly. its functional, housingproject architecture won't be featured on anyHarvard postcards. But most Canaday rooms havethree bedrooms for four people in addition to acommon room. That means each student can enjoy asingle for one semester.

Thayer Hall, south of Canaday, is anice, fairly nondescript dorm. About 20 peopleshare each of Thayer's hallway bathrooms. Thayeradds a new twist to Harvard' entryway system: itshallways are actually social.

Thayer is embroiled in a stupid but fun rivalrywith nearly Holworthy Hall. Legend has itthat the dispute originated when Holworthy wasbuilt on Thayer's polo ground, or vice-versa,depending on who you ask. The rivalry usuallysurfaces in "Holworthy Sucks.!"-"Thayer Swallows!"shouting bouts. At times, the conflict escalatesto more serious warfare involving water fights andhostages.

The living is easy in Holworthy, perched at thetop of the North Yard, its four-person suitesfeature large common rooms and two bedrooms. EachHolworthy floor has two connected quads, whichlends the dorm a social air. Residents ofHolworthy's east entry get a special bonus. Acapella groups, drama clubs and orchestras vie forHolworthy East's prime window space, hoping tohang banners out of the first-year rooms in returnfor free tickets. At the opposite end of the Yard,much-covetedGrays also features largecommon rooms with scenic views. Wood floors andprivate bathrooms make this dorm the mostluxurious in the Yard.

Stoughton and Hollis,thealmost-identical North Yard dorms, offer one hugeroom for two people. Hollis andStoughton roommates either become bosombuddies fast or spend the year aching to slit eachother's throats. In any case, they get to knoweach other well.

Tucked away behind these two dorms are small,oft-forgottenMower and Lionel. Onlyabout 70 people live back here in the secluded,recently re-landscaped courtyard. Lionel and Mowersuites have large common rooms with beautiful woodfloors, and most residents live in singles forpart of the year. Some residents of these intimatedorms say the close-knit experience is nurturingand caring. Others complain that the familyatmosphere can grow a bit too suffocating.

Wigglesworth, the Yard's mostoddlyshaped dorm, consists of several unconnectedsections strung out along busy Mass. Ave.Wigglesworth residents may never meet the studentsin their neighboring entries. If the dorm lackscohesiveness, however, it scores high points forquality of living. Its spacious triple andquadruple suites have a close-up view of livelystreet activity, and traffic quiets down late atnight so residents can sleep.

Straus, hidden in the Yard's leafysouthwest corner, is the second-youngest dorm inthe Yard. Straus' smallish but nice quad suitescontain private bathrooms.

Weld has funky, castle-like trim on theoutside and large, social hallways on the inside.The dorm is currently undergoing massiverenovation, and will soon be the first Yard dormto be fully handicapped-accessible.

Unfortunately, the construction won't becompleted until the winter. First-years who wouldhave lived here will instead be exiled to distant29 Garden St. and placed in rooms withkitchens and carpeting. Harvard will provideshuttle buses to the Union. Lots of groupbonding-or maybe group commiserating-is in storefor this bunch.

Matthews will also be renovated nextyear; residents of this dorm will move across theYard to Weld after first semester. Matthews'Gothic exterior resembles the set of a horrormovie, and its dark interior hallways can be alittle spooky. But the woodpaneled rooms arenicely sized, and Matthews residents often turnthe hallways and stairwell into an arena forcreative dorm games.

Less history--but sometimes more fun--awaitsthe residents of the Union dorms. Located just afew feet behind the first-year eatery, these dormsare converted apartment buildings with reputationsfor wildness.

Pennypacker's central circular staircaseis a great place for congregating. And people do."The Pack's" bright landings are full of people atall hours, and a four-story beer funnel makes anappearance on its open stairwell once a year orso. Pennypacker's rooms are not massive, but theirquirky shapes offer a change of pace from thestandard Yard dorms.

Hurlbut residents--who call their dorm"the Butt"--live in "pods," huge circular commonrooms with singles branching off of them. Most ofHurlbut's oddly-shaped rooms are comfortable andin good repair. Unlike the other first-yearresidences, Greenough feels much like a"typical" college dorm. Long narrow hallways, tinyboxy rooms, and communal bathrooms are the normhere.

Students at other colleges, most of whom livein minuscule two-person boxes with cinderblockwalls and linoleum floors, tend to get jealouswhen they see pictures of elegant Harvardquarters. And with good reason. Harvard's dormshave some drawbacks, of course--students need todevelop the stamina to climb stairs and a hightolerance for old architecture. But a housingsystem that involves working fireplaces, woodenfloors, spacious rooms and beautiful landscapingisn't such a bad start to a Harvard career

Not all Yard dorms have such impressive histories, however. Built in 1974, Canaday is the newest Yard residence. This massive dorm consists of seven rectangular buildings located in the northeast corner of the Yard.

Canaday is ugly. its functional, housingproject architecture won't be featured on anyHarvard postcards. But most Canaday rooms havethree bedrooms for four people in addition to acommon room. That means each student can enjoy asingle for one semester.

Thayer Hall, south of Canaday, is anice, fairly nondescript dorm. About 20 peopleshare each of Thayer's hallway bathrooms. Thayeradds a new twist to Harvard' entryway system: itshallways are actually social.

Thayer is embroiled in a stupid but fun rivalrywith nearly Holworthy Hall. Legend has itthat the dispute originated when Holworthy wasbuilt on Thayer's polo ground, or vice-versa,depending on who you ask. The rivalry usuallysurfaces in "Holworthy Sucks.!"-"Thayer Swallows!"shouting bouts. At times, the conflict escalatesto more serious warfare involving water fights andhostages.

The living is easy in Holworthy, perched at thetop of the North Yard, its four-person suitesfeature large common rooms and two bedrooms. EachHolworthy floor has two connected quads, whichlends the dorm a social air. Residents ofHolworthy's east entry get a special bonus. Acapella groups, drama clubs and orchestras vie forHolworthy East's prime window space, hoping tohang banners out of the first-year rooms in returnfor free tickets. At the opposite end of the Yard,much-covetedGrays also features largecommon rooms with scenic views. Wood floors andprivate bathrooms make this dorm the mostluxurious in the Yard.

Stoughton and Hollis,thealmost-identical North Yard dorms, offer one hugeroom for two people. Hollis andStoughton roommates either become bosombuddies fast or spend the year aching to slit eachother's throats. In any case, they get to knoweach other well.

Tucked away behind these two dorms are small,oft-forgottenMower and Lionel. Onlyabout 70 people live back here in the secluded,recently re-landscaped courtyard. Lionel and Mowersuites have large common rooms with beautiful woodfloors, and most residents live in singles forpart of the year. Some residents of these intimatedorms say the close-knit experience is nurturingand caring. Others complain that the familyatmosphere can grow a bit too suffocating.

Wigglesworth, the Yard's mostoddlyshaped dorm, consists of several unconnectedsections strung out along busy Mass. Ave.Wigglesworth residents may never meet the studentsin their neighboring entries. If the dorm lackscohesiveness, however, it scores high points forquality of living. Its spacious triple andquadruple suites have a close-up view of livelystreet activity, and traffic quiets down late atnight so residents can sleep.

Straus, hidden in the Yard's leafysouthwest corner, is the second-youngest dorm inthe Yard. Straus' smallish but nice quad suitescontain private bathrooms.

Weld has funky, castle-like trim on theoutside and large, social hallways on the inside.The dorm is currently undergoing massiverenovation, and will soon be the first Yard dormto be fully handicapped-accessible.

Unfortunately, the construction won't becompleted until the winter. First-years who wouldhave lived here will instead be exiled to distant29 Garden St. and placed in rooms withkitchens and carpeting. Harvard will provideshuttle buses to the Union. Lots of groupbonding-or maybe group commiserating-is in storefor this bunch.

Matthews will also be renovated nextyear; residents of this dorm will move across theYard to Weld after first semester. Matthews'Gothic exterior resembles the set of a horrormovie, and its dark interior hallways can be alittle spooky. But the woodpaneled rooms arenicely sized, and Matthews residents often turnthe hallways and stairwell into an arena forcreative dorm games.

Less history--but sometimes more fun--awaitsthe residents of the Union dorms. Located just afew feet behind the first-year eatery, these dormsare converted apartment buildings with reputationsfor wildness.

Pennypacker's central circular staircaseis a great place for congregating. And people do."The Pack's" bright landings are full of people atall hours, and a four-story beer funnel makes anappearance on its open stairwell once a year orso. Pennypacker's rooms are not massive, but theirquirky shapes offer a change of pace from thestandard Yard dorms.

Hurlbut residents--who call their dorm"the Butt"--live in "pods," huge circular commonrooms with singles branching off of them. Most ofHurlbut's oddly-shaped rooms are comfortable andin good repair. Unlike the other first-yearresidences, Greenough feels much like a"typical" college dorm. Long narrow hallways, tinyboxy rooms, and communal bathrooms are the normhere.

Students at other colleges, most of whom livein minuscule two-person boxes with cinderblockwalls and linoleum floors, tend to get jealouswhen they see pictures of elegant Harvardquarters. And with good reason. Harvard's dormshave some drawbacks, of course--students need todevelop the stamina to climb stairs and a hightolerance for old architecture. But a housingsystem that involves working fireplaces, woodenfloors, spacious rooms and beautiful landscapingisn't such a bad start to a Harvard career