In the Spirit of the House

For too many students, Harvard’s residential houses have become little more than dormitories. The role of each House, once central to the intellectual and social experience of the College, has diminished to the point that for some students it serves only as the place where they sleep, eat, and work.

There was a time when each House functioned as the hub from which all elements of college life extended. As well as a place to live, they served as the impetus for intramural sports, plays, concerts, seminars, and numerous other activities that gave rise to an invaluable sense of community. All of the elements of House life came together to create an experience in itself, and a vehicle through which to best experience and benefit from the College as a whole. The trappings of the system are still in place, but they are no longer cultivated and utilized in the manner they once were. The once flourishing House system has floundered in recent years, and it needs to be revived.

Interestingly, it was a Yale alum, Edward Harkness, who presented the donation that made Harvard’s House system possible. Harkness had first approached Yale about instituting a residential system in the mold of the English universities, but was initially not taken up on his offer. Only after Harvard had begun to implement the idea did Yale accept and follow suit. But despite Harvard’s head start, it is Yale that has done the better job of maintaining the value of the residential system.

Yale’s success in this realm is the result of a better job fostering the spirit and sense of community within each college. Unlike Harvard, students at Yale are affiliated with a college at the start of their freshman year. As a result, the affinity students feel for their college is stronger because their sense of belonging in a small, distinct community is promoted early. Moreover, educational seminars and discussions held within the colleges are frequently offered and widely attended. Yale’s college spirit contributes to all facets of life at the college.

It is important to note, however, that nearly everything that Yale offers by way of social and educational opportunities is also available at Harvard. The chief distinction lies in the degree of participation that makes these specifics—and consequently House life in general—successful. While one of the major reasons for the greater residential spirit at Yale is a result of the earlier affiliation, there are a number of other ways that the spirit in the Houses can be increased.

The best way to go about reinvigorating the House system is simply for students to have greater enthusiasm for the numerous House activities and functions that exist. Participate in intramurals, go to masters’ open houses, Stein Club, Senior Common Room dinners, House parties, and plays. In the dining hall, students should not limit themselves to sitting with their blocking group—they should sit with other students, tutors, and faculty. There is no question that Houses still offer the resources and opportunities for the significant roles they once played, but more effort needs be made to again realize that potential.

With the vast selection of extracurricular organizations and activities on campus, it has become more difficult to attract students’ time and interest. Compounding the problem is the fact that without strong House spirit it is difficult to arouse interest in House activities. At the same time, paradoxically, it is difficult to foster House spirit if there is little participation in House activities. Adopting Yale’s system of assigning freshman to Houses (as the Curricular Review suggested last spring) would help to address this problem by increasing House spirit early on. In the meantime, opportunities to make more of House life abound, and should be utilized.

Nathan G. Bernhard '07, a Crimson editor, is a philosophy concentrator in Cabot House.