Adams Teaches Harvard Students to Function

It’s 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Students are having dinner, agonizing over all of their remaining work, and...learning how to fix storm windows? Practicing self defense?

Ever since John G. “Sean” Palfrey assumed the position of Adams House Master ten years ago, he has offered weekly “Life Seminars” to Adams House students and affiliates, ranging from the practical (such as basic plumbing), to the indulgent (such as wine tasting), to the cerebral (such as an introduction to Italian opera). Depending on the topic and the time of year, anywhere from three to 30 people come to take advantage of these unique learning experiences.

One popular seminar is led by Bernard I. Mwangi, the night security guard at Adams, who annually teaches students about how to file tax returns. Mwangi says, “The seminars play a very big role in preparing students for real life so that they don’t come out [of Harvard] and become bewildered.”

In addition to preparing students for the challenges of living on their own, the seminars give the Adams community an opportunity to interact in an informal setting. Samantha L. Houston ’11 says the seminars “foster a sense of community as far as getting to know people in the house.”

In Palfrey’s view, the seminars are just as much about practical skills as they are about personal exploration.

“Harvard doesn’t spend much time asking what person you are,” says Palfrey. “Students like hearing why my wife and I made certain choices in life.”

Indeed, the seminars seem to be making a lasting impression. Omar M. Abdelsamad ’09, Adams HoCo Co-Chair says, “Ten years from now I’ll be hanging a picture on the wall and think back to Sean Palfrey’s majestic rendition of how to fix portraiture to a dry wall.”