Housing Day Bests

BEST SINGING: CABOT

“Hello from the shuttle ride.”

A giant fish stares stoically out of a Cabot House window as Stephanie Johnson ’18 kills it on the vocals. Not many people can do Adele’s “Hello” justice, but Johnson and the Quad Sound Studios make Cabot’s “Hello” iTunes-worthy. Those quadded can comfort themselves during the interminable shuttle rides by listening to this Housing Day video on repeat.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: DUNSTER

“The house. It’s calling to you.”

“Dunster Wars: The House Awakens” opens with a scenic view of Dunster House surrounded by the deserts of the fictional planet Tatooine. A ridiculously high-quality camera weaves through newly renovated rooms and shoots Dunster activities from unique angles. The sound is clear, the editing is superb, and the transitions between scenes are flawless. This might be the most professional Housing Day video on YouTube right now. We’re anticipating that the full version will soon be coming to a theater near you.

BEST CAMEO: WINTHROP

“All we do is win, win, win, in Winthrop.”

How did Winthrop get Ben S. Bernanke ‘75, 14th chairman of the Federal Reserve, in their video? More importantly, how did they get him to say “I’m retired now, but I can reassure you that Winthrop House is money in the bank” with a straight face? We’re just as bewildered as you are, both by Winthrop’s apparently excellent persuasive skills and by the way Bernanke stares deadpan into the camera without even a hint of a smile.

BEST MASCOT: ELIOT

“Is it too late to get Eliot?”

As it turns out, a huge elephant trunk opens up a whole new world of dancing possibilities, a fact that the Eliot elephant showcases well in their 2016 Housing Day video. This dancing elephant makes its way through the Eliot gates, woodshop, and library with an unforgettable amount of sass, spirit, and energy.

BEST PARODY: QUINCY

“Quincy river house. Major key.”

Shooting an entire four minute Housing Day video through Snapchat is ambitious, but Quincy pulls it off by parodying social media’s beloved D.J. Khaled. Viewers are reminded of the important things in life, like “cookies, sunshine [and] Quincy happiness!” What’s the key to success? Watch the Quincy Housing Day video and find out.

By Christine E Mansour

—Staff writer Grace Z. Li can be reached at grace.li@thecrimson.com.