Cabot House
Cabot House does Quad life best: singles bigger than other Houses’ doubles, an underground tunnel system, and best of all, escape from the Harvard tourists. Cabot students truly live the best of both worlds.
Quirks and Perks
“Our motto is Semper Cor, which is Latin for always heart,” House Committee Co-Chair Evans A. Berreondo Giron ’22 says, highlighting Cabot’s emphasis on cultural inclusivity and creating spaces for everyone. The Cabot community really does the most to make everyone feel at home, especially for freshmen who may not be the most enthusiastic about the Quad. “It’s far from the other River Houses… but the caveat to that is that the Quad community as a whole, among the three Houses, is so strong,” adds fellow Co-Chair Isabel Dierson ’22. With no tourists around and lots of puppies on the lawn, the Cabot community really has its own space to thrive.
Cabot is home to various fun events throughout the year which are meant to foster community. Festivus, the annual winter holiday party, is a chance for everyone to come together to show off their unique talents and burn their grievances away to start the new year fresh. Who doesn’t love a good fire to burn the negative energy away? Berreondo Giron highlighted two other major traditions: Cabot Culinaries, in which students come together monthly to cook and share meals in a family-style dinner, and Cabot Formal Hall, during which students dress up for fancy dinners according to a theme. In another Cabot tradition, Dutch Auction, Cabot residents can auction off objects or services, like doing someone’s laundry for a month.
If you somehow can’t find a Cabot event that you enjoy (though we doubt it), then you have the freedom to host your own! Even with set in place Cabot traditions, there’s always room to introduce new events. The Rakesh Grant (name possibly in flux after the Khuranas stepped down as faculty deans) allows any Cabot student to put in an application for their own event and receive funding for it, from chocolate tastings to a Bachelor viewing party. And recently, the Faculty Deans started a tradition of placing ice lanterns around the lawn, making trips to the Dhall even more magical. “[Student freedom] is the theme of Cabot,” Dierson explains. “It’s our House, it’s the Resident Deans’ Houses, it’s all of our Houses.”
Staying Connected
Despite the current virtual barriers, Cabot has tried its best to maintain a close-knit community. This year, the House has thrown plenty of virtual steins, giving students $20 to buy the food and drinks of their choice. Cabot HoCo has also been actively sending merch and hosting virtual meetings to allow new and old members to meet. Wellness committees on HoCo lead meditation sessions, and a Cabot Strava account has been keeping the community connected through group exercise challenges. But Cabot is mainly focused on catering to the needs and interests of its students: whatever you want to do, Cabot wants to make it happen — especially in this virtual environment.
All About Housing
If your freshman dorm has left you feeling a little claustrophobic, Cabot House is here to save the day. Berreondo Giron and Dierson excitedly shared that space has never been their worry — Dierson said that she can even do a cartwheel in her room! Cabot housing can be summed up in five words: big singles, really nice suites. Yes, even as a sophomore, you too can get a single. With room for 380 students, the small size makes for a tight-knit community that knows how to live it up.
Cabot House is also home to a dance studio, a music room, and of course, the Aquarium, so all your (post-Covid) party needs will be fully satisfied. And when you need a late-night bite, Cabot Cafe is open until 1 a.m. on most nights, so you can enjoy all the coffee and pastries you need. And while Cabot surrounds the Quad Lawn on all sides, most of its buildings are connected by an underground tunnel system — even on the coldest winter days, you can walk to the Dhall and back in your pajamas without ever having to face the snow. What more do you need?
Your Questions, Answered
Still need more info on Cabot? We’ve got you covered. Berreondo Giron and Dierson were eager to share their love for their House:
What is the biggest misconception about Cabot House?
EBG: That it’s far from the Yard, it literally is not far. That’s the best part of my morning, just walking and listening to my music, that’s the only way I can actually wake up.
ID: It’s this like, perceived distance… I love taking the bus, and I truly believe that the shuttle is super accessible. It just drops you right off at Johnston Gate. If you’re not a walker like Evans, you just take the shuttle and it drops you off right there.
If you could describe your House as a HUDS dish, what would it be?
EBG: Red’s Best Catch, because we are the best.
ID: Oh, okay I like that. Yeah do that, Red’s Best Catch.
If you had to change one thing about your House, what would it be?
EBG: Nothing, Semper Cor, we’re perfect. That’s all we need.
ID: Honestly, nothing too… If I had to pick something more concrete, it’d be that initial feeling on Housing Day that a lot of freshmen sometimes have… I wish that just didn’t happen, because I think that if everyone just went into their Houses open-minded, you can discover if you do or do not actually like that community... But nothing about the House.
What is one thing you want freshmen to know about your House?
ID: I don’t know how to pick… I feel like my gut instinct goes to, I want them to know that Cabot, in my experience, is one of the most friendly and most diverse and lovely communities on campus… You’d be hard pressed not to find your people/a home in the Cabot community.
EBG: I think I would want them to know that we really want Cabot to be like a second home to everyone, a home away from home. Whatever they want to do with the House, it’s their House... If they want to make new traditions, we’re totally down for that too… Every freshman who gets Cabot should deem themselves lucky.
Read our overviews of the other Houses here!