Kirkland easily takes the cake when it comes to community. As the smallest river house, it’s easy to maintain friendships with fellow residents. The structure of the dining hall makes you walk through all the tables before getting to the food, allowing you to greet everyone you know. And thanks to the small square tables, there’s an intimate house vibe that fosters meaningful conversations and friendships.
To meet well-known people, fantastic tutors, and new friends, try Conversations with Kirkland, where we invite fascinating leaders such as Kamala Harris’s former advisor Rohini Kosoglu for small-group discussions. Then swing by for Boat Club, where tutors bake cookies every Monday night (and the event has nothing to do with boats). Want to grab lunch with a senator instead? Kirkland has a special deal with the Institute of Politics in which IOP fellows can eat exclusively in our dining hall. Furthermore, our monthly Resident Deans’ Open Houses are an opportunity for you to visit their friendly home. This is all in addition to the usual Stein Clubs, outings, and House Committee (HoCo) events.
We also take our traditions very seriously — no one does Secret Santa like we do. Residents fill out a detailed questionnaire and choose a level from one to six. As HoCo co-chair, I (Maranda) help assign each person to a Santee, and then the planning starts! We’ve seen absolutely everything, from public serenades to chocolate boxes to mariachi bands to a Magic Johnson autograph. Prefer spooky season? No one does Halloween like us either; we host trick-or-treating in every entryway and set up a haunted house at our very own Hicks House Library.
One of the best parts of our house is the tutors. They are some of the most loving, caring, and involved people at Harvard who are always open to join you for meals. They hold weekly office hours in topics like STEM, pre-law, and fellowships. Moreover, they host special art tables, language tables, and even the popular “old-fashioned” table, in which you write letters in calligraphy. If you’re feeling down, just pet one of the many tutors’ dogs that are usually roaming the courtyard.
Still don’t believe in our spirit? Every Housing Day, we’re the first to claim the John Harvard statue over an hour earlier than any other house. Every Kirklander knows that they’ve won the housing lottery, and we can’t wait to invite the next class of Kirklanders to their new home.
Image Credit: HPR / Ryan Golemme
