Move-in’s done. Freshmen are finally settled. And we all have one question: Who made the best of the worst housing on campus?
In search of the answer, we scoured the Yard and spoke to the people who live there. Here’s what we found:
The Room: Holworthy 12
The Crew:
Isaac M. Grafstein. New York, NY.
J. Miguel Undurraga. Los Angeles, CA.
Thomas (Conor) D. Finn. London, UK.
Austin W. Dawson. Chilton, Wisconsin.
We walk into the room and Undurraga is fluffing pillows while Grafstein cuts up a baguette. We tell them the photographer isn’t coming today—they both exhale.
The room is inviting and mature. Wood floors. Brick walls. Warm light. We sit on the couch to talk, something this group is used to.
“We have a bit of an intellectual vibe going. We like to sit and have real discussions and debates,” Grafstein explains. “Miguel is very opinionated. For instance, he supports the wrong presidential candidates. As does Austin. As does Connor.”
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They’re also foodies. “We like to eat a lot,” Undurraga says. And they eat well. “I go to the farmers market on Tuesdays and get inspired by local produce.” Last week he prepared a three course meal for the room in the Holworthy basement (with wine pairings for each course). The menu?
First course: seared ahi tuna tataki
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Second course: local hand dived scallops on a bed of Spanish chorizo and baby spinach
Third course: pan seared New York strip with a medley of mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, oyster, and baby bella—if you were interested)
The gang puts just as much thought into their decor as they do their meals. The centerpiece of the room, a $20 coffee table they bought in the Yard, looks like it’s straight out of Architectural Digest because of their personal touches.
Resting on it are Harvard classic editions of the Origin of Species and a collection of Ralph Waldo Emerson essays. There’s a globe (reminds them of Atlas Shrugged). Mints (to entertain guests). A plant (their fifth roommate, Sexy La Plante). And chocolate (86% dark). Undurraga, who collects original editions of Time Magazine, also displays the 1960 November 16th edition featuring JFK and the bicentennial issue with Thomas Jefferson on the cover.
Looking for another reason to visit Holworthy 12? “We’re all very good looking men,” Grafstein says.
Don’t know about you, but we’re sold.
The Room: Wigglesworth F-31
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The Crew:
Katherine V. Harrison. Atlanta, GA.
Veronica S. Ma. New Canaan, CT.
Amy R. Tsao. Cambridge, MA.
Vanessa E. Lopez. Brownsville, TX.
Wig F-31 is any girl’s college dream room. They have the string lights. They have the matching bedding. The mismatched-yet-cohesive pillows. The artfully arranged succulents.
But a cozy, bohemian paradise wasn’t always the plan.
“We came in thinking that we were going to have the chicest, most modern, cool dorm room and then we got here and were like, shit, all we can do is cozy,” Harrison tells us.
“And we ran with it,” Ma says.
The problem was the layout. The rooms were small, and as Harrison describes, “the ceilings are somewhat oppressive.”
But looking at the result, it doesn’t seem that this really got in the way. And, if you get the chance to explore the room more closely, you’ll see that there are some gems you’d never expect.
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Take their detailed Turkish rug, for example. Harrison found it in the back of a donut shop in Michigan. Some other unusual finds include drawings by Ma’s boyfriend, Harrison’s handmade watercolors, and wrapping paper-turned-posters (bought for $2 at an art store, sold for $25 at Urban Outfitters).
From our visit, we can tell these roommates share more than just a bedroom. Ma and Harrison keep all their sweaters, mixed, in a wicker basket. Maybe it’s for the “aesthetic.” Maybe for the space efficiency. Either way, it seems like proof that design can bring people together.
The Room: Hurlbut 401
The Crew:
Erik B. Fliegauf. Hopkinton, MA.
James (Ethan) Pardue. Nashville, NC.
Jason K. Thong. Oak Creek, WI.
Peter Liu. Los Angeles, CA.
Luke T. Kramer. Houston, TX.
Rodrigo E. Cordova. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Our final stop takes us all the way to the Union dorms, “Upper But” to be specific. The boys agree that while the name is the worst, their dorm is one of the best.
The first thing we notice: There is a lot of space. To put it in perspective, their in-suite bathroom is bigger than a Straus double (unfair). Jealousy aside, the common room is the focal point. There’s an inviting couch, two comfy armchairs, and large windows that fill the space with natural light.
The couch itself was a project. Fliegauf explains, “We had to bring this giant couch up four flights of stairs which took about six people. We had to unhinge that entire door.” That’s commitment.
On the wall behind the couch is a world map decal. “I love maps and wanted that international feel for Hurlbut 401,” Fliegauf says. Orange stickers mark the hometowns of guests and places the gang has visited themselves.
We also notice a Harvard banner resting above the fireplace. “My parents bought this before I was born,” Thong tells us. We can’t decide if this is optimistic and encouraging or terrifying and intimidating. He got in, so we guess it doesn’t matter.
One last thing worth noting—this is a room full of artists. Thong is a printmaker, and the walls of his room act as a pseudo-gallery. A column of prints above his desk say “hello world.” We ask if Thong does CS. No, he tells us, but “in computer science that’s the first thing your program says, so it seemed fitting for my first prints here.”
We agree and with that say goodbye to the But.
