They call it the “People’s House” for a reason. With a great social scene, you’ll be sure to enjoy Quincy’s very own Lip Sync Battle, nerf gun game of Assassins, and of course, the famous eight-person Balcony party suite. At Quincy, you’ll never run out of things to do or people to meet.

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Quirks and Perks

Does the People’s House live up to its social life expectation? It seems like it does. Whether it be during one of the festas (Quincy’s name for steins) hosted every two weeks with food and drinks, or one of the various themed dinners held for any holiday, you’ll be sure to meet many new Penguins (as Quincy residents are affectionately called). It’s these common social events that led HoCo co-chair Katie F. Barkin ’22 to say that “coming out of my sophomore year I just knew the majority of the other people in Quincy.” Take advantage of any of these events to finally go up to the Quincy crush you might have been too scared to talk to before.

If you can’t make it to the festas or dinners, there’s a multitude of other fun events for you to attend. In the first few weeks of classes, you’re welcome to attend Field Day, where students and staff compete in fun events like the balloon stomp. In case you lose at Field Day, you can win your honor back during Quincy’s Lip Sync Battle, which always brings in a large crowd.

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Perhaps the most competitive Quincy event, however, is Quincy Assassins — Quincy’s annual Nerf War. Be prepared, though, as Penguins are known to be hardcore during the competition. One of the rules states that you can’t be taken out if you’re fully naked, so a quick tip that HoCo co-chair Liam Matthew Fenton Hall ‘23 recommends is wearing nothing but a towel just in case you have to use your “nudity immunity.”

Staying Connected

Quincy has taken on these unprecedented times in style, keeping the Penguin spirit alive and well. This semester, Barkin noted, Quincy HoCo focused on revamping events to create incentives for people to hang out with the people in the House. As residents can attest, one of the best parts of frequent virtual movie and bingo nights are prizes, which include JBL and ECHO Dot speakers, custom T-shirts emblazoned with “I won Bingo Night,” gift cards, signed headshots of legendary resident tutor Aaron Hendricks, items from the Amazon stocking stuffer section, and old pieces of Quincy gear. Who doesn’t like free stuff? Future Penguins have more to look forward to than just giveaways, though — the People’s House is really all about, well, the people! Of her decision to become involved in HoCo, Barkin said, “I always loved having a team to root for, and I think that’s one of the things that’s so special about the House system. How the intramurals are run, how everything’s run, you really have a team to root for always.”

All About Housing

Quincy housing varies for sophomores, but most live in either DeWolfe or hallway doubles or bigger suites in Stone Hall that are, according to Barkin, “really, really nice.” As a junior or senior living in Quincy, you’re guaranteed to be placed in a single room in a suite with a spacious common room — an upgrade from whatever your living situation on campus was freshman year.

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One of the most beloved places to hang out and study in Quincy is the dining hall. It’s the ideal place to meet and talk to people; there are always people wandering in and out, picking up a delicious brain break snack, or attending office hours for Ec1010A. For quieter, more secluded, Lamont-like study spaces, the Qube — a cube-shaped library full of large windows with a view of the courtyard — is the perfect place for a long study session. As for other noteworthy locations in Quincy, “the Grille and the Pottery studio really are [our] calling cards,” Barkin revealed. Clearly, you’ll never be out of things to do in Quincy.

For the extroverts out there, you’re in luck: Quincy doesn’t disappoint when it comes to parties. The infamous Balcony Suite is a spacious, eight-person suite that leads out onto a balcony, which is actually the roof of the Qube library, overlooking the courtyard. Residents of the Balcony Suite usually host weekly parties for the entire House and larger community. Barkin acknowledged that “if you want to study on the Qube on a Saturday night, you’re out of luck!” But, hey, you win some, you lose some. For more sophisticated and elegant social affairs, Quincy hosts events including Champagne Toasts and Open Houses in the faculty deans’ PentHouse with a beautiful view of the river. Last but not least, Kates Tobin’s room (which is surprisingly not a room owned by one Kate Tobin) is another notable party spot, with comfortable seating in the basement of Stone Hall. The best part of Quincy’s party scene? You never have to walk far from your room to get to a party or go on a long walk to return home after a night out.

Your Questions Answered

Still eager to know about what life as a Penguin is really like? Just need to know what HUDS dish best matches the People's House? Look no further!

What Hogwarts house would Quincy get sorted into?

LMFH: I would say that we’re a more modern version of Gryffindor. Quincy has more glass than Gryffindor I imagine.

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What is the biggest misconception about Quincy?

KFB: I think people think that New Quincy is ugly. But, I am here to say that decoration is really easy and it’s hard to beat these room dimensions. *pans room with her computer screen*

If you could describe Quincy as a HUDS dish, what would it be?

KFB: Red Spice Chicken because it’s my favorite!

What should freshmen who get put in Quincy look forward to?

LMFH: I mean, everything. I guess we forgot to mention earlier that before Field Day there’s an exorcism every year, where you use the real Josiah Quincy’s cane to banish evil. We give everyone whistles and noise makers and stuff, so that’s really fun too. I think freshmen can just look forward to being in the best House on campus.

What is one thing you want freshmen to know about Quincy?

LMFH: I think the Quincy community is incredibly inclusive and welcoming. I would tell them that it doesn’t matter what freshman hall you lived in or where you’re from; Quincy is big enough that you can find somebody who is from the same state or country as you, and if not someone who actually lives in Quincy then someone who takes their meals or goes to office hours at Quincy, like I did!

KFB: I think that Quincy has incredible housing in terms of dimensions: big rooms, easy to get singles, easy to be with your friends in suites and also singles not in suites. We have an incredible community. We call ourselves the “People’s House” and everyone just really cares about each other and about Quincy. If you put even the tiniest bit of effort into Quincy, Quincy will give you its whole heart back. You don’t have to really search to find community, the community is there waiting for you! Incredible housing, incredible community, incredible location — you’ve got it all. I don’t think you could ask for a better House.