{shortcode-b7d0460663c7602e62f60bcb0871f2b2980e80b6}

Cozy and Cool Cabot

According to Cabot resident and Flyby Editor J.J. Moore ’26, “We all say that [Cabot] gives retirement home. But as my roommate says best, ‘it’s the best place to walk in your pajamas.’ It feels really comfortable. It feels like home. And I feel like I wouldn't meet a lot of the people that I know now if I wasn’t living here.”

Cabot House is one of three houses located in the Radcliffe Quadrangle (or “the Quad”). It has about 400 residents, with a cool fish mascot named Cory the Codfish. The House’s motto is “Semper Cor,” which means “always heart.”

{shortcode-b08178182e43d36d09f524d1f86b5d3c5664cc0b}

And Cabot residents certainly take this motto to their hearts. “I love the community. We all have insanely strong pride, and I think we have some of the best-looking dorms,” said Moore. “We have a lot of fish pride.”

Notably, even Dean Khurana calls Cabot home, residing right across from the Aquarium, a party space in Cabot facing Walker Street.

Located to the right of the Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH), large dorm buildings surround a huge lawn. “Everything you see [on the Lawn] is basically Cabot, so any building that touches the Quad Lawn is Cabot. I don’t think a lot of people know that. I didn’t know that until I got into Cabot,” added Moore.

Now that you know a little bit more about Cabot, let’s take a dive into some specifics!

Diving Into Housing

If you want a single, then you’re in luck! Sophomores are not confined to one part of the house and most likely will get a single. (A slightly longer walk for a single doesn’t sound too bad, am I right?).

{shortcode-aef2308ea5d360dacc9ab9b877fd3684c3f4be36}

If you’re worried about not being able to reach your friends on the other side of Cabot without braving the icy winds, don’t worry! “We’ve got this underground tunnel, so even if you're in one dorm and your friends are in another dorm, you can easily get to them without having to step outside,” said Cabot HoCo Co-Chair Gabe J. LeBlanc ’25. The only parts of Cabot that are not connected are the two “islands”: Bertram Hall and Eliot Hall.

Navigating the Depths

Yeah, you read that right. Cabot has underground tunnels!

Walking through the tunnels is like opening a portal to another world. From small dining halls and common spaces to murals of fish painted on the walls, there’s far more to explore in Cabot than is visible on the lawn above.

Cabot residents can unleash their inner creativity in the tunnels. “We have a lot of murals within our tunnels. Whenever some graduating classes want to doodle something, they can. The most recent one is a fish on your way to our gym. It’s made through handprints [of] our 2023 grads. So I think we’re going to try to do something a bit more [similar]. I bet each class can sort of have something behind,” said HoCo Co-Chair Christopher Hidalgo ’25.

Feasting on the Finest

Okay, cool murals and drawings in a cool underground tunnel. What about the food, though?

If you think Cabot doesn’t have a lot of great food options because it isn’t near the Square, or if you think it’s going to be a repeat of Annenberg, well, we’re happy to tell you that you’re dead wrong.

“Nobody’s ever gonna agree with me, but I think the food here is better than anywhere. I think I have really great relationships with the people that work here. I think the food is great,” Moore said. “We have actual spices, which is even better.”

Cabot also has a completely student-run cafe called Cabot Café. And of course, fish is on the menu (why wouldn’t it be?). It is open Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and is a popular and chill place to study and talk to friends. There’s a game room with table tennis and a pool table right outside if you need to merge the talking into a game!

Cabot Café is also the site for many popular events, including open mic nights where you can take the stand and talk about anything your semper cor heart desires.

Reeling in the Good Times

Cabot also has a vibrant party scene with places such as The Aquarium and Cabot Café being the most popular spots where parties are hosted. There’s also a library suite (yes, people live in a library) where you can find residents partying even more than they are reading.

The access to Quad-wide parties and events that happen is another perk of Cabot’s party scene. The Quad Formal is the go-to event for all Cabot (and Quad) residents. Semper Corpse is also a popular event during Halloween, and musicals are planned and held every spring semester.

The Cabot and Quad communities are strongly connected and super tight-knit. “There’s no competition amongst the Quad Houses. There’s a strong sense of solidarity, and so when we come together for giant Quad events with Currier and Pfoho, there’s a sense that we have a really, really strong community here. Cabot’s house spirit extends far beyond Cabot,” explained LeBlanc.

There’s a special Cabot community within the Quad too! There are many events in Cabot where you can just socialize, meet new people, and participate in various interactive activities without music blowing your eardrums out.

{shortcode-ba2b30b06f71e499a160edeb7fa3eb3ec462b156}

“I’ll generally say that our house staff is really, really supportive of making the house what students want it to be. And so when students have ideas for large scale and small scale events, there’s a lot of opportunity to make it happen,” LeBlanc said.

Some events are Tea N’ Tea (tea-spilling sessions), Dutch Auction (where you can auction off items from the house, like the naming rights for the gym), Festivus (an annual, non-denominational event in December where everyone eats international holiday dishes and participates in competitions like who can do the most push-ups).

There are also spaces where you can hang out with friends, like H101 (a kitchen where you can cook and make anything you want!), Third Space (an art studio where you can also take free pottery classes) and the d-hall!

Cozy and Comfort Studying

Apart from party and event spaces, Cabot holds multiple great places to study and chat with friends.

According to Moore, if you want a Cabot Library vibe (i.e. you want to be distracted by great conversations), then head on over to Cabot Dining Hall. If you want a Lamont Library vibe (i.e. you want to study without distractions), then head to the Eliot Hall Library. The study rooms in the underground tunnels are also another great place whether you want to study alone or with friends. Many study spaces have a mini projector or TV that you can mirror your screen on or use to practice for a presentation or even have movie nights!

If you thought the constant studying was aging you, well, welcome to Cabot — your retirement home. :)

Your Questions, Answered

Still hesitant about Cabot and the Quad? Well, fret not! We asked the Cabot House Committee Co-Chairs, Gabe J. LeBlanc ‘25 and Christopher Hidalgo ‘25, about their favorite parts of living in Cabot!

What would you say to the freshman worried about the longer walk?

CH: I love the walk. I also think it gives me time to see more of Cambridge. [There’s] lots of mobility options and there’s also the buses.

GJL: My personal philosophy on the walk to the Quad is it’s one of the best things that's happened to me because I get 10 minutes to myself, to listen to music, to get exercise, to think about life without having to worry about everything else going on. But yes, in the case of the snow, I’m a big proponent of the shuttle buses, and people have scooters.

If your house was a fruit, which one would it be and why?

GJL: A kiwi because when you peel off the layers and dive inside, you’ll find so much wonderful goodness.

Which superhero best describes the faculty deans at Cabot?

CH: Deadpool. They’re kind of funny like that, but they also do get the job done. Whatever is needed of them, the task will follow through.

What should freshmen who get Cabot look forward to?

CH: Cabot’s a fun place to explore, so if you don’t know what to do, just go to a basement, whether that’s in the islands or a different room that’s connected. We have lots of cool, cozy spaces where you can just go and study. Cabot is cool and cozy. People say, oh, it reminds me here of a retirement home because of the carpet. Which is true, but I think that’s fun. Like I wear slippers and I’ve just come down [to the dining hall] in my PJs.

GJL: I’d say that Cabot really cares about you. I think I’ve had so many wonderful interactions with all the people that make Cabot what it is from our dining hall staff, to our custodial staff, to our administrative staff. Everyone really comes together to make Cabot feel like a home. Also, the walk is not that bad.

And that wraps up the Housing Market for Cabot House! We hope you get excited about Housing Day (especially for Cabot!). Don’t let getting Quadded get to you. A little extra walk is worth it to have this cozy home with a wonderful, supportive community.