Lowell is home to weekly tea parties, lovely Faculty Deans, and… towering cranes? Yep, by summer of 2017, Lowell will commence its renovation. With the project spanning a total of two years, freshmen can expect to spend their first year in Lowell and their subsequent two years in swing housing. How will this renovation project affect house life? While we don’t have any answers yet, future Lowellians can expect to at least spend a single really great year living within Lowell’s walls.
1. All residents are guaranteed at least n housing for their first year, and generally seniors get n+1. Rooms tend to run on the small side.
2. Lowell’s Faculty Deans, Diana L. Eck and Dorothy A. Austin (a.k.a D&D) host Lowell Tea on Thursdays evenings, complete with cookies, monkey bread, and delicious baked brie.
3. Lowell will soon begin to undergo renovation, which means that some Lowellians will have access to really nice swing housing.
4. Every Spring term, Lowell residents have the opportunity to give speeches to the house community. Recent topics this year have included brunch, family, and “Hamilton.”
5. Located in the basement of A entryway, Lowell has a rock climbing wall, open every night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lowell also has a very well stocked gym and squash courts, a rarity amongst the Square Houses.
6. Famous for its many parties, Lowell is home to Yule Ball (Winter Formal) and Bacchanalia (Spring Formal), as well as numerous other parties like Puerto Lowell, where partiers are entered into a lottery for a free trip to Puerto Rico, and Glowell.
7. Even though Adams is famous for its artistic tunnels, Lowell also has a large system of tunnels that rivals Adams for sheer complexity and weirdness.
8. Lowell boasts what are arguably the most beautiful courtyards at Harvard. Lowell’s centralized housing system means that all residents can all enjoy the view.
9. Lowell’s central location is commonly cited as one of the House’s best features. It’s not uncommon for Lowellians to leave for class only a minute or two before class begins.
10. A few years ago, Lowell set the gold standard for Housing Day videos with “Get Lowell,” a feat no house (Lowell included) has been able to recreate.
Sophomores can expect to live in pretty small n suites, sometimes even walkthroughs. In current Lowell senior housing n+1 is almost guaranteed, though the size of bedrooms is still not particularly luxurious. However, the less than ideal living situation hardly detracts from the strong community and grand exterior that make Lowell so desirable. Since renovations will dominate the latter two years of the Class of 2019’s time in Lowell, all we can be sure of is two years of swing housing. While swing living conditions change from year to year and thus no one quite knows exactly what’s in store, the mix of centrally located apartments and The Inn at Harvard is a solid alternative that students are typically quite satisfied with.
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', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-eb0b024a1935a85a97c6243e237b90c464dd713b}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2015/03/11/162949_1304956.jpg.1500x997_q95_crop-smart_upscale.jpg', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='A sophomore common room in Lowell.', hovertext=None, contributors=Other than its lavish courtyards and unmistakable bell tower, if Lowell is known for one thing it is its incredibly tight community. From a very productive HoCo, to weekly Steins, to weekly teas, there’s always something going on in Lowell. A lot of this can be attributed to the Faculty Deans, Professor Diana L. Eck and Dorothy Austin, who open up their home to host the infamous Lowell Tea every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. for Lowellians and residents of other houses alike. Some of the best treats that can be found at Lowell Tea include homemade delicacies such as baked brie, monkey bread, cupcakes, and of course an incredible selection of tea.
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Additional facets of the Lowell community are centered upon the house’s unique collection of facilities, which include the JCR, extravagant dining hall, gym, dance studio, music room, grille, rock climbing wall, and squash courts. On top of this, Lowell is known for its annual parties Glowell and Puerto Lowell, as well as its Harry Potter-themed winter formal "Yule Ball". The diverse range of facilities and events are loved throughout the house, and help to make up for the daily chiming of the bells!
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An additional central aspect to the Lowell community are Lowell Speeches, in which students who wish to give a speech about any topic that they wish are assigned a mentor and given the opportunity to do so. In the opening weeks of the spring term, those students present their five-minute speeches to the House community in the dining hall during dinner time, allowing members of the house to hear the culmination of their efforts.', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-9a9fc4bc6ca5d585df5fed5459d06bea53070af9}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2015/11/05/204330_1310276.jpg.1500x1000_q95_crop-smart_upscale.jpg', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption=None, hovertext=None, contributors=What makes Lowell so special?
Melissa Joseph ’17, a Lowell House HoCo representative: “Lowell House is a place with a great community, strong tradition, and is a house we know you can call a home.”
What specifically sets Lowell apart?
“From trivia night and coffee house, to bacchanalia and our steins, we know that you'll be able to enjoy your time in Lowell House with block mates and new friends.”
What about this whole “tea” thing?
“Dorothy and Diana, invite all Lowellians, new and old, to tea on Thursdays to continue to bond as a House over monkey bread, baked brie and good company, and to welcome freshmen to their future home.”
