It is widely accepted that Adams is one the most desirable upperclassman houses on campus. A variety of frequent and unique House specific events, amenities galore, supportive House Masters, and strong community spirit inspire a sense of passionate loyalty within the 450 undergraduates who proudly call Adams home. Not to mention that it is literally a minute away from the Yard. It seems as though Adamsians may have struck gold after all.
UPDATED: March 10, 2015, at 1:50 a.m.
\r\n450 residents
\r\n(about) 180 Rooms and Suites
\r\n4\xa0Arts Spaces
\r\n1 Kitchen
\r\n1 Conservatory
\r\n1 Pool turned Theater
\r\n1 Printing Press
\r\n$33,000 HoCo Budget
\r\nThis article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
\r\nCORRECTION: March 10, 2015
\r\nAn earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Adams House has two arts spaces. In fact, it has four.
', [])UPDATED:\xa0March 9, 2015 at 11:10 p.m.\xa0
\r\nAdams House is split between five different buildings: Randolph Hall, Westmorly Court, Russell Hall, which houses the dining hall, Claverly Hall, and Apthorp House, the Master’s residence. Most sophomores live in Claverly Hall, with hallway-style housing and an unreliable elevator, while most seniors live in swanky Westmorly Court, in large suites and singles. Randolph Hall is home to a more eclectic mix of rooms and residents and even boasts its own courtyard, which is shared with Apthorp House. The most coveted senior housing option is the three-story Adams Senior House, home to four lucky lottery winners every year. With the exception of Claverly, the rest of Adams is connected by way of underground tunnels, home to occasionally questionable student artwork and a plethora of hidden common spaces and courtyards.
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\r\n\r\nSeniors and juniors pick rooms through a lottery, while rising sophomores are allocated the remaining rooms by the house administrator. While HoCo co-chair Santiago Pardo ‘16 insists that “no room in Adams House is a bad room," the fact remains that n-housing isn’t guaranteed for sophomores, and n+1 isn’t guaranteed for juniors. That being said, it is not unheard of to have a single as early as sophomore year. Rooms in each of the five buildings boast their own unique characteristics, from window seats in Claverly, to balconies in Westmorly, and a fireplace in each and every room.
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\r\nOutside of the dorm rooms, there are a number of common spaces in the House popular with students, including art studios, a sunny library, and the Adams Pool Theater. One of the most unique among these amenities is the Bow-and-Arrow Press, a fully functioning press that hosts open houses once a week. In addition to the cigar and long-stemmed rose that new Adams members receive on housing day, the housing day letters are custom-printed on this press.
\r\nThis article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
\r\nCORRECTION: March 9, 2015
\r\nAn earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Russell Hall hosts Adams\'s court yard. In fact, the court yard is located in Randolph Hall.
', [UPDATED:\xa0March 9, 2015 at 11:12 p.m.\xa0
\r\nThe Adams House Masters, John G. "Sean" Palfrey \'67 and Judith S. "Judy" Palfrey \'67, are widely loved by undergraduates both in Adams and beyond. According to Pardo, “The Palfreys’ big thing is that they like saying yes to any initiative you want.” The Masters open up Apthorp House for undergraduates to hang out and study every Sunday night, and hold monthly teas. They often sit in the dining hall with students, learn everyone’s names, and are the first to show up at the hospital when you’re sick. They are also widely involved with the House’s many unique events.
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\r\n\r\nA highlight of House Life is the weekly Carpe Noctem, a house-wide happy hour featuring pizza, beer, and wine. Adams also hosts each of its formals in-house to promote inclusivity, during which all of Russell Hall is transformed to fit the formal’s theme. The house also hosts an annual Winter Feast, featuring a black-tie reading of Winnie-the-Pooh, hugely popular Drag Night, and a decadent Valentine’s Day party known as Chocoholica.
\r\nThis article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
\r\nCORRECTION: March 9, 2015
\r\nAn earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Adams hosts its formals in Randolph Hall. In fact, they are hosted in Russell Hall.
', [Although Adams seems close to perfect, residents do have some quibbles. Some point to the less than ideal rooming situations, particularly in sophomore year. And while the proximity to the yard may be convenient, it does come with a few unfortunate side effects, from a consistently over-crowded dining hall, to sightings of roaches and pests spilling in from Harvard Square restaurants and stores. But hey, it’s a small price to pay for the luxury of the Gold Coast.
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