Home is Where the Tutor’s Heart Is

For freshmen eager to enjoy their newfound freedom, an adult in the dorm is just plain inconvenient. Proctors seem to leave their perpetually non-advisory, invisible state only to break up the seldom freshman room party. But rest assured, soon-to-be-upperclassmen: though your housing may get worse, the variety of active house tutors is something to look forward to.

Unlike freshman proctors, house tutors all across campus work hard towards creating a sense of community beyond entryway dinners and a weekly study break.

“You’re here to bring your interests to the community,” says Richard R. Johnston, a resident tutor in Cabot house. This year Johnston helped organize a Bob Dylan trip in the fall and a massage session during reading period.

Johnston is not alone in his efforts to unite house communities with unique events. Toby C. Berkman ’02, a tutor in Eliot, holds a weekly yoga class in the house dance studio, and Tom J. Barnett-Lamb, a Cabot tutor, leads a craft circle every week.

But it doesn’t take a weekly class to gain celebrity status as a tutor. Anthony Niblett is known in Winthrop for being an avid IM fan, and Matthew J. Corriel ’05 brings his love for music to Adams.

“My way is a loud way,” says Corriel. “I’m a noisemaker.” He is often heard busting out tunes on the d-hall piano, encouraging students to do the same.

Despite their individual popularity, most tutors are too modest to take all the credit. In the end, it’s a group effort. House Masters, fellow tutors, and spirited students are often the inspiration for their passionate presence in the community.

“A lot of tutors think of [their house] as their home,” says Johnston, “and want to treat it like a home.”