Lowell House

Welcome to Lowell

Lowell is well-known for its social community gatherings — from High Table to Lowell Speeches, this House is full of special (and exclusive — are we surprised? It is Harvard after all) events that bring the House together. But the fun doesn’t just end with students and faculty here. No, no. If you’ve happened to read any Harvard NYT coverage in the past year, chances are the cover photo they used was a photo of Lowell. To outsiders — like those tourists taking selfies with the iconic bell tower at all hours of the day — Lowell = Harvard. It’s as simple as that. Famous alumni include Matt Damon ‘93, Natalie Portman ‘03, Michael Crighton ‘64, Priscilla Chan ‘07, and Empress Masako ‘85 — overall, a pretty solid group... Who knows, if you’re in Lowell, maybe you’ll also make it onto the big screen as a star or end up running a nation.

All the Bells and Whistles

Now, you may be asking, “does Lowell truly live up to its fame?” My answer? Two words: Lowell Tea. Every Thursday from 5-6pm, the Faculty Deans David Laibson (yes, from Ec10) and Nina Zipser bring out delicious homemade desserts, often with a timely theme. For instance, during Black History Month, there were different desserts that represented Black History. Lowell Tea is open from 5 - 5:30 p.m. to Lowell residents only, before opening its doors to the rest of the community from 5:30 - 6 p.m. That’s a full half-hour’s advantage of scoping out the most delicious treats: the privilege of being a Lowellian. House Committee co-chairs Avani B. Rai ’27 and Eman Abdurezak ’27 find the Tea a perfect way to catch up with everyone in Lowell. Quite the opportunity to spill the tea…

But we’d be remiss to let our passion for big-backing get in the way of the other attractive perks of being a Lowellian like Lowell Speeches, where members get to yap for five minutes about a topic of personal significance. People have spoken about anything and everything, from their high school experiences to intimate family matters to board games and pranks. It’s (again) a Lowell-only opportunity to foster deeper connections.

“I think oftentimes, the relationships you develop in your houses can feel a bit surface level, but the speeches are a unique moment in time that exists in the House, where you can really get to know that person that lives in your hallway or at study breaks on an intimate level,” Rai said.

Steins are also a huge part of the House, with HoCo planning bi-weekly themed socials like Valensteins and Steinway (Subway and Mario Kart games, how cool is that?). If you’re lucky enough to witness a sea of blue come a-knockin’ on Housing Day, rest easy knowing you’ll finally be able to kiss those heinous freshman dorm parties goodbye. There’s truly nothing low-effort about this house.

The Low-gistics

Lowell consists of more than 400 undergraduate students and 20-25 resident tutors, with roughly 100 people per class. The living situation is pretty solid, with a good mix of suites and singles. This variety is enough to satisfy residents’ individual preferences, and with the last renovation in 2019, even the “bad housing” is preferable to other houses. I mean, c’mon. There’s no way you can top the location — you’re central to everything from Blue Bottle to your 9 a.m. Sever Hall section that you will actually attend (maybe on time?) now that you’re a Lowellian.

The spaces across the House are also highly cherished and used by students — from art and music rooms, the JCR, squash courts, dance studios, and Lowell Underground. These collective spaces are comforting for their residents and share the cozy vibe of a home, so much so that they're the perfect place to productively procrastinate!

Shawty (hopefully) Got Low, Low, Low, Low, Low

Given that Housing Day is just around the corner, it’s time to begin manifestation-maxxing. With a stag for its mascot, Lowell has major big bell energy that you'd better be ready to match. No one-sided situationship here, folks! Just make sure that as you’re celebrating with your new best bud, you don’t accidentally get poked by some antlers. Major aura loss.

This year — and, guys, this is major breaking news from a super serious investigative reporter — Lowell House is taking Housing Day to another level: goodie bags for all you Lowellian-to-be freshmen, equipped with supposedly cool ties! Just make sure your friends from other houses don’t pilfer your coveted treasure while you are not looking. Talk about a tragtiedy…

Beyond the collective house tradition of Housing Day, Lowell also carries on its own traditions, including the May Day Waltz and the Lowell House Opera. “There’s just so many different traditions that keep the community alive, translating to have those casual connections, like recognizing people in the dining hall,” Abdurezak said.

And we can’t talk about traditions without talking about the big elephant in the room: the bells. Sure, they are loud, but that’s their purpose. How else would Lowell be able to announce their presence to other (inferior) houses and flex the size of their bells? Tasked with this super serious and patriotic mission are the members of the mysterious Lowell Bell Ringer Society, who are always hard at work every Sunday at 1 p.m. They never, ever miss a beat in making Lowellians — and secretly the people in neighboring houses who use the bells as their weekend alarm — proud.

Not only does everyone flock to Lowell for the beautiful orchestral study playlist, but they also migrate to the courtyard in droves once the weather warms up to play spikeball and lounge on the hammocks set up. “I think it’s one of the best views across Harvard’s campuses,” said Rai. Sharing is caring after all, and Lowell aims to please.

On the Down Low

If Lowell were a person, who would it be and why?

AR & EA: Matt Damon. It’s historic as he was in Lowell House himself — he’s humble and down to earth, charismatic, funny, just a champ.

Describe Lowell as the weather.

AR: Sunrise. No matter how dark or cold it is, when you drive into Harvard Square and spot the Bell Tower that’s always there—beautiful and perfect.

EA: Partly cloudy, with some light showers (to be on theme for Cambridge!). I feel like it’s a happy House, with blue representing a sunny feeling.

Why Lowell in one sentence to first-year students.

AR: The nature of the House—both the facilities and people, encourages the incredible communities that are formed—we’re quite privileged.

EA: Beautiful inside and out.

Infamous Party Suites?

AR: The one ten-man suite is famous for hosting parties, but the true hidden gems are the two nine-man suites with the biggest common rooms in all of Lowell.

Need to know more about the real estate market? Read the rest of the feature here!