Quincy House

Welcome to Quincy!

With a community centered around family, if you get Quincy, you won’t just have a house, but a home. From its ski-lodge-esque dining hall serving hot (read it again, HOT) breakfast daily, the myriad dogs meandering about, and a yearly exorcism that banishes negative spirits, the House holds a personality hard to replicate. House Committee (HoCo) Co-Chairs Ava H. Rem ’27 and Jacqueline E. Metzger ’27 open their arms for students across campus, affirming that “Quincy is for everyone.”

Quick Quistory

With its picturesque dining hall and strong affinity for penguins, Quincy has a special presence on campus.

The house comprises two distinct buildings: New Quincy and Stone Hall. New Quincy comprises the majority of Quincy residents, as well as the main lobby, the junior and senior common room, and the dining hall. But despite “New” being in its name, Stone Hall is the more recently renovated space of Quincy (a little bit of a head-scratcher), containing the House’s go-to fiesta spot: the Kates Tobin Room.

Within these buildings, a profusion of amenities is available to each student, like Quincy Grille. After a brief hiatus this past semester, the house grill — Quincy Grille — is back and better than ever. And with students deprived of milkshakes from Eliot House’s grille, Quincy Grille has happily picked up that important duty! As for other amenities, Quincy has its very own ceramic studio, which hosts beginner and advanced classes, its own group gym, and various study (for your weekdays) and party (for your weeknights) spots.

And in terms of Quincy culture, look toward student loyalty. The uplifting, caring attitudes of its residents make the house what it is. Quincy is the shoulder you can cry on if need be, according to Metzger: “people don’t want to see you fall and like, your community will hold you up if you need to be held up.”

Not Like Other Girls

Originality runs through Quincy. Even the quotidian task of simply sending an email out to the house becomes infused with personality. A passionate email culture thrives — and is frankly encouraged — on Quincy’s mailing list, Qlub Penguin. “If I show my friend some of the emails on the list they’re like, ‘is that ChatGPT?’” said Rem, a Crimson Blog Chair, adding, “No, no. People are so committed they will write essays.”

As for traditions, creativity flourishes even further. Every year before Field Day, a bagpipe band wakes up Quincy residents to begin their customary exorcism — a reasonable sacrifice to guarantee a ghost-free night of sleep. And with multiple tarot readers and witches residing in the house, a protective cast ensures the house is immune to any potential hexes (no Etsy witch required).

Lest we forget about one of the most iconic traditions of all: Quinski! The house leans into the architecture of its dining hall to embody a ski lodge for its annual event. With spirited decorations strung throughout the dining hall, the space is transformed into a magical place for all students. And the success of the event, in part, can be given thanks to the strong community of Quincy: “We couldn’t do it on our own, but there’s so many people, not even HoCo members, who come in and lug, you know, 40 pizzas upstairs, like bags of drinks and everything, and just put together something that just feels like a house party,” Metzger said.

But even more so, traditions manifest through the mini pop-up events Quincy hosts for their students. Every day is “like a new tradition” for the house, adapting to current times. If residents are looking for peace of mind in the current tumultuous environment, they can sign up for office hours with one of the current house dogs, Coco. Or if they are craving a milkshake, a night entirely dedicated to these tasty treats may soon make its way into the lineup of house events (as it has twice in the past year).

THE Campus Hotspot

When you enter Quincy House dining hall, there is a high likelihood that seats are not filled strictly by Quincy residents. Besides community dinners on Thursdays, interhouse restrictions are quite relaxed, attracting students from all houses to the fine dining experience at Quincy.

Oftentimes, you will find the dhall filled with non-Quincy residents. Ask the person sitting next to you what house they are in, and there’s a good chance it is not actually Quincy,

The inclusivity Quincy offers may feel a bit overwhelming. But take a glass-half-full mentality — Quincy is just the place to be. It’s perfect for meeting up with friends or spotting an old face from section last semester; Quincy dhall is Annenberg’s next of kin.

Even beyond mealtimes, the Quincy dining hall offers a place for students to decompress. Whether they are looking for a new study spot or just want to debrief with friends, Quincy provides an optimal choice of space. And with their gargantuan, “fish-in-aquarium” windows for walls, sitting in the dhall comes with a beautiful view.

“Everyone wants to come here,” Rem said. “You see everyone, people that you might have forgotten about and are like we should grab a meal sometime in Quincy.”

And as long as your Harvard ID is on standby, Quincy welcomes you! When swiping you in, HUDS staff member Carlos is ready to greet you with a smile (and maybe even stamp a penguin sticker on your ID if you’re lucky).

Entering a New Home

Transitioning from a freshman dorm to a house may be daunting, but Quincy ensures students are welcomed with open arms. The house goes above and beyond to make this experience as comforting as possible. Following Housing Day, the House makes an effort to reflect its affection in a way that “just feels like college.” From the very first moments of officially being in Quincy, the house’s residents show their commitment towards one another.

“College can feel lonely,” Metzger explains, “but in Quincy house, it just feels as though there’s always people who care about you and love you.”

Whether students come into Quincy with a maxed-out blocking group or are flying solo, connections are bound to be made. Even with the constant cycling of students entering and exiting over the course of their three-year stay in the house, the ability to make new friends through Quincy remains constant.

And that intimacy and care manifest not only through fellow Quincians but also through the staff, who make an inclusive environment the utmost priority. Quincy’s HUDS staff go above and beyond to bring this homeyness into the dining hall, forming meaningful connections with students.

“It’s just a lovely feeling brought in and feeling safe around these people, and just knowing they’re equally part of your life as you are in theirs,” Rem describes, “and they’re so giddy and happy to be here.”

If You Were (Q)urios..

Personal Favorite Part of the House?

JEM: The JCR. The JCR is the house’s living room. Everyone’s always in there, there’s food in there, and there’s movie nights in there.

AHR: My couch in my common room, it’s just where everyone congregates. I mean, my suitemates are my best friends here, like they’re coming to my wedding… When I think of Quincy, I think of that.

What’s the Intramural Status looking like?

AHR: I do say we just win across the board because of how bought in we are… I think we just win because of the culture.

Any Personal Celebs in the House?

JEM: Gunnar Sizemore ‘27 — he actually directed our Housing Day video last year.

AHR: Dexter Suhn ‘27, also in our grade, is an amazing artist who produced for SZA. Quincy is very artistic, I would say. I’m not included in that…

What would you want the future Quincy house residents to know?

AHR: Cliche, but say yes… Say yes to sitting down at a random table, approaching someone you would at Berg. Like, are you eating alone? Can I join you? That might be the person you’ll be living with next semester. That might be the person you go on an excursion or to the movies with, or it might just be the start of a beautiful friendship.

JEM: There’s something remarkably pervasive about the culture that every year there is this, like, distinct community that emerges that is so close and so tight… It’s obviously nerve-racking to be in a new space. You know your blockmates and some of your friends, but not everyone. But like, you know, just sort of pushing past that and trying to do this — trying to say yes to things and say hi to people.

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