THE BASICS
When most people think of good old Harvard, they imagine a brick-layered paradise with Ivy vines forming cages around snooty white men sipping champagne and discussing Kant. While this image is mostly correct, it appears the influence of a near 400-year-old institution does not stretch far enough into the Quad to bring the innately modern “college” (in the National Lampoon kind of way) atmosphere that permeates Currier House down.
Dining Hall
Currier’s dining hall is considered the jewel of all HUDS, with the best quality food (despite major campus-wide setbacks) and most amiable staff anyone could ever hope for in a House. The dining hall itself is extremely bright, ample, and cheery during the day, but at night the nursing home feel does have the tendency to get you down. And, of course, there’s a volcano with toy boats on it in the middle of the dining hall — could you really ask for anything more?
Sophomore Housing
Most sophomores end up in Daniels Tower, the dimly-lit bastard cousin of Currier’s other three towers, but this also means that they get singles the size of Canaday common rooms with a fairly nice sink room and more windows than really necessary (meaning it’s bright all the time!). Lucky sophomores get to live in one of the other three towers (Tuchman, Bingham, or Gilbert), where they will share their bathroom with a whopping one other person and enjoy singles as big or larger than the Daniels ones and kitchens on every floor. It is possible but rare to get doubles, and on that occasion some doubles come with kitchens; the ones that don’t are cushy enough to make up for the lost privacy.
Perks
The perks of Currier are instantly noticeable from the moment you walk in. Rather than a JCR, Currier has the Fishbowl, a large modern and thoroughly comfortable living space with a massive projector TV at the disposal of all residents. And, since almost everyone has to come through the Fishbowl to get to their rooms, you’ll get to know all your Housemates pretty quickly. Currier also has a weight room and a cardio room, large party spaces all over the House (the Treehouse and Gilbert and Bingham Living Rooms), and the added benefit of not having to go outside to get to any other part of the House.
— Frances Martel ’09
FROM THE HOCO
What’s the deal with Currier?” You may ask. “Ya? Well what’s the deal with your face?” I would respond, even though we both know it’s your winning smile. Here at Currier, we’re pretty big on compliments.
In fact, being friendly is what we’re all about — as a resident of one of the smallest dorms on campus, you’ll always feel like you’re part of a family. Hanging out, eating meals, engaging in embarrassing sexual encounters with each other. Normal family stuff.
If you’re like me, you have an unhealthy fixation with fountains. And guess what? Currier has a fountain! In its dining hall! The point is, sometimes you can pee in it.
But Currier isn’t all having sex with housemates and peeing. Sometimes we have sex with people from other houses. And it’s all because everyone in Currier has a single room. As the saying goes: walk-through doubles only happen to bad people.
After one bite of our dining hall’s food — known as the best dining hall on campus — you’ll be hooked. Soon, you won’t be able to go 10 days without eating food or drinking water.
Here in Currier, we only have one door into the house. One door in, one door out. It means that you’ll meet every resident. It means that you’ll be part of a strong, close-knit community. It means that you will be terrified of a possible fire. And I think that’s healthy.
X-MEN MATCHUP
Dazzler
Sound vibrations and light beams describe Dazzler and Currier, the “Party House,” all too well. After a rough encounter with both, you’ll find yourself waking up on some stranger’s floor with a few bruises, a ringing in the ears, and vague memories of bad techno lights blinding your vision. It’s all right — like Longshot, you’ll still come running back for more.
LITERARY MATCHUP
Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
The home base of the activist group QUAD (Quad United Against [Library] Discrimination), Currier has long been a hotbed of revolution. Additionally, Les Mis author Victor Hugo spent years of his life in exile, giving him something in common with residents of Garden Street.
NOTABLE ALUMS
Bill Gates, co-founder, Microsoft
Yo-Yo Ma, cellist
Caroline Kennedy, surviving Kennedy