FROM THE HOCO
Far from being frozen out of Harvard life by their location at the extreme north end of the Quad, Pfohosers (as they are commonly known) enjoy a quality of life unparalleled by competing Harvard houses. From its Nobel Peace Prize-winning co-Master Jim McCarthy (ok, he shared it with Al Gore) to the stellar resident tutors and welcoming house members, residents bask in the glow of a fun and welcoming community. House members enjoy putting on the hit 90s Dance twice a year, relaxing in their spacious JCR while enjoying some deep pfried goodness from the late night favorite Pfoho Grille, and getting their pfreak on in the infamous Belltower Suite (complete with dance-proof reinforced bar). The more academically inclined get their pfill from pfrequent Pfoho Pforums when prominent scholars visit Pfoho for an extra special meal and an after-dinner discussion of their latest work. When they’re not enjoying the plentiful pfun of house events, pfohosers retreat to their spacious housing. Incoming sophomores have been known to find themselves living next to seniors in spacious singles as well as in the beautiful, two-floor duplexes on the top floors of Comstock, Holmes, and Moors Halls. A lucky few will find themselves in the Jordans, complete with huge common rooms and kitchenettes, or Wolbach, with beautiful hardwood floors and its own widescreen TV to compete with the HD screen in the JCR. Add to that Pfoho’s close proximity to the infinitely better late night options on Mass Av and in Porter Square and it’s clear why Pfoho is the crown jewel in the Harvard housing system.
THE BASICS
Dining Hall
Bright lights, big windows, and a tastefully modern design add to the expansive style of the two-story dining hall, the only one at Harvard. The centerpiece of the mezzanine is the Date Table, a table for two conspicuously placed right over the dining hall stage. Pfohosers can’t remember anyone actually having a date there, but if you’re bold enough, you could be the first.
Sophomore Housing
Most sophomores will be able to snag a single bedroom. Moors, Holmes, and Comstock are cozy sophomore homes (largely singles and connecting doubles and triples on the lower floors), though Jordan residents may rue their separation from the rest of the house. But your River friends will really be jealous if you grab a duplex, a two-story suite (see a pattern?) with bedrooms above and a spacious common room below.
Perks
The Pfoho Grille, famous for its mozzarella sticks and curly fries, makes the adjacent Junior Common Room a popular late hangout, whether your tastes run to foosball and ping-pong or Project Runway. Other amenities include music practice rooms, a few basement weight rooms, and even a recording studio. House traditions range from the cerebral (a Scrabble tournament) to the quirky (Miss Pfoho, a drag beauty contest), but focus on the wildly popular biannual 90s Dance. It’s your chance to rediscover Hanson, the Macarena, and Zima.
— Adam Hallowell ’09
LITERARY MATCHUP
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
According to Virginia Woolf’s essay, writers require a modest income and plenty of privacy to produce great works of literature. It’s not clear that Pfoho residents are unusually crafty with a pen, but there’s a good chance that they will receive a bedroom of their own in which to get creative.
NOTABLE ALUMS
Mo Rocca, comedian
Jennifer 8. Lee, reporter with a stupid middle name
X-MEN MATCHUP
Sway
With the ability to replay time, Sway should probably look into working for VH1 or acting as co-chair of Pfoho’s HoCo. The 90s Dance would be all the more stimulating if, instead of random images projected on a giant screen, you actually got to return to your elementary and middle school years, back before Britney Spears was synonymous with cautionary tale and Hilton was best known as a hotel chain.