The first question I asked after getting into Mather was “where is it?” Sure, I had been to Mather before, but only for parties and it was dark and there were drinks involved, so that doesn’t really count, right?
When I first really visited Mather, I was struck by its unique, brutalist architecture. The concrete. The tower (19 floors #sizeMathers) touching the sky. The carpeted dhall. The windows overlooking the river. In a word: Home.
Haters will say Mather is ugly or that it’s far, but don’t be fooled. They hate us because they ain’t us. Mather is the superior House. One might even call it the “Champagne of Harvard.” Mather might not have a pretty bell tower or be a 2min walk from Widener, but it has sooo many other, more important things going for it that it’s not even a competition. The top five reasons Mather is a Good House:
5. Mather is LIT. I know all of y’all freshmen have ventured to Mather for a JCR/lowrise party. Every weekend, you can find something going down in Mather. Sure, it can be loud at times, but nothing beats the luxury of walking 5ft to get to the greatest turnup.
4. Mather Lather. The best and greatest party in Harvard’s history. No other House has an event that can compare to the sudsy wildness of Lather. And don’t even start with the “I heard everyone gets pink eye” fake news. Trust me, it’s clean. It’s fun. It’s iconic.
3. IM’s. Mather has been leading the IM scoreboard for essentially the past two years. We are kind of a big deal. And we have the Straus Cup to show for it. Only winners in this House.
2. The dhall. Mather dhall is perhaps the best place on campus. It is full of positive vibes and the views of the river cannot be beat. Unlike other Houses, we don’t have randoms in the dhall so it’s never overwhelming or sceney. The dhall is a no judgment zone — PJs in the middle of the day? Go for it. You will only get compliments.
1. Community. Mather, hands down, has the greatest community of all time. People here actually care about each other and are willing to break past the artificial lines of blocking groups to build a close-knit community. We have the best HoCo, Happy Hours and House events. The tutors and House staff are so kind and so supportive. Literally everyone I know has transferred or tried to transfer to Mather, and that’s the tea.
You will notice that I didn’t even mention the guaranteed singles. Well, that’s because they are the least impressive part of Mather, and that’s saying something. So, Class of 2023, I can only hope you get placed into Mather. This place changed my life, and it will surely change yours.
Image Credit: HPR / Tarun Timalsina