When I gave my “Harvard Introduction” (name, class year, concentration, hall/house) as a first-year student, I would often say, “Hi everyone, my name is Anji! I am a first-year student concentrating in Neuroscience and Economics living in Canaday… or as I like to call it—CanaYAY!”

Depending on the group I was delivering my Harvard Intro to, I could be met with emphatic nods or disagreeing mumbles. No matter the reaction I faced, though, my stance was unrelenting, and so I write this blog post as an ode to my first-year dormitory—Canaday Hall. 

Many of the best memories from my freshman year come from this very building (or technically, buildings), so I thought it important to lay out the many praises I have about it. But first, a general overview of Canaday Hall: Canaday is the newest building constructed in Harvard Yard, having been built in 1974. The hall has the residential capacity for 255 students, making it the largest first-year dorm. Now that leads me to my first compliment for Cana-YAY... 

• So many first-year students live in Canaday!

The dormitory itself is broken up into seven vertical entryways, allowing for a smaller residential community. Across the first-year residences, entryways are composed of 20-40 students who each live on the same floor or—as in the case of Canaday—in the same wing of the dormitory. A first-year proctor and Peer Advising Fellows (PAFs) lead the entryway, providing advice as students enter their Harvard career. Although split into entryways, Canaday, due its large capacity, has a prominent presence in the first-year class. It seemed that all the time—whether in a new class, at a club meeting, or during meals in Annenberg Hall—I would meet someone from Canaday, and we’d instantly have something to talk about! 

• Canaday suites have great views!

I lived in a suite in Canaday’s D-entryway. We were on the top floor of the building, so our suite always had the best natural lighting due to the skylights distributed throughout. Additionally, our common room had the prettiest view overseeing Annenberg, and it provided a great spot for people watching as students hustled to and from meals. Our common room became one of my favorite spots on campus—a place where I looked forward to Nine Tastes feasts with my suitemates, movie nights with friends, or mid-day naps between classes.

• Canaday has a convenient central location in the yard.

The hall is located within a couple minutes of Annenberg, New Yard (with various classroom spaces), University Plaza, and Science Center. On more occasions than perhaps I’d like to admit, I could leave my room a couple minutes before a class and still make it in time! This would be particularly useful if I ever forgot something in my room; I could quickly stop by and still have time to spare between classes. Additionally, Canaday is literally a mere steps away from my favorite study spot on campus, the Cabot Science Library. 

• I found such incredible friends and community that supported me throughout my first year through Canaday.

My final praise is certainly not unique to the Canaday-D entryway where I lived as it is an extremely common sentiment about the first-year residential experience. This praise is regarding the supportive, fun, and engaging community that existed in my dorm—due particularly to the efforts of my incredible proctors and PAFs. Essentially every week, I could look forward to Study Breaks they planned in Canaday Common Room featuring a variety of activities and foods. One time our entryway had a Mario Kart tournament with Belgian waffles and sushi. During another Study Break, we taste-tested slices from each pizzeria in Harvard Square. We even had the opportunity to see a masseuse in our common room to destress during the exam period! I eagerly anticipated opportunities like these—not only because of the free food (although that was certainly an attractive reason)—but also because they gave me the chance to create such incredible friendships in my entryway. Today, the girls in my suite and other friends in my entryway are some of my closest connections on campus.

And so, as I reflect on my first year at Harvard, I can say with confidence that Canaday truly lived up to the “YAY” I so adamantly insisted upon. From its convenient location and abundant natural lighting to cherished conversations in its common room and laughter echoing from my first-year suite, Canaday will always have a special place in my heart. Perhaps, not everyone may share my enthusiasm for the dorm, but to me, I could not have wished for a better place or experience to start off my Harvard career.