A look inside: Lowell House
On any given night during February or March in the Lowell House dining hall, the din of conversation and clamor of clearing dishes subsides to a muffled murmur at 7:20 p.m. as a faculty adviser approaches the podium to introduce the evening’s speaker. The Lowell House Speeches, initiated last year by resident tutor Sandy Alexander, are an opportunity for students to practice public discourse, while at the same time giving housemates a more personal glimpse into the lives of people they may recognize only in passing. The remarks are short — just five minutes — to encourage conciseness, and to maximize attendance by listeners. Speakers are encouraged to talk from the heart, whether that means a strongly felt experience that has shaped who they are, or perhaps an unusual idea to put forth to colleagues. Gorick Ng ’14 spoke about pushing himself outside of a protective bubble in high school, which resulted...