Harrison House (Fredericton)

Harrison House is a university residence at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It was built in 1962 as part of the largest building program ever at UNB which included several other residences and faculty buildings. When it was built it was operated as an all male residence, but from September 1991 to present, it has been a co-ed residence on the UNB Fredericton campus. The mascot for Harrison is the Husky and our house colours consist of red, and black.

House charity

Per the description on UNB's website in 2011, Harrisonians plan an all day curling tournament to raise money for the Children's Wish Foundation. This is a fun activity whether you have experience curling or have never tried it before, and it's a day full of fun and a great way to support the house charity.

Harrison's signature event: the Great Pumpkin Sacrifice

Harrison House maintains the longest running tradition at UNB, The Great Pumpkin Sacrifice, which began in 1973. For the event a large pumpkin is carved in the face of the Roman god Janus. One side of the face is a happy face, the other a not-so-happy one. This represents the 'academic' harvest and that some are happy with the crop reaped, while others are not. House residents decorate campus and the city with pumpkins in the lead-up to the event, and mark the coming of the event by a two-minute howl at midnight on each of the seven days prior to the event. Silence marks the daylight hours of 31 October in a mark of the solemnity of the occasion and the judgement that will come in the sacrifice.

Leading up to midnight on Halloween, the Great Pumpkin is escorted by a cast of actors, wise-people, and house residents guarded by the Pumpkin's militia out of the house front doors, and across campus, blessed at the former Lady Dunn Hall courtyard (now Joy Kidd House), and returned to Harrison House where it is risen to the roof and sacrificially dropped and exploded (under the supervision of a pyrotechnician). Although the event has always been prescribed to take place a midnight on Halloween, for several years in the early 2000s, the timing was adjusted to just before 10 PM, so that it would not interfere with university quiet hours.

Residence organization and house governance

At UNB in 2011, there are fourteen different residence houses to choose from, each with its own character, culture, and traditions. There are one men's, two women's, nine co-ed, one apartment style, and one suite style residence. Most of the early residences have changed in format from single-gender houses to co-educational style configurations since their original construction from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Harrison changed from male residence to co-ed residence for autumn 1991.

The residence community

The UNB residence community is loosely based upon the Oxbridge system of separate colleges within a federalised university system. As such, Harrison is part of a larger community of residences at UNB. It is located as part of campus' central 'quad' zone. The residence community has various staff and leadership, and at the house-level, a Don -(faculty/staff or senior grad student )- who lives in the residence. The Don is assisted by floor Proctors and educational Proctors - (senior undergraduates who help the students adjust to residence and university life).

Former residents have varied views on the evolution or devolution of the quality of experience students gain from living in residence over the years. Some say that residents were formerly encouraged to identify closely with the unique character and traditions of their house, often as a result of previous parental attendance at UNB. House Dons and Residence Fellows provided a modicum of adult supervision and generally set the tone for how the House operated. They would say that recent times have seen UNB administration to have imposed many more rules and regulations and this has arguably changed residence markedly.

Regardless of whether the generations view the good 'ol times, or the current times as better, students still feel that sense of belonging at Harrison.

House Committee

The residents at Harrison elect a House Committee to act as peer-leaders. The committee also works with the Residence Coordinator, Don, floor Proctors (RAs), and educational Proctors to coordinate house social, educational, charity, athletic activities, etc.

UNB believes that a key to success at UNB and enjoyment of residence is to get involved early and to stay involved. For any university residence to maintain the kind of traditions Harrison has, and for past residents to retain interest long into their post-university lives, it is clear that involvement and the sense of belonging can be life-long..

Don't be afraid to volunteer for a house committee or to help out at a house event. You can also participate in one of several residence-wide committees and get connected with other houses on campus. You will find that being involved keeps you aware of what's going on, keeps you interested as a student, and will make your UNB years truly special.

Resident janitorial service

For many years, Harrison had a UNB-sponsored student run co-operative house janitorial students whose employees were house residents. The basic idea was that if the residents were able to maintain an adequate level of cleanliness, they would benefit from the income as well as gaining responsibility.

Social life

The social aspect of life in residence, and particularly in Harrison has changed substantially over the years with each subsequent time period referring to a past period as a utopia. Accurately, each change has imposed a different degree of controls on social activity.

At one time, many residences operated in-house bars wherein they hosted regular parties. In later years, the bars were abolished, and the Dean of Residence office operated Campus Bar Services, a travelling bar service. Bar Services would be hired by each residence when hosting a regulated social event, of which several were permitted per term. There is now a limit of one such party per term. These limitations have been enforced to alter the image of UNB as a party-school. At one time, David Letterman's original Late Night show included UNB as the number-two spot on its list of party-schools. Also, the Liquor store on Prospect Street was named the busiest in the province, anecdotally because it was closest to UNB.

Frosh week

Orientation Week or "Frosh Week" has also proven to be a target of wild behaviour by students, and crackdowns by administration. In early days when hazing was considered normal and acceptable, the residences operated almost independent, and wholly student controlled week of events designed to welcome and train students to fit their pattern. UNB admin has deemed these things inappropriate and now run a tightly controlled frosh week, the aims of are to maintain a safe and non-offensive environment for new students to acclimate to university life. Students often argue that the real purpose is to limit fun and brainwash students.

For a few years, until the fall of 2006, Frosh Week in Harrison House included The Mr. and Mrs. Harrison contest. This was a voluntary cross-dressing pageant, in which new Harrisonians went before a panel of judges, composed of Orientation Committee members, to answer ridiculous questions while dressed as the opposite gender. The Mr. and Mrs. Harrison contest has since been disallowed by Residence Administration for being "degrading" to participants and offensive to actual cross-dressers. As it has been discontinued, the reigning Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are Kasey Menabney and Mike Cormier from Frosh Week 2005.

50th anniversary

House leadership has begun planning for a 50th anniversary celebration to be held from 29 to 31 October 2011 to coincide with the 39th annual Great Pumpkin Sacrifice. Current residents and house alumni are encouraged to join the facebook group as well as the festivities for the 50th. Please see the citation or the links below for the facebook group address.

Listings of office holders

Harrison House Presidents

2011/12 Richard Sawler
2010/11 Mark Devereux
2009/10 Carolyn Wilson
2008/09 Scott Carter
2007/08 Brian Koval
2006/07 Andrina DiFrancesco
2005/06 Kyle "Mr. 10 Inch" Dorken
2004/05 Kyle MacKenzie
2003/04 Brent McCumber
2002/03 Patrick "Hayseed" Rosebrook
2001/02 Adam "Country" Harris
2000/01 Erin Hardy
1999/00 James "Jimbo" Titus
1998/99 James "Jimbo" Titus
1997/98 Andrew Dawson
1996/97 Ryan Howard
1995/96 Melanie Morrissey
1994/95 Doug MacLean
1993/94 Daniel Léger
1992/93 Larry Whitman
1991/92 Sean Daly
1990/91 Dean Mullin
1989/90 Ed Turpin

Harrison House Dons

2010/12 Brian Beaudette
2008/10 Krystal Ford
2007/08 Paul Mysak
2006/07 T. M. Balls
2005/07 G. M. Bowen
2003/04 Bryna Fraser
2000/03 Vicki Hape-Gould
1999/00 Caroline Jones
1998/99
1997/98 Rashmi Geol
1996/97 Karen Geldart
1993/96 Andrew Johnston
1992/93 Ric Cuthberson
1990/92 George Multamaki
198?/90 Zalman Starr

1962/6? Peter Lovell

Ken Windsor

Ken Windsor was Harrison Don from 1966–77 and was killed in car accident in Poland in 1979. An Associate Professor of History at UNB, he was responsible for many of the traditions and innovations within Harrison House and across the residence system as a whole. From tolerating the Pumpkin Sacrifice to introducing the student Janitorial Service, he inspired a generation of Harrisonians.

External links

• UNB website Harrison House page
• UNB campus map showing Harrison House location
• UNB Website main page
• Facebook group Harrison House 50th Anniversary
• Facebook group Harrison House
• Facebook group Harrison House - UNB