Harrison House (Fredericton)

Residence community at UNB

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.

Community organization

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.

UNB 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. Also, the Liquor store on Prospect Street was named the busiest in the province, anecdotally because it was closest to UNB.

Harrison House student self government

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.

Harrison House President List

2017-2018 Holly Russell
2016-2017 Logan Blanchard
2015-2016 Dakota Van Dijk
2014-2015 Brett Pineau
2013-2014 Kyle Merritt
2012-2013 Chris Cormier/Erin Ferguson
2011-2012 Richard Sawler
2010-2011 Mark Devereux
2009-2010 Carolyn Wilson
2008-2009 Scott Carter
2007-2008 Brian Koval
2006-2007 Andrina DiFrancesco
2005-2006 Kyle Dorken
2004-2005 Kyle MacKenzie
2003-2004 Brent McCumber
2002-2003 Patrick "Hayseed" Rosebrook
2001-2002 Adam "Country" Harris
2000-2001 Erin Hardy
1998-2000 James "Jimbo" Titus
1997-1998 Andrew Dawson
1996-1997 Ryan Howard
1995-1996 Melanie Morrissey
1994-1995 Doug MacLean
1993-1994 Daniel Léger
1992-1993 Larry Whitman
1991-1992 Sean Daly
1990-1991 Dean Mullin
1989-1990 Ed Turpin

Harrison House Don List

2016- Phil Taber
2013-2016 Hannah Connon
2012-2013 Bronwyn Bonney
2010-2012 Brian Beaudette
2008-2010 Krystal Ford
2007-2008 Paul Mysak
2006-2007 T. M. Balls
2005-2007 G. M. Bowen
2003-2004 Bryna Fraser
2000-2003 Vicki Hape-Gould
1999-2000 Caroline Jones
1998-1999
1997-1998 Rashmi Geol
1996-1997 Karen Geldart
1993-1996 Andrew Johnston
1992-1993 Ric Cuthberson
1990-1992 George Multamaki
198?-1990 Zalman Starr
1984-1985 Tony Giles
1983-1984 Peter Lovell
?-1983 Don MacAdam
1966-1977 Ken Windsor

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.

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.

House events

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 pyro-technician). 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.

Orientation week

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.

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.

House charity

Residence's plan an all day curling tournament to raise money for the Children's Wish Foundation.

Notable alumni