Yale Daily News
The class of 2021 gathered together Aug. 26, 2017 for the first time for the annual Yale College Opening Assembly in Woolsey Hall.
With the opening of Benjamin Franklin College and Pauli Murray College, the first-year class — with close to 1,600 students — was the largest in Yale College history at the time. In his first-year address, University President Peter Salovey urged students to embrace a liberal arts education and view the world through multiple perspectives. Following Salovey’s address, Dean of Yale College Marvin Chun gave his first speech after being appointed to his position — Chun was appointed Dean in spring 2017.
“As inspired as you might be by a single idea or way of looking at the world, I suggest that you entertain many different ways of thinking and consider various points of view,” Salovey said at the ceremony. “Try them all on. See what fits you best.”
Referencing an age-old metaphor dating back to ancient Greece and expanded upon by the 20th century British philosopher Isaiah Berlin, Salovey discussed the distinction between a hedgehog and a fox.
The hedgehog, Salovey said, is committed to a single vision of the world, while the fox is knowledgeable about a wide range of topics. The hedgehog is consistent but inflexible, while the fox is clever and resilient.
“At this stage of your education, I want to urge you to emulate the fox,” Salovey said. “The beauty of a liberal arts education — the education Yale College offers — is that it liberates you from having to pursue a narrow, vocationally oriented program of study.”
Salovey noted that while the single-mindedness of the hedgehog can be admirable, Yale undergraduates should not rush to develop a particular expertise. He also encouraged the class of 2021 to engage with perspectives that differed from their own.
During his speech — most of which was written during a vacation in the Adirondack Mountains earlier that summer — Salovey discussed the lives of three residential college namesakes: Benjamin Franklin, Anna “Pauli” Murray LAW ’65 and Grace Murray Hopper GRD ’34, who Calhoun College was renamed after earlier in the year. All three, Salovey said, were “exemplary foxes.”
“Foxes don’t get information only from sources with which they agree. When confronted by contrary ideas, the fox says, ‘Bring it on,’” Salovey said. “Foxes are resilient. And they not only respond better to challenges — they may even be able to predict what challenges they will face down the road better than their hedgehog friends.”
For the students gathered in Woolsey Hall, that resiliency would come into play throughout their time at Yale — particularly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit during their junior year.
Addressing the first-year crowd as Yale College Dean, Chun depicted his own early academic struggles, telling stories about his below-average grades at the time. He urged students to ignore their smartphones while studying, drawing laughter from the auditorium.
The ceremony had a largely positive reception, with many first years energized and inspired by Salovey and Chun’s speeches. Brian Tevlin ’22 told the News at the time that the event embodied the magic of arriving on campus.
“You’ve dreamed about this all your life, and it’s kind of surreal,” Tevlin said.
Classes for the fall 2017 semester began on Aug. 30.