I found out through the grapevine that Bill Nye, the Science Guy, was appearing at a small engineering class held in History Corner. I snuck in (along with many other fans) and we turned the room into a standing-room-only crowd. I recall the temperature shot through the roof, but we were all glad to be there.
It was probably two weeks into freshman year. Orhan Pamuk, a Turkish author who had recently been awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, was giving a talk in Mem Aud. A friend's girlfriend was a huge fan, and he wanted to surprise her by getting his autograph on a book. Security at Mem Aud was tight, Pamuk having faced death threats for his writings. Instead of signing books, he sneaked out from the back of the auditorium. My friend and I biked across the campus looking for the private session Pamuk was to give. It was futile. First time I biked across the campus at night. The Quad lit up like an ancient citadel. Wind blew with vengeance. A memory I will remember for a long time.
After long nights of studying or not studying, I'd find a fountain and put my feet in. Sometimes with or without water. A happy moment of relaxation. Thank you Stanford!
Great food, great friends, great food fights!
Listening to Desmond Tutu speaking to a full audience while Stanford was divesting out of South Africa. Talk about living history!
I was awestruck when I had the opportunity to meet author Maya Angelou in Ujamaa lounge as a freshman. She was so eloquent, gracious and inspirational.
Before getting to Stanford, I felt super nervous about my roommate. Will she like me? Will I like her? What if we hate each other? But, after getting to know her, I think Stanford did a good job pairing us up.
The first time I went fountain-hopping, the exhilaration of everyone around me, the cool water splashing around, the happiness in the air was phenomenal.