Do #OneYaleThing: Sharing first-semester memories

“Having Thanksgiving dinner with the family of another freshman in Farnam. I was 1stGen and couldn’t afford to fly home to Florida, but my friend’s mother invited everyone in Farnam without a place to go. Their family was an old Yale family, very, very different than mine, but I was struck by their warmth and kindness and I’ll never forget that day.”

“Enjoying all New Haven and Connecticut has to offer! Hiking with friends, apple picking with a group of students from the Yale School of Public Health, wine tasting, farmers markets from CitySeed!”

“Dropping off my son Drew ’23 for his pre-orientation week. Proud, and sad as my first goes off to college... but it brings back great memories of New Haven!”

“FOOT! (First-Year Outdoor Orientation Trips)”

“It was in 1963 on a hot spring evening and word was passed on the Old Campus that when Harkness Tower tolled midnight, everyone was to flush their toilets bursting the water pipes. A large crowd of students spilled out onto Elm Street, soon heading for Helen Hadley Hall, the graduate women’s residence. Just as we reached the hall, Dean Harold Whiteman appeared walking toward the crowd of students. He stopped in the middle of the street, standing alone. Nobody in the crowd would pass him and the crowd of students soon dispersed. I will never forget Dean Whiteman’s appearance on that occasion, the respect students had for him, and the impact one person could have on a crowd.”

“P.R.O.P.! It's now known as the Cultural Connections program. It brought traditionally underrepresented minority students together through classes and social experiences before the semester began.”

"Going around campus with my Motorola flip phone in fall 2003 taking pictures of all the buildings. Technology has improved since then."