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News From the Alumni House
Assembly Delegate Reflects on His Changes and Those
at Yale
December
2000
by Jacob Jay Lindenthal '67PhD
Returning
to Yale as an AYA delegate has reminded me how the institution creates
and transmits new ideas, and
teaches how to comprehend our nation's social, political, and economic
condition. I have observed once again how students and professors
are committed to debate new ideas while challenging values held
sacred over time. The contest between the status quo and change
is played out in the context of our most cherished notions of human
rationality, optimism, progress, and knowledge.
While I represented
the Graduate School for three years, the AYA gave me the opportunity to revisit
this vast array of ideas and values and re-integrate some of them into my own
life. Alumni who return in the context of an AYA assembly have the opportunity
to examine broad themes while they take part in thought- and discussion- provoking
activities throughout the weekend. Events scheduled from breakfast until long
after dinner develop the particular theme of the weekend.
For example, as a
delegate to the Assembly on the Yale faculty in the spring of 1999, I was invited
for tea with department chairs and senior faculty. We discussed the tension between
teaching and research, while the following day at Linsly-Chittenden Hall faculty
discussed their current research and how it serves and informs their undergraduate
teaching.
The Spring 2000 Assembly, entitled "Yale and the Global Environment," addressed the issue of past and current environmental practices and their impact on future generations. Yale officials,
having dedicated a fortune to "cleaning up our own house" by means of massive
renovations over the past few years, could legitimately expound on environmental
themes. The campus renovation might be seen as a metaphor for the challenge of
conserving the old while adopting the new. I still recognized the buildings by
their names, but I soon realized that they now embody state-of-the-art design
and house the latest technology, all to best equip current and future students.
Although at times this meant that Yale had chosen expensive and time-consuming
options, we came to understand that this represented the best way to pass on a
gift. This holds true not only for Yale's physical environment, as represented
by buildings, but also our world's environment, which is a gift we must similarly
preserve to pass on to future generations.
AYA assemblies also
address many themes relating to the social environment, as I found
when I attended the Assembly in the spring of 1998, entitled "The
Sense of Community at Yale." On arriving at Yale after many years
away, I had the sense of largeness and complexity similar to what
we encountered when we first arrived on campus. A walk around the
campus shows an unparalleled diversity of students and professors.
Courses and seminars are being taught which were not dreamed of
in my time. Within a day or two, Yale as a community emerged. The
184 student organizations, 6 journals, 20 student publications,
and 4 calendars are just some of the features that nourish this
community. In addition to a seemingly endless description of the
number and variety of extracurricular activities, the Assembly discussed
controversial issues, including affirmative
action, the status of graduate teaching assistants, and problems
associated with undergraduate residence requirements raised by some
Orthodox Jewish students. Alumni attending the Assembly had the
opportunity to discuss these topics directly with those who determine
and articulate the University's position on critical issues.
I have
had the good fortune to view the Egyptian pyramids several times.
While every visit to these monuments is equally awe-inspiring, my
own life experiences have helped make each encounter distinct. How
much more meaningful it is to revisit a great living institution
that has directly influenced my life and contemplate how I have
selectively acquired and abandoned ideas and behaviors. What takes
place at the University level parallels on a greater level what
I do personally on a daily basis: not just settle for, but struggle
to select from an array of ideas and values placed before me. The experience induces a smile much like one brought on by an old, familiar
refrain. The melody may be the same, but somehow both Yale and I
have changed. |
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