"I'm being intellectually energized by the environment," Nash said. "One of the great things about being in the army is the opportunity to be around a lot of young people, and it's also one of the great things about being at a university like Harvard."
Seven of the eight fellows attended the open house. Besides Bullard, Nash, and Schnur, the four other fellows in attendance were John P. Barlow, Joseph B. Dial, Cheryl A. Lau and Anna M. Perez. Oscar Arias was not at the open house.
Many of the fellows injected humor into the panel discussion.
When Barlow, former lyricist for The Grateful Dead, walked onto the Forum stage 50 minutes late, dressed all in black and wearing cowboy boots, Perez declared, "The prodigal son has returned."
IOP Director Alan K. Simpson moderated the discussion and elicited great laughter when in his closing statement he commented on what he hoped the open house had achieved.
"If you fail to be stimulated by the this group of people we've assembled here, it would be like spitting in God's eye." Simpson said.