He asked two Choir members to outbid each other on a one dollar bill. Each bid was a few cents higher than the previous bid. When the bidding stopped at $1.28, Summers explained that if the two competing students had cooperated and stopped raising the bid, then both parties would have made money.

“He told us about teamwork,” auction winner Alexander said. “If you put personal needs in front of the team’s, it won’t benefit you or the team.”

Former Treasury Secretary Summers signed his winning bill—which Alexander said he plans to hang on his wall.

Forming New Bonds

But beyond the classroom, the boys said they learned a lot about day-to-day interactions of Harvard students.

Hill said he was surprised by dorm life.

“It’s funny, people talk about college and classes,” he said. “They don’t mention dormitory life, but you have roommates and you have fun.”

Alexander said that despite Harvard’s diversity, students seemed to form strong bonds.

“People get along that you wouldn’t expect, because now we’re all here for one purpose—to succeed and be the best,” he said. “These are the friends you keep for life.”

And choir members said they learned that being a college student would require maturity.

“It’s the responsibility bestowed upon you to do what you know you have to do,” Alexander said. “And have time to do what you want to do.”

The choir, he said, teaches that kind of responsibility.

“When you have responsibility to the choir,” Alexander said. “You gain it inside of you and it keeps growing until it turns out into an adult.”

He compares Harvard professors to his mentor Turnbull.

“Dr. T. and Gates have the same determination, not only to want one thing, but to want that one thing to be the best no matter what,” Alexander said.