Our incredibly talented 18-year-old friend Nathan Chen, from the Olympics and ice skating otherwise, is known for three things: falling, the poem I wrote about him, and his Olympic record-setting quads. Oh! And he’s also known for being a very cute baby. So that’s four things. But he’s about to be “known” (primarily to friends and family) for a fifth thing, and that thing is: attending Yale University. It’s wonderful news. Oh, it’s just terrific. Wonderful, wonderful news. What a day. Congratulations to our smart friend Nathan Chen, from the Olympics and ice skating otherwise.
A story from the Yale Daily News, a paper which — you may remember — ran under Rory Gilmore’s leadership after she took over as editor-in-chief following Paris Geller in 2006, reports Chen has been accepted to the university and has changed his Instagram profile to read “Yale ‘22,” indicating that he will attend Yale and graduate in the year 2022 providing the world is still here at that time. The Daily News story also includes quotes like this from other Yale students:
“I’m really excited, both for him and for our student body,” Zach Miller ’21 said. “Yale is such a positive place for intellectual curiosity, exploration and growth, and I hope he finds our school comfortable and enriching.”
All right, Zach …
Anyway, I have of course written Nathan Chen a new poem to celebrate his acceptance to Yale, which is a school known for being good. Please whisper it aloud in a congratulatory tone:
Congratulations, Nathan Chen, on how you’ll go to Yale
I know that you will do your best and that you will not fail
You’re very good at ice skating, except for when you fall
But I know you won’t “fall” at this, ha-ha, no, not at all!
Right? Or do you think you will. Not saying that I do …
No, no, no, I’m sure it’s fine, I know you’ll make it through
Life is nothing but a set of challenges and tasks
And this one is gonna be pretty difficult so I hope you’re ready because falling during the Olympics is one thing but failing out of Yale would be much worse
Thank you.
