Apple executive Scott Forstall ‘91, M.S. ‘92 urged the Class of 2009 to adopt “growth mindsets” and seek new challenges in his keynote address during Junior Convocation yesterday afternoon.

Enlarge
#gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/7843
Alvin Chow

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education John Bravman ‘79 holds up “the book of the dead,” a list of 450 juniors who have not yet declared a major, during Junior Convocation yesterday afternoon.

“More is in you than you know,” said Forstall, who is currently the head of development for iPhone software at Apple. He called on the Class of 2009 to abandon “fixed mindsets” when choosing a major, advising students not to preoccupy themselves with appearing intelligent at the expense of valuable opportunities.

Major selection remains an issue for students entering their junior year, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education John Bravman ‘79 said in his introductory address.

“There are 450 names in ‘the book of the dead,’” Bravman said, holding up a red leather bound book filled with the names of juniors who have not yet declared a major.

In his speech, Forstall reassured students that knowledge gained in the classroom will be applicable to life after graduation. While at Stanford, he said that he often thought his classes, while challenging and interesting, would be of no use in the workplace.

“I was proved very wrong,” Forstall said of his experience with Apple.

Forstall graduated from Stanford with an undergraduate degree in Symbolic Systems in 1991 and earned an M.S. in Computer Science the following year. Before leading the iPhone project, Forstall developed famous user interfaces such as Macintosh OS X, which remains the standard operating system for Apple computers.

When asked why Apple decided to develop its own cell phone, Forstall said that there were two truths about cell phones.

“First, everybody has one,” he said. “Second, everybody hates the one they have.”

Forstall shared his “more is in you” philosophy, the mantra of the iPhone project during development. He said he challenged members of his team to go beyond their limits and strive for achievements that surpassed their expectations. These small teams of “growth mindset” individuals enabled Apple to accomplish “Herculean things,” he said.

Junior Convocation was the first event held in the newly-renovated Old Union, which officially opens for use this week after a year of construction. It was also the first Junior Convocation to feature an alumnus speaker, said Junior Class President Jessica Lu ‘09. Only school administrators have spoken at previous convocations.

“We wanted this to be like a rite of passage for students [entering] their junior years,” said Junior Class President Jordan Goldberg ‘09.

While many juniors use fall quarter to study abroad, the class presidents felt it was necessary to remind those still on campus that they are not alone.

“We think it’s good to get the class together,” Lu said, “just so that they know that there’s still a majority of people on campus.”

Contact Michael Ding at mikeding@stanford.edu.