Answer:
The narrator cracked open the window in the Safety of Numbers article because he wanted to feel the fresh air and open a new perspective on the future.
He wanted to symbolically open his eyes to the possibilities of what could be in the future, and the open window was a metaphor for that.
He was also trying to find a sense of relief and escape from his current situation, as the open window allowed the fresh air to come in, and the narrator to breathe out the stress of his current circumstances.