April — As much to do as a person could ever want
When Christine and I first talked about having her give us a run-down of April activities at Fletcher, as she had done in March, I had no idea that the list would run for five full pages. I’m hardly afraid of a long blog post, but five pages is pushing anyone’s limits. So we decided she would focus on fun events and those, such as conferences, that mark the culmination of a year’s work. Here’s her carefully selected list of the many events that kept everyone engaged and exhausted last month.
April was a big month at Fletcher. It is the last full month of the school year and also the most fun! There was plenty going on to keep student’s academic juices flowing as well as fun non-academic traditions as well. While you can view the full April calendar here, below is a quick recap:
April 1: “The Ebola Crisis from Outbreak to Stamp Out — Lessons for the Future,” with Anthony Banbury, Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Mission for Emergency Ebola Response.
April 3: Dr. Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice President of IBM Research Africa, leads an intimate session on technology and inclusive innovation.
April 6: The International Business Club, Fletcher Veterans, and Global Women present, “Lead Where you Are: Perspectives from the Private, Public, and Non-Profit Sectors.”
April 7: Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, U.S. Department of State Diplomat in Resident, spoke on “Diplomatic Tradecraft in Conflict Zones — Practical Skills for Serving in Countries in Crisis.”
April 9-10: Annual Inclusion Forum, presented by IBGC: Inclusion, Inc.
April 14: “Shifting Sands in the Middle East: Implications for U.S. Policy,” with Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer.
April 15: “Africa Rising: View from the African Union,” with Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II, as part of the Charles Francis Adams Lecture series.
April 16: Feinstein Center researcher, and 2014 MALD graduate, Roxanne Krystalli: Integrating a Gender Perspective Into Research, presented by Global Women and Gender Initiative.
April 16: “Solar 101: A Primer on Solar Energy Technology,” with Michael O’Dougherty, F87.
April 17: IMAGe and Gender Initiatives Speaker Series: Gary Barker, a leading voice on engaging men and boys in achieving gender equality and on ending violence against women globally.
April 18: Americana Night, part of the Fletcher Culture Night series, offering an appreciation of all things American.
April 20: Tufts Marathon Team runs the Boston Marathon!
April 21: The View from Washington: What is the U.S. Department of State Doing to Promote Democracy and Human Rights?” with Virginia Bennet, U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
April 27: Fletcher Follies, the annual culmination of another fantastic year at Fletcher, where we learn “where the hell” everyone went!
April 28: The Fletcher Ideas Exchange: First Annual Public Speaking Forum. The event was modeled as a TED-type event and featured speeches by a select group of students, faculty, and alums. The theme for the inaugural year was technology or media that connect or change the world.
April 28: Yoga in Ginn Library. Nothing beats a long day of studying like some refreshing (and free) yoga!
April 30: Final Social Hour! Hosted by The Office of Development and Alumni Relations, and always one of the best of the year.
April 30: Therapy dogs in the library! Students got to meet Barkley and his friends and take a break from studying. Who could not love this face?
