Fletcher, the first few months: Meet Manaved

Our next new student blogger is Manaved, who reflects on settling into the busy rhythm of his first semester at Fletcher.

Autumn suits Fletcher.

ManavedThe trees dotting our verdant campus are transforming, proud green leaves giving way to fiery red ones, as the inevitable march of seasons carries on unabated. An apt metaphor, I think, as I write this article at a quiet spot in Ginn Library, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, easily recognizable by their lack of orange and the pachyderm stitched into their attire.

The mid-terms are all but over, and Fletcher is preparing for the winter that lays ahead. However, this is neither the time or the place to talk about what lies in store. There are people who have experienced the wonderful rigors of this school in its entirety, who will be able to tell us what to expect from our lifelong tryst with this institution. What I am experiencing is simply the beginning of one such relationship.

Our very own [coffee machine] Rubi, often in need of refilling, has come to the rescue, and as I take a sip of the warm coffee in my hand, my mind goes back to the day I arrived upon the steps of the Fletcher School. In the kindest way possible, I was not prepared for what lay ahead. Despite living at Blakeley, only a stone’s throw away from Fletcher, I find my day’s schedule filling up rapidly, like classrooms for some of the more popular courses. Added to this is lingering potential for brilliant conversation in the nooks and crannies of our building. I am certain that I am not the first one to take a detour merely to engage in some idle chatter about toxic masculinity or military intervention, and I most definitely won’t be the last. The social list, a veritable marketplace of events that one can never seem to make time for, reflects the Fletcher spirit. Within the messages, one can find both warmth and ambition, affability and competitiveness, and an underlying realization that one lifetime is not enough to experience this place to the fullest.

If there is one thing that has been impressed on me, it is that no matter where you find yourself at Fletcher, there is always someone to learn something from. Whether it is a social engagement in the Hall of Flags, or a rescheduled lecture at ASEAN, there is always someone who can teach you something new. Therein lies the fundamental spark of life at Fletcher. The palpable willingness to grow together.

I ease out of my reverie as I see raindrops hitting the library windows. It’s about to be midnight, and I have Role of Force in the morning. My coffee has grown cold, and my laptop has long since gone to sleep. It is time for me to do the same.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet