Commencement prep

Commencement is this weekend, a big annual shebang that sees the entire university mobilized for the festivities. We’re of course focused on the Fletcher-centric part of the day, but it really is a Tufts-wide affair, and as such the campus undergoes a flash round of beautification around this time of year. Longtime readers know of my interests in mulch and folding chairs as the harbingers of Commencement and also of the broader summer season. I’m happy to report confirmed sightings of this year’s seatscape in addition to other Commencement metadata such as tent construction. These are works in progress as of this writing, but we can all rest safe in the knowledge that Fletcher has yet to hold a Commencement under a half-raised tent, and there’s no reason to expect this year to be any different in that regard.

For some readers, there are more interesting things about Commencement than the seating and roofing accoutrements. I’m therefore ALSO happy to share that this year’s ceremony will feature His Excellency Pekka Olavi Haavisto, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland, delivering a keynote address. Foreign Minister Haavisto’s diplomatic work is of particular importance given Finland’s 830-mile border with Russia, and the entire Fletcher community is thrilled to welcome such an august figure to the celebratory weekend.

Readers can review full details of the weekend’s activities on the Commencement 2023 page.