Quick-descending quiet

On Monday, Fletcher was its usual busy self — students coming and going to classes and generally still doing what they do.  Even Tuesday, the Hall of Flags looked pretty normal, granted without the ebb and flow of students heading to and returning from classes.  By Wednesday — quiet!  Very few students about, or at least they’re closed in exam rooms and study spaces.

Given that it’s exam week, more surprising than the quiet is the amount that is still happening.  Yesterday and today, Fletcher is hosting the Inclusive Cities Forum and Solutions Symposium.  A cast of scholars and luminaries, including former Boston Mayor Tom Menino, generated lively conversation at yesterday’s sessions.

The Inclusive Cities Forum wasn’t even the only conference this week.  On Tuesday, Fletcher hosted the Ideas Industry Conference, which provoked plenty of conversation, too.

On Wednesday, students kept their exam-week spirits up with the traditional Fletcher Follies.  (Whatever happens at Follies, stays at Follies.  Not much more for me to say.)

And last night, the fourth semesterly Fletcher Recital took place.  A long-standing Thursday night commitment has kept me from attending any of the previous recitals, which I regretted even before I experienced last night’s fantastic event!  So much talent among these students (and a couple of professors, and one daughter of a student)!  Most surprising piece, without a doubt, was Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android,” arranged by Prof. Katrina Burgess and played by her and three students in a string quartet.  (Our own Admissions intern, Ayako, was the cellist.  Go Ayako!)

These are the last events for the 2013-2014 academic year.  For first-year students, only exams stand between them and their summer activities.  Graduating students will soon be looking toward Commencement.  That gives those of us who work in the summer another two weeks with students in the building, before we start our own quiet summer.