Last of the photos

I’m wrapping up the photo essays today.  First, let’s hear from Roxana, whose Tufts roots run deep:

My photo is of ASEAN Auditorium, one of my favorite spots at Fletcher.  My first exposure to ASEAN was as an undergrad when I took Introduction to International Relations.  (I still remember the course number — PS 151!)  It was one of my first college courses and the first time I had ever taken a class that large.  The auditorium was a different color then (blue, I think), and the seats not as comfortable.  Working at Fletcher now, ASEAN reminds me of Open House and the first day of Orientation, when the first-years file in for a welcome from Dean Bosworth. It also reminds me of Fletcher Follies, when Fletcher students, staff, and faculty have a great time watching skits and videos.  ASEAN is where important lectures, guest speakers, and some classes are held.  It’s a great space and recent renovations made it even better.

As for me, I was among the last to snap my photo.  I’ve worked here for a loooooong time and I knew I could easily think of a bunch of special spots.  I gave everyone else first chance to claim their favorite locations, and lucky for me, no one snagged my top choice.

This is a photo of a photo, from among a few dozen that are displayed (thanks to a recent graduating class) on a hallway wall.  The subject of the photo is Professor Leo Gross.  When I first started work at Fletcher, many many moons ago, Prof. Gross was still teaching.  He was my link to Fletcher’s earliest days, as he had joined the faculty in 1944, only 11 years after the School’s founding.  By the time we met, I knew he was no spring chicken, but I didn’t know how far into his 80s he was (and I certainly didn’t know he had been “retired” for many years).  I would hear the enthusiasm of students who studied with him, and I was aware that his scholarly work was well celebrated.  Now that I have worked here for so long, it feels very special to have this connection to Fletcher’s early history, and I’m glad that he’s remembered by students, faculty, and staff who pass his photograph each day.