Fletcher takes over the cannon

Even while conducting the fall 2020 semester remotely, Fletcher makes itself felt on the Tufts campus. It was such a delight to get the recent update that the Tufts cannon has been Fletcherized. The cannon functions as a low-tech message board of sorts for the entire Tufts community, and is repurposed so frequently that it has been covered in an actual ton of paint in the fairly recent past.

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Happy National Coming Out Day from Pride at Fletcher!

In celebration of National Coming Out Day, Pride at Fletcher, a student organization for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ as well as allies, is offering cookies and support to passers-by in the Hall of Flags. I was lucky enough to happen upon the display when it was still relatively full, which I don’t expect will last (to my friends at Pride, you make great cookies!).

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A busy summer, and fall, for Amanda and Caroline

While it may seem paradoxical at first glance, it’s quite common to find Fletcher students with deep interests in local and domestic public policy. Perhaps it’s all those “Think Globally, Act Locally” bumper stickers yielding dividends. I tend to think it’s more the result of the interdisciplinary mindset of our students, with which they can see the international dimensions of local policy, and vice versa (contextual intelligence, as Fletcher’s Institute for Business in the Global Context would characterize it).

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A bit about the new class

I always enjoy browsing through the profile of our entering class each fall. While many broad attributes remain the same year to year, there are always a few interesting factoids and unique details that give each class its own character. One that jumps out from this year’s report is the slightly higher enrollment of men than women in the first year class. The split is within the typical range (52%/48%, in this case), but Laurie tells me that this is the first time in at least a dozen years in which men have outnumbered women in a class, and she has a remarkable depth of Fletcher institutional knowledge, so we’ll take her at her word.

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Fletcher student organizations on display

With all the conversations I have with prospective students about the admissions process and academic requirements at Fletcher, I often try to remind people that grad school isn’t just about taking a bunch of classes. One of the key components of the vibrancy of our community is the variety of active student organizations, which make up what I think of as Fletcher’s civil society. These groups include student-run academic and professional journals, regional or issue-specific organizations, and affinity or activity-based groups. Whether your thing is food policy or fermentation, climbing or countering violent extremism, you’ll find something that speaks to you among the seventy currently active student organizations at Fletcher. A lot of friendships develop through the work of student organizations, and I’ve heard plenty of Fletcher students and alumni point to their involvement in them as among the most important aspects of their time here.

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The new old cannon

Tufts familiars may know about the tradition of painting the cannon. For the uninitiated, Tufts has an old-timey cannon (a replica of one from the USS Constitution) on campus, which is constantly getting repainted by various campus players ranging from official student groups to wildcatting pranksters. The cannon has announced campus events, wished people happy birthdays, commemorated important dates and anniversaries, and helped spread activist and protest messages.

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Another academic year begins!

One of the great things about working in Admissions is that early September, with its typical end-of-summer and back-to-school pageantry, is far more focused on new beginnings than a sad adieu to long days, flip flops, and the smell of sunblock. While it’s true that things around here get mighty busy mighty quickly, there’s a special energy that comes with the arrival of a new class, and the return to Fletcher of second year students. Jessica has already shared some details of the goings-on at last week’s orientation, and this week sees the start of classes. In short, it’s on!

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