Class Note 1979
Issue
September-October 2022
Bruce Smoller, M.D., chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center, has been selected by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) board of governors to receive a CAP Lifetime Achievement Award at its October meeting to recognize his excellence as a teacher of dermatopathology, scholar, mentor, and diagnostician. However, he writes, “My proudest achievement is having won the Nickel Award from the American Society for Dermatopathology for a lifetime of excellence in education upon the nomination by trainees. On the side, my hobby has been developing an expertise in wine, currently studying for the diploma from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust. I currently give lectures and seminars and even teach a full-year college class on the art and science of wine.”
Connecting and encouraging others, not as a professor, but as a life coach, Eleanor Shannon uses a body-centered approach, based on the work of trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté and Steve Porges’ polyvagal theory. As she puts it, “At birth all of us are programmed to connect—both to our intuitive, body wisdom and to our caregivers for food, shelter, protection. It wasn’t until I had bossed my body into the breakdown lane and experienced crippling back pain in my mid-40s that I realized I had lost connection with my body and desperately needed it back.
“Almost everyone has this work to do on an individual level, but the pandemic, political polarity, gun violence, police violence, racism, climate change, disinformation, social media, war, economic inequality, etc., have created uncertainty in the collective beyond anything in living memory. People tend to get reactive in their anxiety or shut down in depression. The way out of the fear spiral is connection—first connection to ourselves and our body wisdom, and then safe, authentic connection with others.
“In this chaotic moment I’ve been inspired by Dartmouth alumni who have created and sought connection in new ways—not focused on traditional topics such as fundraising, sports, Class Notes, the usual rah-rah fealty. Groups have been led by, and allowed room for, alumni who do not fit the historical Dartmouth prototype to express difficulties experienced as students, as alums, or both—to be vulnerable in speaking their truth and to have their successes (even if perhaps unconventional) witnessed and celebrated.
“We need each other to resist feeling overwhelmed and without hope. Ironically, the terribleness of what is happening is a miraculous mirror—an opportunity to drop into our bodies, to feel what we are feeling, to question ourselves, to become conscious of habits of harm, and to reevaluate the institutions that have shaped us and the culture we live in.” Learn more at cometoyoursenses.com.
I hope you were able to tune into the ’79 Zoom presentation in June by Dave Stone and Jim Hake during which they shared their passions for serving, equipping, and educating people who live in need, often in war-torn areas. Please share with me and inspire classmates with news about your passions.
—Janie Simms Hamner, 7327 Centenary Ave., Dallas, TX 75225; jshandkids@aol.com
Connecting and encouraging others, not as a professor, but as a life coach, Eleanor Shannon uses a body-centered approach, based on the work of trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté and Steve Porges’ polyvagal theory. As she puts it, “At birth all of us are programmed to connect—both to our intuitive, body wisdom and to our caregivers for food, shelter, protection. It wasn’t until I had bossed my body into the breakdown lane and experienced crippling back pain in my mid-40s that I realized I had lost connection with my body and desperately needed it back.
“Almost everyone has this work to do on an individual level, but the pandemic, political polarity, gun violence, police violence, racism, climate change, disinformation, social media, war, economic inequality, etc., have created uncertainty in the collective beyond anything in living memory. People tend to get reactive in their anxiety or shut down in depression. The way out of the fear spiral is connection—first connection to ourselves and our body wisdom, and then safe, authentic connection with others.
“In this chaotic moment I’ve been inspired by Dartmouth alumni who have created and sought connection in new ways—not focused on traditional topics such as fundraising, sports, Class Notes, the usual rah-rah fealty. Groups have been led by, and allowed room for, alumni who do not fit the historical Dartmouth prototype to express difficulties experienced as students, as alums, or both—to be vulnerable in speaking their truth and to have their successes (even if perhaps unconventional) witnessed and celebrated.
“We need each other to resist feeling overwhelmed and without hope. Ironically, the terribleness of what is happening is a miraculous mirror—an opportunity to drop into our bodies, to feel what we are feeling, to question ourselves, to become conscious of habits of harm, and to reevaluate the institutions that have shaped us and the culture we live in.” Learn more at cometoyoursenses.com.
I hope you were able to tune into the ’79 Zoom presentation in June by Dave Stone and Jim Hake during which they shared their passions for serving, equipping, and educating people who live in need, often in war-torn areas. Please share with me and inspire classmates with news about your passions.
—Janie Simms Hamner, 7327 Centenary Ave., Dallas, TX 75225; jshandkids@aol.com