Hi Everyone. I hope you’re surviving this stressful time and staying healthy. With the huge delay between the class notes due-date and publication-date, it is”impossible to be current. By the time this little piece is published, the election will be over and maybe the pandemic too. (wishful thinking)
Our class president, Lynn Chornyei Thurber reports from the mini-reunion planning committee:
“The consensus of our mini reunion committee is that we will not be moving forward with a mini reunion in spring 2021. Given the uncertainties of the coronavirus and travel, we feel it is not wise to make commitments to hotels or restaurants. We assume classmates will feel the same at this point about discretionary travel. If circumstances concerning the Coronavirus and travel become clearer early in 2021, we may consider scheduling something for fall 2021. We will let you know by March/April should we decide to move forward for the fall.”
“We are disappointed about cancelling the mini reunion. It is always wonderful to reconnect with Wellesley friends and to make new acquaintances from our class. We would encourage classmates who had looked forward to catching up with friends at the mini reunion to connect via email (almost all classmates email addresses are in the class book published at our 50th reunion and online in the college directory). Also, group video calls via zoom, FaceTime, google, Microsoft or other platforms can be fun. These are best accomplished in smaller groups. We considered a broader outreach for a class video call, but our own experiences indicate that video group sessions are most engaging with fewer than 12 or so participants. If anyone would like to become part of a class email or video call or if you would like to host a video, Lynn can assist you, if you need help. Just email lynn.thurber@gmail.com”
Diane Hawk Schmalensee reported:
"During the pandemic, it has been comforting as well as spirit-lifting to “zoom” with classmates. Jan Heckenkamp Logan, Diane Hawk Schmalensee, Nancy Shaver, Chari LaRue Isaacs, Anne Ralston Ronai and Beverly Chatham Crofoot zoomed in June to share love and laughs and encouragement. Thank goodness for Wellesley classmates!”
Sandra Kulli sent me these words “I wear a mask to make sure I’m alive on November 3rd.” She reports that she and her husband, Dan Flaherty, have become involved in supporting young, capable candidates. “The satisfaction is that of the sports fan, but better! You get to help put your favorites in the game, and you get to watch them start strong and turn into tomorrow’s stars.” I love that image.
In January Lisa Dunkle Scheffler retired as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Clinical Development at Sanofi-Pasteur and took up some childcare duties for the 3 kids of her daughter (Margaret “Meg” Scheffler Heil ’00, a Critical Care physician at Hasbro Children's in Providence). Then Novavax asked for her help. In July she started as VP of Clinical Development and Global Medical Lead. They were in Phase 1 of development of a vaccine based on recombinant protein technology. She’s been working probably 12 hours (or more) a day to get to the point of starting the 30,000 patient Phase 3 clinical trial by the end of September. Lisa says: “This is the sort of "mission" that I've been preparing for over the last 30 years -- first with the early days of the HIV crisis, then Ebola, Zika, and now COVID. As I told my husband, ‘I can't NOT do this’. This clinical development is what I know how to do and what I can contribute to the fight. "Non ministrari, sed ministrare" drives most of my days.” She also advises us: “Wear your masks and practice distancing (I'm pretty careful not to ever touch anyone else except my husband). Those two things along with good handwashing will control almost any outbreak.”
Hang in there, dear members of the Class of 1968.