Alumnae Professor of English Afaa Michael Weaver was the main feature profile of the Dec. 11 Boston Globe’s Living/Arts section. The article, which includes two of Weaver’s poems and two large photos, discusses how Weaver’s personal struggles contributed to his creativity, and describes his recent attention from Poets & Writers magazine and Boston University’s Gotlieb Archival Research Center.

Psychology Assistant Professor Gregory Feldman was quoted in a Dec. 10 Hartford Courant article about families dealing with losses during the holidays. He said that family traditions and roles may change when there is a major life change.

Daren Graves, assistant professor of general education, was interviewed in a Dec. 5 Boston Globe article about the increase in ethnic and racial tensions on college campuses. He said the trend mirrors a nationwide backlash to political correctness that’s occurring in response to advances in the civil rights movement.

Several Simmons faculty and staff were interviewed in an education supplement in the Nov. 25 Boston Sunday Globe. An article titled “Making More Masters” interviewed Department of Education Chair Paul Abraham about the increase in students applying for master’s degrees in teaching and MATESL. Roxanne Jackman, career counselor at the Career Education Center, was quoted in an article titled “Five Tips for Career Changers.” And Kristen Haack, director of graduate studies admission, was quoted in “Test-taking Tips: Six steps to higher scores.”

SSW Professor Helen Reinherz was featured in NASW Focus, the newsletter of the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter, about the Simmons Longitudinal Study and the recently funded “Family Matters” study.

A letter to the editor by Mathematics Professor Michael Brown was published in the Nov. 27 New York Times. Brown wrote in response to an earlier article on “Taking Science on Faith.”

Students Necy and Gabby Lopes, who are sisters, were profiled in the December issue of Skirt, a new monthly magazine for women in the Boston area.

The Library’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was featured in the Nov. 27 edition of Boston/SF online, a Massachusetts weekly commercial real estate journal.

The Nov. 29 Bay State Banner featured a photo of SSW Professor Gary Bailey receiving his Legacy of Caring Award from Devereux Massachusetts.

Nancie Herbold, the Ruby Winslow Linn Professor of Nutrition, recently was a guest on the WACA-TV, Ashland (Mass.) Cable Access program Eat Smarter Live Better. She was interviewed by nutrition alumna Dianne Scheinberg, host of the program, to discuss careers in nutrition. The program will repeat on Mondays throughout the month of January.

The Trustman Art Gallery’s “Lush” exhibition was highlighted in the Nov. 29 Boston Globe Calendar.

Simmons was mentioned in a Dec. 1 Boston Globe article about Emmanuel College’s leasing of land to Merck Co. The article said Simmons is another Fenway-area school that “has shown strong growth in recent years.”

Senior Cindy Lee was quoted in a Dec. 7 Chronicle of Higher Education article about student-faculty interactions on Facebook.

IN THE LOOP: Why do you think people find the holiday season so stressful?
GREG FELDMAN: The American Psychological Association conducted a survey a few years back and found that some of the primary factors are related to financial stress: not having enough money for gifts, and concerns about accumulating credit card debt. Also, there are the time pressures of fitting in shopping, holiday parties, family gatherings, and other commitments.

To make the problem worse, many people respond to this stress with ineffective coping strategies. The same survey found that nearly a third of people overeat or use alcohol to cope with holiday stress. Both of these strategies distract us from negative emotions in the short term, but can make things worse in the long term. Psychologists believe that our negative emotions have a purpose; they provide us with alerts when things are not going as we hope. When we distract ourselves from the message our emotions are trying to send us, the problem doesn’t get addressed, and the alarm will keep sounding.

ITL: So then, what are some effective coping strategies?
GF: My colleagues and I have been studying a general approach to coping with stress, which has been referred to as mindfulness: an idea that has its roots in Eastern philosophy but has been increasingly applied in psychology in the West. Mindfulness involves being focused on the present moment and being accepting of your experience. Being mindful of emotions means being open to what your emotions are telling you. In our research, we find that individuals who tend to be more mindful of their thoughts and feelings tend to experience greater well-being, are less likely to get swept up in negative emotions, and tend to show an adaptive flexibility when deciding how to cope with different situations.

ITL: How can mindfulness be used to help cope with holiday stressors?
GF: The first step is to figure out what emotion you are experiencing most intensely, and what is causing it. Each emotion has its own unique message. For instance, if a person is feeling scared about overspending, this is a message not to be ignored. It suggests that people may want to think about making a budget for how much to spend this year, prioritize the gifts they really want to give, and think about thoughtful, but less expensive options for everyone else on the list. Ignoring this feeling of fear will create more fear down the road when those credit card bills start coming in!

ITL: What advice would you give for someone who’s trying to do too much this season, or is afraid to say “no” to avoid hurt feelings?
GF: Another emotion people can experience is feeling overwhelmed. Again, this is worth listening to. It might mean you have spread yourself too thin. An effective way to respond is to give yourself permission to cut back a bit. Decline a few invitations, or leave some holiday parties early. Give up the search for perfect gifts for everyone on your list. If you are hosting guests for the holidays, think of ways the celebration can become a team effort. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help.

Mindfulness is about accepting reality, even when it is inconvenient; for instance, accepting that there are only so many hours in the day. Instead of trying to be more efficient by rushing through each task while planning the next, try to be present with whatever you are doing — such as intentionally pausing to notice the smells of the food you are preparing, or the colors of the decorations as you shop.

ITL: How can people experiencing bereavement get through the holiday season, since there’s such a big societal emphasis on family and friends?
GF: Here, the emotion is typically sadness. Sadness is a reminder that you have lost someone or something important and it slows you down to reflect. It is worth giving into this a bit. Take some time to both reminisce about past holidays and acknowledge that things are different this year. Part of mindfulness is accepting emotions; in this case, accepting that grief takes time to resolve. Be patient with yourself and open yourself up to receive support from friends and loved ones. If someone feels overwhelmed by their grief, seeking counseling can also be helpful.

ITL: Do you think people are more depressed during the holidays than at other times?
GF: There isn’t clear empirical evidence to support this. For example, some people may experience greater feelings of loneliness or stress during the holidays. On the other hand, there is typically more family support available. The holidays also happen to fall during some of the darkest and coldest months of the year. Some people do experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression that comes during winter months when there is less natural sunlight. The good news is that there are effective treatments for this, involving light therapy, medication, psychotherapy, or some combination of these.

ITL: But isn’t there a jump in suicide rates during the holidays?
GF: A myth that gets repeated in some media outlets every year is that suicide rates spike during the holidays. Studies have actually found the opposite; suicide rates tend be higher during other times of the year and may even drop a bit during the holidays. Even if it is statistically less frequent this time of year, suicidal thinking or behavior is always a serious matter that deserves immediate attention from a trained professional.

ITL: How can one use mindfulness in daily living? And is there scientific proof that these techniques work?
GF: One way to cultivate mindfulness is through learning and practicing meditation. However, mindfulness is more than a collection of techniques; it is a way of being present in your daily life. For instance, take a few moments out of the day to check in with yourself about how you are feeling. There is a large body of research that shows mindfulness-based stress management programs can help promote mental and physical health. Newer research is beginning to show that people’s brains may change as a result of learning meditation. It appears that cultivating mindfulness may help develop areas of the brain involved in regulating negative emotions.

ITL: Can you recommend any books, videos, or websites that would be helpful for Loop readers on these topics?
GF: If you want to learn more about mindfulness, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMass Medical Center has done a lot of work translating ancient meditation practices into stress management techniques. His book Full Catastrophe Living is a great place to start.

Dr. Jeff Brantley at Duke University also writes about mindfulness for general audiences. He posted a column on using mindfulness to cope with holiday stress at http://www.dukeim.org/learning/holidays.aspx. The article has some good practical tips for this time of year and instructions for a brief meditation exercise to help manage stress.

If you are looking for information on mental health more broadly, the American Psychological Association has a website with very helpful, accurate information about mental health issues and effective treatments at http://www.apahelpcenter.org/.

I wish everyone happy and mindful holidays!

Gilman served as guest reader to the Head Start children to educate them about the responsibilities of police officers and their roles as helpful members of the community. “I am used to working with adults, so getting this opportunity was great,” said Gilman. “As I read to and spoke with the children, I really felt good inside about what I was doing. The kids really made me smile.”

After fielding the children’s questions, Gilman read My Dog is Lost by Ezra Jack Keats, about a boy named Juanito who moves to America from Puerto Rico, but has no friends because he speaks only Spanish. Juanito eventually makes friends throughout New York, including a police officer who helps him find his dog.

“I wanted to get across to the children that police officers are regular people and we like to interact with the community when there is not a crisis,” Gilman said. “I wanted them to have a positive image of police and to know that we are here to help them when they call upon us.”

“The children had a wonderful time engaging with Rob and helping him speak the Spanish words,” said Beth Bauer, site manager of Jumpstart at Simmons. “The theme of the book was particularly poignant to the Head Start children, because 75% of them speak Spanish as their first language.”

Bauer said that Simmons Jumpstart would like to have a guest reader’s series throughout the year that would engage more volunteers from the Simmons community to read to the children. She said that Simmons students consistently volunteer for the program; this year, 45 students are paired with children in low-income preschools in Jamaica Plain for a yearlong Jumpstart commitment.

“It is a wonderful experience for the College to give back to one of its longest-standing community partners, JP Head Start, which has been part of the Simmons family for decades and affiliated with Jumpstart since 1995,” said Bauer. “For JP Head Start, it’s an incredible way for children to get excited about reading and to feel more connected to others in their community.”

If you would like to get involved in Jumpstart, contact Carolyn Swanhall at Carolyn.Swanhall@simmons.edu or Beth Bauer at Elizabeth.Bauer@simmons.edu or x2229. Individuals can volunteer at a service day in the preschool, or be brought in to read. Service days last approximately two hours, while guest readers receive a half-hour orientation before spending approximately one hour in the classroom. “If an individual or group would like to do a specific project, we would be happy to work with them to match their interests,” said Bauer.

Plan for a bloomin’ good time!

You are reading the last online issue of In the Loop.

Because of your feedback, beginning in January, In the Loop will return to print, in the hold-in-your-hands newsletter format you remember.

An online survey was conducted last winter to gauge reader satisfaction with the online version of the newsletter. The majority of respondents said they preferred to read a print version of the faculty/staff newsletter, and that they read Loop less often in its digital form than they did in print.

Its print format will enable readers to once again peruse the newsletter on their commute, in the cafeteria, or in their office. In the Loop content will remain the same; it will still be chock full of important news, and fun and informative feature stories. It still will be published every two weeks (except during the summer, when it is distributed monthly). And the sections you read most will continue: Academic Accolades, Media Marvels, Loop Listings classifieds, and Secret Lives and Unsung Heroes employee features.

For those of you who enjoy the environmental benefits and convenience of reading Loop online, you can still receive In the Loop digitally. Please contact me at pipitone@simmons.edu to receive a Pdf version of the newsletter via email. And for those of you who enjoyed making submissions and suggestions online, you still will be able to access the Loop Exchange Submission Form.

Additionally, anyone needing to refer to past editions of the online newsletter will be able to access them in the online “archives” section, beginning in January.

Have a festive winter break and a Happy New Year, and we’ll meet again ⎯ in print form ⎯ in January.

Elyse Pipitone ’07SW, editor

2008 Annual Meeting, featuring discussions with Massachusetts Republican Party Chair Peter Torkildsen and Democratic Party Chair John Walsh. $35 for members of the Caucus; $40 non-members; free for Simmons students, faculty, staff and alumnae. R.S.V.P. by Jan. 18 to diane.hammer@simmons.edu.

Survey results will be presented to each department/division by Jan. 28. Using the survey results, each department/division will be asked to provide one or two recommendations on which the Simmons community should focus, as well as one or two recommendations on which the department/division itself should focus.

On Jan. 29, based on these recommendations, President’s Council will agree on one or two items for community-wide focus, which President Scrimshaw will share with employees through In the Loop and other communications vehicles. Stay tuned for updates.

The new site will feature several new additions, such as:
• calendars specific to each regional alumnae/i group in both a list and traditional calendar format
• class notes sorted by school and class year
• customized personal pages

The class notes section also will be updated. In addition to sorting online class notes by school and by class year, new fields for searching include maiden name and company name.

Class notes also will be included on each registered user’s personal page. The personal pages, similar to a Facebook or MySpace page, also allow alumnae/i to post photos and include their various groups and affiliations.

Visit Alumnet now for the latest in alumnae/i news and alumnae/i events, and then come back next month to view the new site and experience all these exciting features.

UGL is a leading diversified services company providing maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, facility management, and corporate real estate services to blue chip companies and governments throughout the world.

“The name may be changing, but UNICCO will still be providing the same services to us and throughout North America it has offered for many years,” said Bill Concannon, director of business affairs.

The company is also introducing a new logo. “It is similar to UNICCO’s previous logo, but incorporates UGL in order to highlight the strength of UNICCO’s membership in United Group Limited’s international family of companies,” he said.

For more information, visit www.ugl-unicco.com.

In the event Simmons needs to close due to hazardous weather conditions, the College will inform employees through the following methods:

WBZ 1030-AM Radio and WBZ-TV Channel 4 — WBZ NewsRadio will read the list of school cancellations twice per hour (5 and 35 minutes past the hour) during its Storm Center operation, and during the local news updates on CBS’s The Early Show. Every effort will be made to ensure that a Simmons closure is made beginning with the 6:35 a.m. newscast. Those commuting from long distances are advised to delay their departure from home until complete cancellation information is available.

A voicemail message will be broadcast over the College’s telephone system. You can call 617-521-3463 and select the menu choice for school closing information. If possible, the College also will announce storm and other emergencies through email messages and an announcement posted on the home page of the Simmons website.

Every effort will be made to keep the College open during a snowstorm, including making use of delayed openings. If appropriate, the broadcast and voicemail announcements will specify delayed opening times for day classes. Most closings will be for day closings only. In the event that evening classes must be canceled, a separate announcement will be made by mid-afternoon.

Judgments for weather related closings are based upon the best information available from the Boston office of the National Weather Service. Each employee should make his or her own decision about whether to travel to work, based on weather conditions in his/her area. It is strongly suggested that public transportation, if readily accessible, is used to get to and from the College during snowy and icy weather.

If the College is open and an employee is not present, this absence will be charged either as vacation time or as unpaid time, based on the employee’s preference. Employees deciding to stay home should notify their supervisor as soon as possible in the morning. It is the responsibility of deans, vice presidents, department chairs, directors, and department heads to establish telephone trees if they so desire.

Please do not call the Department of Public Safety to ask whether the College is open. During snow, storm, and other emergencies the dispatcher is extremely busy, and calls of this nature may impede the handling of serious problems.

“The center identifies recent books that speak to too-often erased histories, too-little heard stories and analyses, and too-scantily noticed strategies for social change,” said Loretta Williams, director of the center.

The 2007 Myers Center Outstanding Books Winners are:
• The History of My Shoes and the Evolution of Darwin’s Theory (Carroll & Graf, 2007) by Kenny Fries
• Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2007) by Saidiya Hartman
• The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (South End Press, 2007), edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
• The Secret Powers of Naming (University of Arizona Press, 2006) by Sara Littlecrow-Russell
• Dancing on Live Embers: Challenging Racism in Organizations (Between The Lines, 2006) by Tina Lopes & Barb Thomas
• Clinging to Mammy: The Faithful Slave in Twentieth-Century America (Harvard University Press, 2007) by Micki McElya
• Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where it Comes From and What it Means for Politics Today (Pluto Press, 2006) by Steven Salaita
• Getting It: A Novel (Simon & Schuster, 2006) by Alex Sanchez
• The Cost of Privilege: Taking on the System of White Supremacy and Racism (Camino Press, 2007) by Chip Smith
• Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present (Doubleday, 2006) by Harriet A. Washington

For further info, visit the Myers Center at www.myerscenter.org.

President Scrimshaw invites Simmons employees to attend an upcoming Open Forum “to continue our conversations about Simmons’s future, to exchange ideas, to give you the opportunity to ask questions, and to share hopes and concerns as we chart our future course.” Dessert and beverages will be served. For more information, contact Brenda Boyer in the president’s office at x2156.

This annual ceremony raises awareness of domestic and relationship violence. See below for other related events, all taking place in the Kotzen Meeting Room.
• Feb. 11-12, noon-2:00 p.m.: Make a t-shirt to hang on the line for yourself, a friend, or a family member
• Feb. 11-15: Ongoing viewing of the t- shirts
• Feb. 14, noon-1:00: discussion group following the event

Sponsored by Health Education. For more information, contact Healtheducation@Simmons.edu or x1001.