Temple University School of Medicine - Skull Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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HOODERS Graduation is a cultural tradition considered a rite of passage from one platform in a students life to another. It has its origins in antiquity where many tribes were found to be celebrating their passing from youth to adulthood through various customs and observances. Todays graduation ceremony is a manifestation of this ancient rite of passage in the modern context. An important part of the graduation ceremony is the giving of hoods. The origin of the hood lies with the Celts and the Druids (the Celtic priests). Among the Celts, only the Druids wore mantles which had hoods attached to them as a mark of their rank in the society. In the schools of the Middle Ages, the hoods were worn as a head-covering to resist the frigid temperatures. But gradually, it was integrated into the academic system with much symbolic significance. Now, wearing of hoods symbolizes a kind of authority, a high standing, or to identify a new graduates institution and the degree. 8T Temple University school of medicine

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IN APPRECIATION We celebrate Dr. Concetta HARAKAL'S 50 YEARS OF SERVICE AS AN EDUCATOR. SCIENTIST. AND FRIEND. She maintains that the quantity of her years at Temple pales in comparison to their quality: My first love is the student body and that is what has kept me here this long.” When she talks of Temple medical students, a sense of awe enters her tone as she recounts their brilliance in the face of such adversities as admissions, workload, and tuition. There was the student who studied medicine by day and drove a taxi by night to support his family. There were students who would stay in lab for up to eight hours after a full day of class because they were genuinely interested in the matcrial-and Dr. Harakal genuinely interested in teaching them. Then there are students in our class who were fortunate enough to interview with Dr. Harakal and receive the ultimate ofcmpathetic hugs. If there is one thing that makes Dr. Harakal such a remarkable individual it is that she genuinely cares for all of her students. Of course there is more than just one thing that makes her remarkable, but her concerted effort to understand and immerse herself in the plight of medical students is quite touching. She began teaching medical students by chance, she says. Temple medical students had tlA .1.1- .-. the hall t:«•: ft hci lab and her general curiosity presented her with an opportunity to teach. Inspired by their sin- i cere !• Dr. larakal took quite » k J a shine to them. She wanted to know more about them, what hardships they had to overcome, and how she could better help them: so, she joined the admissions committee. When her family emigrated from Italy to Philadelphia, they settled in a decidedly un-Italian neighborhood in order to better understand the new culture. Similarly, Dr. Harakal saw her position on the admissions committee as a way to understand medical students: I wanted to see exactly what they do - when they apply, what they do right when they were accepted, what they were after.” Helping with Dr. Harakal conducting an experiment in the late 1960 s. Con cxMa rJ {a rttkaX, rPfu 2). professor of pharmacology the difficulties that medical students faced, Dr. Harakal wanted to know: What's your trouble? Are we failing your What can I do to help you?” It is hard for me to believe that Dr. Harakal has ever failed to come through for anyone. It is also hard to accept that Dr. Harakal will leave Temple for retirement at the end of the year. For her, the decision was not an easy one and she does not in fact look forward to leaving what she loves and enjoys so much-teaching the TUSM student body. Nevertheless, she is optimistic about change and future endeavors of rc-Icarning Italian and reaching out to church parishioners without families by writing them letters. As her lovely smile has graced the pages of every yearbook since 1958, Dr. Harakal will surely be missed and never 2010 Skull T-

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ALISA PEET, M.D. Assistant Professor General Internal Medicine BENNETT LORJBER, M.D. Professor Infectious Diseases A hood is always black in color, but the edges and lining have individual significance. The hood is lined in silk with the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. The edging of the hood is velvet, with a particular color representative of the field of study to which the degree pertains. The official colors of Temple University are cherry and white while the velvet is dark green signifying medicine. A doctorate degree has a hood length of four feet. The tradition is that a candidate for a degree should not wear the hood of that degree until it is actually conferred. One of the great continuing traditions is the presence of hood-ers - individuals who symbolically bestow the medical degree upon each graduate. The senior class chose four individuals to assist with the placement of the hoods. These distinguished members of the faculty were selected not only for their superior quality of teaching, but for their passion, hard work, and dedication, the practice of medicine, and student education. Each hooder has committed themselves to challenging the minds of medical students and encouraging future doctors to maintain integrity to the profession. It was from these mentors that we were able to obtain the knowledge and learn the skills to become physicians - doctor, teacher, and friend. Dr. Lorber, surrounded by his students and his art. Dr. Kaplan having a hard rime hearing Dr. Peet. Opposite page: Dr. Kaplan contributing tojen Chou's growing fund of knowledge. Dr. Heckman writes “a dirty word for Sean Alcantara. 2010 Skull T9