From A Protester Inside HMB
As now, we are working hard to lock up the HMB building. As they
suspect that DPS and the DC police will come to HMB and try to find a
way to break in, they expect us to clean up and get ready for school. I
have to give a big thanks to the alumnis, staffs and faculties to
finally participate with our lockdown at HMB. Not just thankful to
them, also for everyone to come and support and listen our open forum,
here at Student Body Government office. We finally have the chance to
see the Director of Admission Office, Dean of the University and the
Interim Provost and discuss about the issue that we have problems right
now. They finally could felt our power and our raging about the
protest, now they realized and understand how we felt, but that is not
enough, we need more people to feel it and have some discussion. What
we are looking forward is to have open forum with Dr. Jane Fernandes.
We need to hear from her, she has to respond to all these mess. Our
goal is to make Jane Fernandes to resigned. We need a new change,
better university, here at Gallaudet University.
Right now, we are locking it up very secure, making sure that the DPS
won’t come in. We definitely need your help, all of you students at
Gallaudet University and all the faculties, alumnis and staffs to help
and protect our freedom for Gallaudet. Do you want Gallaudet to be
better university and resigned Jane Fernandes??? Then HELP US, DPS and
DC are coming tonight and try to break and stop our protest. If you
don’t feel comfortable and bored, bring your stuff to HMB. HMB is your
new home!
As what Chris Corrigan says: “I am glad that they (Director of
Admission Office, Dean of the University and the Interim Provost) came
to the forum and discuss about this. We will still protest, we are
powerful! We just need more numbers, NUMBERS! Each day, the people
gains, the shortest the process of protest will be short. Once we get
more people, we won’t be powerful, we will be gods/goddess. I love you
all! I love you all! Once again, UNITY FOR GALLAUDET! UNITY FOR
GALLAUDET!”
UNITY FOR GALLAUDET!!
From Suzy Rosen Singleton
I wasn’t there when the violence occurred this morning, but I was given this photo which was taken by Steve Vollmar during the episode of the Gallaudet security’s unreasonable use of excessive force with the campus protesters.
(if unable to see the image, click on this: dps)
I was told that this intimidating threat of using the pepper spray was done to a number of protesters, not just the one person partially shown in this photo.
Frankly folks, I’m still reeling from the shock today. Students faculty alumni and protesters in general are being traumatized — emotionally, mentally, as well as physically. Yes, physically as well. Students showed me the evidence of excessive police force, including their ripped shirts and injuries. Litigation and expensive institutional liabilities are very real possibilities which could have been easily avoided.
And for the Board of Trustees to invite groups of students and faculty under the pretext of engaging in dialogue while some absent members were, at the same time, actually in another building hosting a press conference announcing that the FSSA’s demands can’t be met, and that the BOT has “directed the Administration to do what is necessary both to assure (sic) the safety of our students and to allow the work of the university to proceed. . . It is the Administration’s responsibility to resolve the takeover of the Hall Memorial Building. They have our confidence.” If the BOT had had a shred of integrity, the BOT would have shared this press release with the invited groups of students and faculty instead of pretending that the BOT were still in the process of deliberating a plan of action.
Yes, I fear for the students’ safety even more now that BOT has proclaimed its unsubstantiated support for DPS, Gally’s police,
despite the fact that BOT was apprised of the violence directly by Tara Holcomb’s moving emotionally-charged story of her assault and intimidation. The BOT has announced repetitively its horrendously erroneous perception that it is powerless to meet the demands, without much-needed and requested elaboration why it feels disempowered.
Folks, Gallaudet University needs a solution more than ever. The BOT has failed to provide one. The BOT has failed Gallaudet University. The students remain in lockdown at HMB as of tonight. I’m gravely worried and ask, at a minimum, that more alumni come to the aid of the students and protesters on campus. Visit and ask how you can help. You will be surprised how you can make a difference.
Reprinted with the permission by the author
Oct 12. Jordan on NPR Please Call NPR During Show
I don’t know what time this will be held. Also the phone number so I can post it. We need to confront Jordan regarding his lies to the media about Fernandes ‘Not Deaf Enough’, Gally Students not injured, and Mace not used. The world needs to hear the TRUTH.
October 12, 2006 NPR Program Featuring I. King Jordan on Web with Captions
National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation will feature I. King Jordan in a special 2 hour broadcast on the future of deaf education and culture on Thursday October 12, 2006. Dr. Jordan plans to retire at the end of this year as president of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university dedicated to deaf and hearing impaired students. As the first ever deaf president of the institution, he began the job in 1988 amid controversy and leaves 18 years later in the midst of more controversy over the appointment of his successor. In Hour One of the broadcast, Dr. Jordan weighs in on the debate and his legacy. Hour Two will examine the shifting debate over the cochlear implant. Once an issue that divided the deaf community, the use of cochlear implants is now more accepted. Yet, very difficult questions remain about how people with cochlear implants can successfully live in two worlds – the hearing and the deaf – about how children with these implants should be educated. Guests during this hour will include documentary filmmaker Josh Aronson, whose film “Sound and Fury” tells the story two brothers split apart by their different approaches to the implants for their children. Mr. Aronson has recently completed a follow-up to his film, “Sound and Fury: Six Years Later” and will join the program with Peter and Heather Artinian who were featured in both films. The deaf and hearing impaired community will be able to follow in real-time Dr. Jordan’s discussion with Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan through live captioning on www.NPR.org . The captioning technology enabling the streaming of broadcast captions on the Web is developed and provided by the Media Access Group at WGBH Boston. Those tuning in to the program through the live caption stream will also be able to email questions to Dr. Jordan over the course of the hour. Talk of the Nation is NPR’s midday news talk program that explores all topics from politics to pop culture, education, religion, books, health, family and music. Through call-ins and e-mails, listeners are able to join in dialogue with decision-makers, authors, academicians, artists and newsmakers in the headlines. Neal Conan has been host of Talk of the Nation since 2001. With 2.8 million weekly listeners, the program airs on 276 NPR Member stations around the country; for local stations and time periods, check http://www.npr.org/schedule/index.php .
Many Thanks to Tayler Mayer
Thanks very much to Tayler Mayer for his generosity and quick action.
One subscriber informed him that many school systems have fire walls blocking access to public sites, such as xangas. Due to these firewalls, employees of many schools for the deaf were unable to follow the protest closely on the Internet. Quick-thinking, Tayler Mayer hurriedly set up alternative sites so the Xanga Bloggers can continue their reporting of this historical protest. I was in a florida hotel, furiously working to keep the readers informed while taking breaks to visit an ailing mother at the nursing home. I didn’t have time to look for nor set up a new blog, but Mr. Mayer took care of this business part, permitting me to continue my work.
I find this new site much more accommodating to the readers. Unlike Xanga, this site doesn’t require registration at all , so the readers are free to leave anonymous comments without fear of reprisal.
Thanks, Tayler, for making Best of Deaf Blogs possible and also assisting us the bloggers in keeping the readers and the protesters informed, despite the efforts of Gallaudet Administration to sever all communication lines to the outside world.
The new blog is: « Mishka Zena
A Letter From a Kappa Gamma Alumnus
From: The Skull
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 04:14:17 -0400
We just came back from Gallaudet where we met and talked with committed
protesters in their new headquarters: SBG Office in HMB. They all were
busy working on logistics and strategies to maintain their momentum. The
entire HMB building looked like the city of sleepless protesters.
Students were everywhere keeping watch over their locked building. Some
were sleeping to get quick rest and some didn’t look like they would
need to sleep for a long while.
One dedicated faculty member impressed us very much. She felt very
protective of the protesting students and didn’t want to leave these
students in the harm way. She was still busy explaining things calmly to
a group of attentive protesters as we got ready to leave HMB around 3.30
AM. As a person of color herself, she understands and appreciates the
relentless fight for social justice. She is a fearless and outspoken
leader.
A very proud and cheerful African American staff woman was there too.
She was probably the only staff member brave enough to stay involved
with the protesters without wearing a brown bag over her head with the
“I’m scared to show my face” sign written on it. Like a good shepherd,
she was busy encouraging the protesters to keep going. She’s a wonderful
mentor to many of these young protesters.
Matt Malzkuhn and Jason Lamberton were the most visible alumni we could
find in the building. They were busy planning strategies and helping
protesters solve problems in between talking patiently with us. They’re
dedicated to the cause. They want to make sure that the protesters can
feel and see the support of alumni. They don’t work for Gallaudet and
feel that the standard threats made to staff members and student workers
will not work on them.
Some protesters said they were disappointed to see Mr. Robbage resign as
SBG vice president after Carl Pramuk threatened him and Noah Beckman by
saying that their involvement in the protest could hurt their education
and employment at Gallaudet. Student Affairs had made similar threats to
other protesters like Ryan Commerson. Protesters said they don’t trust
the Judicial Affairs headed by Carl Pramuk’s “best friend” who was very
unpopular in Indiana deaf school before coming back to Gallaudet last
month. His name is Hilel. Protesters said that Mr. Pramuk has no respect
for students and their rights.
Board of Trustees have elected to do nothing. They left the
administration to take care of the crisis. Protesters felt that the
momentum was on their side. They knew that the administration will soon
lose control of the situation and be forced to negotiate with the
students. They knew that if more students are arrested and injured it
will backfire on the administration because it will get their angry
parents, relatives, and friends involved in the protest.
In 1988, Kappa Gamma Fraternity students played key roles in the DPN
protest. They were everywhere doing little and big things for the
protest. Now the situation is different. DSP students are the most
visible male leaders in the protest. They’re proud to show their green
and white colors. Kappa Gamma alumni lament that their young brothers
are confused and selfish but are proud of few Kappa Gamma boys like
David Simmons and Michael Higgins who are fearless and active in the
protest.
Protesters are working on many surprises for the administration. They
are well armed with digital video cameras to counter untruths by
Gallaudet’s PR office. They need more students, faculty, alumni and
friends involved to accomplish their objectives. They are confident they
will get BOT to reopen the presidential search process. Watch out fore
more updates. Don’t miss history in the making! It will be an
interesting semester.
Skull
Alert! Media Denied Access on Campus Again!
The media are being denied entrance at the front gate of Gallaudet
today. The DPS has been instructed to inform them that “No media are
allowed.”
One television reporter called and is requesting the protesters to
email photos to them, and possibly even provide video, if possible.
Please respond if you have photos or video that can be sent to the
television stations.
ABC 7
| News Department Main: 703-236-9555 News Fax: 703-236-2331 Phone in a news tip!
CBS 9 (WUSA) Phone: 202.895.5999: 202.895.5999 |
NATIONAL NEWS SERVICES/WIRES
Associated Press
Phone: 212-621-1500
Fax: 212-621-7523General Questions and Comments: info@ap.org
Partial Contact Information for the Associated Press by Department and Bureau
Telephone: 646-223-4000Reuters Editorial Feedback
United Press International
Telephone: 202.898.8000
FAX: 202.898.8057Comment and Tips: tips@upi.com
LOCAL MEDIA CONTACT:
Washington Post:
City Desk — 202-334-7300
Phone: 202-334-6000
Fax: 202-334-5269
email contact: national@washpost.com
Editorial letters: letters@washpost.com
Writers and Editors
Washington Times:
Phone number: (202) 636-3000
Email: Contact Us - The Washington Times, America’s Newspaper
NATIONAL MEDIA CONTACT:
ABC News
Phone: 212-456-7777
General e-mail: netaudr@abc.com
Nightline: nightline@abcnews.com
20/20: 2020@abc.com
CBS News
Phone: 212-975-4321
Fax: 212-975-1893
CBS Evening News: evening@cbsnews.com
The Early Show: earlyshow@cbs.com
60 Minutes II: 60II@cbsnews.com
48 Hours: 48hours@cbsnews.com
Face The Nation: ftn@cbsnews.com
CNN
Phone: 404-827-1500
Fax: 404-827-1906
Email forms for all CNN news programs
Fox News Channel
Phone: (212) 301-3000
Fax: (212) 301-4229
comments@foxnews.com
List of Email addresses for all Fox News Channel programs
Special Report with Brit Hume: Special@foxnews.com
FOX Report with Shepard Smith: Foxreport@foxnews.com
The O’Reilly Factor: Oreilly@foxnews.com
Hannity & Colmes: Hannity@foxnews.com, Colmes@foxnews.com
On the Record with Greta: Ontherecord@foxnews.com
NBC
Phone: 212-664-4444
Fax: 212-664-4426
List of Email addresses for all NBC news programs
NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw: nightly@nbc.com
NBC News’ Today: today@nbc.com
Dateline NBC: dateline@nbc.com
MSNBC
Phone: (201) 583-5000
Fax: (201) 583-5453
CNBC
Phone: (201) 585-2622
Fax: (201) 583-5453
List of Email addresses for all MSNBC news programs
Hardball with Chris Matthews: hardball@msnbc.com
MSNBC Reports with Joe Scarborough: msnbcreports@msnbc.com
NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS:
The Los Angeles Times
Phone: 800-528-4637 or 213-237-5000
Fax: 213-237-4712
L.A. Times Contact Information by Department
Letters to the Editor: letters@latimes.com
The New York Times
Fax: 212-556-3690
D.C. Bureau phone: 202-862-0300
New York Times Contact Information by Department
How to Contact New York Times Reporters and Editors
Letters to the Editor (for publication): letters@nytimes.com
Write to the news editors: nytnews@nytimes.com
USA Today
Phone: 800-872-0001 or 703-854-3400
Fax: 703-854-2165
Give feedback to USA Today
Letters to the Editor: editor@usatoday.com
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL–Protest escalates at Gallaudet University
NewsTrack – Top News
Protest escalates at Gallaudet University
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) — Protests against the incoming president of
Washington’s Gallaudet University escalated Saturday as students
alleged brutality by campus police.
University officials denied any students were injured, The Washington
Post reported.
About 200 protesters at the school of higher education for deaf and
hard-of-hearing students blocked access to the campus’ main classroom
building, demanding the board of trustees reopen the search for a
president.
The students claim their opposition to current choice Jane Fernandes
has been ignored.
Fernandes, born deaf, grew up “mainstreamed” — meaning she went to
schools with hearing children — and did not learn sign language until
she was in her 20s. Students complain she is still not fluent.
When security officers tried to get the students to leave Friday, the
officers gave orders without sign language and the students did not
understand, students told the Post.
Some people were injured when officers shoved their way through and
used pepper spray, students said.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061007-102135-8561r
Videoclip of DPS Reaching For His Mace
mace3.wmv 07-Oct-2006 07:11 8.0M
Video Showing Security Guards’s Handling of Gally Students’ Human Shield
peace.wmv 07-Oct-2006 07:03 10.8M
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