For The Next President, We Need
Hi, In response to many discussions about who we want for the next president, I am sure we all want specific people, but we all agree on the same qualifications that we want. We want a person who can lead Gallaudet and the world. When DPN happened, more and more people learned about deaf people. More and more people’s attitude are better than it was before. With technology today, we need a president who can lead a university. Since Gallaudet is an unique university, we need a president who can lead Gallaudet and build bridges to deaf schools, deaf programs, and anything related to deafness. The president must understand how IMPORTANT Gallaudet is to deaf people all over the world. It doesn’t matter if it is which sex, which height, which size, which race, which religion.
I am going to expand a bit more here. Computers, pagers, video phones and many other technologies make our world a better place to live. Cochlear Implants comes in the picture now. Some people are worried about how we will include them at Gallaudet. We have always included people who are Deaf, deaf, Oral, hard of hearing and many more. I do not think we will have any problem with people who have CIs. The president will HAVE to make adjustments for ALL kinds of people. So, it doesn’t matter if he or she is deaf/Deaf or even HEARING. The important thing is his/her attitude.
Delanne
reprinted with permission by the author
email addy: mishkazena@aol.com
6 Comments »
Leave a comment
-
Archives
- November 2006 (99)
- October 2006 (506)
-
Categories
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
we *already* include people who have cochlear implants. until JK started talking to the WaPo radio host about how implants inspire her to creat a new deaf order (??), i would wager to say that people with implants were more or less a non-issue as members of the gallaudet community. we *already* welcome all people who want to be part of the gallaudet community. that will not change.
Right. As an oralist, I was welcomed at Gallaudet, just like many hoh and people with C.I.
There are plenty of us who can attest to the fact that we are shunned away and made to feel less than on campus. This is a REAL issue. If this issue is not addressed the university will be closed down. Oppresion goes both ways here.
I disagree capt. All campuses have people who are shunned to some degree. I wish it wasn’t so, but that’s a fact of life. I am HOH (oral until age 24) and consider Gally my home. I’ve been here for over five years as volunteer staff and I have to say I’ve yet to see someone shunned first hand, although I am sure it happens. Gally is an open and very diverse community. That said, ASL should always be the spoken language on campus. I speak as well as any hearing person, but I rarely use my voice on campus, and that is as it should be. I would expect C.I. users to speak ASL as students on campus. All faculty and staff should be fluent in ASL. I think all administrators should be fluent in ASL as well. The misconception is that ASL hinders English skills. Nothing could be further from the truth. I would argue that the more ASL is encouraged at a young age, the better change they have of learning English skills. ASL is actually the vehicle for the deaf to learn English. The schools have really suffered from the constant lowering of standards and expectations. Most deaf have the ability to learn English, but some don’t try which is sad, but many have a difficult time because they haven’t mastered ASL as a language. Of course the issues are complex, but this is the super simplfied version.
I believe an individual has the right to decide how they get along in life be it C.I.’s, orally, ASL, etc. There is no direct answer to this. Our circumstances differ and if I can excel in some way, whatever that is I should be welcomed in the community. I come here to learn any way I can so when I graduate I can live in the World outside of here. I cannot stay locked inside the gates of Gallaudet for the rest of my life. I need to be prepared and however that may be accomplished should be my decision, not the majorities.
Capt. I have no disagreement with that, either. I feel it is up to the deaf person to decide what is best for the person, too. I grew up orally and personally am grateful that I had the opportunity to learn ASL. However, I do know few oral deaf people who were content with their lifestyles. Good for them.
About oppression there are two different kinds of oppression: external oppression and internal oppresion. Yes, I agree with you that it is a problem on the campus and it needs to be explored, too. That is why we need a leader who is willing to confront these issues. Fernandes was asked repeatedly the last six years to address the oppression issues, but she hadn’t so far, so this is one of many reasons why the majority doesn’t feel she is a capable leader.