Student Newspaper Of Gallaudet University
Volume CXXIX
H Street Festival 2015 What you should have done at the H St Festival
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Issue i
Homecoming Issue
Introducing the Homecoming Staff
Wednesday, October 8, 2015
The Revival of Men’s Soccer After three years, men’s soccer is now back!
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Hurwitz: Looking Back Some final words with the tenth President of Gallaudet
A TIME OF OPPORTUNITY AND GROWTH President-Select Roberta Cordano
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller
It Takes A Village To Transform By Margaret Kopp At 12:30 PM on Friday, October 9, a throng of students, teachers, and faculty made their way to Elstad Auditorium to witness history. The auditorium was packed, even though the PSAC made their official announcement barely an hour before the unveiling. The presidential selection is not something Gallaudet takes lightly, and the Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC)
has been working for over a year with the campus. After surveys, several public forums, a revision of the presidential job description, meet-and-greets, and an outpouring of feedback from the community, the Board of Trustees finally made their decision. Excitement and curiosity filled the auditorium as students milled around, asking each other which candidate they supported.
There was a fairly even split between Cordano, Lloyd-Ogoke, and Reichman, and some even liked all three. Heather Harker, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, started with some customary opening remarks, thanking the many necessary people. Harker then took several moments to detail the role of the president. Read more... Page: 8
Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
INTRODUCING THE BUFF AND BLUE STAFF
From the Editor-in-Chief Let’s talk about opportunity. A couple of weeks ago, I was among several students asked to reminisce on why we chose Gallaudet. Our answers would be part of a campaign to increase enrollment, which has unfortunately been a Gallaudet issue for as long as I can remember. Three years ago I was in high school, trying to decide where I wanted my life to go. As I looked through catalogs, I realized that being at any other university would mean having to fight for my space. It’s an important battle, and I respect anyone who’s out there right now fighting. But I was done putting in extra effort just to be seen as equal. At Gallaudet, the door is open to everyone. You’ve all seen the signs slathered across campus highlighting the “Gallaudet advantaged”. The Gallaudet advantage is that this campus is ours. We have many issues, but also the power to change. Once I arrived on campus two years ago, I quickly saw that there were opportunities under every cranny, around every corner, and they’re also on every page of this issue. From the revival of the men’s soccer team and Tower Clock to the new president and the 6th Street development, Gallaudet is teeming with promise. Opportunity isn’t flashing the doorbell because it’s already been let in. Opportunity is everywhere on campus, in the flourishing neighborhood, and in every one of us. As you read through this issue, remember that all of these changes are happening because of us alone. Join organizations, volunteer, or share your opinion through The Buff and Blue!
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GET TO KNOW US
Maggie Kopp
Paige Foreman
Editor-In-Chief If there’s a dog near me, I will find it, I will pet it, and I will love it.
Managing Editor Someday I want to swim across the English Channel.
Business Manager Every time someone asks me for a fun fact, I can never think of one.
Copy Editor I think hot sauce is the best condiment in the world.
Thadeus Suggs
Chrissie Marshall
Sean Maiwald
Brianna Stroud-Williams
Lifestyle Editor I used to drool over seafoods, but I now gag whenever I think about eating them.
Opinion Editor I didn’t download Instagram until 2013.
Sports & Leisure Editor I’ve been a vegetarian since I was fourteen.
Jason Antal
Katherine Giles
Damir Tuzmukhamedov
Kristin Williams
Head Reporter I can’t stand the taste of any sodas.
Community Relations I’m a left-handed red headed vegetrian gemini.
News Editor I lived on a sailboat for two years.
Kevin Peacock
Photo Editor I came, I saw, I took a picture.
Nathaniel Amann
Layout Designer I was supposed to be named Patrica Williams.
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
Bringing the Timepiece Back to Life
H Street Festival Our Vibrant H Street By Ethan Kramer
In case some of you did not attend the festival on September 19, I’m here to fill you in. The whole street was blocked off to cars, and people walked on the street instead of sidewalks. There were many exhibitions and food trucks selling delicious local cuisines. Believe it or not, there were more than 20,000 people! I had fried mini potato balls with bacon and cheese and it was absolutely mouthwatering! Next to the truck that sold me tater tots, there were three other food trucks within a 25-foot radius: Lebanese kabob, BBQ ribs, and Philly cheesesteak with boardwalk fries. It was nearly impossible deciding between those trucks! Everyone else seemed to enjoy their locally made meals too. After quenching our hunger, we hit the bars, and they were suffocated with posi-
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With the festival being so jam-packed of things to do and full of good vibes, my friends and I loved the festival. “It was my third time and I always forget how it is always so packed with people and things to do. The booths seem to be the same over the years but it is always nice to see our community get together.” said one of my buddies. While my H Street festival partner stat-
ed that: “H Street is truly a magical place, I do love the district but nothing compares to H Street, the majority of workers there are well-exposed and aware of the large deaf community a few steps from their street. Even though I own no roof on the street but it always feels like I am at home there.” The Festival is truly one of the highlights of the year.
tive vibes and everyone being happy, celebrating the unbeatable greatness of H Street. The festival was nothing but a huge storm of positive energy, happy people, and tasty smells of food.
Although the greatness of H Street cannot be questioned, I do wish that the vibes and energy of the festival are on the street on a daily basis. Not once did I see people fighting, catcall Even Gallaudet University had its own spot light on the street during the festival. Although I was not able to be there in person, news of the Gallaudet performances spread through the street like a wildfire: that the shows blew everyone’s mind and that they were beautiful. Congrats to those participants for representing our precious university very well! Gallaudet’s stage is just one example of many and many other booths and things to see at the H Street festival.
ing, or exchanging illegal drugs. Too bad it is not possible to close the street everyday, but it would be nice if we had H Street festival more than once a year!
Reclaiming Tower Clock
By Chrissie Marshall
Since 1941, Tower Clock yearbooks were precious to Gallaudet students. Each year, at the end of the spring semester, Gallaudet students would line up down the hallway at Ely Center, waiting anxiously to receive their
yearbooks, like excited children receiving candies. Years passed and yearbooks slowly decreased in popularity. Most college students either couldn’t afford or just forgot about it. Tower Clock staff were not motivated enough to meet deadlines. Yearbooks also became outdated in the emerging social media era. Then, in 2010, the Tower Clock had a dra matic setback - the staff lost all of their data on their hard drive by accident. Due to that and many other reasons, there was no choice but to close down the production of the yearbook that year. Afterwards, the administration cut the Tower Clock’s budget because it was determined that the Tower Clock served no purpose on campus anymore. The last five years were the dark ages for the Tower Clock. Recently, the bulb flickered back to life. Leeza Williams, the new Editor-In-Chief, came along to reclaim Tower Clock. She worked at the Buff and Blue during the second semester of her freshman year as a photo editor. While she was on the way to the Buff and Blue office, she often spotted the Tower Clock’s office right across the hallway. She would look on and wonder about how Tower Clock’s old office was lying right there, lifeless. There was something missing. Something. Yearbooks are supposed to memorialize the college days. The yearbook contains pictures of bashes, sororities, fraternities, events, mug shots and candid shots. College typically only last four years. These years are some of the wildest,
craziest, and best times that any college students would experience. Memories gradually fade away, but photos last forever. They are just reminders of the best memories of some students’ lives. A thought struck Leeza and she realized that it was time to bring back the yearbook. She then met up with Conrad Baer, the former SBG Director of Student Media. Baer thought it was a great idea and gave full support. They worked hard and made it happen. With the help and support of other people at Gallaudet, it took a year for Tower Clock to be rebuilt and become an official student media organization once again.
Tower clock is expected to have a smooth transition with the system of SBG for a long run. However, this year will be different than five years ago. It’s no expectation th at Tower Clock will have hard time selling yearbooks in hard copy so instead, the yearbook will be published on a website. Photos, mug shots, bash photos, candid shots will be published on the website. This time, it’s free for anybody to view the yearbook. TC’s long-term goal is that by two years from now, the production of year books will be published. Look out, Tower Clock has officially reclaimed its purpose! The future of Tower Clock is promising.
Cartoon by Kristin Williams
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
Past, Present, and Future Gallaudet By Sean Maiwald Gallaudet has taken on many forms, iterations, and styles over the years since 1856, when Amos Kendall gave up two acres of a plot of land near Washington DC to house as well as teach deaf and blind children. Gallaudet is poised to undergo its most significant change to the campus fabric since 1856, due
to the upcoming 6th Street Project. The 6th Street project is due to be one of the most transformative and interesting projects in Gallaudet’s history. But in a time of change, let us take a moment to appreciate how Gallaudet has grown throughout our long and rich history.
The second photograph from 1910 shows a scene of disarray at College Hall. There is a small caption at the bottom corner, saying ‘Gallaudet College, Wash. DC.- Feb. 6, 1910.’ College Hall is in the mid-forefront and the former power plant/laboratory buildings are seen off in the distance to the left. To the right, Tower Clock stands with its flag in
1910
the wind. Smoke can be seen rising from the left of the building, near the spire on the north corner. There are several wood ladders to the roof as well. The most fascinating part of the photograph is the throng of people milling about on Olmsted Green, and a horse-drawn fire engine is seen in the immediate foreground.
1870
The first photograph, from 1870, shows House One, the Edward Miner Gallaudet Residence for the president of the university, and Ballard House, or House Two. There are no other buildings or structures
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1888
nearby. In the heavily sepia toned photograph, vast fields and groves of trees dot the landscape. Off in the distance, Washington DC and a sea of buildings are seen far away.
The third photograph is from 1947. There are four of the faculty row buildings in sight, with the President’s house at the end. In the foreground, House Four, or Denison House is seen with metal fire es-
1956 The fourth photograph is from 1956, just before the major construction boom of the 1960s and 1970s on Kendall Green. Florida Avenue can be seen at the extreme bottom of the photograph. There is a cluster of buildings bounded by College Hall, Chapel Hall, and Fowler Hall. Kendall Hall and Dawes House bound the cluster of buildings and trees on the opposite side. Surrounding the cluster is a large field that stretches to a dense grove of trees. The
dense grove of trees is roughly where Kendall School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf are currently. There is nothing but empty field where the Jordan Student Academic Center, Field House, Hotchkiss Field, and the cluster of dorm buildings lie currently. This photograph is an aerial photograph over where approximately I or H Street is, and is in black and white.
1947
capes on top of the porch. Off to the far right, an older dark colored car is seen. This car appears to be a 1940s vintage Chrysler. The photograph is a traditional black and white print, and was taken in the wintertime.
2015
The fifth and fin al photograph is from 2015, and was taken on top of the parking garage that abuts 6th Street on the northeastern side of the campus. It faces the corner of 6th Street and Florida Avenue. To the left, the quaint Olmsted Green and Fay House are seen. In the center of the photograph, the Appleby building, which houses the transportation department is seen with a series of school buses and shuttle buses. On the right hand side of the photograph, 6th Street and the industrial façade of a building is seen. Off in the distance is the picturesque Capitol with braces for its reconstruction. To the right of the Capitol, two large construction cranes are seen. This photograph is in color, and there are a variety of
bright colors, from the yellow of the buses to the hued green of the various plants of Olmsted Green. This picture shows a portion of the area to be redeveloped as part of the 6th Street initiative set to transform campus. In conclusion, Gallaudet and Kendall Green have changed greatly over its 159-year history. The 6th Street project is poised to change the northeast corner of the campus, but the historic character that is Gallaudet will always be a wonderful part of the area. With the introduction of this project, more people will be able to enjoy our beautiful historic and verdant campus. I look forward to seeing the changes to come in the next 150 years!
The Boozy App: Extra Happy Hour
By Chrissie Marshall
You just finished an excruciatingly; long week of school, and it’s Friday. It’s T.G.I.F. You’re walking to H Street with your friends and you all are arguing which is the best restaurant to dine out. You all end up going to Chipotle instead. Awkward. Boozy, an app, downloadable by iPhone finds the best deals on happy hour, daily deals and brunches exclusively in D.C. Don’t settle for dish visuals, inaccurate information, or even having to go online and do the search yourself. Boozy, it’s a deliciously useful app. It even provides a complete list of top picks, daily deals, brunches and deals on your favorite dining spot with pictures attached so you know which restaurant you’re going to. It also lists all areas in D.C. such as
Silver Spring, Chinatown, Georgetown, H Street, and many more areas. What could be better than that? If you’re feeling Cinco De Mayo, there is a $6 Bodega Spanish Tapas special in Georgetown. Or if you’re feeling South Asian, you could eat the $5 Well Draughts cuisine at Cusbah South Asian Spice Bar at H Street. Afterwards, you might be feeling extra Irish, so you could always stop by at Irish Whiskey Public House in Dupont Circle for their tastic $4 beer. So many yummy deals! I was quite a bit skeptical at first, because there are many other apps similar to Boozy. I often downloaded these apps and ended up only using them once or twice. Read more... Pg. 8
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Oppression of Deaf People with But once I downloaded this app, I absolutely loved it. I discovered numerous deals that I never knew about. For instance, there is a special Happy Hour deal at Sticky Rice on Tuesdays that you can buy one Nigri sushi and get a second one for free. I’m still a bit embarrassed at the fact that I live in D.C. area for more than two years, but I’ve only explored less than a quarter of D.C. metropolitan area so far. My new current goal is to explore the entire area of D.C. and check every food/ wine corners i’ve always wanted to visit off my bucket list. You all might as well as make this your
new goal too! Fellow D.C. locals who love dining out, Boozy is your new best friend. You can stop reading this now, and swipe out your smartphone, and click on “Download Now”Boozy on App Store. Voila!
Front page continued... President-elect were encouraged to Roberta Cordano
By Maggie Kopp According to the formal position description, the president “will embody the institution’s mission. Recognizing and respecting Gallaudet’s rich culture and history, the President will strategically consult with a variety of constituents to successfully navigate the evolving national higher education landscape....” She also emphasized the importance of community as we transform as a university: “Gallaudet has a legacy of transformation, and we’ve seen and witnessed this time and time again.” Harker announced that the next president is the candidate that will lead us in a time of transformation. And with that, Harker gestured to center stage, and the audience held their breath...for a pause. Then our mascot Gally led Roberta Cordano out to a silent standing ovation. Nearly everyone stood on their feet and cheered for the future of Gallaudet. A selfie stick appeared, and Cordano, Harker, and Gally took the first selfie of the #Bobbi4GU campaign. Everyone who wanted to take a selfie with the
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do so at the reception, and already many students started to get up. They sat back down as President Hurwitz came onstage to share a poignant moment with the President-select, along with the gifting of some trinkets. Cordano then took the stage to express gratitude and make a promise to work with the community: “My last and probably most important comment…is it really takes a village to make a president.” The village seems eager to make our next president, indeed. Afterwards, students started talking about what they thought Cordano’s first step of action should be, or what Hurwitz would do during his last days. The hashtag #gunewprez and #Bobbi4GU were filled with remarks of congratulations from the community, including the SBG, the Linguistics Department, and even external agencies. Student Martha Wolcott quoted Bobbi’s village comment in a tweet: “She wasn’t my first choice but she will lead, she will be a good one.” Even though many different opinions are found on campus, Gallaudet shows promise of working together under a new leadership.
Oppression of Deaf People With Additional Disabilities
By Paige Foreman
D*, a student organization that advocates for students with additional disabilities, was just re-established as a student organization after a hiatus. When asked about the reason behind the hiatus, the former senator of D*, Sarah McMillen, replied, “There are two reasons: DeafBlind people and Deaf people with physical disabilities have different ways of living and also, it felt like we were fighting with people in the Gallaudet community.” “The oppressed have become the oppressors,” said student Alexa Chazulle. “In the Deaf community, it seems like people think I can’t do anything just because I have additional disabilities and my physical behavior is different. I have gotten used to oppression.” Faye Frez-Albrecht, a DeafBlind student, agrees that oppression within the Deaf community exists. “I started going to a Deaf school when I was 14 and it was there that I realized there is oppression within the Deaf community. Sometimes I was bullied or taken advantage of because they thought I couldn’t see them.” An example of oppression is stressing that American Sign Language is a visual language. Defining it in that way automatically excludes DeafBlind people. Said Frez-Albrecht, “From my perspective, ASL is both a visual and tactile language.” McMillen, who is an administrative and research assistant for the Tactile Mind, a collaborative project between DeafBlind community members and select researchers at Gallaudet, advocates for Pro-Tactile, an approach to ASL that empowers and includes the DeafBlind community. It allows DeafBlind people to com-
municate directly with people. “Often, DeafBlind people rely on CDIs in the classroom to understand what’s going on, but that is giving a sighted Deaf person the power. Also, without Pro-Tactile, I feel a lack of human connection and feel isolated.” However, to sighted Deaf people, Pro-Tactile is often thought of as an accommodation and McMillen believes it should not be that way. She encourages Deaf people to redefine ASL as a tactile and visual language. “Pro-Tactile is something all Deaf people can benefit from. For example, if Deaf people are in a room and the lights go out, most of them would just stop talking, stumped. Pro-Tactile is a solution to this problem though,” explained McMillen. “However, American culture has this aversion to touch,” which is why McMillen thinks ASL is defined as a visual language. “In the past, Deaf people were told to try harder to hear and to speak. Within Deaf culture today, DeafBlind people are told to try harder to see,” said McMillen. No matter how hard they try though, DeafBlind people aren’t going to be able to see better. Frez-Albrecht said, “Now that I’m at Gallaudet, I’m more focused on surviving and having a sense of humor about my blindness—I even created an Instagram account about my cane. I am blind, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. I know myself and can achieve what I set out to do. Some people don’t understand that though. For example, I am on the swim team, but I was not able to join at first for about three weeks because one nurse at Student Health Services was worried worried I would hurt myself or other students
Additional Disabilities if I joined the team. I can swim, but she didn’t understand that.” Chazulle stated, “It is human nature to be afraid of what we don’t understand, and that is something that I am guilty of too. Hearing people tend to be awkward and nervous around Deaf people when they meet them for the first time. Deaf people are the same way when they meet someone with another disability that they don’t understand. At the end of the day though, we are all human and I try to remember that when I interact with people.” McMillen stated, “Society is set-up for people who have all five senses, and when a person is missing one sense, society does not know what to do with that. Simi-
larly, the Gallaudet community is set-up for sighted Deaf people.” What if someone is missing fingers or a limb? What if seizures affect the ability to express oneself in ASL? Do we ignore that? Chazulle said, “Students take classes on the issue of oppression, but they still don’t apply what they learn in class. Perhaps they learn, but they don’t understand. People at Gallaudet need to be educated on this issue correctly.” Frez-Albrecht agreed. “I think Gallaudet should educate the community on this issue and provide workshops on interacting with Deaf people who have additional disabilities. People don’t understand us, so they need the chance to learn about us.”
Living With an Invisible Disability
ByAnonymous
“Who needs this seat? You’d be surprised,” a poster on the metro reads. “Not all disabilities are visible. That’s why it’s important to keep priority seating clear at all times.” I am sometimes a person who needs that seat. In addition to being Deaf, I have Mitochondrial Disease and some of the symptoms are: muscle pain and weakness, seizures, and migraines. All of these things are not blatantly obvious when you look at me. There are days when it is hard for me to walk and there are days when it is hard for me to think. Despite this, I do my best to appear normal, and, fittingly, Albert Camus once said, “Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.” This quote especially resonates with my experience of living with an invisible disability. My disability is not obvious to people, so I can try to hide it and appear normal. I am so good at hiding it that sometimes people don’t believe me when I tell them I am deaf and have Mi-
tochondrial Disease. When people don’t believe me, I feel hurt and helpless. I don’t even understand why I feel hurt, though, because isn’t having people see me as normal what I wanted in the first place? It feels like a contradiction, but it’s a fact of life for me. Of course, it hurts because the person denying my disabilities is calling me a liar. But the true reason why it hurts is because they are denying the tremendous amount of work I do to appear normal. All humans want recognition for the work they do, right? Actors swell with pride after a standing ovation. I want to publish the novels I write someday and hopefully the world will thank me for my stories. No one thanks me for working hard to appear normal because it is not an accomplishment—it is a standard. Part of me wants to conform to the standards and part of me wants to disregard them because no matter how hard I try, I am not normal. All this causes me to feel caught in a double-bind.
If I try to pass as normal and slip up, I am seen as weak at everything I do. If I am honest, people say I’m not trying hard enough. I can’t win. Once, I played tennis with a friend and ended up vomiting on the court because I got overheated. That’s one of the side effects of my disease—if I get overheated, I have a seizure. That’s part of the reason why I’m a swimmer—it’s hard to get overheated in cold water. Several people saw me throw up on the tennis court, but most of them knew about my condition and were understanding of what happened. But my stepfather said, “Someone’s out of shape—you need to exercise more.” That’s probably what the people who didn’t know about my disability were thinking too. I wish I could have told them that I swam five miles in the ocean the other day and was just fine. The next day though, I was a supposedly outof-shape girl holding a pool of her own vomit in her hands so it didn’t tarnish the pristine tennis court. That’s one thing I struggle with as a person with an invisible disability. People either deny I’m disabled or they tell me to try harder to be normal. Some days, it is hard for
Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
me to express myself. The way I use language can be thought of as “broken,” and as a result, the students and professors in my class will think I’m stupid or not take my comments seriously. They will nod and smile condescendingly at me until I am silenced. We silence people all the time and we are not aware that we are doing so. We silence those who struggle with mental health, those with learning disabilities, and many other types of invisible disabilities. We silence them and tell them that they are not trying hard enough to be normal. What can we do to help? First of all, I think the concept of “normal” needs to go because it means a person is either superhuman or extremely privileged. We should expect kindness and wisdom from people, not the ability to walk or hear, for example. We should see each other as nuanced human beings and send the message that “you can be yourself around me.” Listen to each other’s stories. Never assume that a person is weak. Often, they are braver than you think they are.
Really, Increased International Tuition Fees?
By Thinaja Nadarajah
Fifty thousand dollars for the brand new 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque sounds like a great deal! But for a year at Gallaudet University? Come on, please be real. How can you expect international students to be able to afford $50,000 for Gallaudet University? We international students are broke college students, like everyone else. The only difference between U.S. students and international students is their residency status. That’s all, folks. Not a lot of people realize that we have to pay more than what Gallaudet University charges domestic students. Even without
the double tuition costs, things like exchange rates help to drive up the cost for Gallaudet. It frustrates us when we are forced to pay more. That’s right, we are forced to pay extra just because we are international students and have to pay exchange fees. I literally pay several extra thousand dollars that directly comes out of my own pocket due to exchange fees. So imagine how we felt when we found out that Gallaudet doubled the tuition for international students. We’re angry because we already pay extra money in fees and exchange rates even before Gallaudet doubled the cost of university for us. Continued on Page 10
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Hurwitz: Looking Back Continued...
The Gallaudet Experience According to the Hurwitzes
International Tutition Fees
By Thinaja Nadarajah
Gallaudet University has not made time to recognize our concerns about the cost of tuition. A lot of us do not know where our money goes. Again, why do international students pay double tuition, while domestic students get the normal rate? I find this to be nonsense. If Gallaudet can break down where our moolah goes and show that to us, then we will have nothing to complain about. But without that, it is not fair for us not to know where our money goes. Before Gallaudet University doubled the cost of tuition and fees, the costs were already ridiculous. Now when I found out the new amount of tuition and fees, I literally wanted to crawl in a corner and spend my life there. It’s an insane amount of money, but I honestly can’t imagine myself attending any university other than Gallaudet University. Without federal grants, I would not know what to do. I have to thank my program, Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), for supporting me by providing moolah that helps cover what Gallaudet University costs for us. My program provides bursaries and loans. Unfortunately, it does not cover the full amount that Gallaudet University costs me. This is only my persona situation, but it’s depressingly true for many other international students, too. That’s why a lot of international students are desperate to have part time jobs on campus,
so they can stay here and live out their college years while being able to afford it. The experience of being a college student happens once in our lives. Who wants to miss out on those experiences, especially the ones at Gallaudet University? No one. There are many international students who are not able to afford Gallaudet University’s tuition and fees. They are forced to take a leave of absence or even withdraw. I definitely do not want to see an increase in the number of students who are forced to leave. Gallaudet University is the only place that everyone is able to call home. Let’s make sure international students are able to fulfill their college years at Gallaudet University by lowering tuition to a reasonable cost.
Meeting New People
By Buffy Blue
This is the first of a series of satirical editorials on the typical Gallaudet experience by Head Reporter Jason Antal. Happy reading!
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
When I first arrived at Gallaudet, the welcome was the best experience of my life. I knew a few people from old summer camps and visits, but there were even
more people I didn’t know. Knowing that the Deaf community is extremely welcoming of any potential outsiders, I decided to jump right in. I mean, when has there ever been any instance of Deaf people acting elitist? Our community is too small, so why would we do that? I started chatting people up. And while there were a few people who just walked off after I told them about my school for some reason, they were mostly pretty nice. My favorite was this one Jewish guy who was really passionate about resisting stereotypes, and he’s running for class treasurer. I did notice one thing, though—all the sophomores, juniors, and seniors seemed to have something against what they were calling freshman behavior. “I don’t really think that just treating the freshmen as equals is the way to go. I mean, we love them. Really. We just, you know, would rather not talk to or socialize with them on a deep level for maybe a year or so,” said a random senior. The other freshmen, though, seem to have no problem with this, sticking to our own little sub-group. Who else is going to share our passion for partying? And shouting? And drinking? And vomiting in toilets at three in the morning? And above all, who’s going to establish a friendly bond between students and the DPS every day? Only the freshmen. That lasted a pretty short time, though. We hung out in our own small group every night, but for some reason, we never found any new opportunities. Which is odd, because that’s what Gallaudet’s been doing—staying in its own little bubble. And that’s worked out great, right? So I decided to try and party with people I didn’t know, which is also really new here. The problem is that I don’t
have the same natural talent a lot of Gallaudet students have—the ability to completely remember the names, schools, years, and majors of anyone and everyone I meet when I’m drunk. “Why do freshmen think they can get away with calling me by the wrong name the morning after they black out? When I was a freshman, I was able to do keg stands, introduce myself to people, and have a conversation with them all at the same time. I’m insulted they can’t meet that standard,” said a student I overheard. Older students always encourage the younger students in everything they do, of course. Just the other day, they were telling friendly jokes on how freshmen party and where they end up afterwards. But as one senitor said,“ “Partying is a sacred art, handed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter, from blood brother to bong brother. It’s not something the average person can really learn about easily. I think that most of the new partiers don’t really appreciate that. We should just set up some party 101 class and keep them away from our sacred spots like Clerc.” I can’t argue against logic like that, so I’ve mostly just stayed in Benson Hall. It’s now popular to party with the same people, in the same rooms, all the time, and I’m getting in on that. I think I’ll just drop by a couple of binge-drink lock-in parties to get rid of my booze and remind my liver how much I despise it, then find something else to be involved in. SBG, maybe? They’re always talking about open forums and increasing inclusion, so they must be doing well. They’re the foundation of Gallaudet, right? Gallaudet is way more than just parties for most people.
By Thadeus Suggs
The first hundred days of an office are never as exciting as the last hundred. Instead of ramping up, you’re winding down. In the face of the upcoming presidential appointment, Maggie Kopp and I had the opportunity to catch up with President Hurwitz and the First Lady as they reflected on the wide-ranging impact of their stewardship of Gallaudet University. Anyone would be hard pressed to argue that Gallaudet University is the same institution it was the day the Hurwitzes arrived. Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz said, “Presidents come and go.” Essentially, each President is a caretaker of the University, because they’re tasked with the responsibility of thinking ahead and orchestrating changes throughout the University to meet any foreseeable need. The myriad of departments and services that requires the attention of the President paired with the strong sense of community and belonging at Gallaudet could be likened to being a small-town mayor. The defining factor for them was the sense of community at Gallaudet. They were quickly invited into the community – not just the Deaf community or Gallaudet (although they were often asked why they didn’t attend Gallaudet) but the surrounding neighborhoods and the city of Washington, D.C. Alan said he felt like he had arrived at a moment when the campus was starting to move from isolation to innovation. Before, the campus felt much smaller and boxed in, but under Alan’s tenure, the campus had started to transform outwards, alongside the rapidly changing character of the area. Alan pointed out several key players, “Union Market, H Street, the City of Washington’s government – they all want to develop a relationship with Gallaudet Univer-
sity and to work with us no w. In a few years, the Florida Avenue Market area will be like a college town.” Gallaudet’s transformation wasn’t just limited to spatial relations, either – Alan faced a difficult first year thanks to a severely constrained budget. “It wasn’t easy,” he said, on having to close forty positions and lay off another forty employees. Seventeen programs were closed – when Alan arrived, many programs hadn’t been updated for more than thirty years. However, things got better - several new majors and graduate programs have been added, and an endowment for STEM majors has been established. These changes are part of an overarching effort to improve enrollment – something Alan feels should be the top priority for President Cordano. “We need to figure out what these high school students are thinking when they look at Gallaudet,” Alan said. The phrase “That’s Gallaudet!” needs to become positive. “Eighty-five percent of Deaf children are in mainstream programs – how do we make ourselves appealing to them? We need to make sure that these students know it’s OK to be different – it’s OK to be Deaf.” Vicki added, “People are really open and respectful of each other here.” This means, as a community, we need to become more accepting of multiple interpretations of what Deaf identity is. Alan also emphasized the importance of making sure Gallaudet’s programs were cutting-edge and up-to-date, so prospective applicants won’t have a reason to not go to Gallaudet. An idea Alan had that he wasn’t able to implement was an associate degree program, citing a recent Inside Higher Education article on a trend of community colleges encouraging their students to
get two associate degrees instead of transferring to a university to get their bachelor’s degree. “We have students leaving after two or three years with nothing to show for it on their resume. To make Gallaudet more appealing to students who haven’t really decided what they want yet, we need to provide multiple exit points.” He hopes that the community will be open to this idea eventually, saying that there just wasn’t a right time when he was President. Alan and Vicki stressed the need to develop a culture of alumni giving back to the University, noting the contrast between the veneration of Gallaudet as a home to many and the lack of support in other ways. If there was one thing you had to know about the Hurwitzes, let it be this: they are passionate about volunteerism. Vicki noted that upon arrival, they were surprised to learn that community service had been removed from the curriculum. Alan said that today’s students weren’t being encouraged enough to do community service. He did note that the NCAA had community service requirements for athletes, which is a positive step, but it isn’t enough. Alan and Vicki agreed that it was a symptom of “generation me.” Students today are more concerned about how their work benefits them directly, and most expect to be compensated for their time, instead of simply giving back to the community. Vicki said, “Students need to learn first how to be citizens of the community.” They are thrilled with SBG President Mary Harman’s vision for student community service, giving personal examples of how volunteerism shaped their lives. “I never, ever dreamed of being President of Gallaudet,” he said, “But what gave me the leadership and teamwork skills necessary for the
position was my volunteer work.” They have no plans to stop contributing to the community. The Hurwitzes are planning on returning to Rochester, where they maintain a residence (House One comes fully furnished.) This will affect Alan’s daily routine – he gets up early, reads the newspaper every morning (the one time of the day where nobody talks to him) and there’s more material in Washington’s papers than Rochester’s. Vicki is looking forward to the move; every Sunday they get up and walk along the Erie Canal to the village. But they’re not leaving Gallaudet behind. “The last six years here at the University have been an awesome, awesome experience,” Alan remarked. “It’s been an unbelievably rich experience here, especially with the community and the history here,” Vicki said. They may not have attended Gallaudet, but they got a Gallaudet education during the six years they were here. Alan and Vicki will leave as proud as any other alumni of the University.
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
EDHI: The Future of the Deaf The Future of the Deaf
By Sean Maiwald
www.svrs.com © 2015 Sorenson Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. If you choose Sorenson as your default provider, you can port your existing 10-digit number to Sorenson from another provider or Sorenson can provide you with one for the geographic area where you live or work. If you later change your default provider, you can port your number to that provider. When selecting Sorenson, you must provide to Sorenson the physical address (i.e., the Registered Location) from which you are placing the call, so that Sorenson can properly route any 911 calls you may make. If you move or change your location, you must notify Sorenson immediately. You can update your Registered Location from your Sorenson videophone by calling 800-659-4810 or by visiting www.svrs.com/moving. Sorenson will confirm receipt of your Registered Location information. Emergency calls made via internet-based TRS may not function the same as traditional E911 service. For example, you may not be able to dial 911 if there is an internet-service failure or if you lose electrical power, and your 911 call may not be routed correctly if you have not updated your Registered Location. For more information on the process of obtaining 10-digit numbers and the limitations and risks associated with using Sorenson’s VRS to place a 911 call, please visit Sorenson’s website: www.sorenson.com/disclaimer. For information on toll-free numbering, please visit www.svrs.com/tollfree.
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The most important thing we can ever do as a Deaf person is to be involved in a Deaf child’s life. Deaf children are, unequivocally, our future. Our way of life, our culture and our way of looking at the world rests in their hands. In their hands lie our salvation, and our beautiful language- American Sign Language. You may ask why I chose to bring this up in the Homecoming 2015 edition. It is because I believe that we have the power and the choice to make an impact. We can make a difference in the lives of Deaf children at home and abroad. Early Hearing, Detection, and Intervention programs are the crux of the issue I am discussing today. This program, better known as EHDI has been championed for years by audiologists and medical professionals. EHDI is a specific set of rules that is used by hospitals and medical professionals. It requires babies to be screened for “hearing loss,” and it also tracks the number of deaf people born, the services provided, and the outcomes. This program is run by the CDC- Center for Disease Control. Besides the obvious audism behind the correlation of deafness and disease, the website is very centered around medical intervention. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Beth Benedict about this topic, and she had quite a few interesting things to say about EHDI. When I asked her what got her initially involved in EHDI, it was when her daughters were born deaf. As a deaf mother, she knew what to do, but out of curiosity, she asked the doctors what to do once her daughter was identified as deaf. Beth explained to this writer, “The doctors didn’t really know what to do. They thought back on their training in medical school, and only remembered the various ear-centered disorders. They referred me to an audiologist.” After recalling this to me, she shifted gears and decided to test the system. “At this time, EHDI was still very new. I decided to go to three places to see what services they had available. I went to the Maryland School for the Deaf, Gallaudet’s Kendall program, and a mainstream program in Prince George County, Maryland. The mainstream program was a decent size, but it was an oral program. Personally, I had a problem with them telling my child that they couldn’t sign. At that time, only one of the teachers out of ten knew any sign language.”
Thus began Beth’s journey in the world of EHDI. She recanted the tale of her going to the second annual EHDI conference a few years after her children were born. She explained, “I found out about a conference about early intervention, and naturally, after my experience, I wanted to go. When I went, I found that out of around a thousand professionals, from doctors, pediatricians, audiologists, parents and educators that only two of the following were deaf. Obviously, we became fast friends. That worried me- how can such a well-intentioned group that conducts research on and about deaf children not involve deaf people in the process? I am glad to say that now; the number of deaf participants has grown by a considerable number. The percentage of people at the conference who sign or at least know a little sign language have grown by a lot- its around thirty to forty percent. We still have a long way to go, but it’s a small step in a positive direction.” Beth then told me about a few studies and statistics, which were startling to me. She explained, “95% of deaf babies born in the United States are born to hearing parents. Many times, the very first deaf person these parents meet is their child. Parents usually grieve because their child won’t be like them, and that is terrifying to them. However, studies have proven that meeting a deaf adult reduces the parental level of grief.” To her, this is only more justification that deaf people should be active participants in their early intervention process. One astonishing tidbit that Beth shared with me was this: “In one study, there were two groups with cochlear implants. One group had hearing parents, and didn’t sign. The other group had deaf parents, and signed. Guess which group was more successful? The implanted group of children with deaf parents was more successful. The reason behind this was access to language. I personally have no qualms about if a family decides to implant, give hearing aids, or have speech therapy. What I have an issue with however is if a family deprives language access to a deaf child- namely sign language.” I learned a lot from Beth and our discussion, especially how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. Here’s my argument: Deaf people can and should take ownership of early intervention services. 90% of deaf babies are born
to hearing parents. For many of these hearing parents, their baby is the very first deaf person they have ever met. The parents typically grieve because they are worried that their child will be nothing like them. Obviously, as Deaf persons, we know different- Deaf people are just like hearing people. There are good people, bad people, stupid people, and intelligent people alike present in both deaf and hearing society. The people that frame perceptions for these hearing parents of their child are typically their pediatrician and/or an audiologist. I assert that we should shift paradigms, and include a deaf person in that grouping. Deaf people in the United States can and should become active participants in the EHDI world. Think what would happen if a worried, nervous parent could meet a successful Deaf person around the time they find out that their child is Deaf. The parents could ask the Deaf person any kind of question. Meeting an older Deaf person with a job, house, and all the trappings of success could reassure parents as well as providing for a support system. This welcoming of sorts from the child to the deaf community has the potential to become a positive, formative experience. Imagine a crowd of Deaf adults welcoming a family home from the hospital- they will automatically feel as if they are part of a wonderful community. That would be something special. The older Deaf person could also speak to their experiences- positive or negative, becoming a mentor of sorts to the family. This concept of greater political and personal participation for our community isn’t new, special, or a profound discovery. People in the Deaf community have been discussing this for a long time. But here’s what makes my idea different. One of the best ways to get involved is to contact your local representative to Congress and ask them to join the Deaf Congressional Caucus, and another is to get involved in various agencies for the deaf, such as the National Association for the Deaf, and local associations such as the California Association for the Deaf. With the creation of the Deaf Congressional Caucus and further political action in that world, deaf people can become active participants in their own right. Here’s your chance to make a difference in the years to come.
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Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
INTRODUCING THE HOMECOMING STAFF
Rochelle Carty-Bauman Homecoming Traditions
Isabella Natalie Co-Creative
DT Bruno Director of Public Relations
Victorica Monroe Accessibility
Debbie Colbert Hospitality (not pictured)
Jaddua Johnston Director of Events
Jason Antal Vice Chairperson
Zachary Israel Director of Finance
Chrissie Marshall Homecoming Day
Erin LaFave Co-Creative
Kristin Williams Jasmine Jeter Giuletta Maucere Klimentina Klimentyeva Security and Volunteer Bash Mindvolt Kick Off Sunday October 18: SBG CARNIVAL at Olmstead 2:00pm to 6:00pm Monday October 19 - Thursday October 22: SPIRIT WEEK at Football field 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm Friday October 23: PEP RALLY at Field House 5pm to 6:30 pm
Volume CXXIX Issue i Wednesday, October 8, 2015
The Revial of Men’s Soccer
What Does it Mean to be a Student-Athlete
The Revival of Men’s Soccer Program
What Does it Mean to be a Student-Athlete?
By Brianna Stroud-Williams
The Men’s Soccer program made a big comeback after a three year long hiatus with some new additions. The program got a new head coach, Pedro Braz. Braz has several years of experience of playing soccer on a collegiate and professional level, along with coaching experience. He brought some fresh air to the program to get it up and running. The players have been talking about how great it is to have the program back after a three year long hiatus. They recently won their first game since 2012 at the Gallaudet versus University of Valley Forge match on Sepetmber 24. Brian Espanto made the first goal during the 56th minute of the match and Conrad Baer made the second goal during the 65th minute of the match. According to a Buff and Blue article that was written by a person who wished to be remained anonymous in 2013, the reasons of the hiatus were: low budget, a part-time coach, and lack of commitment during the spring training in Spring 2013. The coach was a part-time because the budget was too low to have a full-time coach. The team had to practice at 8pm every day because their coach had another part-time job that forced practices to be held at 8pm. Michael Weinstock was the one who made the executive decision to suspend the program so the athletic department can have the chance to look through and
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By Brianna Stroud-Williams make improvements to the program. That hiatus finished at the beginning of this semester, and the men’s team is back with a bang! One of this year’s captains, Eric Setzer, explained that it felt very wonderful to have the Men’s Soccer program back and it was one of his biggest achievements before graduating from Gallaudet. He was the goalie for Men’s Soccer team before the program was suspended in 2013. He made 157 saves overall and 108 saves in conference during the 2012 season. He is doing a great job living up to that high-water mark this season. He recently made nine saves during Gallaudet versus Washington Adventist on September 20, 2015. Setzer expressed that he would like to see more support from our alumni, organizations, fans, athletic department, and community. He also said “we still need more resources such as equipment, gear, players, et cetera to improve our program.” Gabriel Cariño, a senior, is very excited to have the soccer program back so he could have a chance to take the challenge of playing for Gallaudet with his team. He explained that it is up to the students to make decisions about commitment and putting the effort into the soccer program. He also mentioned that he was glad to have a full-time coach who is able to work with the team and recruit new players to join the soccer pro-
gram. Cariño was one of the players who saw the field in 2012 before its suspension as well. The team has some stellar goals that they made during their pre-season training. As Setzer said, “The players and I wrote down things on the paper regarding our goals for this season as a team and put them up in our locker room. The list is consists of: Player of the Week, at least five shutouts, play hard, more than .500 average, make into North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) playoffs and play our hearts out.” The team seemed to be on the track with their goals. They recently had a shutout at Gallaudet versus Valley Forge match. The men has been playing their hearts out in their games. They also kept their heads up during their tough losses. The Men’s Soccer team will have a game on Homecoming Day, October 24. After that, the Men’s Soccer team will have their final game on October 25. They will play against SUNY Polytechnic. It will be a home game and the Senior Day. Senior Day is the day when all seniors will be honored for their hard work and achievements during their time on the team. If they fared very well in their conference matches, they may even enter the playoffs which is from November 3 to November 8. Make sure to come out to cheer on our men as they take on the field with pride!
When you think the word, “Student-Athlete”, you probably would think, “a person who has the ability to juggle school and sports at the same time” or “a person who is crazy enough to commit to sports while attending classes”. But what does it truly mean to be a student-athlete? According to Gallaudet’s mission statement for the Student-Athletes, student athletes will have an opportunity to become more involved in some areas of student life and get tools that will help the student-athletes after graduation. The student athletes will have a chance to use intercollegiate athletics to reach out and bring the University community, the alumni and the deaf/hard-of-hearing people together while providing Gallaudet pride to alumni, faculty, staff and students by showing off their athletic competitiveness and academic integrity. “Being a student-athlete
means balancing the roles of a full-time student and full-time athlete” said Jamila Hubbard, a senior who runs for Cross Country and Track & Field. Many student-athletes have to juggle a full load of classes, practices, games/meets, social life, student organizations, jobs and homework. They have to find the perfect tempo where they can maintain their lifestyle without falling apart. They have to be serious with academics because they have to show their coaches that they have the ability to keep up with school while playing sports. If they cannot keep up with school and start failing, they may have to do more study table hours or get kicked off from the team. Ryan Klock, a junior who is on swimming team, said, “It means to carry a course load and maintain a well-balanced schedule while competing in sports. I like to think of it as a video game. Without sports, you’re playing at
an easy level. Add sport or extracurricular stuff, the tougher the game is. So when you win (graduate), it will be an awesome feeling.” The student-athletes do get overwhelmed with trying to balance many things at once. The student-athletes are not superhumans who is capable of keep going without fail. They are just a regular college students who just want to play their choice of sports because they love it, even though it can be very difficult to balance everything. You’re probably thinking, “Okay, what do they really get out of being a student-athlete?” Ryan Klock explained the student-athletes get to refine their skills that they may have learned from high school sports and hone the technique that they have been working on. Also, student-athletes learn how to build a network through working closely with their coaches, teammates, athletic director, and other essen-
tial members of the sports team. They get to develop a relationship that can lead to many opportunities such as future careers, possible recruitments to professional sports teams, and using coaches as references for the job search. Chocolate, a football player, explained that being a studentathlete is the best opportunity that you can get. Student-athletes get to learn and build with people who you may know for a lifetime. Being a student-athlete is a great way to discover yourself and build a relationship with your teammates. The teammates will always be there for the studentathlete no matter what, even if you’re with them for only one year or the full four years. Being on a sports team is a great way for the student-athletes to learn how to be responsible with school, social life, and athletics, and this is an invaluable skill to translate into future years. Student-athletes are preparing for their futures.
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Presidential Search for Deaf Community The Presidential Search for Deaf Community
By Maggie Kopp
Disclaimer: In this article, and in the imaginary utopia in my head, “deaf ” applies to anyone with hearing loss. “Deaf identity” is an individual choice, and like gender identity or race, creates a wide spectrum, from the profoundly and culturally Deaf to the non—or new—signers. The “deaf community” takes down borders to unite individuals whom share various perspectives. All three of the presidential candidates were deaf, which is what Gallaudet has been fighting for since the 1988 Deaf President Now (DPN) protests. All candidates were female. One was Caucasian, one African American, and one also Caucasian. One was lesbian, and the other two were heterosexual. The first two were sighted, and one was partially sighted. All three qualified candidates embodied different identities within the deaf community. This variation in the candidates should have started a vibrant discussion on viewpoints found on campus and the role of the new president. We should have been abuzz with excitement and hope. Three different candidates and three different perspectives, all with the same keywords. I mean, who doesn’t want collaboration, innovation, and more money? Those are goals we can all agree on. Instead the dozens of chairs at the cafeteria student open fo-
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rums were mostly filled by the linguistically and generationally privileged capital-letter D Deaf. Students who use CART students, are in the hearing undergraduates (HUGS) program, or who are international students were underrepresented. And the reason is not simply because these groups are small. On the other side of the scale, the Deaf group is also relatively small but somehow manages to be one of the most visible. Even the SBG were unsuccessful in balancing Deaf students with other perspectives when they selected the presidential interview committee: six students, all from residential schools for the deaf. When The Buff and Blue staff combed the cafeteria after all the campus visits, many students said they were too busy. But wait, midterms hadn’t even rolled around yet. Too busy? More like too detached. Apart from students who have somehow discovered immunity from changes on campus, I believe the empty seats were because of a lack of community. Gallaudet struggles with including international students, integrating HUG, and unifying as a deaf community. There hasn’t been a successful and inclusive effort to establish unity among deaf people with different identities or to resuscitate those who fall in gray areas. Maybe that’s what the PSAC tried to ask of all the women: “What are your
thoughts on transforming our university in the next three to five years while maintaining the university’s role as the world center for signed languages and cultures of deaf people?” We’ve historically put pressure on Gallaudet presidents to be role models for the deaf. The first DPN protest was about representation: presidents of a deaf university should also be deaf, and the campus had had enough hearing presidents. The protesters champion I. King Jordan as deaf, even though he isn’t considered “Deaf ” by cultural definition. The first deaf president of the university became deaf at the age of 21 in a motorcycle accident and talks while he signs. During his presidency, Jordan tried to connect the signing and speaking camps. In an interview with Affinity Magazine shortly after taking office, he encouraged us “not to judge or evaluate an individual based on speaking voice. The message is what’s important. What you say is much more important than how you say it.” His words “speaking voice” should be interchangeable with “ASL fluency,” “race,” “gender,” and “deafness.” Fast forward to the 21st century, and we’re still making judgments. The PSAC was careful to give each candidate the same description on the Gallaudet website: “deaf, fluent in American Sign Language and English.” Even with such
neutrality, students still discussed what “deaf ” meant for the candidates, some more so than others. Each candidate attracted her own following, and identity politics influenced the presidential debate. Roberta Cordano appealed to the Deaf camp, where bilingualism and ASL ability is king. Some even said Cordano identifies as more hearing than deaf, despite having given that impression during her campus visit. Rachel Dolzeal jokes, anyone? Pamela Lloyd-Ogoke had fans in the moderate crowd for her plan to broaden the university’s horizons and become a global leader. Most likely because of her ethnicity, some credited Lloyd-Ogoke with being the best advocate of diversity, even though the other two discussed diversity as well. Or maybe it was “inclusion” or some other popular word. Annette Reichman got support from students interested in open dialogue with her student-centric philosophy. Many criticized Reichman for being passive because she “wasn’t a big talker”, which, to me, just means she didn’t seem like a native signer. All we’re doing is splitting hairs. We tend to box everyone into outdated categories that do not capture how diverse the deaf experience can be. There is literature and research on deaf identity and community, but it’s not enough. After the civil rights movement, black people reclaimed
literature about their community in a period of cultural analysis and self-definition. As a minority, the deaf community needs to do the same. Electing Roberta Cordano as the fourth deaf president proves we’re beyond the fight to claim Gallaudet as our space. Now Cordano must lead us in the era of identity politics as we continue to understand what that space means to everyone within the deaf community. The candidates all stressed Gallaudet’s role in language, inclusion, education, and research. I also agree that these things are important. Yet they have glossed over our role of representing an entire minority. Gallaudet is the only liberal arts univer-
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sity for the deaf in the world, and cannot avoid being a role model for the deaf community much longer. Gallaudet is seen by hearing, deaf, and Deaf people all over the world as representing a cultural and linguistic minority group, whether we like it or not. The student body is evolving alongside the campus, and “for the deaf ” must now have an inclusive meaning. The new campus slogan has the right of it. Let’s divert our efforts into connecting, discovering, and influencing. Congratulations, Bobbi, on your election as president of Gallaudet. Do not forget that this also means you’re one of the leaders of the deaf community, which is a scattered one. With your leadership, let’s
all work together to create a community. We need a glossary of terms and signs for various identities. We need to lead in research and accessibility for the deaf, for so long in the hands of hearing people who oppress. We need to establish various educational approaches and realize there is no “ one shoe fits all” solution. We shouldn’t unite as a linguistic minority, because of the broad range of language exposure and acquisition. We shouldn’t unite based on deafness, because it is a medical definition bloodied by audism, and our oppression does not define us. We shouldn’t unite based on a Deaf philosophy, because we do not need to cement borders and create more
marginalization. We should unite out of a common goal to see every corner of the deaf community thrive.
“Now we have respect; we have everything, but it’s just the beginning for all of us.” - Greg Hilbok
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