Major student protests are taking place at Gallaudent University over the selection of a new president, Jane Fernandes. Why are they protesting? What is wrong with Fernandes? You'd think that would be explained in any news piece covering the story, but I had to read through three different articles before finding an write-up that was willing to put into print what the controversy was.
And even then, I don't believe it. I think no one wants to say the real truth. Why? Because there are some sorts of bigotry that the media is not willing to confront.
Identity politics, the liberal gift that keeps on giving.
I give up. Do you mean that the students are protesting because Ms Fernandes is not the right kind of deaf or am I missing the whole thing altogether?
This would be why I vote Conservative. They at least have the grace to be critical of identity politics even if they so far lack the guts to de-fund it.
Hey, off topic, but have a look.
The Democrat party must really like Canadian soldiers, because they digitally removed the badge from one our ours beret and put him on their website as a veteran that they "support".
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/006073.htm
They might as well support someone's military!
It's funny. Check it out and pass it around.
Some students should just focus on their studies. Do these people have nothing better to do?
What a complete farce.
(remember - one of these turds who wasted their time chasing this nonsense might be operating on you or representing you in court one day)
As a proud Gallaudet alumna, the media did not print real issues that they should reported in the first place.
The real issues are her leadership and management skills, not her background. Ms. Fernandes just pulled out a victim card out of her sleeve to claim that she was not enough to be deaf. Moreover, the Presidental Search Process was flawed from the beginning.
I strongly urge you to go to http://www.ridorlive.com where you will find alot of solid facts on why they are protesting.
I am probably one of the few posters who can comment on this with experience. My grandson was born deaf. Upon the advise of many hearing and deaf people, and parents of deaf children, we were advised not to send him away to school, but to keep him home and mainstream him. We did. But, when he was being assigned a non signing aid, and sort of just THERE in class, I got mad. The govt pays transportation back & forth for airfair from the school to home, weekly. The cost of tuition, at that time was over 20,000/yr, and must be paid by the school district. With this info I went to the school board and took a copy of the school act. That act states a parent can request to have their child educated in the language of their choice. I know that meant english or french, but I made a formal request this child be educated in ASL. I also presented a copy of Hansard, where it stated the law passed by our govt to recognize ASL as the official language of the deaf in Alberta. I then informed the powers that be, failure to supply a signer, I would send him to Edmonton, at their cost. Result, for his 12 years in school he had a qualified ASL aid. One year she was deaf also. We went to Winnipeg 5 summers to take immersion courses. He graduated from Grade 12. During our summers in winnipeg, I learned much about the deaf community and made many friends. The students at Gaulladet have a point in the Pres speaking with an accent. What sign language does she speak, ASL, Signed English, or some other one. Does she have the grammar skills, facial expressions, body language of ASL. I would be more concerned about her abilities as an administrator, her relationship with the students, her plans for the university. Communicating with the students is the least of the students worries. There is e-mail, TTYs, and last but not least print.
What is it with university students today, they all riot or protest something. With the cost of tuition etc you would think they would want to get an education and their moneys worth. In Lethbridge, students at the UofL burned Ralph in effigy recently. Is there a new course being offered, Stupidity 101, or what.
The problem with President Designate Jean Kelleher Fernandes is that she served the university as Provost for 6 years. As a university officer responsible for academics she lead Gallaudet into disastrous paths. She lowered admission standards and readmitted students who were judged as unfit for college level studies. She defied shared governance by imposing her decisions on faculty and staff. She earned such a bad reputation regarding academic standards that she was called a "baby-down" educator. Eventually the Office of Business and Budget, a government agendy conducted an overview of Gallaudet practices and found the schools academics ineffective. See the current "PART" report for Gallaudet University from February 2006. This "grade" earned under the leadership of Ms. Fernandes may have detrimental consequences for the funding of the school. After her performance, over 2/3 of Gallaudet faculty called Fernandes as the next president unacceptable and voted non-confidence for her and the Board's decision in selecting her as president. The currect student protest may have different emphasis, but the core of the problem is this: total failure in academic leadership should not earn presidency for Ms. Fernandes. Or should? For Deaf people anything should be okay? Honestly, I don't think so!!
Zoltan Szekely, Ph.D.
former Gallaudet professor
Oh, one more site to check out is...
http://www.deafread.com
hmmm.
looks like this is going to blow up in *somebody's* face.
question is will they hear the explosion....
Yes schmuck, they would hear the explosion. The deaf HEAR thru vibrations. You are not being funny, just ignorant with that stmt. Are you aware that the Federal Govt is in the process of recognizing ASL, or for your info, American Sign Language, as an Official Language in Canada, and govt offices etc will have to have signers to assist the deaf.
Szekely,
I'd like to hear, excuse me, read, BOTH sides of the story, the way journalism is supposed to work. I find it a bit hard to believe that it's simply a case of the Board of Regents of a university appointing the most incompetent person available. Do you honestly think that leaders of a university will dispatch the institution down the toilet, or could it be that you are in disagreement over some issues? The tone of your comment smacks too much of union hard line to be completely credible.
I would like to make sure people understand that going to www.ridorlive will only get a misguided, ignorant and hatefilled blog that is rarely truthful. your best bet is to go to www.gufssa.com, mishkazena.wordpress.com or www.elisawrites.com. These three are the most balance and clear blogs on the Gallaudet issue.
Thanks
FS
Several years ago this university was in the news because of an appointment. Showing their ignorance, every talk show that covered it, when interviewing those involved, kept the camera on the persons face, instead of their hands so one could not tell what they were saying.
A soap opera was brought to my attention last week, asking if I knew that Victor is now an epiletic, and someone has lost their hearing and is trying to learn ASL. CSI has Gil worried about his hearing, and is proficient in ASL, an FBI agent is hearing impaired, and signs a lot. What is going on. Many politicians and others now have signers at their speeches, but all you see in the corner of the screen is their face, not the hands. That doesn't help the viewing audience much.
I have to wonder if this is an attempt to educate the public that someone using ASL is not making rude gestures to some gang members with thin skins. My grandson was reported to the principal by a new student at the school for making rude gestures to him. He was laughed out of school, and before the term was up the family left town.
LOL. My blog is hate-filled? Whatever you want to say. I exposed things that Gallaudet has worked hard to bury the secrets.
If you cannot handle the tough stances of mine, then back off.
The protest has so much to do with the way Fernandes performed as the Provost. IN fact, the Board of Trustees are blindsided by the manipulations of the President's Office.
R-
"The deaf HEAR thru vibrations. You are not being funny"
well mary my dear glad you think Im not being funny since Im not trying to be.
as far as deaf hearing thru vibrations I knew that years ago when I found out Ludwig von Beethoven wrote the 9th totally deaf. I tell people it is the greatest symphony ever composed because obviously he didnt have to deal with any distractions.
the simple fact is regardless of the level of ones auditory abilities, some people are hopelessly 'deaf' to the truth. that was and remains my point. I dont give a rodents derriere if someone is deaf. sh*t happens. Im not going to let them use that factoid to some sort of 'sympathy vote' ploy. I will judge the issues and the issues alone.
these deaf people are using their disability to garner an unfair advantage by utilizing the fact it is not 'politically correct' to oppose them seeing as, well, theyre 'handicapped see, we have to kow tow to that'
malarky.
No wonder their not learning anything when their too busy out on these stupid protests all the time what abunch of idiots
Doug, you are right. You should hear out the other side too. Nobody will prevent you from checking www.gallaudet.edu or making a search at 'Gallaudet protest'. The cyber-space is flooded with an overwhelming amount of information now.
Tom Humphries Board of Trustee told me that they did not take into consideration the performance of Kelleher in the last 6 years as Provost, simply because performance was NOT an issue. So they selected her as President despite her poor performance. I strongly believe it is wrong! If performance is not an issue, that the school is, indeed, going down the drain.
Good luck for your own research of this very interesting topic,
Zoltan Szekely, Ph.D.
Doug, you are right. You should hear out the other side too. Nobody will prevent you from checking www.gallaudet.edu or making a search at 'Gallaudet protest'. The cyber-space is flooded with an overwhelming amount of information now.
Tom Humphries Board of Trustee told me that they did not take into consideration the performance of Kelleher in the last 6 years as Provost, simply because performance was NOT an issue. So they selected her as President despite her poor performance. I strongly believe it is wrong! If performance is not an issue, that the school is, indeed, going down the drain.
Good luck for your own research of this very interesting topic,
Zoltan Szekely, Ph.D.