Excuse the hijack, but now I’m wondering about my memories. I lived in DC from 81-93. I wasn’t working in public radio after 85, so my on-campus experience was earlier than the 88 event. I remember a lot of press back sometime in that era about large parts of the deaf community opposing implants and me thinking that was crazy. I’m sure the campus must have been prominent in that story as well, because it was a local and radical and therefore better place to get “hot” quotes.
I can guess. Gallaudet is in kind of a run-down neighborhood, but the buildings on-campus are nice, and it’s near a metro station. You can probably get conveniently located housing there for less than you’d pay from, say, GW or American.
I think its valid. If students feel that someone in charge does not completely understand their cultural perspective by living in it, they should be able to say so. I’m not saying the Board has to roll over evey time, but they should listen to the students.
Being black and growing up in an Asian neighborhood will never make you “Asian enough” for some people. Being Asian and growing up in a white neighborhood will make you too white to be Asian for some people. Without knowing the president personally, the students could have used these kinds of attitudes to change how they thought about the situation. Its not that irrational.
But the last bit - the part about who is paying tuition - speaks directly to this:
So my question is: How, exactly, does the deaf culture not liking its new president affect you? Are you deaf? A Galludet student/alumni? In close contact with the deaf community? Will this affect you in any way, shape, or form?
Do you actually know anyone who is deaf? Do you know anyone who is deaf who has an opinion on this? If someone hadn’t started a thread on a message board in an internet backwater, would you even have known about or had an opinion about this?
There are a lot of topics in which one could have vested interest, even tangentially. I’m not sure this particular topic is anything more than “Ooh, look at the weird people over there!”
I’m not saying that this is the exact situation. But, if that is what the students perceive it as, then they should be allowed to voice their concerns without being called assholes for it.
On reread, I should have said “not enough part of deaf culture.” Or a better phrased comment with the same meaning.
Of course, your logical follow up would then become “What does she have to do to become deaf cultured ‘enough’?” To which my answer would be shrug I don’t claim that level of understanding.
Sorry, eleanorigby, didn’t see your question until Mr. Excellent answered it. And answered pretty much correctly, because it was real cheap. No onw gave a thought to the idea that students might resent us. There were lots of people attending who were college age themselves. I suppose the school administration might have anbticipated some hard feelings, but their conference center sales person surely wouldn’t bring it up.
$100 million in federal funds a year. Divided by an American population of 750 million. Give me a moment while I do the math…
Ok.
Since this particular topic seems to incense you, Mr. Ripper, please be so kind as to send me your snail mail address so that I may post you one dime and four pennies in order to ease your mind over the inordinate tax dollars being spent on one of the few universities in the entire country that caters to the deaf.
Gotta go with Ripper on this one. Fuck’em. They want to go to that university, then they have to deal with the president and the board. They have zero say in who gets chosen. Especially if they are there on any kind of scholarship. If they don’t like it, leave. There are plenty of other colleges out there. Vote with your money, assholes.
What’s that? You aren’t paying for your education yourselves? Yet you still want a say in how things are run? Then get into a time-machine and set it for the 60’s, cuz those days are long gone. My taxes pay for your education, so STFU and learn.
I don’t really have a dog in this fight (despite my participation in this thread,) but I disagree with this line of reasoning, Ripper. Though the school accepts Federal funds, it doesn’t follow that the student body doesn’t have a right to protest the boards selection of school president. It doesn’t even mean that the students are wasting Federal money by staging their protests - that’s reading into it waaay too much.
On the other hand, **Blue Willow Plate’s ** assertions don’t hold water either. Just because you don’t have a connection to Gallaudet doesn’t mean you’re not entitiled to your opinion.
I don’t claim that level of understanding.