Postcard from Paradise
What a time to go out of town! We just returned from a Polynesian vacation, where we decided to disconnect ourselves from the outside world and just be. It was worth it, and we are ready to rejoin the rest of the world, and try to change our economic status so we can take even more trips. If you haven't traveled in a while, I recommend you start planning a trip now. There's so much more out there beyond the computer monitor, you know...
I got briefly caught up this morning by our impromptu chauffeur, who told us the Gallaudet protest is now on Day Ten, and shows no signs of slowing. I can only imagine all the information I need to sort through and catch up on! Because of that, I don't plan to issue any commentary or updates on *anything*, from politics to Deaf issues, to what's happening right outside my front door-- at least not until I've camped out in front of the computer, caught up with my newspapers, and let my pager wear itself out for a few hours.
However, our ride from the airport to our humble abode yielded one nugget of information: Celia May Baldwin resigned as interim chair and board member ("Gallaudet Board Chief Steps Down"). I was also told the faculty issued a vote of "no confidence." This is *exactly* what needs to happen, if any change is to happen. I noticed in the WaPo article that the public narrative is still issues of diversity and degrees of deafness-- and THEN the vote of no confidence.
I'm disappointed that Baldwin stepped down-- she has been involved as an educator both in Utah and California for many years, and if threats of any kind were truly made, then more's the shame. This is why I was not really supportive of a protest in the first place-- I saw the potential for any such acts to sow even more divisions within the community, and lead to possible cannibalization of Deaf leaders and institutions. I still need to get up to speed before I can determine whether the protest is truly justified at this point, but I can see even now that there is going to be a need for all factions involved to fully participate in healing afterwards.
What's far more interesting is that the action I urged, a vote of "no confidence," took place. This is Very Important-- *very* important. This act should be the key to the whole situation, and the students need to reverse the narrative, and stress this: Fernandes not only does not have the confidence of the students and the alumni, but of the faculty as well. I don't see anything in the WaPo article with examples of *why* the faculty has chosen to take this act. Maybe such examples have been better publicized elsewhere, but this is the direction the public relations effort needs to take-- NOT issues of "diversity" or "degree of deafness."
More later- it's clear this isn't a subject that's going away, and I'll definitely have more thoughts once I'm up to date.
I got briefly caught up this morning by our impromptu chauffeur, who told us the Gallaudet protest is now on Day Ten, and shows no signs of slowing. I can only imagine all the information I need to sort through and catch up on! Because of that, I don't plan to issue any commentary or updates on *anything*, from politics to Deaf issues, to what's happening right outside my front door-- at least not until I've camped out in front of the computer, caught up with my newspapers, and let my pager wear itself out for a few hours.
However, our ride from the airport to our humble abode yielded one nugget of information: Celia May Baldwin resigned as interim chair and board member ("Gallaudet Board Chief Steps Down"). I was also told the faculty issued a vote of "no confidence." This is *exactly* what needs to happen, if any change is to happen. I noticed in the WaPo article that the public narrative is still issues of diversity and degrees of deafness-- and THEN the vote of no confidence.
I'm disappointed that Baldwin stepped down-- she has been involved as an educator both in Utah and California for many years, and if threats of any kind were truly made, then more's the shame. This is why I was not really supportive of a protest in the first place-- I saw the potential for any such acts to sow even more divisions within the community, and lead to possible cannibalization of Deaf leaders and institutions. I still need to get up to speed before I can determine whether the protest is truly justified at this point, but I can see even now that there is going to be a need for all factions involved to fully participate in healing afterwards.
What's far more interesting is that the action I urged, a vote of "no confidence," took place. This is Very Important-- *very* important. This act should be the key to the whole situation, and the students need to reverse the narrative, and stress this: Fernandes not only does not have the confidence of the students and the alumni, but of the faculty as well. I don't see anything in the WaPo article with examples of *why* the faculty has chosen to take this act. Maybe such examples have been better publicized elsewhere, but this is the direction the public relations effort needs to take-- NOT issues of "diversity" or "degree of deafness."
More later- it's clear this isn't a subject that's going away, and I'll definitely have more thoughts once I'm up to date.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 8:13 AM
<< Home