Tag: Student Body Government of Gallaudet University

Hearing Taking Over Gallaudet University

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Gallaudet University as the world’s only higher education for the Deaf is coming to an end thanks to the hearing people taking over. It is literally happening. Are we witnessing language and cultural bigotry, hegemony and oppression, especially at Gallaudet University?

Over, over, and over—we must remember this that this is the world in progress. Oppression is not a progress. Simple. This is Gallaudet University, and is losing ground of the Deaf, and gaining higher ground for hearing people. What in the world that it was supposed to be home for the Deaf?

Gallaudet University will be never Deaf-centered, even the current president is not Deaf-centered either, instead of closing the door to Deaf and open the door for hearing world, welcoming input, feedback, and ideas without telling the truth to Gallaudet Deaf alumni and Deaf alumnus what would happen in the future. It is unethical, irresponsible, and oppressive.

Not only that, but Gallaudet University needs a president who can open the door for DEAF FIRST, who encourages speaking up and speaking freely. It’s the opposite—if Deaf speaks up, she or he would face severe punishment at all cost. It is the spiral of oppression.

“If it is in speaking their word that people, by naming the world, transform it, dialogue imposes itself as the way by which they achieve significance as human beings. Dialogue is thus an existential necessity. And since dialogue is the encounter in which the united reflection and action of the dialoguers are addressed to the world which is to be transformed and humanized, this dialogue cannot be reduced to the act of one person’s “depositing” ideas in another, nor can it become a simple exchange of ideas to be “consumed” by the discussants.”—Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire

In 2020, Gallaudet University already projects OVER 100 PERCENT INCREASE enrollment for hearing people. That is a huge, huge, huge skyrocket jump. Check the link below. In fact, what happened to its embrace for change for Deaf people? This history is our own strength that is deeply rooted in our own sense of place. Which means….hearing people are literally taking over Gallaudet University as the ownership.

1988: DEAF PRESIDENT NOW (DPN)

2006: UNITY FOR GALLAUDET (UFG)

2019-2020: WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

We are the ones to make ALL THE CHANGE that holds merit of ASL and Deaf culture. Most importantly of all, we need to have reason, heart, and our sense of place at Gallaudet University. We cannot let hearing people taking over the campus and learn the lesson is not to be oppressed of change inflicted upon Gallaudet University.

We cannot let this repeat its history in the near future. Gallaudet University is of no consequence. There is very crucial point to make a statement about this, which Gallaudet University kept it very quiet and telling them to SHUT UP and wish not to talk about it.

Censorship has had such power that Gallaudet University brings disrespect for Deaf culture now and future. For years and years, Gallaudet University denying and neglecting Deaf people’s linguistic and cultural heritage, we need to bring in a strong renewal of passion in ASL and Deaf culture more than ever.

Link: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget20/justifications/l-gallaudet.pdf

 

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Respect for Muslims at Gallaudet University

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I had the greatest pleasure to accept an invitation by a friend to attend an event called National Day Festival of Oman at Gallaudet University last night. I learned a lot where they discussed about their culture, history, and traditions. It was a big smashing success! It was packed Ole Jim house. Oh, the food was delicious and spicy, too! Five stars!

Student Body Government (SBG) president and Graduate Student Association (GSA) Vice President attended the event which played a positive leadership—of course, Dean of Student Affairs, Dwight Benedict did not attend the event which was not surprising. It was same thing that last March 2017, Dwight did not attend Islamophobia Within Deaf Community event either. Same thing he did not attend Graduate Student Orientation breakfast in 2013 I was part of—and show how much lack of his leadership looks like today. Lack of transparency included.

Gallaudet University exists in a world that desperately needs effective academic leaders like Dwight to show us the way of higher learning. Gallaudet University is unique because it is where ASL is best used. There are so many arenas of scholarship in that university that cry for betterment, and we need the visions of insightful leaders to paint better pictures of possibility for us to strive for. We need a new Dean of Student Affairs to inspire us, excite us, and energize us toward our commitment of cultural appreciation in higher education that will make a difference for humanity.

Gallaudet University needs a Dean of Student Affairs who can open the door to discussion about cultural appreciation in higher education, who encourages signing up and signing freely, welcoming input, feedback, and ideas without setting up committees of a few. Gallaudet University needs a Dean of Student Affairs who expects action and execution with urgency in an atmosphere where everyone feels safe making on-the-spot comments. For example, how to challenge Islamophobia.

Is Dwight the type of change agent? Did he understand the importance of his leadership to appreciate and realize Deaf people from all walks from life that had difficulty lives?

There is a good quote by wiser Dwight—Dwight D. Eisenhower,

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army or in an office.”

–JT

Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Is Student Body Government at Gallaudet University in Danger?

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Master Yoda (Deaf) Challenges Darth Vader (Hearing)

There has been concerns about the face of Student Body Government (SBG), a Deaf stronghold since it has been founded at Gallaudet University. SBG themes:

  • Home again at Gallaudet University;
  • The acceptance of Deaf people in the SBG;
  • The nature and persistence of Deaf leadership;
  • The power of Deaf people to influence and shape the human mind;
  • The character of SBG as it shapes intellectual life of the Deaf people.

What kind of concerns? There has been some debate around Gallaudet community that the hearing person who wants to run SBG—does not really care about Deaf people’s leadership. SBG has been clearly indicated that there is no place like home at Gallaudet University. SBG presented the first and foremost mission that Gallaudet University is often a place of safety, where worldly cares fade and ASL becomes the focus.

It is a good thing to encourage SGB to support Deaf people first. There is always a hunger among Deaf students for academic discourse in ASL, the language they know the best. In fact, at Gallaudet University, ASL is a lead language and is one of those universal characteristics of the human language for which SBG leaders are always on the prowl but that does not mean they should stop trying. All the past and present SBG presidents has been Deaf;

The nature and persistence of Deaf leadership in ASL means that we at Gallaudet University are committed to being the best we can be and to be attractive to a diverse community base by taking strategic action to be more inclusive, especially to those who may be novices to teaching Deaf students. They are to bring the flag of ASL to places where it has never flown before.

SBG has been given mission and vision by Deaf people to influence and shape our diverse mind. They are there to defend ASL fiercely, which is important to making monopolistic notions about Deaf culture. SBG values Deaf people first within our Deaf community. They are committed to sustain a culture where Deaf people is respected first as an important language of academic leadership and discourses.

The hearing person—who happens to be Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) with fifth generation of Deaf family would like to to run SBG. That is a personal insult. Would that make leadership for Deaf students to exist in permanent fear of the oblivion, worrying about whether Deaf students can survive the next SBG with an indifferent figurehead? At the same time, at Gallaudet University, Deaf students would be appearing uncomfortable with the achievements of their own past. The higher education, so often the means to their profession and advancement, now finds itself operating under a cloud of hearing people that it falls under a wrong agenda.

As I can remember when I was a graduate student at Gallaudet University, one of the committee members from Graduate Student Association (GSA) approached me if I was interested in running as president for GSA, I said as long as it is “Deaf-centered, Deaf-controlled, and Deaf-oriented” first and the committee member was like, “YES! WE WANT YOU! PLEASE CAST YOUR NAME IN THERE!” and I planned to.

Today, GSA still have hearing students—very confusing and dehumanizing. I can remember seeing some hearing students in there—and was not very impressed by their skills at all. Now it is good time to ask the rhetorical question, “Should SBG allow a hearing student in the cabinet?”—has long considered a way of emphasizing that something under discussion is an obvious, unquestionable truth.

With SBG in danger of having a hearing person in the cabinet, William K. Stevens once said, “When these interlopers choke our native species, ecologists see a danger signal.” Isn’t it the same thing that Deaf people see the danger when SBG might be oppressed by the administration to choke out Deaf people’s ASL and culture? Never mind the student fees.

-JT

Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only including this copyright message.