Gallaudet: Losing deaf culture???

deafdyke said:
And quite frankly I find that to be one of the saddest things ever. Yes, dhh kids should have the option of speech and access to the hearing world....BUT, they should ALSO have the right to learn ASL and take advantage of Deaf Schooling.
On the other hand, I wonder.....The dhh kids who were born in the 90's still
used ASL and attended Deaf Schools....Heck, until ten years ago a lot of the oral schools were still booming. CID still graduated a large 8th grade class.
Maybe this shift simply represents the fact that more and more solotaire oral dhh kids are deciding to attend Gally b/c they're so sick of experiacing the auditory verbal "the hearing world is the best thing in the universe, and the deaf world sucks!" mentality.
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It's entirely possible. As it stands, I would love it if I were surrounded by dhh like myself, someone who understands my communication needs. I was raised to believe that being hearing is better than being deaf. However, now I look at it differently. I believe it is far easier to go deaf than it is to be hearing. Sometimes I feel as though I am stuck in two worlds. I can communicate orally by speaking, but receptively, I don't really do all that well. I prefer my communication in writing. Sometimes I feel like things might have been different if I was taught ASL and given ASL-support in school while still learning English, or heck, if even I was given a chance at ASD in Little Rock.
 
deafbajagal said:
But isn't Gallaudet one of the best places to go and learn ASL?
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I'm thinking maybe it depends on the friends you make at Gally when you arrive? Hopefully most oral students find some friends who are open and welcome to helping them become fluent in ASL.
 
stormpraiser91 said:
Is it true, the thing about Gallaudet freshmen having to bury a rat or something?
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I'm sitting here laughing... every year a rat is caught/killed/runover... and a funeral is held for the rat. I don't have any details on it, but I watched with much humor as they marched past with the dead rat. he he he. Good times!!! :D
 
stormpraiser91 said:
Is it true, the thing about Gallaudet freshmen having to bury a rat or something?
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Actually, I have heard of that tradition. Apparently it's for people who are in the preparatory program, they do it to mark the end of their first year.
 
they do at my college (which has a large ASL program) and everyone says it's because of some tradition involving making freshmen bury a rat at Gallaudet
 
deafbajagal said:
But isn't Gallaudet one of the best places to go and learn ASL?
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Yes. I mean that anyone who are so hungry or so passion for learning ASL then they will have no problem learning ASL at gallaudet. Speaking of others who struggle not to know ASL and stubbornly unwilling to sign and keep speaking on gallaudet campus. Seriously, they need to re consider where they take all paths to other school where they can speak freely.
 
DeafRaptor said:
My native language is English as that was all that was given to me growing up other than a little German tutoring and a couple Spanish classes (seriously, who thought that was a good idea?). In college (another hearing school), I was finally able to take up a couple ASL classes, but not enough to become anywhere near fluent. But now I NEED to replace English with ASL as my primary language. I can't and seriously don't want to hear anymore so a spoken language won't work, but I want to still be able to communicate. I live in McLean, Fairfax County, VA and I searched for ASL classes in my area, but only found three places that offered. NVRC (a resource center more geared to elderly deaf/hh) offered a beginner and intermediate course that ran once a week, for only a couple weeks, and only a couple times a year (more for hearing people that only communicate with ASL-users on occasion) and the classes appeared to be sub-standard. NVCC (community college) offered a few more options. However, I would love to go to Gallaudet which offers both more advanced ASL classes and an environment where I can be fully immersed in the language and culture. I don't care about getting another degree, but Gallaudet seems like the best solution to my issue. Not sure if you meant that a student should know some basic ASL (versus none) or ASL as a language (versus some ASL). What would you recommend?
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Oh, last time I was on gallaudet campus was in 2000. I think. So it has been so long. I would think you would enjoy visiting at Gallaudet. I only know that most students who knows nothing ASL and took ASL classes there and most of them did well. I do not know much about nowaday what gallaudet offers to non students to take ASL classes but being student on campus, have more chances of picking up ASL better and make friends or participling the several of clubs or organizations.

have you contact the administrator handling kind of ASL program at galladuet?
 
stormpraiser91 said:
Is it true, the thing about Gallaudet freshmen having to bury a rat or something?
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Yup right. the preparatory class used to bury REAL dead rats until late 1980s they were replaced with stuffed rats on order by the University for health reasons. :rme: Once buried, it must be guarded by the participating class for 24 hours. It is one of many favorite Gally traditions that the alumni have cherished most.

I think my class of 1990 was the last that buried the real dead rats although I was never at the rat funeral.
 
How "rat funerals" fit into learning ASL -a bit obscure. Oddly enough Oliver Sacks doesn't appear to mention this "important function" in his book Seeing Voices- Chapter 3.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
 
drphil said:
How "rat funerals" fit into learning ASL -a bit obscure. Oddly enough Oliver Sacks doesn't appear to mention this "important function" in his book Seeing Voices- Chapter 3.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
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:roll:
 
drphil said:
How "rat funerals" fit into learning ASL -a bit obscure. Oddly enough Oliver Sacks doesn't appear to mention this "important function" in his book Seeing Voices- Chapter 3.
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See, more evidence that you are missing out on a lot. Books don't tell you everything.
 
drphil said:
How "rat funerals" fit into learning ASL -a bit obscure. Oddly enough Oliver Sacks doesn't appear to mention this "important function" in his book Seeing Voices- Chapter 3.

Implanted A B Harmony activated Aug/07
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Instead of doing laps, maybe take a nice long nap?
 
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