Comments on: Better President Now? http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:06:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jennifer http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-4972 Jennifer Sat, 27 May 2006 02:14:08 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-4972 I agree with Greydog 110%. Dr. Jane Fernandez was faced with an unforgiving challenge during the murders on campus. (I too, was there, living in fear and thanking God that our administration was a strong team). I now live in 3000 miles from Gallaudet and when I heard that Dr. Fernandez was selected for presidency, the first thing I told my colleagues was "Wow....that is one intelligent and strong woman. Good for Gallaudet.". She had to handle the heat from the media, the DC community, the parents, the students, and the investigators, and she more than proved herself as a leader and confidant for students. Gallaudet is fortunate to have Dr. Fernandez. I am ashamed that they are ridiculing her for not being "Deaf enough". In a university where there is such a committment to focus on the person and not their decibel level or what they can't do, I am disgusted that people are not recognizing her for what she has done. I agree with Greydog 110%.
Dr. Jane Fernandez was faced with an unforgiving challenge during the murders on campus. (I too, was there, living in fear and thanking God that our administration was a strong team).
I now live in 3000 miles from Gallaudet and when I heard that Dr. Fernandez was selected for presidency, the first thing I told my colleagues was “Wow….that is one intelligent and strong woman. Good for Gallaudet.”. She had to handle the heat from the media, the DC community, the parents, the students, and the investigators, and she more than proved herself as a leader and confidant for students.

Gallaudet is fortunate to have Dr. Fernandez. I am ashamed that they are ridiculing her for not being “Deaf enough”. In a university where there is such a committment to focus on the person and not their decibel level or what they can’t do, I am disgusted that people are not recognizing her for what she has done.

]]> By: Me is the Ridor http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1992 Me is the Ridor Thu, 04 May 2006 01:00:44 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1992 Jeff is correct. I can vouch for Jeff Carlson, he is pretty much Deaf but he can hear very well -- he told me that he was startled when Fernandes boomed her voice. And I believe him. R- Jeff is correct. I can vouch for Jeff Carlson, he is pretty much Deaf but he can hear very well — he told me that he was startled when Fernandes boomed her voice.

And I believe him.

R-

]]> By: Jenn Phillips http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1977 Jenn Phillips Wed, 03 May 2006 22:45:24 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1977 And yes, I have two typos which will remain for all time because this forum does not permit me to revise my writing. And yes, I have two typos which will remain for all time because this forum does not permit me to revise my writing.

]]> By: Jenn Phillips http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1976 Jenn Phillips Wed, 03 May 2006 22:39:50 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1976 And Mark, you forgot that you put in a double "is is" in that posting. Many universities have to deal with remedial English and second-language students. Gallaudet has an larger percentage than is the norm; in fact, almost by definition all of their students have English as a second language. They're either truly bilingual, or they're still learning English. I myself tutored English as a student tutor at Gallaudet. I dropped tutoring after a semester because I did not feel qualified enough to deal with the more complex issues posed by students in the midst of learning a second language. I attended workshops on how to tutor English afterwards, anyway. I would NOT sneer at "Gallaudet products." Gallaudet in fact has been of considerable help to many deaf people in improving their English. You cannot simply fix the damage done by growing to age 18+ with poor English-language instruction, lack of encouragment and basic language development with a wand and 4-7 years at Gallaudet. When I was at Gallaudet, I thought so many deaf schools should be sued to have a major overhaul, or closed down altogether for the kind of shoddy work they were doing to their students. Unfortunately mainstreaming itself is no predictor of better English performance, except among the socially excluded and bright deaf students who find books their best friends. In sneering at Gallaudet's "products", you fail to recognize that the Deaf are very vulnerable to permanent language issues caused by language learning delay by failure to provide communication in a visual mode. Gallaudet always has had to balance itself against the accessibility to bright, but English-impaired deaf who could not achieve the support they need to bloom otherwise, against keeping up strong academic standards by excluding weaker applicants. This is especially true now Gallaudet no long has a monoploy on the best and brightest, The university you sneer at was once remarked by a teacher to have the highest genius concentration per student simply because all the brightest deaf people went to Gallaudet. For them it was the most logical choice. I know many of those alumni whose writing you slam. I can tell you that they have improved considerably in their writing skills since they first stepped inside the gates of Gallaudet University. Even I learned something about English, and I had perfect verbal SATs when I attended Gallaudet and was a National Merit Semifinalist. I had wonderful English teachers who loved to teach, who are still at Gallaudet working with the next generation of students. And Mark, you forgot that you put in a double “is is” in that posting.

Many universities have to deal with remedial English and second-language students. Gallaudet has an larger percentage than is the norm; in fact, almost by definition all of their students have English as a second language. They’re either truly bilingual, or they’re still learning English.

I myself tutored English as a student tutor at Gallaudet. I dropped tutoring after a semester because I did not feel qualified enough to deal with the more complex issues posed by students in the midst of learning a second language. I attended workshops on how to tutor English afterwards, anyway.

I would NOT sneer at “Gallaudet products.” Gallaudet in fact has been of considerable help to many deaf people in improving their English.

You cannot simply fix the damage done by growing to age 18+ with poor English-language instruction, lack of encouragment and basic language development with a wand and 4-7 years at Gallaudet.

When I was at Gallaudet, I thought so many deaf schools should be sued to have a major overhaul, or closed down altogether for the kind of shoddy work they were doing to their students.
Unfortunately mainstreaming itself is no predictor of better English performance, except among the socially excluded and bright deaf students who find books their best friends.

In sneering at Gallaudet’s “products”, you fail to recognize that the Deaf are very vulnerable to permanent language issues caused by language learning delay by failure to provide communication in a visual mode.

Gallaudet always has had to balance itself against the accessibility to bright, but English-impaired deaf who could not achieve the support they need to bloom otherwise, against keeping up strong academic standards by excluding weaker applicants. This is especially true now Gallaudet no long has a monoploy on the best and brightest,

The university you sneer at was once remarked by a teacher to have the highest genius concentration per student simply because all the brightest deaf people went to Gallaudet. For them it was the most logical choice.

I know many of those alumni whose writing you slam.
I can tell you that they have improved considerably in their writing skills since they first stepped inside the gates of Gallaudet University.

Even I learned something about English, and I had perfect verbal SATs when I attended Gallaudet and was a National Merit Semifinalist. I had wonderful English teachers who loved to teach, who are still at Gallaudet working with the next generation of students.

]]> By: Dan http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1897 Dan Wed, 03 May 2006 17:04:47 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1897 Please disregard my previous post! Jane Fernandes, not King Jordan, will be answering questions online via the same website above: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/05/03/DI2006050300971.html Please disregard my previous post!

Jane Fernandes, not King Jordan, will be answering questions online via the same website above:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....00971.html

]]> By: Dan http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1894 Dan Wed, 03 May 2006 16:56:58 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1894 King Jordan will field questions online via www.washingtonpost.com today at 2 pm (EST). Be sure to check this out. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/05/03/DI2006050300971.html King Jordan will field questions online via http://www.washingtonpost.com today at 2 pm (EST).

Be sure to check this out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....00971.html

]]> By: Cloak & Dagger http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1891 Cloak & Dagger Wed, 03 May 2006 16:51:34 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1891 I realized that Gallaudet is a very small institution - less than 2,000 students - that has been a mecca for deaf culture in the U.S. That is the social and cultural aspect of it - and so far, I am not seeing enough evidence that Fernandes will not improve Gallaudet. The real purpose of choosing the right president is to focus on the academic and professional growth of the students - enabling them to have a successful career after graduation. Being "deaf-centric" or having to say hello to all the students she doesn't know doesn't qualify. I realized that Gallaudet is a very small institution - less than 2,000 students - that has been a mecca for deaf culture in the U.S. That is the social and cultural aspect of it - and so far, I am not seeing enough evidence that Fernandes will not improve Gallaudet.

The real purpose of choosing the right president is to focus on the academic and professional growth of the students - enabling them to have a successful career after graduation. Being “deaf-centric” or having to say hello to all the students she doesn’t know doesn’t qualify.

]]> By: Jeff Carlson http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1878 Jeff Carlson Wed, 03 May 2006 16:10:09 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1878 GREYDOG, YOU ARE AN IDIOT! YOU DIDN'T SEE HER IN AN EMBARRASSING LIGHT LIKE I SAID. I said exerting compliments which means she did good things, but she yelled at him to stop it. Yell! This is not one case. There are others. The president and the university are reflection of each others. Jane Fernandes will not reflect Gallaudet in a good and postive light. You don't know things until you get up close and personal. GREYDOG, YOU ARE AN IDIOT! YOU DIDN’T SEE HER IN AN EMBARRASSING LIGHT LIKE I SAID. I said exerting compliments which means she did good things, but she yelled at him to stop it. Yell! This is not one case. There are others. The president and the university are reflection of each others. Jane Fernandes will not reflect Gallaudet in a good and postive light. You don’t know things until you get up close and personal.

]]> By: Mark http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1875 Mark Wed, 03 May 2006 16:00:38 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1875 And, of course, I made a typo! That first line should read "What Gallaudent needs is _a_ president . . . " AND a grammar mistake - "contain' should be plural. Well, that's embarassing, but at least I know they were errors. And, of course, I made a typo! That first line should read “What Gallaudent needs is _a_ president . . . ”

AND a grammar mistake - “contain’ should be plural.

Well, that’s embarassing, but at least I know they were errors.

]]> By: Mark http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1874 Mark Wed, 03 May 2006 15:56:52 +0000 http://www.deafdc.com/blog/bobby-cox/2006-05-02/the-president-of-gallaudet-university/#comment-1874 What Gallaudet needs is s president who insists that students learn how to write! Sorry if this offends, but as I surf the web reading various blog commentaries on the current controversy over Ms Fernandez, I'm struck by how nearly all the writing from Gallaudet students, alumni (including someone is is currently a teacher!), and even faculty contain errors of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Some messages are almost incomprehensible, and many have muddled idioms and turns-of-phrase. If I were you, I'd stop worrying about the presidency and start complaining about the English department! What Gallaudet needs is s president who insists that students learn how to write! Sorry if this offends, but as I surf the web reading various blog commentaries on the current controversy over Ms Fernandez, I’m struck by how nearly all the writing from Gallaudet students, alumni (including someone is is currently a teacher!), and even faculty contain errors of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Some messages are almost incomprehensible, and many have muddled idioms and turns-of-phrase.

If I were you, I’d stop worrying about the presidency and start complaining about the English department!

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