DeafDC Commenter’s Criticism of FSSA Beer Chuggers in Today’s Express
By DeafDC.com on Tue 31 Oct 2006 |
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Not only does the Washington Post Express read DeafDC.com Blogs they read our comments too! “The Blog Log” in today’s Express featured the following quote by DeafDC.com commenter Virginia L. Beach:
“Although I have not had a chance to see this victory video at this time…I have to agree. Sometimes victory is better celebrated with humility.”
A commenter on DeafDC.com Blog says that the victory Gallaudet University Students achieved with their protests was soured when twos student leaders chugged beer following Sunday’s news that the appointment of incoming President Jane Fernandes had been terminated.
To see the Blog Log quote, download the file here and go to page 32 (Warning, this is a big file! It will take some time to download).
Virginia L. Beach’s comment refers to the following snapshots from DeafRead’s video coverage of the victory celebration:
Tent City Mayor Chris Corrigan slamming a bottle in front of a cheering crowd.
Corrigan with FSSA leader LaToya Plummer chugging together.
Celebrating Dr. Jane Fernandes’ termination.
There’s more! Eyeth Studio covers this “debauchery” complete with photographs of piles of spent beer cans and glasses along with a really really long beer bong!
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pathetic, absolutely and completely pathetic. I’m completely embarrassed. you should check out the forums on http://messageboards.aol.com/a.....amp;func=3
an institution for the deaf that is controlled by the students. I’m so ashamed and embarrassed.
What about the faculty and the alumni? Their actions had a tremendous effect on the BoT as well.
sad but true
it is the presidents fault not their drinking and partying… so lets protest to fight for our right to party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gallaudet, which receives more than $100 million in funding annually from the federal government, was rated “ineffective” this year by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The report cited problems with the school’s retention of students and its graduation rate; persistently fewer than 50 percent of undergraduates get their diploma.
AOL message boards should not be taken seriously.
yeah like this board is to be…… =P *poke*
Hey, i was told by a good source that latoya was expelled from msd because she made a lot of death threats to a guy who she “loved.” Latoya was pissed off because she couldn’t get this guy so she thought death threats and some assaults would win him back. it didnt.
It just shows how much she’ll do anything to get what she want. now she’s in the center of attention. we question her motive.
My jaw’s still on the ground.
Chris Corrigan and LaToya Plummer are mislead because they are against JK.
Oh yea…you are correct. These pictures of beer chuggers showed very disgusting! We could not believe with our very own eyes to see how foolish those immature and selfish students were for drinking alcoholic beverages on the property of the U.S. Government! Don’t you think the taxpayers are happy about that? We think not! What kind of leadership do Chris Corrigan, LaToya Plummer and whoever in the spotlight have? Underage!? Shame on you, all students! Tsk…tsk…tsk…you deserve to face the disciplinary action on alcohol-related misconduct! You, all would probably be better off to withdraw Gallaudet for either one semester or year and to attend to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting! Thanks for ruining Gallaudet’s name! Ironically, you made it to get JKF out and you pay for the price to get out, too. It’s your turn to be responsible to do something for Gallaudet! Act your age and get a life!
They ARE acting their age, which is college aged.
okay this is a 19 year old boy… “colleged aged” WOW he sure is acting his age… lets forgive him.
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/sto.....menu33_3_6
I didn’t know 19 year old boys were known to rape their own mothers. Thanks for your enlightening comments.
What in the Sam Hill does a link to an article about a 19 year old boy raping his mother have anything to do with the Gallaudet protestors? I fail to see any relevance behind this link to the issue at hand. Not only is this a ridiculous analogy, it’s also outrageous and inflammatory.
huh?
get an education… punkybrewster makes a good comparision…
btw for those of you that are deaf professionals…. you can bet your hard ern tax dollars that go to these students in the form of SSI and VR expense money bought that beer…
hell it even funded the protests… sure must be nice to be able to be a slacker and get free money and free ride to just party and become a product of gally… a future SSI check recipent.
Qwerty,
And just what comparision are you and “punkybrewster” trying so desperately to make?
That 19 year old boys raping their mothers are analogous to the Gallaudet protesters?
????
let me make this clear.. the 19 year old boy isn’t supposed to be a comparison to the protest.. i used it as an example of “misguided youth” cuz 19 is “college age”
when your 19 years old you can drive a car, you can buy a pack of smokes, you can buy a shotgun, rifle or handgun, get married, have sex, travel the world, join the army, ect… when you are 19 you are old enough to make decisions… and be held accountable… so it is okay for any 19 year old ot break the law and we are supposed to just shrug it off and go ohhh.. he was just acting his age
punkybrewster,
uh…. nope, still don’t get it. Curses! I guess it was all those SSI/VR checks that did me in. Arrrrrgh.
Raping mothers versus deaf protestors =
one of the more ridiculous analogies I’ve seen yet.
Qwerty,
Yup. Exactly that. So they chugged a beer. Whoopedeedo.
yeah you are right.. i should have known better, i should have realized the kind of people i’m talking to… *obligatory eye roll*
“obligatory eye roll”?
uh-uh, still don’t get that one either. Goshdarn it!
Ohhhh, how I wish I hadn’t taken all those SSI/VR checks! I is truly doomed now! *sob*
On the property of the U.S. government! Nope! They could party at their homes. It is against the law for anyone to possess any open alcoholic beverage on streets, sidewalks, alleys, or any other property owned or controlled by local, state, and federal laws and ordinances.
wildstarryskies
You have allowed young students to break the law by violently drinking alcoholic beverages under 21. Students were in favor of leniency without doing homework and learning about the hard work life. What kind of oppression do they have to complain about ?
I allowed them? You mean, sitting here in NY, six hours away, stuck behind my desk, I somehow gave my “permission” to them? I didn’t get any emails or any kind of contact. Nobody asked me if they could drink.
As for the second part of your reponse, I’m not gonna debate you about that. There are plenty of places you can go to do some research if you really do want to answer that question.
*notification checked*
I don’t get it. What’s the problem? Maybe it’s because I’ve been out of the country, but this sounds prissy and Puritan. If it had been wine instead of beer, would that be acceptable? Or maybe they should circle for a victory prayer? It’s somehow disrespectful because they succeeded in a long fight of several months and celebrated with a drink? I guess I understand you would prefer they be humble, but I don’t see why they need to be, or why it’s so surprising collegiates drink beer. I remember a few protests from my college days which involved beer, and yes, other alcoholic beverages!
I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate, so sorry if I sound like an ass-but I really don’t get the “outrage.”
if you dont’ know … well, let me try and clarify this. Students do not run the show.. they are there to learn students are called students becuase they don’t know **** from shinola. and it’s up to the teachers and the administration to ensure that the “students” get an education as best as they can. in this case the Students would rather cry out for social injustice than get an education.
and they end it all as if it was a fraternity party.
For one thing, it’s immature and tacky. And it gives the impression (rightly or wrongly) that the student protest leaders are only as deep as a shallow pool of beer.
Playing devil’s advocate here too… but for all the yelling and the bashing of the press and other parties for “falsely” portraying protesters as wild, out of control, and not really interested in discussing issues, these images really don’t do much to counter that.
Yes, Alison. It’s been portrayed that way. Look: did they celebrate? Absolutely. Did anyone doubt that they would? No. But, look at these photos, look at where they are celebrating. If one goes by these photos,there is no order on Gally campus. Heck, how many of the folks in the photos are even Gally students. Lots of folks like Malfoy were there, no doubt. So, it’s a celebration (which is completely understandable) where students (of varying ages), as well as random folks, and alumni, are drinking what looks to be a hell of a lot of alcohol on Federal property, out in the open. The new president is going to have a Hell of a job on his hands. And I pity the fool who takes on the interim position.
Saying that they can drink all the beer they want just because they’re in college is somewhat like also using the excuse to dismiss their protests just because they’re a bunch of college students who don’t know any better. Using a beer bong is clearly binge-drinking, and that in itself presents a loud and clear message about their disregard for common-sense safety guidelines. Which ultimately leads to the overall impression that their judgement isn’t all “up there”. Additionally, if the leaders had to move off campus so that more drinking could take place (without reprisals)– who’s not to assume that there were a fairly good share of underage drinkers as well?
Suppose just one underage student *did* get alcohol poisoning- do you really think that nobody will point the finger at Corrigan and Plummer? They’re clearly leaders and rode models and so they should act accordingly. Pushing alcohol as “the best way to celebrate” is not… creative or brilliant.
Joe — it’s about perception. Celebrities are always in the spotlight, and right now, Corrigan, Plummer, Commerson, etc., are in the spotlight. It’s important to recognize (I think) how serious that role is, and to implicitly condone a public drinking celebration as well as underage drinking, is pretty serious. What if one of those students had gone out drinking and driving and gotten hurt?
Anyone who’s in the spotlight needs to practice DISCRETION. That was just a dumb move on their part.
No need to apologize AT ALL. Those of us who fought hard to bring this victory about deserve to celebrate. Joseph-whats going on here is nothing
new. Its called sour grapes!! New web site for these pathic Fernandes supporters. Its called http://www.sourgrapes.com !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you know.. Mr. Coyne, it’s individuals like yourself that concern me and scare me. forgive me for being straightforward but this is exactly what I see when I think of the Gallaudet protests.
Jim why continue to be so bitter? it is over… seems like a lot of deaf people are all about image and being in your face…whats the point do you get enjoyment out of it?
are you a fat old typical deaf male that thinks he knows everythign and sits around collecting SSI and braging how rich he is?
I am not a fat old Deaf man who sits around and collect government checks. I work two jobs and pay taxes like everyone else.
Remember - everyone’s concerned about underage drinking. We’re always getting news exclusives about how this college student died from drinking too much at frat parties and such.
And, was this celebration on Gallaudet University property? Were there ID checks to make sure only those older than 21 years old could drink that beer? If the media finds out about this . . . you can bet there’s going to be an expose on this.
Statistics show that one out of seven deaf people have issues with substance dependence, as compared to one out of ten in the hearing community. http://www.mncddeaf.org/articles/analysis_ad.htm
I believe that’s because they’re isolated and don’t have contact with people who can teach them to drink properly. But then I only work with the chemically dependent…
right, just like the media gives a damn about the drinking going on at all the other colleges. none of this is unique to gallaudet — take it from someone who has been to Stonehill, RIT, and UMass. this whole thing has been overblown. was it the best p.r. move? no — but does it really make gallaudet students look any different than students at other colleges, no.
Does anybody here think that after the Boston Tea Party, the “indians” didn’t go back to the pub and get REALLY smashed?
Yeah, I think it was tasteless FILMING them doing this stuff. I wish they had waited until they were off film to celebrate. Otherwise, I have no problem with the drinking. Of course they are celebrating. That’s understandable. Most of those students did not have a single drink or even party during the last few months of the protest.
They earned it. I think we need to lay off them. They are, after all, college-age kids.
“college age kids” should not have the right to run a university. that’s the whole point….. no one gives a crap about them drinking, everyone drinks.. whoopee frakkin’ doo! the whole problem here is that these kids actually think we should take them seriously in their ‘whine session’ about JKF and they go ahead and pull this in plain sight.
i seem to remember some faculty, administration and alumni at the University protesting too. In fact, 4,000 people were marching at the Capitol. Unless the Gallaudet student population has suddenly tripled, I’m forced to think it was more than just “students” trying to run the University.
Whatever, I’m tired of arguing the point.
Oh, you’re more concerned that it was FILMED?
Shirking responsibility, as always?
Drinking on the stage, especially by Corrigan who is underage, does not give the right message.
Do you know that Corrigan is only 20 years old. A true class act, he is.
But, doing beer bongs, etc. on campus property in plain view, is totally idiotic, and you cannot defend it no matter how you try to *rationalize* it.
It’s interesting you bring up that point. RIT’s Code of Conduct is very stringent. RIT takes their alcohol policies very seriously and put a lot of time and effort into enforcing them. If Corrigan and Plummer did this at RIT, they would probably be asked to appear before RIT Judicial Affairs. I wonder if Gallaudet is more lenient in its policies and enforcement. An alcohol policy and its enforcement helps the University protect itself from lawsuits.
What seems most idiotic to me here is that it seems some of you are ready to write off the protest becuase some college kids went overboard with the drinking and celebrating.
I don’t agree with the drinking out in the open, and yes, they should have wrapped it up and moved off campus if they wanted to party. But I’m not gonna sit around and complain about how they ruined the whole protest because of one night of debuachery. I’m not gonna sit around and criticize them for a temporary lapse of judgement. They just pulled off a SIX month protest where they worked day and night. Where people hurled a lot of abuse on them from all sides. They’ve been through a lot! They’ve experienced periods of complete despair, hopeless and sheer frustration. They’ve been beat up by DPS and the press. Now, you guys are sitting here and beating them up even more.
Classy..
“temporary lapse of judgement?!” HA! I had to laugh. the whole thing was a joke…. Gallaudet university is funded by the government and the tax payers., the students should not run the school…. this on going rant by most of us isnt’ abotu the drinking it’s the fact that most of us EXPECTED this. Being predictable like this is more insulting than the actual incident.
you expected college students to drink.
i’m amazed. contact the psychic friends network.
I’m suggesting we act like adults instead of horrified grandmothers.
i can’t reply to your comment joseph but here’s the skinny… THIS whole thing is on national TV, in the newspapers, all over the media. This wasn’t a civil rights movement, this was one big whine, and catching latoya and chris on stage like that doesnt’ help the stereotypes that will develop.
stereotypes that deaf college students drink beer? oh the horror.
Stereotypes that deaf people do not give a **** about society’s laws and code of conducts.
Think about that, please.
wildstarryskies,
Let’s assume that Chris Corrigan and LaToya Plummer got on stage, explained to the world that the protest is not over, that many systematic changes need to be made and everyone continues to go to school on an oppressive campus.
They could go on to explain that those who opposed the protest should be treated with the utmost respect and they should be embraced and heard, just like they wanted to be heard to during the protest. They should not be intimidated, just like the protesters were intimidated.
That kind of inspirational message, a la Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, would have gone a long way towards persuading the world that their cause was just and their intentions sincere.
Simply portraying the situation as an “us” versus “them” situation and then celebrating the smashing of the competition with a orgy of alcohol is the protester’s only public message to the world in response to the termination of Dr. Jane Fernandes’ termination.
We need a message to interpret so that we can understand. Corrigan and Plummer made a decision that they wanted to make the act of chugging alcohol in front of a frenzied audience their message in response to the Board of Trustee’s decision.
If you are upset with Corrigan and Plummer’s decision to make that their public message, perhaps you should be upset at them, not at the people criticizing them?
I’m not upset at them. They made a mistake, and it was dumb, but it wasn’t deliberate. They were caught up in the emotion of the moment. I’m sure right now, they are going, “ooops. my bad.”
Haven’t you done something without thinking about it first before? Especially at such an emtional moment? I know I have.
The reason I’m upset with others is that they are trying to characterize the whole protest from that one incident. Their real interest is not finding a resolution or criticizing them for their actions. Their real interest is using this incident to prove that they were right along.
In other words, all I’m hearing here is the “I was right, they suck, the students are stupid, the protest is crap!” song.
Not that I’m speaking to you, but I do think you could give them a little more credit. They have done a lot for Gallaudet. I believe in FSSA and GUAA and I know that this is not the end of it. There is a great potential for change. I know the students are committed. They’ve proved it.
wildstarryskies,
Yes you are right, there are people who are looking for mistakes such as the one that Corrigan and Plummer made so they can capitalize on it to prove that they were “right” about the protester’s intentions. Like Policy Wonk said above, becoming a celebrity places a burden on people like Chris Corrigan and LaToya Plummer who must be mindful of the public eye.
My vision of the four DPN leaders in 1988 is one of Greg Hlibok, well-dressed along with the three other leaders leading chants of “Deaf President Now” after Zinser’s resignation. I don’t recall the DPN leaders saying that they “won” or defeated a “villan”. My memory is vague, but I remember them looking forward to the actual selection of a Deaf President. Their goal was not yet achieved and they exuded positive vibes knowing that they were one step closer to their goal.
If someone asked me to describe the conduct of the four DPN leaders based on what I read and watched, I would say that they were mature beyond their years, conducted themselves with class and dignity, and were fabulous signers and presenters (I must give credit though, to Corrigan for showcasing some absolutely stunning and beautiful ASL, he is a talented signer. Eye candy, no doubt.).
Now, THAT’S something I agree with, Shane.
I feel the Gallaudet protestors could have been better dressed. When I protested in the UK, I wore suits. We wanted to be respected and listened to, and we also wanted to show respect to those whose attention we were trying to get.
Still, this whole thing is a *really* minor issue to be talking about, but I guess it’s a good way to distract from, oh, I don’t know, 20 years of no improvements in DPS communications skills, a murder, and the basic admission by Fernandes that there’s something wrong with the Board of Trustees…
Joseph Rainmound,
If the protesters wanted us to focus on the the REAL issues that you just outlined, perhaps they should have reiterated those grievances in their first public statement after the announcement of Dr. Jane Fernandes’ termination?
The community *MUST* focus on those issues, but it is difficult to do that with the public messages that the protesters are sending people outside of Gallaudet campus.
joe, it’s hard to wear suits when u live in a tent. :)
Now, wait a minute… There was a huge party that was out of control when Zinser resigned during DPN. The student leaders partied hard with everyone else. Just because we didn’t have the internet back then doesn’t mean everything was done nicer back then.
Are you kidding me?
You are angry that it was filmed, what a great George Bush moment there. Its not a problem we knew illegal wiretapping was occuring, its the fact that it was reported. Brilliant.
So what are they, college kids who make a mistake, or great role model leaders fighting for a just cause? Cant have it both ways.
And to answer your question, no. The people in the Boston tea party did not go to a pub and get smashed afterwards, they went to a coffeehouse.
They could just be great leaders who made a mistake. I mean, even Clinton had Monica. But of course he was overage.
I am disappointed that in your fight to combat poor analogies, you provide an analogy to a situation where the culture is different, the philosophy is different, and the lifestyle is different.
Ever since the Boston Tea Party, there were several things that changed:
1. Gallaudet University was formed.
2. Public media became widespread with instant news.
3. The internet was created and accepted in a widespread manner.
They may earn it, but they should be wise enough to not publicly flaunt the rewards earned.
Finally, I’m pretty amused that the protesters, who loudly proclaims to the very bitter end, that they are one of the neatest freaks around, provide such huge abundance of litter after just one day of ‘partying.’ How does that help with their public image, hmm?
I wasn’t around Gallaudet during DPN. How did it end?
Did the four student leaders go on stage to announce their victory with beer bottles in their hands and chugging together?
No, they didn’t. What they did, they entered a monastery where they dedicated their life to God and spent the next 15 years in mediation. Then when they left the monastery, they fought poverty and found a cure for cancer.
Ah, so they knew the idea of humility.
Johan.. it was a joke. I was being sarcastic. If you guys are going to deify the DPN protesters and compare them to the current Unity people, well, then..
I believe Johan was joining in your sarcasm, and making a joke himself. His point however, differed from yours …
Sometimes I wish I could write a blog on how sarcasm is a fine art- lost too far often on deaf people. But then again, I often miss the joke if told in ASL. Fair is fair. :)
Shane,
To answer your query about how DPN ended, that’s a good question. Perhaps my experience can give you some insight. I wasn’t there on campus when the DPN folks received the good news but I was there when the victory party started at the old Abbey bar. In fact, I was a mainstreamed senior high school student living across the river in Arlington when the DPN revolt broke out. I skipped classes every day for a week, contributed my car to the blockades of the gates, marched on the Capitol, pumped my fist in the air for the Cause, etc. Except for a few people at MSSD, I didn’t know a single soul at Gallaudet College (it was a college back then, yo) but I had nevertheless joined my brethren in support of the Cause.
I was watching TV when a news flash came on with word of Jordan’s selection, etc. I hopped in the car and burned rubber to the campus, running lights all the way. I wandered around the campus and wound up at the Ole Jim house. I had been standing there only a few minutes when someone burst in and announced that the Abbey bar was going to be opened and that free drinks were going to be served for all.
I was at the front of the mob that surged across the green to the bar; I remember looking around and laughing at the excited hooting that resonated around me. The Fight was over and all this stress needed to be released. Someone unlocked the doors to the Abbey, we flooded in, and within minutes free drinks were being handed out left and right. Being all of 17 years old at the time, I have to admit I was ecstatic to be drinking with the older college students. I joined in the bellowing and backslapping taking place; the mission was over and the troops were standing down. What I recall most in the few hours that I was there in the Abbey was the sheer jubilation, as well as exhaustion, at the success of the DPN movement. Granted, looking back now, I don’t have all the details as to what the DPN leaders said or did when they received the news or how they celebrated. I do recall Greg Hilibok (sp?) working the room. In fact, I followed him out of the bathroom at one point and much to the delighted snickering of everyone, he trailed a particularly long segment of toilet paper that was stuck to his shoe all the way down the hall and into the Abbey. Well, I thought it was hysterical at the time.
I encountered IKJ’s children who were approximately the same age as me. They were pleasant people; I secured them drinks and we chatted at length. When IKJ appeared, bedlam erupted. It was as if Moses himself had wandered into the room. I joined a number of large students in forming a defensive perimeter around IKJ as he was literally mobbed by star-studded students. He got up on a chair and spoke for a few minutes. We, the self-deputized bodyguards, then escorted IKG to his waiting car where various people gave him hugs and gave him a resounding farewell.
Now, I don’t know the full story about the whole Abbey incident, whether the drinks were looted or whatever. What does concern me at this point in time is the tenor of this discussion taking place re: the chugging of the beer by the student leaders. Were Chris and LaToya and whomever else wrong to have done this in such a public display? I agree that they could have exercised better discretion and could have done this and that, be more humble and civil, maybe provide an inspiring speech invoking peace, humility, letting bygones be bygones, do the imbibing away from the seemingly ubiquitous cameras, yadda yadda, whatever. I winced myself when I saw the video but only because I knew that the anti-protestors were going to have a field day with this. But at the end of the day, all they did was drink a beer. In light of the egregious acts of aggression and violence that took place against the protestors by Gallaudet police/security officers (whom after 3 murders on campus in 15 years, STILL don’t have proficiency in sign language?!), I say:
so what?
Oh, no! Now the wrath of an enraged public, nay, an angry God/Lord/Creator/(insert deity) shall surely heave fire and brimstone upon such irresponsible acts of boozing! *hysterical shriek*
Please. What I personally don’t understand is why, in the course of events that have transpired recently, this whole beer-chugging thing is transforming from a mere mole hill to friggin’ Mt. Everest. How utterly convenient to launch sniping potshots from behind the boulder of anonymity, particularly when such vituperative comments do nothing to advance rational and intellectual discourse. We have far more important issues to discuss in this forum regarding what hopefully will be a productive healing process at Gallaudet but, unfortunately, for whatever bizarre reason, a number of individuals with personal hatchets to grind continue to billow smoke and fire where there’s clearly none.
Well didnt the protester say they wanted a president that would lead their school into the future?
Didnt they say they were upset about the graduation rate? doesnt what happened on sunday night show the world about the truth at gally? that it is a party school… I am sure back in the day there were many deaf professionals that walked out of the gates of gally… with higher professional ethics… what is it with kids today they think everything is owed to them and they dont have to work for anything?
Gallaudet, which receives more than $100 million in funding annually from the federal government, was rated “ineffective” this year by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The report cited problems with the school’s retention of students and its graduation rate; persistently fewer than 50 percent of undergraduates get their diploma.
I liked that *hysterical shriek*
I’ve been trying, but some people are just determined to paint the protesters in the worst possible light.
yeah, no kidding. I don’t know if it’s because of Halloween or what but I find it bizarre to be reading all these people hatin’ on the protesters DAYS after Ferrandes was terminated. A little slow on the uptake, I guess.
I’ve been trying to look at this from two different angles.
I won’t lie, folks…after I found out about the BoT’s decision, I went out to the local pub near my house and had me a large pizza with two Long Island Iced Teas (and if you’ve ever drank those things, all it takes is two!)
So yes…a part of me does acknowledge the need to celebrate, and I have nothing against that. But I do think that one needs to use a little common sense, and recognize where to draw the line.
I do agree with wildstarryskies that filming this celebration was pretty tasteless. I don’t think that was such a smart idea, because it does convey an image that isn’t exactly the one I’d like to show to the world.
What concerns me most is whether or not this celebration is in fact illustrative of the whole attitude of the protest - the fact that many blogs have referred to it as “We Won!” troubles me somewhat. I’ll be talking about this in my next two blogs.
I’m not totally comfortable with the idea of viewing this protest in “winning” terms - because to me that symbolizes the whole concept of Power-Over that I discuss in Part 2 of Understanding the Protest. The protest shouldn’t be about winning…but about creating change.
Celebrating because the change is happening? Great! Celebrating because you managed to “oust a villian” out of the presidency? I have a problem with that.
Virginia,
Excellent analysis. I have been watching the protest Blogs for some kind of plan or constructive approach towards the selection of the next Gallaudet President. If the FSSA and the protesters come up with a constructive response to the termination of Dr. Jane Fernandes and what the next steps are for the future of Gallaudet, deaf education, and deaf children like “Gideon” at the Mosdeux website then people could have more respect for them and some could decide to become supporters.
However, if the FSSA and protesters do not develop a response soon and simply continue to post pictures and content lauding their “victory”, then it may give credence to the belief that it was simply a personal vendetta against a “villan” and not a desire to ch