Money Raised for FSSA

Thank you Central Floridians for FSSA!

We raised and donated a total of $120 dollars in which was given to FSSA!

Again, thank you!

Central Floridians for FSSA!

ALERT - READ - SECOND DEMAND NOT YET MET - READ - ALERT

Hello Central Floridians

I received this email from a friend of mine who asked me to send this to you, please read this and send this link to other people who may not have been aware of this website. The students NEEDS your help. Their morale is at all time low. They need the support from you. Injustice still occurs at our beloved Gallaudet University.

Central Floridians for FSSA

"I have a favor for you to ask

Would it be possible for you and other central Floridians to start pressuring BoT about meeting the second reprisal? They are to meet on first week of Dec.. not sure which date. Can you also start pressure on BoT about why security guards, physical plant dept workers, and rental cops are still on payroll after they assaulted 30 students, breaking both the university staff policy and DC laws, but they are still on payroll with no punishment at all, while the students who committed minor misdemeanors are being punished WAY out of proportion

It is getting really bad at Gallaudet. The morale of the students is getting low now due to lack of support and I am very worried about them. It is getting harder on me, doing this on the Internet mostly alone. I need help from FSSA groups on this now."

A friend

Beautiful Letter from Elizabeth and Dave About Being Thankful!

This has been an incredibly difficult year for Gallaudet and the Deaf Community. We witnessed a severe split in both communities, with many relationships strained or ruined. We saw students assaulted and their rights trampled. They haven't received justice yet as long as the paid employees who harmed them are still working, despite the fact that they broke the university staff conduct policy and DC laws. The 135 people arrested on Black Friday are experiencing reprisals way out of proportion to their misdemeanors.


The lid of oppression was opened in 1988 and closed in 1990 with the death of student activist Carl Dupree. Now the lid has been blown into pieces and it will never be closed again. We have become more empowered than ever in the history of the deaf community.

We will never go back and bear the chains of oppression again.

However, we still have a long way to go. Gallaudet is still in a very big mess. The ousting of Fernandes is the first step, but we need to work on the flaws that made this fiasco possible. We didn't do it after DPN and because of that failure, the anarchic and oppressive system was still practiced. Hence another protest, Unity for Gallaudet, and this time we need to fix the broken system so Gallaudet won't be crippled with oppression, audism, racism, and management by intimidation. Once the wounds are healed and shared governance is up and running, we'll know that Gallaudet is ready to move forward proudly with full sails.

But let's take the day off today and be thankful for all the blessings we have.

We are thankful that the students are no longer sleeping outside in freezing temperatures. We are thankful that the students are having a break from Gallaudet, to be spent with their families and/or friends.

We are thankful that the Deaf Community rallied and supported the students during the first phase of the protest. We have seen unity in both Gallaudet and theDeaf Community, as never before. We saw new understanding between deaf people about the -isms separating us. Many alumni renewed old friendships and many new friendships arose. Comradeship flourishes again.

We have seen an explosion of deaf blogs and vlogs, thanks to DeafRead who helped bring them all in one site. The Deaf Community drew closer. Despite attempts by Gallaudet to impose at censorship on campus, information flows freely as never before. We have moved up to a new awareness, to a new stratosphere. We have become more empowered, more than we did in 1988.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everybody

Elizabeth and Dave

Check Out Joey Baer's ASL Vlog - Afterthoughts #2

A good question was asked, what is next for our tent cities?

http://www.joeybaer.com/

Any thoughts?

INPUT PLEASE RE: Deaf Professional Happy Hour for Central Florida (DPHH-CF)

WAS IT A SUCCESS? INPUT! THOUGHTS! OPINIONS!

Some stated it was not a success whereas others stated it was.

OUR FIRST LOCATION

Friday, November 17, 2006
Captain's Cove Grill and BarPort of Sanford
4380 Carraway Place
Sanford, Florida 32771
Time: 8pm- 2am
At 9pm, all drinks 25% off due to DPHH!!

Sounds exciting, hope to see you there!

http://www.dphhcf.com/

Powerful and Moving Speech By Donalda Ammons

http://www.terisentelle.com/vlog/?p=59

Brenda Jo Brueggemann Resigns from Board of Trustees

To Brenda Jo Brueggemann

I belive your decision to resign from the Board of Trustees as the Board Chair was in the best interest of Gallaudet University. Not only have you suffered please also bear in mind the many students, staff, faculty, parents, alumnis, and friends and families of Gallaudet, too have suffered the many mishaps of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees have allowed the oppression to have occured over the many years at Gallaudet University.

With this said, Gallaudet University can continue to heal.

Central Floridians for FSSA

http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=9692

Orlando Tent City - Success!

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

We had a gathering in Orlando to provide people of Central Florida to get together for a pincic and opportunities to discuss what has been happening Gallaudet and how we as Central Floridians for FSSA can help Gallaudet for it's tomorrows. In addition, we discussed ways we can strengthen the Deaf community of Central Florida.

First, everyone got together who had opportunities to catch up with the latest news with the situation at Gallaudet, to meet new people as well as see old faces. Afterwards we had presenters discussing about the situation at Gallaudet as well as strengthening the Deaf community in Central Florida, had a bison song, and finally we wrapped up the gathering and said our goodbyes. It was a success!

Melissa shared her experience while a Gallaudet student in the fall of 2006 when the announcement of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes being selected as the next President of Gallaudet took place and the aftermath up to the recent annoucement of Dr. Fernandes being terminated as President.

Christian discussed the future of Gallaudet and how we can help strengthen Gallaudet University Alumni Association (GUAA) as well as expressing an interest in establishing a chapter in Orlando. He discussed about the importance of helping Gallaudet move forward as an university and how we can contribute.

TJ discussed about the need for the education of those who are not involved or aware of what is happening at Gallaudet and the 'push' for others to be involved so to make Gallaudet a better place for its' future. We discussed various ideas of how to make the Deaf community better in Central Florida in which participants contributed. TJ thanked everyone for attending the event as well as the importance of continuing to support Gallaudet.

In closing, both Melissa and Christian did the Bison Song in which they borrowed ideas from other FSSA chapters as well as adding ideas of their own to the song. People were inspired from this.

Thank you for attending, and we're looking to have many more events to provide gatherings for Deaf people and its' friends of Central Florida to get together.

For more information contact: centralflfssa@hotmail.com

Unity for Gallaudet and for Central Florida!

Central Floridians for FSSA

People who attended this event were:

Lisa Montalvo
Joseph Murray,'04
Renee M. Geary, '88 and '93
Lauren Huseby '02, Jessiah Huseby, and family
Christian DeNight, '94
David Welker, Jr
Heather Diehl and family
Billy Carter, Patty Carter, and family
Miriam Sokoloff
Daniel Myatt, Tina Myatt, and family
Daniel Matamoros, Kelly Matamoros (Alumni), and family
Lisa Templet, '92, Judy Reed, and family
Mary Lauer
Frances Ray
Michael Trillo Sr.
Angie Guttler, '05
Vivian Linero
Barbara Chaves and family

Excellent Article in Washington Times

Excellent article in the Washington Times by Jonathan Zimmerman

http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20061101-091540-9958r.htm

Enjoy!

Unity for Gallaudet!

Gallaudet University's Mission and Vision Statement

http://www.gallaudet.edu/x237.xml

Ths is Gallaudet University's Mission and Vision Statement. I urge you to read this and use such information when fighting for a cause. For instance, you will find that Gallaudet University aims to remove any, "barriers," check it out:

"Gallaudet will value and nurture the wealth of cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity which enriches our community."

"Cherishing the different experiences each of us brings, we will use them to enhance learning. Valuing freedom of expression, we will view our entire community as a forum for the exchange of ideas and scholarly debate. Striving to be a model multicultural community, we will ensure that at Gallaudet deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people are able to communicate directly without barriers. Respect for all will be a hallmark of everything we do."

Apparently this is not the case when it should be, feel free to use such as it is your university.

Unity for Gallaudet!

Article in NY Times About Gallaudet - Signs of Revolution

This article was excellent and very much well to the point. It basically sums it as being as a friend put it, "disenfranchised."

Read on!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/opinion/31cohen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Unity for Gallaudet!

Response to Office of Alumni Relations Letter

Dear Mr. Sonnenstrahl,

I am in agreement for a better Gallaudet University for our tomorrows. It is now time for the University as a whole to pull together and move forward as we work together for a good cause. It is time for us to pull up the rug and see what's beneath it and clean such mess up.

With this said, I am upset at your email that you sent out to the alumnus.

Andy Lange, who is the President of the GUAA, asked for access to the email addresses to the alumnus and he was not given such access. This was a huge mistake so to alienate the alumnus from the place we proudly call our home which is Gallaudet. This only led us to become more aware of what truly has been happening and how many of us have been oppressed or lied to or manipulated by certain members of the University. It has been amazing how things have unfolded at this University. Little did I know about Dr. Jane K. Fernandes and thankfully for the blogs, articles in the newspapers, news on the television, I became more aware of who she is as a person and as a professional, and am in full support of the termination of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes. I have been in awe at such revelations on behalf of students, staff, faculty, families, and the Deaf community as a whole. I thank these brave people.

We only received one side of the story consistently from the office of Alumni Relations/Public Relations. When reading your letter, I can only honestly question the intention of such letter. Too often things were covered up or hidden from the alumnus. Thankfully for the blogs or websites such as: www.deafread.com, http://www.elisawrites, www.ridorlive.com, http://mishkazena.wordpress.com, www.gufssa.org, and many more. Just today, you sent out the letter including the statement from Dr. I King Jordan, Dr. Jane K. Fernandes, as well as two letters from the Board of Trustees. Today is Wednesday, this was sent out on Sunday. This only shows the delay of information and only proves my concern that we had to rely on other means to be able to get the 'whole story'. If not for these or technology, many of us would have been left out. Not only this but for friends, families, and/or loved ones reaching out to others so to explain the current situation at Gallaudet. For this very reason, is the reason why Gallaudet exists because of the love we have for this fine university as it was evidenced for the past six months as well as its' existence since 1864.

A proud parent of one student said, "it's like walking on eggshells," so to explain the current climate at Gallaudet. To truly represent Gallaudet, all stories should be out in the open, and no such secrets should be held back, if you truly want to heal and earn trust once again. Statements should not only be restricted to the Board of Trustees or the President but representative of the University as a whole. I am sorry to say I've lost trust in the Alumni Relations.

A Proud Gallaudet Alumni

Once again,

Unity for Gallaudet

Dear Alumnus,

On October 29, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees terminated Dr.Fernandes' appointment as President-Designate (currently effective) and President (effective beginning January 1, 2007) at Gallaudet University.Four announcements were released by the University Public Relations Office -two from the Board of Trustees, one from Dr. Jordan, and one from Dr.Fernandes. You will find these announcements below.

We all need to build Gallaudet's future and begin the process of healing. Many members of Gallaudet's community, including alumni have been deeply affected by these recent events. There are many issues that this protest has brought forth and there is work to be done. The first steps are the hardest and often the most important. With the action they took, the board gave us an opportunity to heal and address these issues---together.

I will do my best to keep you informed of new developments.

Sincerely, Sam Sonnenstrahl, '79 & G-'84
Director of Alumni Relations
Executive Director of GUAA

Contradictions, oh my, once again!

http://www.gallaudet.edu/x237.xml

With the recent worries about whether or not staff and faculty would face reprisals for expressing their views or standing up for what they believe in, I did a research with Gallaudet University's website and searched for Gallaudet's Mission and Vision statement, and here is what I came across which was on the bottom of the vision statement which was:

"Cherishing the different experiences each of us brings, we will use them to enhance learning. Valuing freedom of expression, we will view our entire community as a forum for the exchange of ideas and scholarly debate. Striving to be a model multicultural community, we will ensure that at Gallaudet deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people are able to communicate directly without barriers. Respect for all will be a hallmark of everything we do."

I believe if we emphasize the above with our Board of Trustees and educating those who may not be aware of the mission and vision statement to use the above quote to help improve the Gallaudet University.

Once again,

Unity for Gallaudet!

Please help the faculty and staff who stood up and shared their beliefs

http://mishkazena.wordpress.com/2006/11/01/reprisals-still-on/

click on the link and please share your concerns with the Board of Trustees - the faculty and staff who stood up and shared the same beliefs as the FSSA does are in sore need of your help - enough is enough - we need to move forward as an university -

Once again

Unity for GALLAUDET!