Well, if I ever wondered what the key to increased readership was, I discovered it last night when I fired off a hasty post about Jane's getting the boot. Nothing like an inflammatory headline to draw readers! My usual readership includes my two oldest daughters, my oldest grandson's wife, Susan-my-dear-niece, and occasional others...Mad Cabbie, Helen of Troy, and Squeaky Days drop in every once in a while...maybe it receives a grand total of 7 or 8 visits in all per day. (I have many other dear nieces, too, but they don't read or even know about my blog.) I had 177 visitors for November 30th alone by this morning at 7:30 a.m.!! Some of them left comments, most of them did not.
But to repeat: I still feel that Jane Fernandes is one of the century's great deaf women, and that she has been much maligned here. I've known her for a long time, and I've always admired her. There are other people besides me on campus here who are broken-hearted over the turn of events regarding Jane. Some very fine people supported Jane, and other very fine people did not. One of the comments on my early blog said "You lost!!!" I think they lost, too, but many of them don't know it yet.
Sad day.
I want you to read bot.gallaudet.edu
ReplyDeleteAll Bot documents are handled by the office of the president. This is abnormal; most board of trustees at various universities have their own mail address, secretary, even e-mail address. I checked.
There is a strict separation between presidental business and Board of trustees' business, because there is a conflict of interest for the person in charge of a multimillion budget to be able to manipulate the mail of his or her bosses'.
Fernandes was very unlikely to change this system, since she benefitted by it and would have always been tarred by it.
Whatever she could have done, she wouldn't have fixed the real reason those people protested.
It's too bad. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." That's always been true. Please consider the fact that the administration didn't employ this strategy from the very start.
And I'm sorry about your experiences, but most of my friends were HoH or late-deafened and they never cried alone when they had me as a friend to call.
Many HoH and late-deafened people come to Gallaudet with serious social skill deficit and emotional problems that other people their age are simply not equipped to handle yet.
I listened to many of the worst, most dramatic life horror stories you could ever imagine. Not everybody my age could have dealt with that. It's just the sad reality of life-- some people need more than a Deaf identity, they need professional help to heal.
You are so, so wrong about the protesters not having a vision or a plan.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that you don't understand that?
Xtreme English -
ReplyDeleteYour ego had blinded you all along. You thought Jane was the best.
You are DEAD wrong!
You are more stupid as you shot yourself in your toe!
Wish it was yours instead of Brian's at the gate the other day!
We shall welcome your resignation tomorrow!
The protesters did have program, vision and goal! They won and YOU LOST! You just wanted to brownnose Jane for your own selfish ambitions!
Be sure to watch the door when it hits your fanny!
So GOOD BYE!
wilbrod the gnome:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jane Fernandes could not have fixed what underlies the protests. Getting rid of her also will do nothing beyond getting a very ugly face of Gallaudet off the news.
Brian Riley:
The protestors' "vision" for Gallaudet seems to be pretty much the same as Jane Fernandes's.
Deaf Advocate:
You're right. I lost. You don't see it now, but you lost, too. Big time.
As for "brown-nosing Jane for [my] own selfish ambitions"...??? That's pretty funny. You really haven't figured Jane out yet, have you?
Kind regards, XEnglish
I am really sorry that you feel such pain that jane is terminated by the Board. They know what is best for the university, whether you like it or not.
ReplyDeleteThe best deaf woman? I would have died laughing!
I'm glad that the Board wised up and terminated her. Wish they could do the same to you. Go ahead and make my day tomorrow by resigning, we don't give a damn to whiny people like you!
Best deaf women? Oh, please.
ReplyDeleteI can easily name the best deaf women in this country:
Roz Rosen
Gertie Gentz
Gertrude Galloway
Bobbie Beth Scoggins
Rachel Bavister
Nancy Bloch
Nancy Rarus
And they easily wiped JKF off the map in a blink of an eye.
Why do you think JKF likes to talk wiht an individual in private? So that she can berate and dominate the discussions. Simply put.
R-
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteSo now you're saying the board knows what's best for the university? The protestors just trampled on Gallaudet, the board, IKJ, and JK because they said the board did NOT know what's best.
Ridor:
I know Roz but not the others. Do the others have the academic qualifications and relevant experience to be a university president?
Pls pls pls don't retire. I would miss you. Plus I have an egg sandwich right here waiting.
ReplyDeleteOh, my....Well, advancing age is gonna shove me out the door sooner or later. But I've calmed down. Besides, you know what a liar I am...can't trust a word I say.
ReplyDeleteI already had an egg sandwich this a.m. One's enough, but thanks for thinking of me....
willibrod:
ReplyDeleteOne other thing...you say "Many HoH and late-deafened people come to Gallaudet with serious social skill deficit and emotional problems that other people their age are simply not equipped to handle yet."
Gee...what a messed up bunch we hoh and late deafies are. Good thing there are some mentally and emotionally healthy people at Gallaudet without *gasp* serious social skill deficits and emotional problems!!! Otherwise, what would become of the place? One shudders to think of who would take over! Hmmm...maybe you should be in charge. Then everything would be done right, and everyone would be happy and well adjusted, and all of the graduates could read and write and get jobs, and we'd be a model for the whole human race instead of a living guide for a banana republic.
Hi - had to check in after seeing the story on the news here this morning! So sorry to hear and read about all the discord at Gallaudet. I am also sorry to hear that Jane was ousted, because I trust your esteem for her. Will have to catch up with you soon!
ReplyDeleteLove, Helen
Helen:
ReplyDeleteHey there...so happy to hear from you. Yeah, it's a mess. But the sun continues to shine upon the just and the unjust. It was just a beautiful day here yesterday. Yak later...
Hello, Xtreme English.
ReplyDeleteI'm an Gallaudet alumnus ('91), but never took an course under you. Your strong feelings about all of this is very understandable. I don't know Dr. Jane Fernandes from Adam... *ahem* Eve.
I believe to a larger extent, she has been the victim of serious missteps by Dr. Jordan and the administration. I still can't get over the blown opportunity that Dr. Jordan had with the keynote address at the 2006 NAD conference in Palm Springs.
Dr. Jordan had the chance to tell us why he believed Jane was the best choice for his replacement and to introduce her to the Deaf leaders attending the conference.
Instead, he said "There is no crisis at Gallaudet." and that "the Board of Trustees' decision is final". He was speaking down to us as if it was us causing the trouble! There were numerous actions over the last several months that alienated alumni, especially the GUAA board.
I'm sorry, but the administration blew it with us, and that's why the march to the Capitol was so big with all of the alumni joining in.
Lionglass:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your perspective as an alum. I agree completely that Jane had either no PR or bad PR from the time she was announced as a candidate. It's truly appalling that IKJ missed a major opportunity to tell Jane's many fine qualities and achievements to the alumni, who are perhaps the university's most important constituency.
Kind regards, XEnglish
Lionglass, p.s.:
ReplyDeleteYou never took a course under me because you left before I arrived, and I am not a teacher. I am a white-collar coolie.
XEnglish