WASHINGTON, DC (DK): In a victory for self-determination and shared governance, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees yesterday terminated Jane K. Fernandes' impending presidency. Taking an action many deemed long overdue, the Board finally acquiesced to over 6 months of pressure from students, faculty, alumni, staff, 80+ Tent Cities, NAD, GUAA, 7500+ petition-signers, and a whole host of other individuals and organizations.
Cyan Rommerson, a student leader whose arrest at the announcement of Fernandes as the University's 9th president served as a catalyst for the protest, jubiliantly declared, "October 29th, 2006 will forever be seen as a turning point in the chronicles of Deaf education--a date to rival the 1880 Milan declarations." Added a fellow student leader, PaToya Lummer, "Today, Deaf people changed the rules--no longer are there three strikes in this game, but four. We now have a chance to eliminate once and for all all the oppressive vestiages that have entangled Gallaudet for too long."
"I am touched by the outpouring of support our protest generated," stated Hara Tolcomb, another student face of the movement. "We would not have been able to achieve the best for Gallaudet University without all the weight that countless individuals and organizations threw behind our effort." Looking towards the future, student leader Boah Neckman "looks forward to working with all the parties involved to ensure that future presidential selection processes are fair, transparent, and inclusive."
As Monday dawned, the campus had a definitely different feel to it than 24 hours ago. Even the hunger strikers' tent at the Florida Avenue gate was vacated for the first time in 4 weeks. Ex-striker Savid Dimmons, speaking from his hospital bed as he received IVs, said "I am weak, I am tired, and I am hungry. But most of all, I am overjoyed that we now have a real chance to re-shape Gallaudet University and polish its image as a beacon of hope for deaf people all over the world."
A joint statement by the GUAA's Landy Ange and the NAD's Beth Bobbie Coggins read: "We will continue to work together to ensure that Gallaudet University holds true to its ideals every day. Students come and go, but the ever-present NAD and the GUAA have a renewed commitment, and responsibility, to vigilantly ensure that our flagship university is a welcoming environment for deaf people of all backgrounds."
Back on campus, life is slowly returning to normal. Faculty are scrambling to make up for lost class time, and students are starting to feel the end-of-semester crunch--after dealing with a wide range of emotions over the past month. But, one feeling that will never escape the demonstrators is that of success, and of the realization that "Deaf people can do anything, even hear (and respond to) injustices that befall their beloved community."
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3 comments:
very cool, Roger! If only IKJ really WOULD drop his weapon of words and seek to engage in healing. See http://bibliomarket.wordpress.com/2006/10/29/reprisals-community-service-no-pngs/ for my take on what we should do when community service sentences are handed out to the protesters.
Thanks for the great PR...we all need a good laugh at times.
Looks like the BoT's vote to drop JKF was NOT unanimous - Senator MCCAIN just announced he was quitting the BoT saying the vote to drop JKF was "unfair"... I guess the AZ deaf community will need to answer that comment when he comes up for reelection. (and for the record, the BoT chair is resigning for the same reasons as well)
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