Mishka Zena

For your information, his dad and I used to work together in Biology Dept  at Gallaudet for several years before I resigned for health reasons some years ago. He was a great professor in an ivy league university in South Africa for 30 years before he retired. While teaching at Gallaudet, he was very popular with the deaf students. It was his dream to get a permanent tenure at Gallaudet.  For whatever reasons, he was unable to secure that position and left America shortly afterwards, broken-hearted and his spirits totally crushed. He is now dying and Paul is on his way now to visit him. I gave him a  personal note to pass to his dad and told him to give his dad a long and hard hug for me. It’s very sad. *tears in my eyes* Elizabeth

I am still of the opinion that those who have been “oppressed” within the BOT to follow the status quo. In the event that they do, it will send a powerful message to the nation (and the world) that Deaf people every where are still oppressed (even on the board of “their” university. It is my fervent hope that when these BOT who are feeling oppressed and are ignored will be brave enough to hand in their resignation “en masse” and come out with a joint statement to tell the world of their experience AND join the movement. Such a move will enable them to become the “Rosa Parks” of the Deaf world. Such a message will be hard to ignore and change/healling will be bound to happen/start!

At today’s rally at the front gates of Gallaudet University, three SBG presidents from the DC area, including George Washington University and Marymount University, spoke affirming their support of the students in the DC area university. These three spokesmen also mentioned that more universities from the DC area and around the nation will join Gallaudet University and that food, blankets, clothing, and supporters will be joining the “tent city” by Tuesday night. Media has started to take interest in this movement and I am sure that support is growing, Growing, and GROWING for the Gallaudet University’s FSSA. In the end–from what I have seen–they WILL prevail.

I also received word from ColoradoforFSSA that more than 100 people attended the tent city in Denver today and they had raised $495 with more coming in. They are also collecting donations for blankets and clothing for Gallaudet’s FSSA who have expressed great appreciation!

Furthermore, my brother David is now in his 56th hour of hunger strike (on his 40th birthday!) and more people are joining the hunger strike. I am sure that Gallaudet University and the BOT wouldn’t want them to become martyrs of the movement.I very doubt that other naysayers and/or Fernandes supporters would want to be part of such a BOT to whom more, more, and more people are becoming increasingly hostile. I am also very sure that such resignations will make these BOT resigners (not quitters) the everlasting heroes of the Deaf WORLD and Gallaudet that they LOVE! Come on, look into your hearts and show the Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni of Gallaudet,  and the World that you are BRAVE enough to come out and affirm your desire to heal Gallaudet University that we all LOVE and allow Gallaudet to be seen as a FIERY PHOENIX rising from the ashes and can be seen far and wide in our nation and aroound the WORLD!!! 

Paul Simmons