The SIgn-less Protest
This is happening right now in LBJ. What's your opinion on this?
The Sign-less Protest (from Reporter magazine)
Equal communication access (signing in all public areas), has been an issue in LBJ since NTID’s establishment over 30 years ago, but it shouldn’t be. This is the mindset of Lizzie Sorkin, recent Student Government president-elect and organizer of the Silent Protest that occurred April 24 through April 28. The issue-seeing faculty using oral communication in the Lyndon B. Johnson Building-is very old, and one that is fi nally being addressed with increased action by the student body. The protest aims to eliminate all non-sign communication by faculty in the building, rendering LBJ a sign-exclusive building.
The faculty is split on the issue. Many view forced signing in public as the wrong approach. Rocco Saccente, alumni of RIT and current NTID staff commented, “If you look, many of the faculty and staff members are terrible at sign. They are required to take classes, but they learn very little and useless signs.” Saccente went on describing how some faculty sign incorrectly and he suggests more frequent and practical classes to keep skills fresh and accurate.
Saccente has been around the campus for over 10 years. When asked if he had ever seen any movement like this protest, Saccente replied, “No, there was always a loose guideline [on public communication] that the faculty and staff should follow, but oral speaking still occurred.” So what caused students to fi nally do something about faulty and staff orally communicating in LBJ?
Sorkin, who has been at RIT for six years, put it best when she said, “I got tired of being nice and smiling when people talk without signing in NTID. They think it’s okay, but it’s not.” Michelle Gerson, a third year Profession and Technical Communication major, summarized her feelings regarding being left out of an oral conversation by relating it to her home life, coming from a hearing family. “Many of us came from families that had conversations at the dinner table while we sat there not understanding a lick of what was going on. When we walk into LBJ and feel right back at the dinner table…well, we’re pissed.” Gerson summarizes the feelings of many of her deaf counterparts at NTID and reaffi rms that, in order to promote equality, all deaf people should be permitted to be part of public conversation in their building.
Green signs proclaiming “I’m tired” monitored the entrances to LBJ for any staff/faulty member who passed by communicating without sign. “A mark for every time we feel left out,” said Sorkin. The project’s completion will consist of a graph showing every communicative encounter the silent protesters have been isolated from. Sorkin and her allies hope to alert the NTID community and persuade the administration to take decisive action.
Dr. Alan Hurwitz, Dean of NTID, discussed his reaction. Back in 2004, a team was formed to evaluate how the “communication environment in LBJ measures up,” said Hurwitz. The Communication Research Team organized a series of open forums regarding the issue, involving students, faculty, and staff that hope to build awareness and help resolve the equal access to communication issue. Through these forums, Hurwitz said, “The plan is for my administrative team to review the feedback comments. Then I will make a decision to be implemented in fall quarter.” Until then, the halls of LBJ may not be silent, but Sorkin and her fellow protesters are.
The Sign-less Protest (from Reporter magazine)
Equal communication access (signing in all public areas), has been an issue in LBJ since NTID’s establishment over 30 years ago, but it shouldn’t be. This is the mindset of Lizzie Sorkin, recent Student Government president-elect and organizer of the Silent Protest that occurred April 24 through April 28. The issue-seeing faculty using oral communication in the Lyndon B. Johnson Building-is very old, and one that is fi nally being addressed with increased action by the student body. The protest aims to eliminate all non-sign communication by faculty in the building, rendering LBJ a sign-exclusive building.
The faculty is split on the issue. Many view forced signing in public as the wrong approach. Rocco Saccente, alumni of RIT and current NTID staff commented, “If you look, many of the faculty and staff members are terrible at sign. They are required to take classes, but they learn very little and useless signs.” Saccente went on describing how some faculty sign incorrectly and he suggests more frequent and practical classes to keep skills fresh and accurate.
Saccente has been around the campus for over 10 years. When asked if he had ever seen any movement like this protest, Saccente replied, “No, there was always a loose guideline [on public communication] that the faculty and staff should follow, but oral speaking still occurred.” So what caused students to fi nally do something about faulty and staff orally communicating in LBJ?
Sorkin, who has been at RIT for six years, put it best when she said, “I got tired of being nice and smiling when people talk without signing in NTID. They think it’s okay, but it’s not.” Michelle Gerson, a third year Profession and Technical Communication major, summarized her feelings regarding being left out of an oral conversation by relating it to her home life, coming from a hearing family. “Many of us came from families that had conversations at the dinner table while we sat there not understanding a lick of what was going on. When we walk into LBJ and feel right back at the dinner table…well, we’re pissed.” Gerson summarizes the feelings of many of her deaf counterparts at NTID and reaffi rms that, in order to promote equality, all deaf people should be permitted to be part of public conversation in their building.
Green signs proclaiming “I’m tired” monitored the entrances to LBJ for any staff/faulty member who passed by communicating without sign. “A mark for every time we feel left out,” said Sorkin. The project’s completion will consist of a graph showing every communicative encounter the silent protesters have been isolated from. Sorkin and her allies hope to alert the NTID community and persuade the administration to take decisive action.
Dr. Alan Hurwitz, Dean of NTID, discussed his reaction. Back in 2004, a team was formed to evaluate how the “communication environment in LBJ measures up,” said Hurwitz. The Communication Research Team organized a series of open forums regarding the issue, involving students, faculty, and staff that hope to build awareness and help resolve the equal access to communication issue. Through these forums, Hurwitz said, “The plan is for my administrative team to review the feedback comments. Then I will make a decision to be implemented in fall quarter.” Until then, the halls of LBJ may not be silent, but Sorkin and her fellow protesters are.