Classes! Classes! Oh my!

What college experience would be complete without classes?!  I am currently busy taking 5 courses plus an practicum.
On Mondays and Wednesdays
I am taking only one course
GSR 150: Introduction to Integrated Learning: D.C. as Text

On Tuesdays and Thursdays,
Those two days are ones of my favorite days,
I am taking four courses
THE 351: Contemporary Drama
THE 110: Introduction to Theatre
THE 101: Visual-Gestural Communication (FUN CLASS)
THE 495: Special Topics: Deaf Theatre: Why is it adored and abhorred?

I am taking Theatre Practicum, every night from Monday to Thursday (4 hours) (FUN!)

To all those who aspire to be involved in the Theatre Arts: it takes a lot of work but FUN! Time management a big MUST!

LIghts! Sets! Scripts! Oh my!

From the title, can you figure out what major I applied for and declared?! If you guessed Theatre Arts… You are right! I am so pleased with the choice I made. You may recall from my earlier blog that I was aspiring to double major in Deaf Education and ASL/Deaf Studies. My dream of becoming a teacher still has not died! I am putting the Deaf Education on hold and still intend to be majoring in ASL and minoring in Linguistics!
Why Theatre Arts? I chose Theatre Arts because I was fascinated with the stage and film world since I was a wee kid. I felt that if I had to teach kids, I would like to at least unleash some creativity! I always loved theatre because in that world, for even the most brief amount of time, you CAN be anything you want to be with little or no barriers, all it takes is, Lights! Stage! Imagination! I realized that We, as Americans, forgot how to make our innermost dreams become realities, it may be simply because we are afraid of our dreams and hope being crushed to pieces. I am not afraid to chase down my dreams. If someone crushes my dream, all I have to do is redream it again and chase it down. You should never give up on your dreams or passions. Here at Gallaudet, like Walt Disney World, Your Dreams come true with some hard work!

First Semester at Gallaudet

Wow! It has been quite a while since I updated my blog! A lot has happened since my last blog post. I learned there are a lot of benefits for being a Gallaudet student! First, the Homecoming was Mindblowing! I cannot really describe what it was like at Gallaudet during Homecoming! You guys have to come and SEE for yourself! I also got to meet several well known figures such as Bernard Bragg, a internationally renowned Deaf mime, and Marlee Matlin, yes you are reading this right. (See my pic). I met her while I was covering the FCC field hearing. A month later, I went to a Gala honoring our great president, Dr. Robert Davila. It was an amazing time! I then was forced to dive in the hectic schedule of the Finals! I managed to snag an interview to apply for an major. The result will be the subject of the very next blog.

How Gallaudet Changed Me

Pardon me if this post is too nostalgic and mushy for your taste, but when I was browsing some of my comments, I came upon this…

I’m in my last year at Gallaudet and I have changed so much since coming here – for the better. I’ve learned so much about what it means to be Deaf and I see myself and others in a whole new light. It has really changed my perspectives with respect to discrimination, limitations in the hearing world, access to total communication, and the amount of support here is incredible. It wasn’t until my last year here, did i realize who my true friends really are. I’ve learned so much about people and their strugggles and successes and had I not came to Gallaudet, I would have never experienced a different world. I do not regret coming here one bit.

I feel pretty much the same as this poster. Granted, I’m not in my last year at Gally, I’ve still got 1 or 2 to go, but occasionally when I look back on my high school years to the person I was then and compare it to the person I am today, I am amazed.

If you asked me 3 or 4 years ago if I thought I would be living in Washington DC today, I’d probably be screaming “NOOOOO!!!” Growing up I was this very shy girl living in a tiny town, so I didn’t get the chance to socialize or make very many friends. Even though most of my family is deaf, I felt like I wasn’t truly deaf.

I decided to go to Gally because I realized that I was sick of being the only deaf person in school, I was sick of making friends through interpreters, I wanted a chance to succeed without people feeling sorry for me. I was scared, sure, I hate going to the city and feel real anxious whenever I visit one, so how was I supposed to adjust from living in a town where the number of turkeys outweigh the number of people to Washington DC?

Freshman year was hard, but sophomore year was better, I met more friends, and junior year has been the best by far. I truly feel that I am where I belong, even though I could do without the whole city-living type of life here. I feel as if my identity is clearer than it used to be in high school, I’ve made so many friends, my confidence level has skyrocketed, and I’m doing things I always wanted to do but was too scared to try. I think this is all due to Gally’s way of making everything accessible to everyone and encouraging students to succeed.

There are days when I hate this campus and am dying to go back home to the safety of my house, but then there are days where I feel as if I can do anything I want to and that there is nothing stopping me. I never felt that way at home. So, thank you Gallaudet.

Alright, I’m gonna stop the mushy train right here before this turns into Sobfest 2010. Send me questions if you’ve got ‘em!

Cheers,
Heather

So Far, So Good

Hey folks! My semester is going really well so far. I was a bit nervous about two of my classes because they require a lot of independent work – both my Capstone class and my Senior Thesis class are pretty much entirely self-directed. But as it turns out, that doesn’t mean you’re flying solo. I’ve been getting some really good guidance from both professors, and I feel like I’m actually making progress!

My other classes are going well too. So far US Women’s History is great, I love the professor (Donna Ryan) and I love her teaching style. She knows how to let you have a discussion, and how to rein you back in when things get too off the point or carried away! My sociology professor (Jeremy Brunson) does that masterfully too. Unfortunately we’ve only had two classes so far…I wish it was more often than once a week! I’ve finished the first major assignment, though, so it’s going well.

I know I’m graduating soon, but I just want to say that I love Gallaudet…I wish I could stay forever!

Classes and the “WhatAmIGonnaDo” Dilemma

Hey there, gblog readers! Winter break is officially over, and we are a week and a half into the spring semester at Gallaudet University. A month long break really does not feel like enough time, especially if you live a ways from Gally and don’t get to go home very often.

So… this semester I’ll be taking five classes in total, to give you an idea of the type of classes that a English and Secondary Education major might be taking, I’ll explain what they’re about. I am taking the following classes…

ENG 408- This class is a required English class for English majors and it basically discusses multi-cultural perspectives. Seems pretty interesting so far.

ENG 406- Also another required English class, this class covers American Literature from 1865 to the present. I think I’ll be enjoying this class since I’m crazy for American Literature.

ENG 375- An elective class that counts towards my English major, this class is about media literacy, and it is also my cake class, you know, the classes you take because you know you’ll ace it.

EDU 440- This one is required for my Secondary Education major, it basically covers an introduction to curriculum. Seems pretty challenging, but I think it will be something to improve my teaching skills.

EDU 441- Also required, this class focuses on literacy. I admit this class makes me nervous since I will be required to tutor high school students. Yikes!

Graduation is a long way off, but it seems as if it also is really nearby at the same time. It’s really making me think about what I want to do after college, I know my goal has been to be an English teacher for deaf high school students, but there are times when I wonder if it is what I really want to do. Which is completely normal, I can’t tell you how many students I’ve met here who have no idea what to do in the future. Of course, Gally does offer services such as academic advising to help you decide what to do in the future, but still, it doesn’t completely solve the problem.

I would like it very much if I could major in something that interested me but still guaranteed me a job the minute I graduate. Psh, like that’ll ever happen, heh.

If you’ve got questions, ask away!

Cheers,
Heather

Gally’s Quality of Education

Hey fellow readers!

Been a while, eh? It’s currently winter break for most of us Gallaudetians so I’m currently at home sweet home in Minnesota. It’s about -10 degrees here, my kind of weather! The first semester of my junior year is over, and wow, it was incredibly hard to get through. I joined a sorrority– Delta Zeta, it was a lot of fun making new friends and I definitely don’t regret it. But then disaster struck, my beloved dog, Bingo, the dog I had since I was seven had to be put to sleep. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to him and staying focused on school was just so hard. I’m sure many of you have been through the same thing. I love Gally, don’t get me wrong, but at times like these, I wish I went to school closer to home. But the things I’ve learned and got to experience during my time here so far has been incredible, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Sorry to be so personal, but I thought it was important to blog about some of the challenges college students go through.

Anyway, I finally got another question! To the person who asked this, I hope you don’t mind that I’m answering your question on my blog. If you or anyone else wants to contact me to find out more about Gally, feel free to email me at heather.breitbach@gallaudet.edu

Here’s their question:

Hi,

I’m a high school senior, and I just received a full 4-year scholarship to Gallaudet. Before I got this scholarship, I didn’t want to go. But it is certainly appealing… not to have to pay off loans when I graduate. But I’m concerned about the quality of education at Gallaudet. Is the honors program good or is it just a joke? What year are you at Gallaudet? Do you feel like this school is going to prepare you for the real world? I’d like to talk to you more about Gallaudet, if that’s possible?

Wow, full 4-year scholarships ain’t easy to come by, so congrats! I most definitely agree that money is definitely a huge factor in deciding where you want to go to college.

To answer your question, I’m currently a junior or a third-year student here at Gallaudet, double majoring in Secondary Education and English, which means I would like to teach English at a high-school level. In regards to the honors program, I personally turned down the offer to join, I just thought it would be too much work. I don’t know too much about the program, but I’ve heard opinions about it from both ends of the spectrum. Some say that it is very challenging, time-consuming, and ultimately not worth it. Others really enjoy it, saying that the things they’ve learned apply to real life.

Now, about Gally’s education in general– it really depends on what you’re interested in studying or majoring in. We’re obviously not Harvard, but we certainly do have areas that stand out in the quality of education, I’ve heard a lot of good things about our Social Work/Counseling programs and Education programs. But there are some programs that, well, kinda suck. I’ve taken a wide variety of classes and it just seems to me, maybe I’m biased or whatever, that the English and Education classes were by far the most challenging, in a stimulating way, and the most beneficial of most of the classes I’ve taken. I must say that most of our professors and major advisors are really helpful with connecting your studies to the future.

All in all, the quality of education here at Gally really depends on the area you’re studying, there are some cake classes that people take to get an easy A, but every university tends to have those, but there are also a lot of intellectually stimulating classes available also. With the recent addition of GSR classes (general studies requirements) that all new freshmen are required to take, there is a lot of focus on choosing a major that fits you and will help you to find a career in the future. So basically, there’s a lot of preparation for the real world.

Sorry if all this is confusing, but my honest opinion is that Gallaudet University is a great place to be, but your experience, whether it be emotionally, mentally, or academically, all depends on what you make of it. I came to Gally as a freshmen because I had basically no other place to go where I would fit in as well as I do here, I didn’t give a hoot about their quality of education, even though I had heard some negative things about it. But when I got here, I was pretty much flabbergasted. I basically coasted through high school and was never truly challenged academically and a lot of things about real life were sugarcoated. For me, Gallaudet has forced me to work harder, not to the death, but to an area where I feel as though I am not only learning, but wanting to learn. And for me, what I’ve learned here has definitely prepared me for the real world.

Good luck with your decision, I really hope you pick Gally, but of course, you should pick the college that will suit you the best.

Thanks for such a challenging question, I hope I cleared things up for you!
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to know more about anything, I love questions!

Cheers,
Heather

December Graduation

I’m expecting to graduate in December now. This is going to be insane.

I have only four more classes to finish my degree: ASL 301, DST 402, DST 498, and GSR 300. Technically I can do all this in one semester, but I will need another 12 elective credits to graduate, so I have to spread it over two semesters.

Of course, I’ve also been planning to do an Honors Capstone all this time. That’s normally a three-semester project, but I want to graduate in two. So I got special permission from the Honors director to do it! This is going to mean my summer will be CRAZY busy…that’s the “third” semester. I’ll have to take the classes as independent study,

But by this time next year, I’ll have graduated. I won’t get to walk until May, when I’ll join the rest of the class of 2011 onstage, but I’ll be saving a ton of money by not doing another semester. I also feel better about finishing in seven semesters rather than eight…makes me feel like my time at Western Maryland wasn’t a complete waste!

an awakening..

I think I have forgotten that I’m one of the Gbloggers- so pardon for the long hiatus. I am sitting in one of my most fond places- Baltimore Washington International airport. I love it when I sit and watch people, studying how they behave. In general, people watching can be very amusing.

 

One of the fewest things I have been lacking this semester is consumption of pop culture. I’ve just been so busy with classes this semester- and I am this close to declaring my major. The new curriculum here makes it much easier for me to get things going with other classes than the general studies requirement courses. I like where I am heading towards and I believe that your Bachelor of Arts degree should be something you truly enjoy doing and merges well with your masters. I am not unveiling you all on what I am majoring in because I have this weird curse where I declare it without officially doing the major selection paperwork- I ended up not majoring in that area. So, people- please bear with me.

 

Anyways back to the concept of consumption of pop culture, the first thing I did when I went to BWI (besides treating myself a latte from Starbucks) was buying a magazine. I just love America because every fashion magazine must at least have something about weight loss in the cover. I couldn’t pick which magazine I wanted but one thing that made my decision much easier was judging the covers- I saw that allure has Kirsten Dunst on the cover. I had to take it, I love her! Ever since I saw how she portrayed the role of Lux Lisbon on The Virgin Suicides and I was in love with her. I don’t usually read allure but- I realized how sad it is because my selection is based on the covers. Let’s say if a magazine has a boring cover with some good articles inside or a magazine with Dunst on the cover with full of crappy article, which would I pick? Sadly- the one with Dunst on the cover.

 

I eagerly bought the magazine and sat down with my latte, I opened the magazine and I miss the colorful pictures of photoshopped models, scents of perfume samples, and lots of close-ups beauty ads. I started to laugh as I flip through the pages, I realized that the society’s control agents has gone mad. What we are consuming, reading, and seeing is not real. It is ridiculous and clearly unrealistic- but it got us believing. Everyday people hit the gyms to look good, maybe a thousand of women on the operation table- awaiting for their breast implants, and people  being obsessed with their bodies. It is exactly like believing a non-existing ghosts, but we believe the photoshopped supermodels instead.

 

I realized, America is addicted to this infectious disease- the pop culture but it is up to us how we interpret it. I must thank my GSR 240 class on sexism in advertising, it has truly opened my eyes to how the society is. Sometimes you take courses to get it over with but you do not realize how much impact it has on you.

 

Other than this, life’s good for me. Nobody said life was easy well maybe Hugh Hefner did. I’m on the winter cheerleading squad once again and am working for Green Gallaudet. I still work at Campus Activities. Also- I just became a new sister of the Phi Kappa Zeta sorority- I am very proud of what I have overcame this semester!

Validation!

For my Disability Studies class, I’m reading a chapter on bioethics and the deaf community, written by Dr. Theresa Blankmeyer Burke, who teaches in Gallaudet’s Philosophy department. The chapter includes this:

So far, I have posited a fairly strict duality between signing Deaf community members and the dominant mainstream culture, suggesting that research aimed at eradicating deafness is typically seen as good by members of the dominant culture and that this same research agenda is seen as harmful by members of the signing Deaf community. In reality, it is not quite so simple. Those who occupy liminal space, such as hard of hearing people who sign, or culturally Deaf people who wear cochlear implants or hearing aids, must also be attended to. [emphasis added]

Wow, I never thought of it before, but that is a really validating statement for me! As I’ve been working to understand myself as a hard of hearing person, I’ve been trying to understand my place in the hearing and deaf communities. I have observed people at Gallaudet say that “hard of hearing” is a medical term, you are either Deaf or you’re not, and I guess by that definition I am Deaf – and indeed, I’ve had people tell me that I am Deaf and I should reject the “hard of hearing” label and just let myself be fully Deaf. But to the hearing community, I am “almost” a hearing person…I just need a little help like watching you when you talk or having some things repeated. So I feel like I can’t reject the “hard of hearing” label because I don’t have the same difficulties communicating with hearing people that other Deaf people do.

But there it is in black and white from Dr. Burke: a hard of hearing person who signs. In the middle. Here is what Wikipedia says about liminality:

Liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning “a threshold”) The liminal state is characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy. One’s sense of identity dissolves to some extent, bringing about disorientation. Liminality is a period of transition where normal limits to thought, self-understanding, and behavior are relaxed – a situation which can lead to new perspectives.

Yes. That is me. Neither hearing nor Deaf. In the middle, ambiguous, indeterminate. It feels good to understand this.