I promised a blog about my sophomore year of college. To refresh your memory:
http://behinddeafeyes.blogspot.com/2010/07/fresh-meat-07.html
My first year at RIT was like taking a roller coaster ride. I was trying to find myself. Last paragraph in the blog described my fears with the deaf community which I disconnected myself from that world in the last quarter (Spring). I left my first year at RIT for summer in Upstate NY back to hearing world.
That summer of 2008 was one of the best summers I had. I finally had a group of hearing friends which I hung out with almost the entire summer. I had a summer boyfriend. I worked in a classroom with deaf students. I got my first car. Reunited with my family.
It was interesting how that job in the deaf classroom was unexpected. Seeing those younger deaf students often gave me flashbacks to my childhood days. I recalled that I didn't know how different I was until I was 11 years old. I was the happiest girl before that, and I changed when I realized what my life was about to be like. Now, I'm having difficulty with choosing where to belong in Rochester. Those kids made me think a lot about where to put my foot down. What identity do I want?
Returning to college for round two was even more difficult than first year. I isolated myself a lot in fall quarter and felt so unhappy. I drove home every weekend to be with my family. I felt the happiest at home. I felt that I was a commuter student, going up to Rochester on Mondays, going to classes during the week then home on Thursdays. Looking back at this, I have definitely missed out a lot on college life. I do not have regrets because that's what truly made me happy - to be at home. When I returned to RIT after Thanksgiving break, I started the first week of my 2nd quarter (Winter). I was unfocused and unmotivated to continue at RIT. I made the decision to take a leave of absence.
I returned home to Upstate NY which during that time, I was figuring out myself again. I transferred to Corning Community College in Corning, NY to get an associate degree in liberal arts. Only I never showed up to register for courses. It was too late once the first day of second semester at Corning came and went. I was unsure of what I wanted in my life, which was one of the reasons for the leave of absence. I needed that time to be healthy, find myself, figure out what I want, explore my options, and be happy again.
Eventually, I made the decision to return to RIT for Spring quarter. I don't remember why I decided to go back. I just remember being bored at home with no job or school to go to every day. When I went back to RIT, I moved in a dorm room which I had to myself so I isolated myself all hours except when I had to go to classes. I still disconnected myself from the deaf world. I still went home to Upstate NY every weekend.
In fact, that Spring quarter I applied to another university. I got accepted to transfer to Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA. I applied to MU for two reasons. It was close to home. I need reassurance that I could get into another college than RIT. I felt like I was put on one-way track to apply to RIT & only got in there because I was deaf. MU accepting me made me excited. I considered all options whether I should go through with it. The term would start in Fall 2009. I would like to leave you all on a cliffhanger to what college I choose but I have already blogged about Rochester & graduation from RIT. I did indeed choose to remain at RIT. The biggest consideration in my decision making was the deaf community and my love for the Criminal Justice department at RIT. The faculty in CJ department was the most excellent professors I could ever come across. I loved them too much to leave. I knew I wouldn't get any better support (interpreter, notetaker, etc.) that I had at RIT anywhere else as well.
I had a non existing college life that year. I do not have regrets. It was the roughest year I had in college and it was the best for me to be around family who supported me through everything. It was a tough decision to take the leave of absence, but I knew that I needed that time to myself. It wasn't doing any good for me to remain in Rochester being so unhappy.
Summer 2009/Junior year coming to you soon!
24.2.12
23.2.12
"Can you lip read?"
Some people have been questioning about approaches with meeting deaf people. While it is a difficult challenge for me to open up to new hearing people, I do my best to make them comfortable around me. I like meeting new people, as well teach people who are not familiar about the deaf culture. I am residing in Connecticut in an area with no deaf community like the one I grew to love in Rochester. I am faced with the challenges of meeting new people again. It’s a weird feeling because I didn’t have to worry about that for the last four years. In those four years, it wasn’t difficult to make friends who had same communication methods and similar understanding of living as a deaf individual.
In Connecticut, I am struggling to find a deaf community around here or at least some deaf friends. I am also struggling in befriending with new hearing people. I'm not facing the same challenges of a hearing person meeting people in the new location. It may take not long for them to make new friends. In meeting new people, I have to say that I am the most motivated to develop friendships with people express interest in communicating with me via sign language.
However, I am not saying that people are required to learn sign language to be friends with deaf people. There is the old traditional method of paper and pen. If you are high tech, you can type out on notepads or blank text on your mobile screen & show it to a deaf person. You also can sometime be lucky if the deaf person has a hearing person with them that would be able to interpret (i.e. my boyfriend can interpret for me).
A common question that I get all the time is "Can you lip read?" *WARNING* Some deaf people can lip read, not all of them through! I am one of those who can lip read but it takes a while for me to understand EVERYONE. Do not depend on deaf person to lip read - they still will be missing out on some words.
I do highly recommend that if you want to maintain an effective friendship with a deaf individual to learn sign language. There is a huge difference in a friendship depending on the communication methods. Conversations only through paper/pen compared to conversations via sign language. In paper/pen method, details are often left out. Nobody has fun to continue writing every word of a conversation with hand cramps. Communicating via sign language will allow the deaf individual to express as much they like to. My preferred communication method is using sign language to develop friendships.
I personally have felt frustration when I meet new people who don’t put in the efforts to somehow communicate with me. When I get very frustrated, I most often give up on those who do not put in the same efforts as I am in communicating. It gives me the feeling that they don’t care enough. But, I can tell you that it will make a deaf person’s day when they go out in the public to bump into people who express interest in deaf culture or show off some sign language skills. It grabs my attention towards them, and I feel motivated to communicate with them. An example of an incident would include the gathering I recently went to play the game of Apples-to-Apples where I was the only deaf person there. Some people brought up questions regarding my deafness. I immediately opened up to them and gave them as much details I could via interpreter (my boyfriend). I felt really excited that they showed interest and it gives me hopes to develop friendships with them down the road.
Even the littlest things make me excited such as signing “Thank-you”. When I go to the stores, there have been times when the cashiers picked up on my deafness from seeing me using sign language or my “Deaf accent” which they would sign “Thank you” to me as I was leaving the store. That isn’t even a minute long conversation but it thrills me when people put in the effort to do things like that. Every time that happens, it makes my day ... when I run into people like that, so if you are one of them, don’t be shy to show off some sign language skills! :)
In Connecticut, I am struggling to find a deaf community around here or at least some deaf friends. I am also struggling in befriending with new hearing people. I'm not facing the same challenges of a hearing person meeting people in the new location. It may take not long for them to make new friends. In meeting new people, I have to say that I am the most motivated to develop friendships with people express interest in communicating with me via sign language.
However, I am not saying that people are required to learn sign language to be friends with deaf people. There is the old traditional method of paper and pen. If you are high tech, you can type out on notepads or blank text on your mobile screen & show it to a deaf person. You also can sometime be lucky if the deaf person has a hearing person with them that would be able to interpret (i.e. my boyfriend can interpret for me).
A common question that I get all the time is "Can you lip read?" *WARNING* Some deaf people can lip read, not all of them through! I am one of those who can lip read but it takes a while for me to understand EVERYONE. Do not depend on deaf person to lip read - they still will be missing out on some words.
I do highly recommend that if you want to maintain an effective friendship with a deaf individual to learn sign language. There is a huge difference in a friendship depending on the communication methods. Conversations only through paper/pen compared to conversations via sign language. In paper/pen method, details are often left out. Nobody has fun to continue writing every word of a conversation with hand cramps. Communicating via sign language will allow the deaf individual to express as much they like to. My preferred communication method is using sign language to develop friendships.
I personally have felt frustration when I meet new people who don’t put in the efforts to somehow communicate with me. When I get very frustrated, I most often give up on those who do not put in the same efforts as I am in communicating. It gives me the feeling that they don’t care enough. But, I can tell you that it will make a deaf person’s day when they go out in the public to bump into people who express interest in deaf culture or show off some sign language skills. It grabs my attention towards them, and I feel motivated to communicate with them. An example of an incident would include the gathering I recently went to play the game of Apples-to-Apples where I was the only deaf person there. Some people brought up questions regarding my deafness. I immediately opened up to them and gave them as much details I could via interpreter (my boyfriend). I felt really excited that they showed interest and it gives me hopes to develop friendships with them down the road.
Even the littlest things make me excited such as signing “Thank-you”. When I go to the stores, there have been times when the cashiers picked up on my deafness from seeing me using sign language or my “Deaf accent” which they would sign “Thank you” to me as I was leaving the store. That isn’t even a minute long conversation but it thrills me when people put in the effort to do things like that. Every time that happens, it makes my day ... when I run into people like that, so if you are one of them, don’t be shy to show off some sign language skills! :)
22.2.12
Deaf in the Media
Several people have been asking me lately what my opinions were about deaf in tv shows/movies in the past year.
Marlee Matlin made an appearance on the show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2008 then Donald Trump's tv show "Celebrity Apprentice" in early 2010. Even through, she already been a celebrity for a long time as she won awards for her acting role in the movie, "Children of a Lesser God" (great movie!) back in late 1980's, but I feel that her recent appearances on those two shows have grabbed the attention of the world towards deafness.
It seems like deafness have been spreading awareness via media more often lately. I am very glad about that, as I think people should have an idea of the deaf community.
I recently saw a movie on Lifetime Channel called "Listen to Your Heart" (2010). It was about a hearing male who is a singer falling in love with a deaf girl. In this movie, the deaf girl only used ASL with no voice. In the beginning of the singer & deaf girl's relationship, there had been similar beginning of my relationship with my hearing boyfriend regarding communication. They started out with writing. Eventually, the singer learned some sign language. The only difference was that I use my voice, and the girl didn't. I like this concept of the hearing-and-deaf relationship in that movie since I am living that experience right now. Otherwise, the representation of the deaf girl didn't impress me too much since that wasn't who I was, however, there are deaf people out there that is like her. That's just one example of the variety of deaf people that exist in the world.
You may see more variety on ABC Family channel's show "Switched at Birth". This show is about two high school girls who were switched by accident at the time of their births at the hospital, which one of the girl had been deaf. I was worried when this show first came out that it would be a dramatic show for teens. I was wrong. This show is good for family audience in my opinion. In this show, the deaf girl attends a deaf institute. She had a male deaf best friend who has deaf parents. There was variety of deaf people in the show. The deaf girl is displayed on the show to be in both worlds of hearing and deaf. She attends a school for the deaf, but she lives at home with hearing family. She is mainstreamed like I am. The show also have been nailing on the deaf culture. In every show, there is an aspect of many challenges that deaf people face daily in their lives. For example, I'm going to use the deaf-and-hearing relationship again, the deaf male best friend is in a relationship with a hearing girl. There are frustrations of communication, understanding, respecting the boundaries of deaf person, etc. in the relationship which was clearly emphasized on the tv show. I am very impressed with "Switched at Birth" so far, and it is one of my favorite shows to watch every week. It also is the closest thing I have right now to the deaf world (Miss you Rochester!).
I suggest that everybody should watch "Switched at Birth" to learn the deaf culture & it does have a lot teaching methods of how to communicate with deaf people. I like that the show is entertaining people but at same time it has hidden messages related to deaf culture. I strongly feel that this show is spreading the awareness of deafness since it is on television every week on a popular channel.
This past October (2011), there was a movie released called "The Hammer". It is a biographical movie about first deaf wrestler to win National Collegiate Wrestling Championship. The deaf wrestler, Matt Hamill is also known for fighting professionally for UFC before retiring. Also, guess what? The deaf wrestler is an alumni of my college - RIT! Go RIT Tigers! The movie was filmed at RIT campus as well several other locations. This is a very deaf based movie. The part of his time at RIT shows EXACTLY what the deaf community at RIT was like. If you want a glimpse of my RIT life, just watch the movie.
Overall, the movie was based on a deaf person which I was able to relate to. Our deaf experiences are very much similar. Prior to attending RIT, Matt Hamill's communication method included lip reading & speaking with his voice. He learned more ASL once he was at RIT. I had the same experience which I definitely learned most of my sign language skills at RIT. We attended RIT so we have the same understanding of the deaf community in Rochester. He came from a hearing family, which I did too. We both are a lot alike in these area of experiences. I highly recommend that everyone watch the movie "The Hammer". You can purchase DVD copies in stores or online right now!
I am very proud to see deaf in the media to spread awareness & teach people about deafness/deaf culture after all there are a million deaf people existing in the world.
Marlee Matlin made an appearance on the show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2008 then Donald Trump's tv show "Celebrity Apprentice" in early 2010. Even through, she already been a celebrity for a long time as she won awards for her acting role in the movie, "Children of a Lesser God" (great movie!) back in late 1980's, but I feel that her recent appearances on those two shows have grabbed the attention of the world towards deafness.
It seems like deafness have been spreading awareness via media more often lately. I am very glad about that, as I think people should have an idea of the deaf community.
I recently saw a movie on Lifetime Channel called "Listen to Your Heart" (2010). It was about a hearing male who is a singer falling in love with a deaf girl. In this movie, the deaf girl only used ASL with no voice. In the beginning of the singer & deaf girl's relationship, there had been similar beginning of my relationship with my hearing boyfriend regarding communication. They started out with writing. Eventually, the singer learned some sign language. The only difference was that I use my voice, and the girl didn't. I like this concept of the hearing-and-deaf relationship in that movie since I am living that experience right now. Otherwise, the representation of the deaf girl didn't impress me too much since that wasn't who I was, however, there are deaf people out there that is like her. That's just one example of the variety of deaf people that exist in the world.
You may see more variety on ABC Family channel's show "Switched at Birth". This show is about two high school girls who were switched by accident at the time of their births at the hospital, which one of the girl had been deaf. I was worried when this show first came out that it would be a dramatic show for teens. I was wrong. This show is good for family audience in my opinion. In this show, the deaf girl attends a deaf institute. She had a male deaf best friend who has deaf parents. There was variety of deaf people in the show. The deaf girl is displayed on the show to be in both worlds of hearing and deaf. She attends a school for the deaf, but she lives at home with hearing family. She is mainstreamed like I am. The show also have been nailing on the deaf culture. In every show, there is an aspect of many challenges that deaf people face daily in their lives. For example, I'm going to use the deaf-and-hearing relationship again, the deaf male best friend is in a relationship with a hearing girl. There are frustrations of communication, understanding, respecting the boundaries of deaf person, etc. in the relationship which was clearly emphasized on the tv show. I am very impressed with "Switched at Birth" so far, and it is one of my favorite shows to watch every week. It also is the closest thing I have right now to the deaf world (Miss you Rochester!).
I suggest that everybody should watch "Switched at Birth" to learn the deaf culture & it does have a lot teaching methods of how to communicate with deaf people. I like that the show is entertaining people but at same time it has hidden messages related to deaf culture. I strongly feel that this show is spreading the awareness of deafness since it is on television every week on a popular channel.
This past October (2011), there was a movie released called "The Hammer". It is a biographical movie about first deaf wrestler to win National Collegiate Wrestling Championship. The deaf wrestler, Matt Hamill is also known for fighting professionally for UFC before retiring. Also, guess what? The deaf wrestler is an alumni of my college - RIT! Go RIT Tigers! The movie was filmed at RIT campus as well several other locations. This is a very deaf based movie. The part of his time at RIT shows EXACTLY what the deaf community at RIT was like. If you want a glimpse of my RIT life, just watch the movie.
Overall, the movie was based on a deaf person which I was able to relate to. Our deaf experiences are very much similar. Prior to attending RIT, Matt Hamill's communication method included lip reading & speaking with his voice. He learned more ASL once he was at RIT. I had the same experience which I definitely learned most of my sign language skills at RIT. We attended RIT so we have the same understanding of the deaf community in Rochester. He came from a hearing family, which I did too. We both are a lot alike in these area of experiences. I highly recommend that everyone watch the movie "The Hammer". You can purchase DVD copies in stores or online right now!
I am very proud to see deaf in the media to spread awareness & teach people about deafness/deaf culture after all there are a million deaf people existing in the world.
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