24.3.11

Officers' Academy 2011

As I mentioned in July 2010 blog - I am a sister of TriSigma at RIT. Also I had a wonderful opportunity to be the President for recent academic term - Winter 2010/2011 - which gave me the opportunity to attend Officers' Academy in Indiana, PA. I went with the Vice President, Recruitment Director, and Education Director. We left Rochester on Friday night making it to Indiana by 7pm in time for registration.

I had no idea what to expect and I was really nervous about the fact that many other chapters from other colleges will be there. I usually don't like large crowds so I was little paranoid about that. I immediately met a TriSigma sister at registration table who had apparently attend the same graduate school as my 'big' sister. She was a sweet person and it was interesting to meet someone who knew me from my big sister! The night was filled with welcoming everyone from all over Northeast (PA, NY, OH, VA, West VA, etc.) to the Officers' Academy.

The purpose of Officers' Academy had been to focus on our specific positions and its tasks it consisted of. This academy allowed improvement in my role as President with many new things I learned, even picked up some ideas from other chapters. It was a fantastic experience. The thing about Officers' Academy is that I won't forget that strong sisterhood bond that is existing out there with TriSigma. I don't only have my sisters in Epsilon Psi chapter at RIT, but millions of TriSigma sisters in the United States. I realized that we weren't alone. There was many support there at the Officers' Academy to make each other grow even more as women and as a woman of TriSigma.

The academy had divided girls up in groups in which we had to act out a broadcasting of advertising what made a TriSigma woman. I will never forget the group that my chapter's Vice President and Education Director were involved in for this skit. That group really showed what EXACTLY sisterhood is about. EACH of the sister in their group had said a word (characteristics of TriSigma women) while they SIGNED it. It was just amazing to see that and it truly touched my heart. My chapter e-board had been the only deaf (minus Recruitment director who is hearing) so we were definitely standing out at the academy with our signings and interpreters. I felt that was exact proof of sisterhood because that group had consisted two deaf members in which they included them with adding in sign language. They weren't left out.

Regardless of the deafness, I still felt that I fit in there with all of those girls who are my sisters. I will never forget that experience at Officers' Academy as well meeting many fantastic girls from other chapters! The academy truly inspired me to continue my role as a sister for TriSigma until the day I die.

My 'big' sister also is a huge inspiration. I thought of her during the whole Officers' Academy because she graduated from our TriSigma chapter at RIT but still participates in TriSigma as an alumni. She is a membership recruitment advisor for a chapter nearby where she currently lives. We made a promise to TriSigma and I'm going to keep that promise to fulfill my duties as a sister of TriSigma.

As we ended Officer's Academy - I shared my statement with everyone which was this: "I promise to cherish the uniqueness of my chapter at RIT". I am truly fortunate to meet many wonderful sisters of Epsilon Psi at RIT which definitely made the chapter unique. This experience from freshman year to now (senior year) have made me a better and stronger woman than the woman I was when I entered Epsilon Psi chapter. I never will forget one of my major best experiences at RIT - TriSigma sorority.

"Strangers We Enter;
Friends We Become;
Sisters We Remain"


Sigma Sigma Sigma <3

22.2.11

Criminal Justice System

Welcome to my first blog of 2011. I apologize that I have been occupied for last few months. It had hit me hard with graduation nearing & not knowing 100% of my post graduation plans. I have too many passions within criminal justice system. I could go whole day talking about organized crimes, drugs, money related crimes, law enforcement, corrections system, and the court system. How was I suppose to chose one without making a mistake?

I have realized that I have regrets again from my years in college, just like high school. It never will go away with regrets. I have a huge fear of not knowing what I wanted to do post graduation at RIT. I don't want to make another regret of choosing wrong profession. I want to be happy and pick the right job.

With attending RIT, I am very fortunate of what I gained from the criminal justice department. The CJ department at RIT is fantastic with many opportunities for everyone to explore specific fields of criminal justice. The elective criminal justice classes are varied with topics that are focused on law enforcement, courts, corrections, security, and computer crime. This allowed me to see what I really had strong passion for within criminal justice system.

I have took many courts and law enforcement related criminal justice elective classes. The law enforcement courses focused on policing. I have huge respect for the law enforcement, but I realized that I wouldn't be happy in that field with many limitations on my deafness. This allowed me to realize this now before it was too late & get good experience from having professors who were actual police officers for Monroe County. I have met many great men that I will remember for a while with giving me a wonderful experience with their classes. The courts courses gave me the same wonderful experience. It allowed me to have field trips to the courts at Hall of Justice in Rochester, NY. I have watched the procedures at the drugs court, family court, and criminal courts. Recently, I visited the Appellate Court (4th Division for Western NY/central upstate NY). I also have met many people who worked in this system who were fantastic people whom helped me to find myself. I had strong interests in the court system & began to consider law school last summer. However exploring further in this, I realized that there was something missing.

This year I also had the honors of bringing a club back to RIT with several other students that I met in my criminal justice classes. We all became the e-board members for Criminal Justice Students Association. I am very glad that I made the decision to be involved with CJSA. It has brought a HUGE opportunity that I never thought would change me so much. We had the opportunity of a visit to maximum security correctional facility. I never thought how much could change in a day. The whole senior year from September 2010 to now, I had been miserable with not knowing what my niche was in criminal justice system. It had affected me with my happiness & caused me to be closed-off from the people I cared the most.

The visit to the correctional facility had made me realize that was my niche. I gained so much from the visit with new knowledge of what corrections system consisted of. I have never felt happier that my specific interests of criminal justice is finally narrowed down to corrections. Without CJSA, I cannot imagine where I would have been with figuring out my plans post graduation. The correctional guard and a counselor that I had met at the correctional facility also have helped me by giving me plenty information & showing me most of the correctional facility. At the end of the visit, I actually didn't want to leave the facility & I obsessively thought about that visit for good 4 straight days (seriously close to 24/7!). That's another sign of corrections being my niche because I have never thought so much about a visit. I have visited the courts plenty time and I always left there thinking about the case(s) then it was back to normal. I have so much motivation more than ever now to follow that goal of obtaining a job with Department of Corrections.

20.12.10

How to interact with deaf people?

Today I went to the post office to mail something out. I went up to the clerk to purchase stamp only to be faced with awkwardness with interacting with me. I spoke to her, "I want to buy stamp" while pointing to the stamp area on the envelope. The clerk brought out stamps and all of that, only to ask me a question. I asked her to repeat - in which she started noticing my accent. She looked at me like puzzled and I said, "Can you write, I'm deaf" while gesturing writing-on-paper motion. She just stared at me more. I started to get boiling mad because of that look which makes me feel inferior and a foreigner in my own country. I said again, "I'm deaf". She shrugged her shoulders, which implied that she didn't know how to interact with me. I motioned again to write on a paper. She didn't barge. I looked around for something on the counter in which I just found a paper with space that I could write onto. I wrote, "I'm deaf. What was your question" and gave it to her. She looked amazed at what I just did. She wrote back in response, "Do you want to buy insurance" in which I replied by shaking my head 'no'. The rest of that incident was just purchasing the stamp and walk out of there.

Wow, really. Wasted like 10 minutes for that crap. I'm sick of that happening all of the time when I make it clear what to do every time that awkwardness occurs. It's common sense what I was asking her to do.

It's amazing how some people out there DO NOT know how interacts with deaf people. I understand that some people may never met deaf people in their lives but still, it's common sense to NOT treat them like aliens. I wish EVERYONE would put themselves in that person's shoes and imagine how they'd want to be treated.

Even not just the deafness, every time I have came across all types of people - if there is barrier with something - I always put myself in their shoes and imagine the best possible solution. I know that I'm one of those people that I may be more understanding to interacting with anyone.

I have came across people who don't know how to interact with me at all that I would eventually show them how to interact with me. Usually the typical first movie is the paper-and-pen or a computer screen to type back and forth on Word. After that, I expect them to know how to interact because I showed it to them. There's no excuse.

When it comes to interacting with a certain type of people, I hold high expectations for people who has sign language or deafness-related knowledge within their family. Let me explain what I mean. My mom is a teacher in autistic classroom, in which I have learned a little about autistic kids as I grew up. I may not know 100% how to interact with autistic kids but I take some of the knowledge I gained from my mother & have no fear in trying something with them. I have opened up to autistic kids over the years as I grew up to be more comfortable with them. Few years ago, I ended up getting an autistic cousin now, and I just absolutely adore him. I love trying to interact with him at family events, and I always find a way to some how play with him even if it's unsuccessful - at least I TRIED.

So what I mean, I have high expectations for people who have some knowledge of the deaf culture, have parents employed where there is deafness involved, know some sign language, etc. I hold HIGH expectations for them, period. I expect my brother to sign when he comes across deaf people at his work, in which I was told he does. I have emphasized to my brother many times that it will make their days anyways if they know there's someone who can help them in the store that knows sign language instead of finding another worker to treat them like aliens.

I don't see how it is difficult to interact with deaf people. I know that I can't judge that with being deaf myself. But honestly, I have to learn how to INTERACT with hearing people. How would that be different? I have to find resources and methods to communicate EVERY day. It irritates me when I come across hearing people that only have to interact with me for few minutes, few hours, etc. to not want to try interacting with me. I have to interact with you, hearing people EVERY DAY.

Because of this difficulties from hearing people, once in while I would give up and not bother to talk to hearing people. Why would I do all of the work? It only just makes me stressed and frustrated. Sometime when I know that I may face that kind situation, I do think about whether I'm in the mood for that. Sad, huh? I bet that hearing people don't have to think whether they're in the mood to be frustrated, stressed, feel lower than dirt, etc.

The way I see it, it's a two-way street. Both deaf people and hearing people put in the effort EQUALLY and there will be a successful interacting.

14.12.10

Reversed

Long time no blogging. I apologize as I got busy with the winter quarter starting up after a wonderful Thanksgiving break in CT. I was very down in the first week from missing my boyfriend. I also got elected as the President for my sorority for this year's term (Nov 2010-Nov 2011). It's a huge honor but a huge task to take on!

Last weekend, my sorority hosted the annual holiday dinner at a sister's house. I asked my brother to come up to Rochester to be my date to the dinner since my boyfriend couldn't take the time off from work & I was already planning to see him a week later for winter break. My brother came up to Rochester. We got to the house, and approximately 80 people had been there. Last time he was around that much deaf people was... NEVER. He has experienced being in a group up to six deaf people at once, that was it. So, it was another world for him.

Later that night, when my brother and I went back home to my place. He blew up at me out of anger that I had "ignored" and "ditched" him. I had started to laugh. Why? He was expressing the exact same feelings that I experience when I'm in HIS world. I don't think he still realizes how it was reversed for both of us with me being in my world. He used the excuse that I still had him and my mom. Well, what about me? He had me there. What's the difference?

I understand his frustration, but does he? I experienced this frustration EVERY single day for 18 years in Elmira at home, at school, anywhere. He only experienced this for 4 hours... LUCKY HIM. It was definitely weird to be in reversed position with him frustrated at me for not including him in conversations, leaving him, ignoring him, etc.

How can I ever make hearing people understand what us, deaf people feel like in their world? I don't think there any other way than having them come into our deaf world ALONE among many of us, but will it REALLY effect them and make them think about it?

1.12.10

OMG! There's deaf people out there?

Hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving. I had a very good break going to CT to see the boyfriend. I celebrated my first holiday away from the family. It was difficult but it turned out to be a really nice time. We also celebrated our first year of our relationship - the best year ever in my lifetime.

I'm glad that I got the chance to go to CT to see the area that my boyfriend just moved to (he got a new job there). The town was so much similar to Rochester, it really weirded me out. Only difference was obviously the deaf community. I cannot tell you how many laughs I had in CT. Some people sure got their slap-in-their-face moments.

The very first full day I was in CT, I was bored with the boyfriend working 7am-4pm so I decided to explore the area. The apartment was right off this long road full of many stores. I stopped at Walgreen's to purchase last minute card for Adam for our 1 year (November 20th!). I brought it up to the cash register, and had looked down in my wallet to get the cash out only to look up to the dude looking irritated. I just looked and did a little smile (with no teeth showing, that kind smile). He, then said "Hello, are you deaf?!". Finally that moment came for me when someone said that! Usually I would have blew off at him but I just glanced at him for a moment before I said "Yeah". He responded again, "Seriously?" with a dead serious look, in which I replied AGAIN, "Yeah". He looked at me for literally a full minute before he proceed to run the register with my purchases. Yeah dude, there are deaf people out there (GASP). I walked out of the store laughing. I wonder if that dude would ever use that statement in the future.

In CT, there were people staring every day every where. That's the usual. But this slap-in-your-face incident occurred at Wal Mart had me rolling the floor laughing. Adam and I had stood in middle of aisle discussing our dinner plans. A man apparently was staring at us while he was walking past us only to walk into another lady's cart. Boo-yah, karma for staring. Thanks for the laugh, sir.

It was a long time since I left Rochester into worlds with less awareness of the deafness. It was amazing how I didn't let most of things bother me as the usual. I only recall getting irritated with people staring which I would just drop the conversation and take my boyfriend to a new location with more privacy. I'm beginning to think that I've got laid back with my deafness and maybe having more confident with who I am. That's something for me to analyze now.

That's it for tonight, folks. Maybe more funny moments coming for all of those future trips back to CT.

10.11.10

Deaf Dalmatians

I love, love, love dogs so much. I am a huge dogs person and I will always have one all of my life! Many people don't realize that many dalmatians are born deaf! That is one of my goal to own a deaf dalmatian at some point in my life. I love these dalmatians, they are so beautiful! Yesterday, out of boredom I was looking around for deaf dalmatians via Internet (I did found one that I fell in love with! Her name is Diamond, she is only a baby pup! Check out the picture of Diamond at this link: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17806122... adorable isn't she?!).

Meanwhile, I ran in some other websites which I was just SHOCKED. I found this website (http://www.thedca.org/deaf1.html) to be VERY insulting and absolutely disrespectful and DISGUSTING. I couldn't BELIEVE what I read which included:

"Deaf pups should be dealt with in a responsible and HUMANE fashion"
Lovely copyrights of Dalmatian Club of America, 2007.
(Please, what's HUMANE about it!)

"NEVER sell, place, give away deaf pups"
Lovely copyrights of Dalmatian Club of America, 2007.
(Ok, how's that different from to not GIVE deaf babies to people?!)

"Deaf pups should be humane destroyed by vet"
Lovely copyrights of Dalmatian Club of America, 2007.
(Even can't make a comment about it, that's how disgusting it is)

"Deaf dalmatians are hard to raise & control (Most are hit by car when run away), become snappy when startled"
Lovely copyrights of Dalmatian Club of America, 2007.
(Ummmm, so does that mean we gotta put down little kids who are hard to raise and control and run away?) (Also for the "startled" part, if the dog gets snappy obviously the owner do NOT have the RIGHT awareness of how to raise a deaf dog which should be given to someone who does)

"If you are the owner of a deaf dalmatian, and having problems with the pup, do not feel guilty about it. consider starting over with healthy hearing pup and do have deaf pup put down"
Lovely copyrights of Dalmatian Club of America, 2007.
(If you are the owner of a hearing dalmatian, and having the problems with the pup, do not feel gulity about it. consider starting over with a healthy deaf pup and do have the hearing pup put down)

For that website, Dalmatian Club of America, I applaud you. Not. Go rot in hell.

There are people out there with REAL heart that will take in any deaf puppies - yes, it will be a challenge but does that mean we have to put down all the children who are born with difficulties in this world? People aren't perfect, so aren't dogs. I don't see why we have to treat differently with dogs. I have came across many dogs with other health problems with liver, skin, diseases, etc. just like people, yet there's no website targeting at these kind dogs recommended to be put down. As a deaf person myself, I would have the awareness of how to raise a deaf puppy/dog PROPERLY and in the most HUMANE way (which is giving it a LIFE). These people of DCA aren't humans at all that don't know their shit.

On a happier note, Here's a proof that Deaf pups are worthy to keep:
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0203/articles/020322a.htm.

L0VE TO DEAF DALMATIANS! <3

4.11.10

Dr. Raymond Bryant

As most of you know, I hail from upstate NY where I attended mainstreamed schools. I have to share with you about one individual in the school district that I came across.

The name is Dr. Raymond Bryant. He was the superintendent in the school district. Little history about him; He received Doctor of Philosophy, Educational Administration from the University of Maryland. Before being ECSD superintendent, he was:
-Associate superintendent for Special Education Reform, Washington, DC
-Associate superintendent, director of special education services, principal, coordinator of special education, teacher and speech pathologist
-Taught at universities including Gallaudet, James Madison, and George Mason.

Gallaudet?! You heard it right. I was excited when he came, because I heard that fact and his background with special education. I am NOT special education but I thought he would have better understanding of the needs, boy was I wrong. I had too much of high exceptions for Dr. Bryant. He was the BIGGEST disappointment to the area.

High number of citizens wanted him out, and he recently resigned in 2009 so I'm sure there was a huge party celebrating that. Rumors are that he resigned for stealing money from the District and shredding documents. Who knows?

First action that he did that disappointed me greatly was cutting ASL classes from our school district. We had ASL classes at my high school. My brother was going to take that class as well some relatives. My cousin already begun ASL I and was about to go onto ASL II & ASL III when the program got cut. Dr. Bryant felt like it wasn't worth it to keep the program. There were even rebelling from community to keep ASL programs in the schools. I remember that incident so well because it caused a uproar. I wrote a letter to the local newspaper with help of my father to express my feelings about the cutting of ASL programs. The school had French, Spanish, and German. Come on, seriously how many French-speaking and German-speaking people you come across? ASL is one of top 5 most common language used in America among with Spanish. It would make more sense to cut German and replace it with ASL in relation of statistics with which languages are most common used.

I graduate from my high school in June 2007. At my high school graduation ceremony, everyone had to go up on the stage to receive their diplomas and shake hands with four people. The four people were Principal Chris Krantz, Assistant Principals Tim Hassen & Margaret Thurber, and of course, Dr. Bryant.

I was so mad at myself for not standing up to Dr. Bryant at the graduation ceremony, because he had been asking every graduates what their future goals were. I shook hands with Krantz and went over to Dr. Bryant. Krantz followed me to Dr. Bryant and reminded him that I was deaf. I already was aware that Bryant was asking all graduates that question. I should have signed to him "RIT" to emphasize how important it is to keep ASL in the schools. Heck, Bryant should know some sign language anyways if he had previously "worked" at Gallaudet. Krantz also should have not reminded Bryant that I was deaf anyways because Bryant already knew who I was because my hometown is a small town and I have had encounters with him where we had to communicate. When I shook hands with him, it was clear that he didn't recall who I was. It was very disappointing that someone I held expectations for to end up to be a huge disappointment to the area.