Back in the swing of things

Hello hello hello!!! I figured I would start this post out by answering some more questions that yall sent me last semester. I love answering them. They are all really good questions!

How do the football players communicate on the field?

I should have answered this question last semester during football season. Gallaudet football players communicate via ASL (American Sign Language) on the field. It is quite easy to sign across long distances without distracting other people. Gallaudet University actually is the supposed birthplace of the huddle: (taken from Wikipedia: “…the huddle was formed by Paul Hubbard, a deaf player who went to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. To avoid having the other team see his sign language between plays, he and his team huddled together to conceal the signs.”) Now every time you watch football, remember where the huddle may have come from!

Is there a full spectrum of sports teams there?

Gallaudet has a lot of sports (nothing like, UNC, but you must understand the size differences of the schools!). Gallaudet has the following sports: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cheerleading, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s track & field, volleyball, and wrestling. I actually have friends that are assistant coaches for many of these teams. I know a football assistant coach, men’s and women’s basketball assistant coaches, and a track and field assistant coach.

Are you playing any sports?

Good question. Currently I am not playing any organized sports. I almost tried out for the GU dance team but got cold feet because my signing skills weren’t up to par last semester and dancing skills are rusty. Looking back on it, I don’t think I would have time right now anyways. I enjoy going to sporting events here. I can watch football and baseball out my window!

What is the hardest part about learning ASL - memory work, vocabulary?

The hardest part about learning ASL is everything! Hahaha! I love learning ASL! I learn new things everyday. I learn vocabulary and grammar all the time and I’m constantly tweaking how I say things. I have grown up learning things by watching other people do them, and that has really helped me out here at Gallaudet. I think taking dance for 15 years has helped train my body to copy other’s movements.

Are deaf students patient with the learners of ASL?

It’s hard to generalize the entire study body here, but from my experience, yes, everyone is very patient with me and other new signers. They appreciate that we are learning their language instead of forcing them to use our language. They are always willing to teach new signs and explain things so that you’ll remember. It’s comforting knowing that people will slow down or clarify if you ask them.

When you 'sign' are your emotions as tied into your words as when you speak? With the spoken word we have inflection and pitch to accentuate our intent - are there equivalents in ASL?

This is an excellent question!! Yes, emotions are ALWAYS tied to your words when you speak (both English and ASL). Inflection and pitch definitely accentuate our intent in spoken English, whereas facial expression and intensity of the signing accentuate intent and emotions in ASL. When signing anything, your facial expressions tie directly to what you’re saying and what you’re feeling about that topic. When discussing this topic with some hearing friends the other day, we all said that we felt silly when we use our face to express how we feel. We’ve been told when giving lectures to not use our hands or extreme facial expressions, but we come here and we’re expected to use both at the same time…all the time! It’s a difficult transition, but we’re all learning and becoming more comfortable and confident everyday.

School is still in session. It has been nice taking different classes and having different clients. I still really love all the girls in my program. I feel fortunate that we all get along and like being around each other, even outside of class and clinic!

As many of you know, I really missed home last semester. Homesickness really struck me a lot harder than I thought it would. I have found more time this semester to go home (I'm trying for once every month or so instead of just breaks). I found time 2 weekends ago to head home on a Friday and head back to school on Sunday. It was soooooooooo nice to be home even if just for a short time. I brought a friend home with me, Ben, to meet my parents, see my hometown (he's never been to NC), and just get off campus for a while. Okay, to answer the obvious question that has just arisen in your mind: yes, Ben and I are dating now. (Zack and I ended things over Christmas break amiably and still hope to stay friends with no hard feelings). Anyways, we had a lot of fun being off campus and out of DC for the weekend just enjoying the peace and quiet of Southern Pines, NC. It was also really nice to have someone ride with me for 6 hours each way in the car. He's a 1st year student in the same department as me (Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences) and is in the Audiology program. I won't go into every detail of his life because I'd prefer not to completely embarrass him on my blog, but he's really nice and we have a lot of fun together!

Here are a few pictures from our weekend in Southern Pines, NC:

Me in Southern Pines petting a horse we found in horse country

Ben in front of "THE RESORT" in Pinehurst

Ben & I enjoying the pine trees of NC

I'm heading home next for Spring break in a few weeks and I'm excited to have a week-long break!

A few answers to your questions!!

I’ve gotten a lot of questions and loved getting emails from people! I will attempt to answer all of the questions, but will have to divvy them up so I don’t end up with the longest message ever! I have put them all in categories to make them flow together as best as possible.

Where are your classmates from?

There are 23 girls total in the Speech-Language Pathology program. 11 Second-year girls and 12 first-years (I am a first-year). Our hometowns span the world, yes, the world! I am the only one from North Carolina, but other girls are from the following places: Connecticut, New Jersey, Saudi Arabia, Caribbean, New Hampshire, Virginia, California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Maryland.

Here are several girls in my program all gathered together!

Other people in graduate school here are from all over. I've met a LOT of people from New York and California, but there are many places represented here.

How much interaction is there between grad students and undergrads?

There is some interaction between grads and undergrads. I definitely know a LOT more grad students, but know a few undergrads as well. We all intermingle in the cafeteria, football games, and other campus events. I’d imagine it’s pretty similar on most other campuses.

Do you have undergrads on your dorm floor?

Sort of related to the last question…I do not know of any undergraduate students on my floor. The way my dorm is set up there are 8 floors total (I live on the top! 8^th floor!). The floors are split into 2 parts, North & South, with the elevators and stairs in between the parts. The 6^th, 7^th and 8^th floors are designed to be graduate students with the 1^st-5^th being mainly undergrads. I do have a good friend who lives on the 2^nd floor, but she’s a minority grad student on her floor.

Here is how the halls are organized. The 7th and 8th floor South comes together!

Are you living with hearing or deaf suitemates?

My suitemates are all hearing. We might be one of the only all-hearing suites though. My roommate is Nicole and she's from California. My suitemates are Desiree (my former roommate) and Kristina. Desiree is from Nevada and Kristina is from Scotland! The floors are co-ed, both guys and girls living on the same floor, but in separate suites. There are deaf people that live on my hall.

Are all undergrads and K-12 students deaf or hearing deprived?

This is a good question, though the term “hearing deprived” isn’t the technical term. Hard of Hearing and Deaf are the official terms used for students here. In order to go to school here, you have to have a certain hearing loss. I’m not sure what the exact numbers in decibel levels are, but I think they have gotten slightly lower throughout the years. I do know that if you are a deaf adult with a hearing child, your child may not attend school here. I also know that there are some Hearing Undergraduates (called HUGs). I don’t know the exact specifications, but they must be fluent in American Sign Language because all of their classes will be sign only (no interpreters).

Are many students training to work with children?

It depends on the program/major that they are in. In the Speech-Language Pathology program, you will work with all ages. I currently have a 3-year old hearing client and a deaf adult client. I know other girls have elderly people as well. Many in the other programs do not have clients yet, but many want to work with children, like me. My roommate is in the Deaf Education program here, with her speciality being Family Centered Early Education. She wants to work with families that have hearing parents with deaf children, and planning the best way to raise their child.

Are you picturing yourself in a career yet or too busy in the learning aspects?

I like this question! If you had asked me this during the first 2 weeks of school here, I would have said that I’m too busy learning to see myself as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Since week 3, I would say that I definitely picture myself in a career. We started with clients our 3^rd week here at school. Yes, I am taking 7 classes, but I also have 2 regular clients and 1 client that changes every other week. I see my 2 regular clients twice a week each, for 50 minutes each. They are very different but a lot of fun. My “other client” I work with in a team. This is someone that comes in for diagnostic testing. They come in and my team and I have looked over their file and determine what we need to test and observe. After we assess their skills and interview them (or their parents) we determine what they need, whether it be speech therapy, a stimulation group, or just more access to a good speech and language model. I will not lie to you and say this is the best semester of my life, because it has not been. I have never been this overwhelmed and stressed in my whole life. I don’t feel like I have a lot of time to chill and hang out, but as the semester progresses, I feel better. I like doing therapy more. I like classes more. I’m enjoying myself more because I have better learned how to manage graduate school as different from undergrad school. It is very different!!! I love it here and love what I’m doing so far, it’s just very hard!