Swim & sign

Lockport high schoolers test signing skills at pool party for deaf children

March 30, 2007
By Duaa Eldeib Staff writer

Chicago Daily Southtown, IL – A pool party at Lockport Township High School East is all the 27 John H. Kinzie Elementary students from Chicago could think about for the past month.

When three more weeks turned to three more minutes, life skills teacher Jennie Ferkaluk took a head count before she let the eager swimmers loose.

As she counted out loud, she also made gestures with her hands.

It’s not the students were ignoring her vocal cues, it’s just that they couldn’t hear her.

The students were deaf.

Working with the Chicago Hearing Society, Ferkaluk organized the outing with the help of her husband, Grant, a Lockport East guidance counselor and head swim coach.

“Many times the students come to school and go home without interacting,” Ferkaluk said.

The Wednesday afternoon party was a way for them to socialize with classmates as well as an opportunity for some Lockport East students to put to use what they’ve learned in the classroom.

Missy Schmook has taught American Sign Language at the high school for four years. This year’s class includes 29 high schoolers, a third of whom made it to the party.

“For my students to be able to communicate is really exciting,” Schmook said.

As delighted as she was, Lockport senior Jessica McEvoy also was a bit nervous about interacting with a deaf person for the first time.

After two years of Spanish, McEvoy decided to try her hand at sign language.

“I plan on becoming a child psychiatrist, and I want to expand my services to the deaf community,” said McEvoy, 17.

Asking the students how the water felt was the first step in that direction.

“These are humbling moments,” Lockport Township High School District 205 Supt. Garry Raymond said as he watched from the sidelines. “This is what makes our profession so exciting, when students with varying skills and abilities are able to interact and learn from each other.”

As Ferkaluk interpreted, 13-year-old Tim Parma was able to express his feelings.

“I’m ready to go in,” Parma signed as he waited patiently for his turn to test in the pool’s deep end.

Once Grant gave him the universal thumbs-up sign, he jumped in.

“I enjoyed that,” a soaked Parma signed while smiling.

Much of the day’s activities didn’t require interpretation — smiles from kids as they learned to float for the first time; a grimace after a painful belly flop; the look of satisfaction after completing a lap across the pool.

“The chills are running up and down my spine right now,” said Pete Colarelli, the district’s director of development and public relations.

He’s organized many school events, but a pool party for deaf children from Chicago Public Schools is a first.

“This is right up there at the top,” Colarelli said.

June Prusak, youth program coordinator at Chicago Hearing Society, has attended quite a few pool parties in the Chicago area during her 10 years with the organization.

But that doesn’t take away from the thrill of the moment.

“The smiles on their faces — that’s what it’s all about.” signed Prusak, who also is deaf.

Deaf Football Player ‘Western Kentucky University’ (NCAA Div 1)

From: xxxx@aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:12:25 EDT
Subject: Comments from your blog
To: fookembug@yahoo.com

Here is a story about a Deaf Football Player that plays for Western Kentucky University Div 1 NCAA .
He is my son. He is struggling here because of the lack of Interpreters, He has support for the classroom but for the football field not most of the time. I can see his hope leaving him after he comes so far. It is hard for him to know sometime what is going on. He is sad at times when he calls home because a day of practice has gone by and he will have to guess what was said that day or what was expected of him.

Western Kentucky has been very good to him, and is trying very hard with him; but I don’t really think they get that he really needs a interpreter all the time for instruction. He is a great player and always was top in High School and Junior College not just in football but Discus, Weight lifting , Shot. He went to a all hearing High School and Junior College. These days, now that its time for him to really prove he belongs with the Big Boys communication just might end his career. Attached is a photo of him and a news clip from Kentucky.
However, If you type his name in the address bar of your computer you will find 3 pages of web stuff on him. Munir is not the type that will make a stink ever. He is a proud person, he also knows that his deafness has been the reason for his struggles to be just like anyone else. When he was home I could pep him up and get him going when time get tough. I could go to the school and complain. He is a man now and he is in College and I have email and called to get him the services he needs. But, Iam not there to give him that pep talk and take away the isolation he feels. I wish some of the pass Deaf Athletes would step up for this new generation of deaf kids and give them hope to keep pushing on matter what. It took a lot to get my son to this level. To lose his sport after this long hard fight would be a sin and cruel. He don’t want to get loud about the services, he just want to ask
and get the services. He just wants the world to see deaf people are just a talented with the tools needs. He do not know Iam writing this about him. I am a mother that loves her child and don’t know what else to do to help him. It is in Gods hands for sure, I can only drop to my knees and stay prayed up to cover him through this struggle.

Here are the pictures of him.

Our Opinions About ‘Through Deaf Eyes’

Fookem’s Opinion……..

Before I watched the show, I read the bloggers/vloggers’ opinions about ‘Through Deaf Eyes’. So, I decided to watch it a few days ago. I got bored with it right away. It was interesting to know the hearing people’s perspective on the deaf people. At first, I thought they talked about the deaf history and culture. But they focused on the cochlear implants, hearing and speaking. Did you notice most of them talking without sign language? Also, most films were made in the location of Clarke school, Maryland School for the Deaf, Gallaudet and the east side of America. What’s wrong with the Midwest, South or West?

They missed a lot of information about the deaf history. Not enough ASL exposure. For example, they did not talking about Martha Vineyard, the only island that people lived in were using the sign language. They did not make the video of the first deaf school which is American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, CT. They missed a lot of well known people like Dummy Hoy, Linda Bove, Deaf Mosiac (Mary Lou Nokinsky and Gil Eastman), Richard ‘Dick’ Sipek (pro baseball Cinn Reds 1940’s), Terrylene Theriot, Matt Morgan, (international magician), Freeman Smith, (professional clown), Julianna Fjeld, etc…

What more is they did not put the deaf movie, ‘Love Is Never Silent’.

I totally agreed with what Gary Brooks’s comment so it’s time for remake with deaf producers, filmmakers, directors and interviewers. I am sure it will be completely different from the original one.

Bug’s Opinion…………

Speaking of “Through Deaf Eyes”, I would say that documary was great for anyone who never experienced with the deaf, hard of hearing, oralist people, deaf issues, deaf culture, etc. I think it is a good start. It didn’t bore me at all. I enjoyed watching it but I think they picked the wrong title for the film. They should focus on the real lives of Deaf people not just about their “hearing loss or speech or hearing aid” all the time. Other than that, they were doing very well on the documary.

The Sexual Activity Of A Deaf Couple Made The Loud Noises

Kevin Clark, Staff Writer

Copulating Deaf Couple Unaware of Own Volume

Monday night, a record number of noise complaints were received by Residential Security Officers in Roger Revelle College. Officers responding to the calls found the sexual activity of a deaf couple to be the source of the noises, which were described as “cacophonous” by witnesses.

The first officer on the scene, Frank Zipelli, reported, “I could hear those two all the way from the parking lot.” According to Zipelli, “It sounded as if they were bludgeoning a cow. There would be a low moan, like a ‘moo,’ and then a ‘bang’ and a higher-pitched ‘moo.’ It was like ‘MOO…BANG…MOOO!’”

Upon further investigation, officers on the scene were able to locate the disturbance in the bedroom of Revelle sophomore Katherine Chavez. “All her suite-mates were awake,” said Zipelli. “They all were crowded around her door, afraid to go in.”

Jamie Valencia was one of those at the scene. “We banged on the door for 15 minutes straight!” said Valencia. “The sounds wouldn’t stop—they kept getting louder until the floor was shaking. I had a midterm in the morning and needed to sleep, so I called the police.”

–>“We thought she had broken a leg or something,” added Julie Klein. “The moans and thumping sounded like she kept hitting the wall, but her boyfriend was there too. I thought he might be beating her, but I was afraid to intervene.”

Upon entering the room, the officials found John Miller and girlfriend Katherine Chavez, transfer students from the Sacramento Academy for the Deaf, interlocked in a “deafening tangle of sheets and frantically signing hands.” After yelling a short while, RSO’s had to physically stop the couple from their activity.

Miller and Chavez transferred to UCSD in the fall in order to “more fully experience college life together,” signed Miller. “The apartments seemed like the perfect environment to adjust to life with others.”

What Miller and Chavez had not accounted for when moving to public school was their sound level when having intercourse. “We had attended an institute for the deaf,” signed Chavez. “We didn’t have any idea that we were louder than anyone else. I just get so excited sometimes.”

“This can’t go on every night,” Zipelli told the couple. “I like eavesdropping on hot loud sex as much as any other RSO, but if these noise complaints keep coming in, I’m going to have to cite you.”

Miller and Chavez were reportedly “deeply apologetic” about the incident. Miller offered, “I guess we could close the window next time.”

http://www.themq.com/index.php?articles_id=58&issue=103

Death Penalty Cruel and Unsual for Deaf?

Can a Deaf Person Get a Fair Trial? Addressing a deaf person’s ability to get a fair trial. ABC News is giving a story (March 27th). If you can’t see an interpreter on the video, look for “Go Big” then click it. 

Here’s a link:  http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2935914

Deaf Actors in NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent (April 3rd)

 Good News! We will have more Deaf people on TV show! Please turn your TV on for April 3rd at 9pm (check your local listings for time). Read on:

—–Original Message—–
From:  xxxxx@tmail.com
To: fookembug@yahoo.com

Subject: Fwd: DEAF ACTORS in NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:17:19 -0800

DEAF ACTORS in NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent

After much  rumor and anticipation – NBC has made it official!

Law & Order:  Criminal Intent is featuring an episode on April
3rd, 9pm, called “The  Silencer”, starring a talent-heavy cast of Deaf 
actors, including:

  Deanne Bray
  Alexandria Wailes
  Garrett  Zuercher
  Darren Frazier (from Oregon!)
  Hillary Baack
  Willy  Conley
  Raymond Luczak

 Adding to the excitement, NBC broke history by  hiring the most
 Deaf extras (35 people) for a network TV episode. Please  tune in to your
local NBC provider on Tuesday, April 3rd at 9pm to watch  the exciting bullet-ridden drama unfold! Also, if you plan to watch this  episode with agroup of friends, please, please, please turn your TV on,  or record the episode so  the Nielsen ratings go through the roof!   Then more Deaf actors will be asked back to work! Support your  friends!  Support your acting community!

Funny Deaf Video

This video is funny.  Jon Thompson is a great ASL storyteller in his several films. A film like this may not for anyone to watch because it has lots of violence. The name of this film is ” RUMBLES IN THE BAR!”  Enjoy his show.

Deaf Woman on McDonald’s Carry-Out Bag

—–Original Message—–
From: xxxxx@yahoo.com
To: fookembug@yahoo.com
Sent: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 2:25 PM
Subject: Surprise!!! See McDonald’s bag

(Hello Fookem and Bug, would you put it in your blog, please?)

My mom ordered the foods from McDonald at Madison local in few weeks ago. She was stunned that the carry-out McD bag have shown “ILY” in sign. So she clicked it in an image and forward to everyone. see below:

Go and check McDonald’s Globalcasting website at http://globalcasting.promotions.com/globalcasting/

Click ‘Stars’ and you will see the photo gallery. My mom is 11th so click the image and you will see my mom’s story.

Thank you.

Deaf Smith’s picture in a real Texas $5 dollar bill before Lincoln

Erastus ‘Deaf’ Smith

 

 

We talked about him in our previous post a few months ago.

Click his name to read the story about him —> Erastus ‘Deaf’ Smith

Is it a hoax? If not, why did they replace him to Abraham Lincoln?

 

UPDATE:

 

Republic of Texas Five Dollar Bill

The image below shows the Republic of Texas Five Dollar note. The note shares the same design on the back as the three dollar note. The obverse, pictured below, has a picture of an Indian, who appears to be thinking. The portrait on the right of the note appears to be Deaf Smith.

Health: Latest News Genetic ‘cure’ found for deaf mice

 
Deaf mice can hear thanks to gene therapy

Deaf mice have been made to hear thanks to research by American scientists which could eventually lead to a ‘cure’ for a major cause of deafness in humans.

Experts at the University of Michigan Medical School have been working with mice born with inner ear defects which cause deafness and balance problems.

By injecting normal DNA into the eggs of mice with inner ear defects they have managed to isolate the mutant gene which they believe causes their deafness.

Positive step

Sally Camper, associate professor of human genetics at the school, said: “Finding the defective gene is the first step toward developing new treatments which some day could restore hearing in children and adults.”

Some deaf children will benefit from mice experiments

Once the gene was identified, scientists began work on introducing a normal version of the gene into the inner ears of people with mutant genes.

They believe that deafness is due to the gene’s effect on an enzyme which controls sound frequency.

Wheat field

The enzyme is thought to help activate fibres in the inner ear which respond to changes in sound frequency. The movement of the fibres is described as being like a field of wheat moving to the changes in wind speed and direction.

Through the movement, signals are sent to the auditory nerves which are translated into sound by the brain.

The researchers say a lot more work needs to be done on the mutant gene and others which are thought to cause deafness in mice. But the work, published in ‘Science’ magazine, could be a step nearer correcting deafness in humans.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/102450.stm