Student protesters at Gallaudet University emerged victorious from their two- week-long demonstrations against Jane Fernandes last Sunday when the school’s Board of Trustees issued a statement terminating Fernandes’ position as president-designate.
photo by Michael Keller
According to the statement, the extended student protests, which began on Oct. 3 and included campus lock-downs and a march on the Capitol, compelled the trustees to re-examine their decision and to rescind Fernandes’ appointment.
“Although undoubtedly there will be some members of the community who have differing views on the meaning of this decision. We believe that it is a necessity at this point,” the statement read.
Although the wave of hunger strikes and marches over the past two weeks have displayed a variety of motivations behind the student action, Gallaudet students sitting on the quiet campus lawn Wednesday afternoon were able to simply describe the purpose of all the turmoil.
“Dr. Fernandes didn’t socialize with the students, and [many of us] disagreed with her opinion about American Sign Language,” one student wrote.
Students also mentioned Fernandes’ inattention to perceived problems of racism and audism (a general negative attitude towards deaf people) on campus.
One student activist, who wished to remain anonymous because of her participation in the lock-down of campus, wrote that as students they “just wanted to speak out for our future.”
“Dr. King treats us like we’re animals. We want the Gallaudet system to get improved,” she wrote, referring to current president I. King Jordan.
In an effort to influence the actions of the Board, student activists would also like to change the makeup of the Board of Trustees, requiring 60 percent of its members to be deaf alumni.
“There should be shared governance here at the University,” undergraduate protester Jonathan Slone said last week. “That’s what we’re going for.”
The anonymous student activist also indicated that the student body plans to closely monitor the process for the selection of the new president, and to push for the removal of university Department of Public Safety officers who injured students during the protests.
The Gallaudet campus itself has returned to normal. The only remnant of the protests is a banner that adorns a student residence across from the entrance, proudly chronicling the successful protest: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they arrest you. Then you win.”
