Deaf Anthology # 268: "GSD"

The United States News & World Report just recently published its rankings of best schools in America and Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring ranked #1 in a special category for its commitments in providing a quality educational environment to its Deaf students.

Let's look at their accomplishments, I think it's amazing.

1. Martin Keller, Assistant Director of Instruction, challenged the Deaf students that if they won the state science fair trophy, he will apply for the teacher in space program at NASA. Sure enough, Martin was selected to be on board the next Atlantis shuttle flight after intensive trainings, conducting experiments submitted by Deaf pupils. Martin replied, "I is great seeing the earth from space, as a child I look upon a moon and wondered what's like to be in space, and am proud to be the first Deaf astronaut, being a model for those who set their sight on their dreams." Martin will be answering questions from Deaf children space using a specially designed VP, many curious about the effects of the absence of gravity.

2. There are daily issues of both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the USA Today newspapers in every dormitory to encourage Deaf children to read, not just the sports section, to be aware of the world around them. A weekly quiz will be given to test their knowledge of contemporary affairs. As a result, Georgia School for the School won the Academic Bowl championship sponsored by Gallaudet University. USA Today is planning on a featured story on the Georgia School for the Deaf.

3. Anyone interested in being a batboy for the Atlanta Braves home game must write an essay, "Why I want to be a batboy (or batgirl)," and the best one selected will have that opportunity. His dorm wing friends are invited to cheer him on from the skybox stuffed with peanuts, hope no one is allergic to it. Randy Shank have done a similar feat with the Milwaukee Brewers because his dormitory advisor noticed that he collects baseball cards. Bobby Valentine, manager of the Chuba Lotte Mariners (north of Tokyo) of the Japanese Pacific League will be invited to Georgia School for the Deaf to conduct a baseball clinic. Bobby is a former player with the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager of the New York Mets the last time they have the subway series.
4. We are negotiating a possible exchange student arrangement with the a Deaf school in the country of Georgia, a former Soviet republic. We will also sponsored a trip to Shanghai, China to attend Expo 2010, a world's fair with over 200 countries participating. It's guaranteed to be an experience of a lifetime. The trip would be possible if the Deaf students themselves write grant proposal to various foundation. On another note, a scholarship is to be given to a Deaf child who may have a career interests in travel journalism sending him to New York City for workshops taught by experts from the Travel Channel. Our Deaf ought to be globetrotting, wasn't it that Mark Twain mentioned that he never let classrooms interfered with his education.

5. Seniors held their prom at the Georgia Aquarium (they got their idea from MSSD), everyone sober, none got seasick. Breaking with traditions, they selected their mascot, Tiger, to have the honor, treated with his favorite, corn flakes. Exxon is the official sponsor of the prom, each Senior given a gift card to fill their first tank of gas after graduation. They also buried a time capsule with an instruction that it not be opened until the year 2059. There is a rumor that there is a file missing from Lee A. Shiver's office, we can assume that it is in the time capsule but we won't know for 50 years anyway. I personally think that is a better option than dismantling his automobile and parking it on the new gym's roof. During sneak week, the Seniors went on a Easycruise tour of seven islands in the Caribbean, a result of running their own business modeled after the KFC franchise. "Congratulation, Class '09!"

6. We have open-house during the annual Civil War reenactments on the grounds which was once used as a hospital during the Confederacy. This is our opportunity to recruit potential Deaf students and also interview new staff applicants. On this day, we can be proud of our Southern heritage. We can feel the blast of those canons that were silence since Appomattox. Here we'll have our famous chili cookoff, winner get hosed down by the fire department that also giving away smoke detection with strobe light. Free health screening courtesy of the local health department, flu shots available. Cave Spring Police will have a bicycle rodeo and giving out free helmets to every child, enter to win Trek bikes, drawings held before fireworks. We are all in a festive mood to spread Deaf awareness into our community.

7. Georgia School for the Deaf to host the national Deaf Junior Chess Tournament sanctioned by the United States Chess Federation. The winner will received an all expenses (airfare and accommodations) paid trip to watch the World Deaf Chess Championship as an fan to be held in Primorsko, Bulgaria during June 2010. Let it be known that when there is a competition somewhere, we'll be there so that our Deaf youths can be exposed to a variety of recreational activities one of which may be a lifetime endeavor. Geocaching is a new sport that is catching on our Deaf students learning to use GPS technology, to me it's a modern version of orienteering.

(photo: Deaf playing chess in India)

8. Georgia School for the Deaf emphasized volunteerism, getting ourselves involved in Habitat for Humanity and other worthwhile causes. We even have our own annual 5k run to support a designated project of our school such as raising funds to put smartboards into our dormitory, which allows us interactive participation to plan our activities, voting on proposals, a lesson in democracy. There are plenty of resources in the community, the Red Cross can teach us CPR, we can serve the homeless setting up a soup kitchen. We even produced our own Deaf programming on the local cable public access channel taking advantages of their training programs, the highlight is being able to broadcast a live show. Many of our graduates join the Peace Corps or Americorps, realizing that there is a purpose in life, the satisfaction of making a contribution contribution to our society. We will be seeking a newer world (RFK quote) if each one of us pitch in. Now that our country is in recession, volunteerism meet the challenges of the times.

9. There is never a dull moment in the dormitory, the high school students are conducting a New Games Festival for the Middle and Elementary level, providing leadership in coordinating the event. "Snake in the Grass," is one such game featured in the popular book from the New Games Foundation, based in San Francisco, promoting cooperative games, having us playing together rather than against each other on a competitive level. Also popular is the bedtime story hour, reading from a collection of Newbury award winners, seeing words transform into life expressed in ASL. Monthly featured speaker, we were fortunate to have Jack Gannon with us one night give us an insight to our Deaf heritage, taking pride in our culture, we weren't aware of our segregation past. The Boy Scouts are selling candy to raise funds for our troop to go to the 2011 World Jamboree in Sweden in 2011. They are looking forward to trading patches with Scouts from the four corners of the earth, you never know, there may be another Deaf among them. We hosted the Tri-Lakes Deaf Scout Camporee in 1981, so we should considered a bid to host gain in 2011 on our 2oth anniversary.

10. In the Spring, we'll have our annual summer camp and job fair where we will have representatives from various organizations and employers giving our Deaf youths options of exploring a career or nature. May it be high adventure with the Aspen camp in the mountains of Colorado or being a lifeguard at the local YMCA. Plenty of choices such as the Gallaudet Sports Camp, Northern Wisconsin National Canoe Base (BSA), internship at the Smithsonian Institute, Circus Smirkus Camp in Vermont, National Park Service, etc. Our residential advisors are encouraged to take workshops during the summer to earn their certification from the Council of Education of the Deaf (CED).

I recalled a man advertising himself on a billboard on the side of an interstate seeking employment. Of course, I can't afford the expenses of a billboard so using this blog is an alternative.

Revised 6/09/09

This is Smokey, stay tuned for the next episode of Deaf Anthology. Good night, Deaf America!