Jane Fernandes is trying to show how strong she is and that she is not going to budge. However, that’s not the point. The point is for the Deaf community and its hearing allies to show how strong it is, and that it will not budge or back down. The focus here needs to be on the Deaf Community and Deaf culture, not Jane Fernandes.

The protest began as a result of the flawed search process for a new president. Now it has evolved into something so much more, a culture’s fight for survival.

In today’s world there are “medical breakthroughs” such as misunderstandings about cochlear implants and genetic engineering that are diminishing the Deaf world. These two “breakthroughs” are not really accepted by the Deaf community. As a matter of fact, these technologies are seeking to diminish the need for ASL, in turn is diminishing the Deaf culture and community. We need to educate the hearing world about Deaf culture, which is more than meets the eye!

With this in mind, it is imperative for the protest to continue, so that the Deaf community can be a strong presence in today’s society. The protest is a powerful tool to speak to the hearing world that does not know about Deaf people, their culture or language. All of the news and media coverage can only help to educate hearing people about Deaf folks, and improve interaction and lives of Deaf people all over. I myself am a hearing graduate student, and I never met or heard about a Deaf person until I was a junior in my undergraduate program. This is a sad story, but all too true. People need to recognize Deaf people, and recognize them as a language minority, not as handicapped people deserving of pity. Now is the perfect time to make an impact. When will we have a chance for so much attention again??

The protest is a great representation of the Deaf community (the students) fighting for their rights with the hearing people, deaf people with hearing-mentality, and the political world (Jane Fernandes and the Board of Trustees). A long standing demand of the student body has been for the campus to be unified under one language, American Sign Language. There are still hearing teachers at Gallaudet, using interpreters to teach. This demand of the students’ has never been met and leaves them feeling oppressed on their own campus. If Deaf people cannot win and have their rights granted here at Gallaudet University, the Mecca of the Deaf, then when/where will Deaf people gain their rights? The perspective shown here allows us to see the situation as what one of the student leaders, Matt Korpics called it, “Deaf culture’s last stand!” If we lose this protest, the Deaf community might lose its battle with the hearing world. We need to show them that Deaf people can be successful, and can overcome oppression once and for all!

This protest is about the empowerment of Deaf people everywhere…not you, Jane!!