***CRISIS AT GALLAUDET***

[Laura Moore]

Everyone,

I just spoke with Heather, a Gallaudet student. She is helping to organize the protests there. The University just dissolved the Student Body Government and it's more or less a crisis situation there.

A little background: Jane Fernandes, currently the Provost, is set to become the President in January. Students and many faculty and staff feel that she is insensitive to the needs of the Deaf and hard of hearing. There have been many calls for her to step down. Currently the students are barricaded in a building, the police have apparently been brutal, and no one is providing interpreting services so the police are not communicating with the students.

She would like our help. She says anything at all would be helpful -- manpower, food, blankets, etc. Interpreting services would be especially helpful.

If there's something you can do, please give her a call at 317-460-9750.

For more info, check out http://www.gufssa.com/

Laura
---------------------------------------
Laura Moore
President, Graduate Student Government
www.gsg.umd.edu
laur...@umd.edu
Dively lab: 301-405-7524
GSG office: 301-314-8630
---------------------------------------
"Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us."
-Jerry Garcia

[Laura Moore]

Yes, we should definitely do something. Here is one idea:

A letter of support from all of us. Could read something like:

We, the student leaders of DC area universities, wish to express our support for the students of Gallaudet University in their time of crisis. No University can be successful without its students, and we are dismayed that Gallaudet University administrators have chosen to ignore the demands of students.

We are especially concerned about the reports of police brutality against peacefully-protesting students, and the University's refusal to provide interpreting services to students in this crisis situation. It is an act of cruelty to deliberately send in police with no sign language skills to arrest deaf and hard of hearing students.

We stand firmly with the peacefully protesting students of Gallaudet University.

Sincerely,

(all of us)

We should bring the letter to the scene, publicly post it on our own web sites, and send it to reporters currently covering the situation.

Thoughts? Ideas?

I will be offline from 3:30pm onwards today, but I'll sign on to whatever version of the letter people agree on. If anyone wants to call me, my cell is 240-506-4841.

---------------------------------------
Laura Moore
President, Graduate Student Government
www.gsg.umd.edu
laur...@umd.edu
Dively lab: 301-405-7524
GSG office: 301-314-8630
---------------------------------------
"Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us."
-Jerry Garcia

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2006 13:31:00 -0400
>From: "Devin Ellis" <ellis...@gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: ***CRISIS AT GALLAUDET***
>To: "Laura Moore" <laur...@umd.edu>
>Cc: DCUSAmai...@googlegroups.com, gsg-...@umd.edu, "esi...@umd.edu" <esi...@umd.edu>
>
> I think we really ought to do somthing, I am not
> sure what we can do yet - aside from helping to
> supply any physical needs the students have. Devin

> --
> Devin H. Ellis
> Director of Academic Affairs
> University System of Maryland
> Student Council
> cell: 203.586.9697

[Jarrett J. Kealey]

Hi all-

I am out of town until Monday afternoon, but am open to helping out
Gallaudet any way I can, letter of support, etc. Let me know what
everyone thinks.

Best,
Jarrett J. Kealey
President
Student Government Association
Marymount University
"Working for Students"
2807 N. Glebe Road
Arlington, Va 22207
215.431.5474

[Noah Beckman]

Hello fellow Presidents-

My name is Noah Beckman and I am the SBG President of Gallaudet University.

You may or may not be aware of the situation that I am facing here. I will
try my best to sum up everything in few words. If you truly are interested
in knowing the full story, then by all means send me an email to this
address.

The students of Gallaudet University do not have a "weighed" voice here at
campus. People in position of power are interested in keeping their power.
Recently, the SBG had their regular meeting with the university board of
trustees and it was like talking to a wall. Maybe you could help me out by
figuring out why the 9th president refuses to resign in order to bring order
to the campus.

So I am asking you from a president to other are to please contact the
proper people at the hill and explain to them that the crisis at Gallaudet
University has to stop by having the president designate resign.

Also the letter that you plan to send will help to boost the morale at
campus tremendously.

It's sad for me to say this but I expect a raid of some kind to happen
tonight so the university can claim the heart of the university back. It is
getting insane here.

I will repeat myself again, those who are interested, please contact me for
getting the full information. You can check the links below to see and
understand the situation right now.

www.bisontv.com
www.gufssa.com (you must check all of the links in order to get the whole
picture)

Thank you for your time.

With best regards,

Noah Beckman
SBG President of Gallaudet University