Stories from Abroad – Deaf Education and Empowerment in Ethiopia

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Nina JeckerByrne

“My trip to Ethiopia was one of the most eye opening experiences I have ever had. I was able to see and experience a different culture that many people don’t get to see. Working with the deaf children and leading art activities helped me improve my sign language ability and helped me to adapt to new situations, such as finding a new way to communicate to people who don’t speak or sign the same way. One of the fondest memories I have is when some of the kids gave me their art work to keep. Every time one of the kids or young adults was done painting, the smile they had while handing their work to me was priceless. They seemed really happy with what they did and more confident about their work and themselves. Another big highlight of the trip was seeing the remains of Lucy, who was a part of human evolution. I am an anthropology major, so seeing the remains was cool because I was able to connect the experience to what I was learning in class. Overall, this trip challenged me mentally, emotionally and physically. I feel more humble and I love Ethiopia even more. I would definitely go back.” -DeYan McCarthy

“Going to Ethiopia was an amazing life changing trip I’ll never forget. We got to see and experience so much of Ethiopia and its culture in such short amount of time. From the expected all day bus rides through the countryside to the unexpected trip to the Great Pyramids and Ethiopia vs. Kenya soccer game we saw how different things are. I came to admire the way that they live as well as appreciate what I have. Getting the opportunity to work with and get to know the amazing people in the Deaf Community in Bahir Dar was by far the best part and influenced me to focus my career goals in that direction. I am so grateful I got the opportunity to go and hopefully one day I’ll be able to go to back to Ethiopia and travel some more.” -Kathleen Capulli

“Nearing the end of our first week in Ethiopia we had one of biggest cultural experiences: a night of traditional dancing. This night in particular was special because we were celebrating the birthday of our program coordinator from Visions, Greg. From the moment we arrived it was like there was a spotlight on our group; Greg was sung to and given a cake and there was lots of celebrating before we even got inside. Once inside it was like a full immersion in Ethiopian culture. The structure looked like a bigger version of the stick houses we had passed in the countryside, the music from the live band engulfed us right away, and everyone working was in traditional clothing. The show was a combination of sitting and watching performances and required audience participation. There was a part in every song where the dancers would come off the stage to make people dance with them; and during the songs when the dancers were backstage, people would just get up on their own and start dancing. This was one of my favorite nights because going dancing allowed us to have a full cultural experience without a language barrier or worries that we were doing something wrong. We just blended in.” -Maria Gillin

“Summarizing our trip to Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is quite a difficult task. To think in just 14 days we began and completed our journey is amazing. We accomplished so much in such a short time. Before beginning I was ecstatic, yet terrified, unaware of exactly what I would encounter. My family had the same thoughts as we were the first group traveling on this exact study abroad trip. As it turns out, the trip was safe and a wonderful life experience for which I am grateful to have. The journey began with an incredibly long plane flight. We then took an unexpected trip in Egypt to see the pyramids which was purely breathtaking. From there we took a short flight into Addis Ababa. We were all so happy to have arrived. From there we went to Bahir Dar. The 12-hour bus ride through the mountains was both draining and beautiful. Looking through the window provided so much cultural awareness for what was ahead. We saw the people living their daily lives in a way I personally never witnessed before. It really forces you to realize how fortunate we are. Once we began working with the deaf children and adults from the center and the schools there was an immense feeling of security. I had no fears. I knew the long travel and overcoming my fears was all worth it. Everyone was so appreciative and so happy to have us there. Dealing with culture shock and the exposure to 4 languages at once resulted in exhausting, yet rewarding days. We taught lessons, we played numerous games, we experienced a professional soccer game, we visited historical sites, we went to cultural dancing and so much more. There was a nice balance of work and fun throughout the entire trip. This study abroad was a unique experience that no words can do appropriate justice.” -Kalie Hagen

“The opportunity I had to work with the Deaf community in Ethiopia was amazing. Beyond learning Ethiopian Sign Language, seeing Ethiopian history and artifacts and learning the cultures of both the hearing and Deaf population in Ethiopia, I learned a lot about myself. I’m so grateful for all the friends, both SUNY students and Ethiopians, I made while abroad and all that I learned from them. This trip was truly an inspiration and gave me memories and lessons I’ll remember for a lifetime.” -Cathryn Brown

“Having this kind of opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people. It’s not so much about bettering oneself as it is letting yourself open up and allowing a culture much different than your own to influence you. It’s about loving other people, creating new friendships, and experiencing life-changing events. That’s exactly what has happened on this trip to Ethiopia. I never, in a million years, could imagine seeing myself in Africa let alone making as many friends as I have. Between the other girls who were a part of this trip and the amazing Deaf community we met, it’s as if we’ve become one big family. Together, we created an environment of equality and trust, both of which seem to be so difficult to have in the United States. That’s why this adventure is so rewarding; you simply cannot find this genuine experience back home.” -Alexa Venezia

“I absolutely enjoyed my study abroad experience in Ethiopia. It was beautiful to be able to interact with the Ethiopian Deaf community. They embraced us with open arms. Even though there was a language barrier, the children and even the adults wanted our companionship and advice. The teachers also wanted our help to make the center more successful. Not only did I bond with those I was helping, I formed a bond with the group of New Paltz girls I came with. This trip shaped everyone involved into a family. I am so anxious to be able to see how the center will grow.” -Jada Quinlan

Study Abroad Ethiopia Presentation October 20, 2015

Students who traveled to Ethiopia this past June on the Deaf Education and Empowerment service learning trip will be sharing their experiences at a study abroad presentation on October 20, 2015 at 6:30pm in Humanities Bldg. Room 201. All are welcome to come and hear about their experiences, and learn about the next trip coming up in June 2016.

The Deaf Education and Empowerment study abroad service learning trip is a collaboration between SUNY New Paltz Center for International Programs and Visions Global Empowerment, an organization that seeks to create positive change for youth affected by poverty, conflict, and disability through educational and empowerment initiatives. For more information about Visions, visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/VisionsGlobalEmpowerment

Rebecca Swenson, coordinator of the Deaf Studies minor and the study abroad course instructor, and Caitlin Paul, Study Abroad Adviser, Center for International Programs, will also be at the presentation to provide information and answer questions.

Department of Black Studies Hosts Spring Lecture Series

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Despina Williams Parker

The Department of Black Studies will host a Spring Lecture Series, with talks presented by Assistant Professor Zelbert Moore. All lectures will be held on Mondays in Lecture Center room 104 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Moore will deliver the first lecture, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Where is the Dream?” on Jan. 26.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Feb. 16
Integration in America: Real or Imagined?

March 9
Dr. Henry Kissinger: Secretary of State or Secretary of Terror?

March 30
Brazil in the World

April 13
Soldiers and Doctors: Cuba Around the World

The lectures are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the Black Studies Department at 845-257-2760.

LA&S Partners with Library to Continue Ferguson Conversation

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Despina Williams Parker

Faculty, staff and students gathered in Student Union Building rooms 401 and 405 on Dec. 4 to discuss the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the related issues of police violence, racism and black lives.

On Dec. 4, Karanja Carroll, an associate professor of black studies, and Mark Colvson, dean of the Sojourner Truth Library, led a discussion on the controversial shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. The discussion was held at noon in Student Union Building rooms 401 and 405.

The event was an informal, brown bag conversation on the events in Ferguson and related topics such as racism, police violence and black lives. Attendees, which included faculty, staff and students, were encouraged by event organizers to “listen with tolerance, disagree with respect, and support with grace.”

The discussion was the second in a series of talks organized by LA&S faculty members. On Dec. 2, Carroll, along with sociology assistant professors Alexandra Cox and Roberto Velez-Velez, held a discussion entitled, “Ferguson, Brown, Wilson and the Aftermath: Disciplinary Conversations on Race and Policing,” from 6-8 p.m. in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium. The talk built upon topics explored in the Sojourner Truth Library display, “How We Got to Ferguson: An Interactive Bibliography,” which the professors curated.

In a Dec. 4 email sent to all faculty, staff and students, SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian responded to the recent grand jury decisions to not indict officers involved in the killing of Brown and Eric Garner of Staten Island, New York. Both men were unarmed.

Christian thanked New Paltz faculty and staff for providing outlets for community discussion.

“The issues around these events are complex and inspire passionate reactions and responses from all perspectives,” said Christian. “We are glad to see the actions and outreach of our faculty and staff who have provided some forums for discussion and we encourage all to participate in this programming when possible.”

For faculty members seeking instructional resources on these topics, Cox recommended this crowd sourced teaching guide about Ferguson.

LA&S Faculty Members to Hold Talk on Ferguson, Race and Policing

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Despina Williams Parker

Please join Karanja Keita Carroll (Black Studies), Alexandra Cox (Sociology) and Roberto Velez-Velez (Sociology) for a discussion on “Ferguson, Brown, Wilson and the Aftermath: Disciplinary Conversations on Race and Policing” on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from 6-8 p.m. in the Coykendall Science Building auditorium.

Building upon the Sojourner Truth Library display “How We Got to Ferguson: An Interactive Bibliography,” this discussion will approach the current state of race and policing from three distinct disciplinary and research perspectives. The discussion will be aimed at building ideas about what students and faculty can do locally to respond to this national conversation.

This event is sponsored by the Department of Black Studies, Department of Sociology and the Sojourner Truth Library.

Lecture to Address Race, Gender and Mass Criminalization

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Despina Williams Parker

SUNY New Paltz Department of Sociology and Students Against Mass Incarceration present “The Problem with Carceral Feminism: Race, Gender and Mass Criminalization,” a public lecture by Dr. Beth Richie, on Monday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m. in Lecture Center 100.

Ritchie is a professor of African American Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Criminology, Law and Justice, and Sociology at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Richie‘s scholarly and activist work emphasizes the ways that race/ethnicity and social position affect women’s experience of violence and incarceration, focusing on the experiences of African American battered women and sexual assault survivors. Richie is the author of Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence and America’s Prison Nation (NYU Press, 2012) and numerous articles concerning black feminism and gender violence, race and criminal justice policy, and the social dynamics around issues of sexuality, prison abolition, and grassroots organizations in African American Communities. Her earlier book, Compelled to Crime: the Gender Entrapment of Black Battered Women, is taught in many college courses and is often cited in the popular press for its original arguments concerning race, gender and crime.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

This event received generous support from CAS, the Office of the Provost, the Department of Black Studies, the Department of History, the Scholar’s Mentorship Program, the Honors Program and Residence Life at SUNY New Paltz. Co-sponsors include the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Native American Studies Program and the Humanistic and Multicultural Education Program.

Study Abroad Opportunity in Deaf Studies

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Nina JeckerByrne

Please join us on Monday, October 27 for a slide show and presentation on this exciting study abroad opportunity affiliated with the Deaf Studies program:

Learn more about faculty member Rebecca Swenson’s trip to Ethiopia this past summer here:

Deaf Education and Empowerment in Ethiopia

For more information, contact Rebecca Swenson at swensonr@newpaltz.edu

LA&S Summer Internship Scholarships

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Despina Williams

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce scholarships to support low-paying or unpaid summer internships for students. For summer 2014 we will offer two or three $1,000 awards. This program is supported by generous contributions from SUNY New Paltz parents, alumni, and friends to the LA&S Dean’s Fund.

These are merit-based awards that take into account the student’s GPA, the quality of the internship, the relevance of the internship to the student’s academic major and educational goals, and the relevance of the internship to the student’s future career.

Guidelines:

Applicants should be majors in a department or program within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants should have a 3.3 or higher cumulative G.P.A.
Preference will be given to students in their junior year; seniors who will graduate in May or August 2014 are not eligible for this award.
The internship cannot be with a business or organization run by a family member, relative, or close family friend.

To apply, students should submit the following:

A 300-500 word description of the internship and its relation to the student’s academic major, educational goals, and career plans
A resume
An academic transcript with cumulative G.P.A.
Two letters of recommendation from faculty

Applications should be sent to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, JFT 614. Deadline for applications is May 7, 2014. Awards will be announced on May 15, 2014.

Free Hearing Test for Students, Faculty & Staff

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Nina JeckerByrne

Hearing loss is a very common problem that can significantly affect an individual’s ability to communicate. The Speech Language and Hearing Center (SLHC) here on campus provides full audiological evaluations at no cost for students, faculty and staff. The evaluation takes approximately one hour and will be performed by a nationally and state certified audiologist. If you are interested, please call 257-3600 to make an appointment.

Statistics on Hearing Loss:

About 20 percent of adults in the United States, 48 million, report some degree of hearing loss.
60 percent of the people with hearing loss are either in the work force or in educational settings.
At age 65, one out of three people has a hearing loss.
About 2-3 of every 1,000 children are hard of hearing or deaf
Estimated that 30 school children per 1,000 have a hearing loss.

Source: John Hopkins Medicine

First World Diasporas of Color Undergraduate Conference Announces Call for Papers

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Despina Williams

Students are invited to participate in the First World Diasporas of Color Undergraduate Conference, held April 25-26 at the State University of New York at Geneseo.

This year’s conference theme is, “Global(izing) Identities and Migration across Diasporas of Colors.” Students are invited to present papers or posters that are concerned with all issues relevant to the diasporas of color in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States. Presenters may offer scholarly research or participate in panel discussions from all academic disciplines and social sectors.

To be considered, students must submit a 150-word abstract and short biographical statement by Tuesday, Feb. 25. Submissions should be made online, at www.diasporas_of_color.geneseo.edu.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

Crossing color lines across the diaspora
Documents and artifacts of protest
Economic development and empowerment
Environmental justice issues
Forceful relocations
Human rights issues
Internal exile and diasporas
Iroquoia
Literary and other artistic interpretations
Media representations
Migration and immigration
Nation languages, creolized cultures and genres
Non-violent vs. militant approaches
Politics and activism
Prisons
Race and identity across the diaspora
Refugee and stateless groups
Religion
Revolutionary models
Role of African/Black, Americana, Asian, Latin American and/or Transatlantic Studies
Social media/technologies as tools for change
Transnational adoptions and identity
Using language as a subversive tool
Voices of first-nation peoples

The conference is sponsored by the State University of New York at Geneseo Departments of English, History and Languages and Literatures, and by the Africana Studies, Americana, Asian Studies and Latin American Studies Programs, in collaboration with the State University of New York at New Paltz’s Black Studies Department and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program.

For more information, contact Dr. Rose McEwen at mcewen@geneseo.edu.