Page 62 - TheGoldBug1970-71

e2 The Gold Bug February I, 1971 Women's liberation speakers advocate abolishment of 'myth' by Cathy Nelson, Gloria Steinem, "One of the acclaimed 'new' traditionally been placed on a pedestal, and that toe After a three month delay. Gloria Steinem and both newspaper has written Dorothy Pitman finally made it to Alumni Hall on journalists," articles, including a recent essay and in Women's Liberation Movement would remove the periodical Friday, January 29 at 10 AM. The topic of the Time magazine. Her lecture described how the pedestal. To this, Miss Steinem replied, "Well, the morning's lectures and discussions: liberation. Women's Liberation Movement has arisen out of pedestal can be a prison too. When a woman Miss Steinem and Mrs. Pitman (originally "the myths of female inferiority." An example of decides to step down, she isn't prepared to do scheduled to speak at Western Maryland college on this myth put into practice would be in the situation anything else. We have no control over the choices October ~ of last year) are two of the most presented to us. If a woman wants to be a outspoken activists for the Women's Liberation of a man and a woman competing for the same housewife, fine. But the point is she should be able office job. "For the woman to get the job, she has to in this to do anything else if she wants to." be practically four times smarter than the man." According the Miss Steinem, the real task of the movement will not be to learn new myths, but rather, "to unlearn the old ones." If it succeeds in doing this, the movement will not only affect the career woman, but also the housewife, the children, and yes, even the men The success of the movement, Miss Steinem concluded, is evident in the discoveries that have been made by its participants: "That women are all sisters, that they can work together and function as a group, and most of all, that women in the society all share common problems." Dorothy Pitman, educator and director of the West 80th Street Day Care Center in New York, looked at liberation in another sense: that of a need of revolution in the educational world. Children, Mrs. Pitman implied, are in need of liberation, too. in that they need to be exposed to the problems of their community, and to be taught how to deal with those problems. Such teaching enables them to accept the need for change, and perhaps even to channel their energy toward constructive change. Mrs. Pitman's day care center is unique in concept. There is definite economic and racial intergration. Each family pays the same amount of money per week- $5.00-- regardless of how much they can afford. "If we didn't do this," explained Mrs. Pitman, "then the richer people may feel they have more say." Linking the day care center with the Women's Liberation Movement, Mrs. Pitman pointed out that all too often i~ a horne, "there are not enough men involved III early childhood training. There should be an involvement 'Ofthe family in the education of the child." As a female black American, Mrs. Pitman has encountered a duet of revolution: that of the Women's Liberation Movement and that of black Americans. However, she said, "Each person must live his own revolution." This is accomplished when there "is no fear of the system." Only then, said Dorothy Pitman, can individual freedom be achieved. An interested and appreciative audience responded to Miss. Steinem's and Mrs. Pitman's remarks in a question-and-answer session after the lecture period. The main argument of the session was based on the premise that women have sufficiently qualified teachers is the greatest The following article was written by a deaf problem in education of the deaf today. Hundreds 1969 graduate of Western Maryland. Frank of new teachers are needed each year. Bowe is currently studying for his Master's these teachers must be qualified. No degree in deaf education at Gallaudet College, of those now in the field are not deaf children. The need for D.C. growing. At the same time, positions . schools for teachers of normally-hearing by Frank Rowe are rapidly disappearing. It is the hope of author that some Western Maryla_nd English education majors will consider looking into Nowhere in the universe of education are fascinating and challenging field. teachers of English more desperately needed than The need is especially great for people who in the field of deafness. skilled in teaching English to children Adeaf child entering school at age 5may not even totally devoid of any linguistic system know his nama.the names of the foods he eats, the This task can be a very rewarding toys he plays with, the clothes he wears. Indeed, he person who has command of basic may not even be aware of the existence of such techniques, knowledge of language develol)m,'"q. things as words. His potentially most fertile and a mastery of the language of language-learning years: are irretrievably lost. person to see is Britt Hargraves, Only through a truly heroic effort on his part and on Western Maryland's program for the part of qualified, dedicated teachers can he gain in the field of the hearing . his birthright to a true mother-tongue. recommend a special program to Tragically, this veritable educational miracle is and needs. seldom realized. The paradoxical task of "teaching Haven't you always wanted to do a mother-tongue" to a prelingually, profoundly meaningful with the skills you have deaf child is probably one of the most staggeringly acquiring? If you care about "'"~<''' '''"'ce .... '''. difficult known to man. After up to sixteen years of children who cannot hear, you can use • ........c"""~ ~_ specialized training, fully one-third of all students helping children who would be lost A well-attended pool party marked the first official who terminate their education each year are assistance. This is not a field for people freshmen class function this year. Despite the hitter functionally illiterate, unable to read even at the an easy way out. It is for people who fourth-grade level. have guts, and who are willing to fight for cold wind the night of the affair, freshmen turned out The need for better-qualified teachers is urgent of a child to have what you acquired with so for both the swimming and the free Sloppy Joes. and desperate, This lack of sufficient numbers of ease; English.