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COMMENTARY Thursday, May 8, 1997 - Page 3 FELONY THEFT OF PHOENIX BEING PERCEIVED As COLLEGE PRANK The disappearance of more The Phoenix feels the same than 1,300 editions of the last action should be taken issue of The Phoenix leads us whether the culprit is a stu- to believe that some indi- dent or a non student. The vidual or group did not wish theft of the newspapers is no others to read it. It is our re- less a crime for a student than sponsibility and our right as it is for non student. The journalists to report the news Phoenix does not desire to see and we will not be intimidated anyone do jail time, but it by any effort to stifle it. feels leaving the issue to the If the aim of stealing the paper was to silence WMC school authorities would only result in a slap on the wrist. news, it actually had the op- This is a felony whether it oc- posite affect. Each student curred on the confines of our personally received a reprint campus or not. of the paper, articles have ap- The schools desire to pre- peared in the Sun, the Carroll County Times, the AP wire, vent negative publicity will only enable the recurrence of and Channel 7 news has ques- future incidents similar to this tioned about the incident. There is so much publicity understands The Phoenix surrounding this issue because that this publicity is negative it is not merely a college prank. Aside from violating and does not portray the the schools code of conduct, school in the most positive of The Carroll County Times lights. Yet not taking formi- stated in their coverage of this dable action will be even worse for the school's image. issue that. "It is a felony to This is a crime committed steal anything worth $300 or more and the maximum pen- against Western Maryland stu- alty is 15 years in prison and dents, most likely by fellow a $1,000 fine. It is also ille- students. What kind of mes- gal in Maryland to steal news- sage does the college wish to papers and the maximum pen- send to it's students? One that alty is 60 days in jail and a says, "Hey. it's okay to bla- $500 fine." tantly disrespect your fellow As you can see, this is a se- students time and hard work." rious crime which is an insult suits the college, The Phoenix appeared in the Sunday, April treated as a violation of [rules D.oes the school really want to to the constitution, our staff, feels the college is taking this 27 edition of The Sun, of] student conduct,' ... If non support censorship and rheft ? the college, and the campus matter too lightly. The Phoe- "Schumaker said, 'If a student students are involved, he said, The Phoenix does not. community. nix questions Don or a group is found to be in- criminal charges would likely The above editorial is the opinion However, although it in- Schumaker's statement which volved, the matter will be be filed." of the Phoenix's editorial board, not anyone individual. LETTER To THE EDITOR WMCADE ever had contact with the Deaf against it. This event forced Deaf how to communicate through any used by Adam Dean while he was culture or of Deaf people? There people around the world to com- means of other than savage like corresponding with us through e- Responds to are many people in this world municate in an unnatural manner. grunts. mail regarding our response to who believe that because they see AlmosllOOyears later(J976) this Wewould first like to explain this article. This is the use of the "Soapbox" Deaf people everyday, it means Milan enactment was finally re- the spelling of 'D'eaf. The '0' is word 'deafness.' As explained by We, Western Maryland Col- they are educated in the culture, scinded. Because of this 100year capitalized to signify that the per- MJ Bienvenu "can you imagine lege Association of Deaf Educa- mores, and personal mannerisms forced persecution there are still son/people we are discussing are having a Field of Blackness, or a of Deaf people. tion (WMCADE), are writing a many Deaf people who, out of actually part of the Deaf culture Field of Womanness? This is responseto the "Soapbox" article equally as ridiculous as having in the April 8, 1997 issue of the "There are many people in this world who believe that because such a term as the field of Phoenix. First, we would like to they see Deaf people everyday, it means they are educated in the 'deafness' ... It is time that we say that we originally were go- [Deaf people]... object about how ing to speak directly with the au- culture, mores, and personal mannerisms of Deafpeople. " we are defined by non-Deaf thor of the article, Adam Dean, people." but he refused to do so. Wehave The term "grunting" that was habit, use their voice when con- and therefore not relating to them WMCADE holds open meet- since decided to have our voice used in this article is very offen- versing Withhearing people. For as an auditory unit. ings, usually, on the first Tuesday heard by all. We would like to sive and we would like to take a so many years, the Deaf students Toexplain Deafculture in one of every month and we would be comment on the statement: minute of your time to explain could not communicate among short article could not do it jus- very pleased to see some new "... Ihear a man sittingnext to me how comments such as this one each other outside of the class- tice. We would like to, however, faces there who are curious about kind of grunting. I figure, okay, has effectedthe culture inthe past. room, in the native language; but give you a brief overview of the the Deaf culture, Deaf education, he is probably one-of the deaf An example occurred in 1880. when they talked with their hear- culture. One of the integral parts or Deafpeople in general. Tocon- grad students. They sometimes This is when 164men gathered in ing teachers they were forced to of the Deaf culture is the lan- firm a date of the next meeting make noises and don't realize it. Italy to do away with all sign lan- use this simulated language. guage, American Sign Language please feel free to e-mail us at I usual!y ignore it unless they gel guages around the world. All deaf There are several Deaf people (ASL). It is through this language wmcade@truxton.com. Wehope really loud... " schools from that point on would who still have the habit of code that Deaf people have been able that all of you have learned some- Our first question is, what do be under the oral (lip reading) switching when conversing with thing new about a wonderful you do when a deaf person gets method. The final vote for hearing people. The comment to acquire freedom from the op- world and may even want to ex- pressive hand of hearing people really loud? Our second question oralism stood as follows: 159 made in the paper that Deaf and other oppressors like them. plore it more. is , whether yourself or any other hearing voted for the resolution, people "grunt" makes them seem Another issue that we would person that you consulted, have and 4 hearing and one deaf voted like animals who do not know like to address is a term that was WMCADE Representatives