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published in the buff and blue, april 2007

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:38:54 GMT

Do April Showers Wash Away Blood?

The meaning of the cruelest month of the year, and other stories from April

Earl Mikell

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain

- T.S. Eliot

Yet another April comes to pass, with yet another April tragedy. This time it was the massacre at Virginia Tech, in which 32 innocent lives were taken through an act of senseless violence. It brought up, for all of us, memories of violent Aprils gone by, with the Columbine massacre the most prominent of all, and the Rwandan genocide the most haunting of all. And as it is with each passing year, it always seems that every April is punctuated by such scenes of horrific or bloody violence, and we are always left behind to pick up the pieces, and wonder why.

The month of April, in history, can and should rightly be judged to be the most tragic month of the year. For it is in April we have witnessed shocking assassinations, senseless massacres, silent deaths, violent bombings, long wars and so on. We have the assassinations of President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., the slaughter of innocents abroad and at home in Rwanda, Armenia, Cambodia, Columbine, and Blacksburg, the Oklahoma City bombing, the quiet death of South Vietnam in 1975, the American Civil War of April 1861 – April 1865, and the Armageddon of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich’s final days of infamy in 1945.

Why do such heart-breaking moments occur in April, with more prevalence than other months, and why do we remember them more than the other months? Considering the latter in terms of memories, the other eleven months do have their tragic footnotes to memory and history, but for the most part they do not stay with us long after the last drop of blood is spilled. April is always singled out in that we are always haunted by the memory of images from such days of drama, long after its occurrence, like the students running out of the school building at Columbine and the haunting yet gentle snowfall of the morning after, the firefighter cradling a dead baby in his arms at Oklahoma City, and the helicopters lifting off the US embassy roof during America’s indecent exit from South Vietnam.

We remember these images for the rest of our lives and beyond, but, once again, why do they happen in April? It is interesting to note that when they happened, people often couldn’t make sense of it all, calling so and so senseless and sudden, like the Virginia Tech massacre, and also often couldn’t find and consider a clear metaphysical rationale, outside of the killer or killers’ own, for them. At such times, we often think of why it happened in the immediate moment, but never when it happens. We don’t often go far enough to consider the plain question of why it keeps happening in April. It seems strangely contradictory: April is supposed to be the month where flowers bloom, picnics happen, students graduate, everybody coming out of the winter into the sunshine. And yet instead of the joy of such events we have deaths and tears.

Maybe it’s because it’s a futile exercise in thought. Maybe it’s because the question will never be answered well enough to satisfy us. Or, for the religiously-inclined, maybe it’s God’s will. However, in assuming such thoughts, we are instead clashing with our own tendency, in the wake of such atrocities, to seek such meaning in everything that happens in life and death. If we seek meaning in such lives and deaths, in such horrific action, in general, then shouldn’t we think it logical and appropriate to also seek the meaning of why, going outside the life, the death and the incident itself, and when it happens? And so, if we agree to such a postulation, then it should be logical to consider why it happens in April.

It happens, because death has to happen, and death, in its’ unnatural form, is always a reminder of human flaws and failings. Since April is supposed to be a month of joy, of our exit from winter, death intrudes upon our lives to remind us that somewhere, someplace, someday it is not a joyful time, because someone or something chose to exhibit the worst of humanity, or failed for a brief fleeting moment to display the best of humanity. If it’s not happening here, then it’s happening someplace out there. It reminds us to be thankful for the joy we get, because one day there may not be any to be had wherever we are, in April, as we begin our spring.

And it happens, because it’s a warning to us. It’s a warning for those who survived or witnessed such death, to fix the physical, mental and moral flaws within our modern way of life, like governmental incompetence, appeasement, glorification of violence, apathy and reluctance (in the case of the Rwandan genocide), or be fated to suffer the same fate these victims of Aprils long since past suffered. Such a warning lesson in April is cruel, because the warning itself comes in the form of death, not a note or e-mail. And it is crueler still, that with the passing of each tragic April we still have to keep realizing though such bloodshed that we have yet to take heed of such a costly lesson.

In finally contemplating such a question and finding a real answer, once we have advanced to such a point, that is, we will invariably find our own meaning for why it happens in April. And with such a meaning found, then comes the search for closure and a final, long time in coming, end to the bloodshed and the beginning of many a peaceful Aprils. But first, before the search begins, we must ask ourselves one more question. Do April showers wash away blood? The answer, heartbreakingly enough, is no, at least for the moment.

No, because we still have not learned our lessons from their deaths, from their warnings. No, because we will always have to remember why their blood was spilled in April, at least up until the day when we can finally celebrate a string of many a joyful April, because such cruel Aprils will have by then become nothing more than a period of an awful time in history. Such joyful Aprils will only happen if we learn our lessons, heed our warnings, and along with that completely and irrevocably learn how to continually exhibit the best of humanity day in and out. Then perhaps we will be able to change our answer to yes on that glorious day, and enjoy a simple April shower outside, without the blood on the ground. And we will never ever have to ask ourselves again why.

published in the buff and blue, march 2007

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:35:06 GMT

War of Words

On the state of Gallaudet University, in the wake of the October Protests

Earl Mikell

It has become evident in recent weeks that the state of Gallaudet University is not good, to put it in the simplest terms possible. This dawning revelation is coming on the heels of what may have been the longest year of the university’s life, where in one year, from October 2005 to October 2006, we had the Hyatt incident, the goalpost drama, the turmoil in May following the selection of Jane Fernandes as the ninth president, and finally, the October protests. It was commonly assumed that things were bad, and it had been that way for a while, but it could have been much worse.

And then the MSA letter came out. It came out of the blue, and detonated with the full power of a smart bomb; things had gotten much, much worse than we expected. Now the university’s accreditation was in danger. The letter of January 13^th threw around words like “fragile”, and “dismissive”, and acknowledged that there was a great deal of concern about Gallaudet’s compliance with the MSA’s accreditation standards. It painted a stark picture of the previous administration’s failure to take the process seriously, and its’ inability to understand the reality of the situation. They also revealed that they actually had to send three of their commissioners along with their staff liaison to make their concerns known, which, according to them, was unprecedented.

In short, the letter completely eviscerated any hope that I. King Jordan had of leaving with some semblance of a legacy, and bluntly told the Gallaudet community that we were on extremely thin ice. It also apportioned blame to all segments of the community for the current state of the university, as well. But the letter’s thrust was more geared towards criticizing the previous administration, and delved into more intimate details of the process between the MSA and College Hall. The term “dismissive” was used to describe the June 2006 review report by Jordan and his people, and presented an image of arrogance on Jordan’s part. Concerns about his administration’s handling of the accreditation process had been ongoing for some time, while Jordan painted a picture of a smoothly-running university, and has only now come to light.

Essentially, while stopping short of completely vindicating the Unity for Gallaudet movement of October 2006, the MSA letter of January 13^th did provide the clearest rationale possible for why the movement fought the way it did to obtain Fernandes’ dismissal as president. A major issue driving the movement centered on the leadership ability of Fernandes and her close relationship to Jordan, and the letter put some teeth in it, by acknowledging the university’s poor enrollment numbers, low academic standards, and terrible graduation rate, along with its failure, overall, to meet some of the MSA’s standards for accreditation. Fernandes, as the university’s provost for academic affairs, did not take responsibility for the academic issues confronting Gallaudet, despite the MSA’s subtle point that a lot of their concerns went all the way back to 2001, the same year Fernandes became provost, and despite the fact that all these academic issues fell under the purview of her position.

One could even go so far as to say that all this is what the Gallaudet community was fighting to prevent, without even realizing that what we all feared was already in the process of occurring. Now, in the wake of the October Protests, a war of words has been ongoing between the Jordan/Fernandes faction and the Unity for Gallaudet faction, which is considerably larger in numbers and diversity of beliefs than the former. The MSA letter has added a great deal of ammunition to the verbal wrangling. Jordan and Fernandes have not helped the matter much, continuing to reiterate, long after the events of October, that the UFG movement only protested because Fernandes wasn’t deaf enough, and because, as Jordan referred to them in one interview, they were also absolutists. The duo continues to defend their time at the university, and deny the charges of their opponents, even though it’s plainly clear that they lost a lot of legitimacy when the letter came out.

Even long after their departure, the Gallaudet community is still embroiled in fighting for the soul and future of the University, known to all as the Mecca of the deaf world. Words continue to be slung back and forth between both sides, and both sides continue to try to gain more power over the other. It may still be too early to judge the victor of this undesired conflict, but all indications point to the UFG movement and the Gallaudet community at large as the winners, since the effort to save Gallaudet and it’s future should rightly fall on the shoulders of those who truly care about the true meaning of the University, and it seems that the movement desires to carry that burden.

As for why this should be so, one gets the feeling the other side isn’t really all that interested in keeping Gallaudet University as it has been and should be, but would rather make radical changes to its’ DNA. Perhaps it is a mistaken perception by the rest of us, but the responsibility falls upon them to correct that perception, not us. Nevertheless, they also claim to love the university too. If that is so, then the time is now for them to show it by joining with the UFG movement, and working together to help save Gallaudet, despite the differences and bad blood.

All in all, the state of the University is not one of a dazzling present and a bright future, as commented upon above. Some hard decisions are going to have to be made, and in President Robert Davila we may have the right man for the job. But the buck does not just stop there with Davila; it stops with all of us. What needs to happen is an end to the war of words, and what needs to begin is a good faith effort aimed at righting the ship of state here at Kendall Green, and it needs to happen right away. The Unity for Gallaudet movement did get some things right and some things wrong, but in the larger scheme of things they got one big thing right: with the sword of Damocles, the MSA, above us, the time is now for unity, not discord. Whatever else happens, we should all hope that’s the lesson we will take away from this debacle of a year when all is said and done.

the return

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:27:51 GMT

Letters from Kendall Green is back. Posting to resume shortly.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 05:06:32 GMT

******************BREAKING NEWS**********************

- GALLAUDET BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRPERSON BRENDA JO BRUGGEMAN RESIGNS
- NOW TWO VACANCIES ON BOARD
- MCCAIN'S PEOPLE CONFIRMS RESIGNATION
- BOTH ARE IN PRO-FERNANDES CAMP
- WASHINGTON POST REPORTS
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/07/AR2006110701402.html

MORE TO COME

- EARL

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:12:47 GMT

*******************BREAKING NEWS***********************

- SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN NO LONGER ON GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
- RESIGNS FROM POSITION
- GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY'S BOT WEBSITE EDITED TO SHOW A VACANCY FOR MCCAIN'S POSITION

MORE TO COME

- EARL

Friday, November 03, 2006

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 05:02:47 GMT

POST-PROTEST UPDATES, AS OF 3 NOVEMBER 2006

- I KING JORDAN SENDS OUT ANOTHER CAMPUS COMMUNITY LETTER
- NOTHING CONCRETE IN IT; DEFENDS FERNANDES' SELECTION
- FSSA UPDATES WEBSITE, PUTS UP PRESS RELEASE
- SUMMARIZES SUNDAY AND MONDAY EVENTS, SAYS THEY CONTINUE TO WORK TO HAVE ORIGINAL DEMAND MET
- KELBY BRICK WRITES OP-ED IN BALTIMORE SUN
- DEBATE ON POST-PROTEST ACTION CONTINUES
- NO WORD ON INTERIM PRESIDENT, NEW PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH PROCESS, OR FATE OF INTERIM PROVOST MICHAEL MOORE
- NBC'S DATELINE PROGRAM SAID TO HAVE DONE SEGMENT ON PROTESTS

MORE TO COME

- EARL

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:17:09 GMT

UPDATES ON THE AFTERMATH OF THE PROTESTS:

- JANE FERNANDES SUICIDE HOAX SENT AROUND TODAY
- DECISIVELY DEBUNKED
- REPORTS INDICATE FERNANDES MAY RETAIN TENURED POSITION WITH THE ASL/DEAF STUDIES DEPARTMENT
- MJ BIENEVUE IS CHAIR OF THAT DEPARTMENT, FRICTION EXPECTED
- NO OFFICIAL WORD YET ON INTERIM PRESIDENCY OR NEW PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH PROCESS
- LEAH COHEN, AUTHOR OF "TRAIN GO SORRY", WRITES SUPPORTIVE OP-ED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
- WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHES EDITORIAL THAT SLAMS PROTESTERS' VICTORY; IS FILLED WITH HALF-LIES AND THE DEAF CARD EXCUSE

MORE TO COME

- EARL

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 04:00:31 GMT

ABC NEWS NIGHTLINE:

"WE CONTACTED FERNANDES FOR A COMMENT, BUT SHE WAS UNAVAILABLE."

Well, what did you expect? She didn't even send one e-mail to Noah Beckman, the SBG President, the whole time she was President-Designate, during the crisis at Gallaudet, 1 May - 29 October 2006.

Daily Updates will resume tomorrow, since the story isn't over yet.

- Earl

Monday, October 30, 2006

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 05:01:50 GMT

From Thirteen Days (2000), a film about the Cuban Missile Crisis:

Kenny O'Donnell: If the sun comes up tomorrow, it is only because of men of goodwill. That is all there is between us and the devil.

Many thanks to the Board of Trustees for finding the goodwill within them to save Gallaudet University. May none but honest men and women find themselves in the President's office at College Hall from now on.

- Earl Mikell, LETTERS FROM KENDALL GREEN

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:58:32 GMT

****************BREAKING NEWS***************

JANE K. FERNANDES IS FIRED
BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTES TO OUST HER
CELEBRATIONS BEGIN
PARTIES OCCUR
BEER RUNS BEGIN

REPEAT - JANE K FERNANDES IS FIRED - REPEAT

MAJOR VICTORY FOR PROTESTERS

MORE TO COME

- EARL