[ASL] Some Academic Turmoil with ASL

[Drew Pidkameny]

Hi folks,

I recently returned from an ASL immersion program in CT (see Laura 
Vitkus's original email about this program here: 
http://lists.hampshire.edu/pipermail/asl/2005-December/000134.html) and 
while I was there I realized again that ASL is what I want to study.

Now, the question is, if I want to keep studying ASL and stay at 
Hampshire, how should I put together my Division II to best allow me to 
do that? This is my 3rd semester here, and I have more than enough 
classes to get started on Div II (possibly enough to finish already--I'm 
a transfer), but I'm only taking my second ASL class now.

Ruth already told me that she couldn't be on my committee due to 
difficulties with her status at Hampshire and the trouble of finding an 
interpreter for every meeting we might have. Which I totally understand. 
But as far as I know she's really the only faculty member here who knows 
anything about ASL (with the exception of Laura Vitkus--and she's not 
available on the hub as a committee member) so now I don't know who I 
should enlist to be on my committee.

Also, there is the question of *how* to study ASL here. As of right now, 
the only ASL classes offered here are ASL I and ASL II. Smith has a few 
classes involving the Clarke School, but as that is an oral school it's 
not really the direction I want to go. I know about the ASL & Deaf 
culture classes offered at Holyoke Community College, and I would be 
pretty okay with paying the extra money to get into those, but I'm 
concerned that I will have difficulty finding a committee who will 
support me if all I want to study is ASL/Deaf Culture.

Finally, if I'm going to have ASL as a large part of my Div II, there is 
the question of my knowledge of the language & culture versus the things 
I would ultimately like to study involving ASL. I have a decent 
background in general linguistics, but not enough ASL knowledge (I don't 
think) to begin studying ASL from a linguistics standpoint. Between my 
ASL II class, the meetups in Northampton, the classes at HCC, and the 
ASL lunches here, I have some pretty good resources for speedily 
improving my signing skills. But how do I sell these things to 
prospective committee members? And what on earth could I do for a div III?

Given all these difficulties, I have also been toying with the idea of 
transferring to a school that offers a more fully developed ASL program 
where I can get the training I need to begin studying to become an 
interpreter... which, at the moment, is what I would ultimately like to 
do. I spoke to my friend who went through the ASL program at 
Northeastern, and he said it was very good but expensive. I've already 
spent so much at Hampshire and at my last school that, if I were to 
transfer, I would prefer to go somewhere that was a bit more affordable. 
Ideally, I could stay here and study ASL, but this is the whole 
question: is it possible?

If anyone can offer any insight, advice, or suggestions, it would be 
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Drew Pidkameny