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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear Hampshire ASL Email List Members,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>First, for those of you not in the ASL classes this fall-
thank you for being tolerant of the course-specific emails. Second, I just
wanted to say thanks for helping to make ASL at Hampshire a success so far.
Your continued interest in ASL and Deaf community events is the foundation of these
ASL classes. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>When I first came to Hampshire in ’02, there were no ASL
classes in any of the five colleges that were open to all students. Michelle
Bernstein (F’01) and I commuted to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Holyoke</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Community College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
to learn ASL. Last fall (2004) we decided to teach a student taught
introductory level course at Hampshire since there was nothing else available
(we knew that it was controversial for hearing students to be teaching ASL). I
registered the teaching of this class, along with outside research as an
independent study while we arranged for students to get credit for taking the
class as an independent study. There was a strong interest in the course.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Laura Vitkus, who works in Student Affairs and is fluent in
ASL helped Michelle and I draft a proposal to bring professionally taught ASL
to Hampshire. Laura searched for a teacher and helped with much of the
behind-the-scenes work. After a semester of hard work on the class and many
meetings, Hampshire committed to offering ASL! Spring of 2005 was the first ASL
class, added to the list at the last minute but still filled. This fall, so many
students expressed interest in ASL classes that a second section needed to be
opened up. Debbie Rotkowitz (F’02) and I were T.A.s for these classes. Now,
this spring, ASL 2 will be offered.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I just wanted to say that I am so excited that Hampshire has
this to offer. Possibly some students will continue to be involved with ASL and
the Deaf community. If nothing else, students are able to explore an
interesting topic and will be more aware of a different culture. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Thank you so much to everyone involved with this process. I
especially want to thank Ruth Moore (professor of ASL at Hampshire) for being
such an AMAZING professor and for really inspiring many people. Without an
effective teacher, the classes could not be a success. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Finally, if there are any students who decide they want to
pursue Deaf Studies and have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to
contact me. I will use the below email for at least a couple more years. As
someone who made Deaf Studies as part of my concentration before there were ASL
classes, I have many suggestions for how you can make it work as well as
resources in the area. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Have a wonderful break!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Kaitlyn Millen, F’02<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>kmillen@hampshire(dot)edu (this is to prevent spam
since it’s a public list)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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