By Wednesday most of us could barely move. But we knew we had to. We arrived at breakfast earlier that day and consequently had a little time to spare.
When we got to Slam News, we had no time for catching up, a fact that overwhelmed me at first. The first hour was our round table meeting, which we have every day. The next two hours my team and Ronza discussed the upcoming press conference and the questions we needed to prepare. The reason it took about two hours is that we kept meandering away from the main subject to relevant but not really necessary topics for this press conference.
The last thirty minutes of the morning were dedicated to coming up with questions. It was difficult, and most of us got nervous when we were told we would have to stand where the press was and act exactly like them. The prospect seemed fun yet slightly daunting.
The minute class was over, we were all to report to our dorms and stand in front of them while we loaded the buses by track to go to the National center. We got there late and almost missed the whole press conference. Luckily, we made it just in time for fellow blogger and Baltimore native Denzel Ferges to give his speech. He sounded a bit nervous and regretful about the situation in the Baltimore City schools, but determined and hopeful that things would change soon. And, if we have anything to do with it, they will.
Our team did, however, manage to get an interview with Chris Danielson, the NFB’s director of public relations. That was a learning experience, and I hope that our being there influences the Baltimore City Public Schools in favor of educating properly trained blind students.
Because of our quick interview, we missed the mass passing out of sack lunches. By the time we finally got our lunches, it was time to go to our short course sessions. The Slam News track had the History of Technology, a thrilling story of technology through the ages. After that we toured the International Braille and Technology Center, (IBTC). That place amazes me every time I see it.
The next thing on our schedule was the exhibit hall, where we got to look around at all the different tables. I still have my Louis Braille commemorative coin pin that they were handing out. My favorite table, though, was the Astronomy one, where there was a tactile sun dial and two tents, representing the fall and summer skies with tactile constellations.
Dinner was a fancier affair than we have been used to. When we sat down, the tables were set with table cloths, real silverware, plates of food, fresh cookies, and glasses of water. Rolls and butter were at every table. It felt just like the banquet at Convention, only instead of a speech, we got an excellent talent show.
Two of Georgia’s best performed that night: Wilkens Eugene on the saxophone and Garrick Scott on laughter. It was very entertaining.
The only thing we did when we got back that night was sleep. I think we all needed it.
Archive for the ‘Slam News’ Category
Working Wednesday
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:56 AM By greciaChange We Can Believe In: Braille Coins
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:53 AM By TamasLast night I had the opportunity to see several exhibits at the exhibit hall in the National center for the Blind. I tried to examine at least 70% of the exhibits, many of which showcased very interesting products.
One exhibit that stood out was the Louis Braille 2009 Bicentennial Silver Dollar, which was released March 26 in honor of Louis Braille’s 200th birthday. I was present last year during the March for Independence at the convention, where the prototype of the coin was unveiled. However, we did not get the opportunity to touch the coin there.
This exhibit showed the coin several ways– a plaque had both the front and back of the proof and uncirculated versions of the coin mounted on it. Actually, the lady staffing this exhibit told me that the plaque resides in NFB President Maurer’s office. He lent it to the exhibit hall for the afternoon.
The spacing of the letters BRL (which are stamped on the coin) was very interesting. I noticed a small space between the letters b and r; otherwise, the coin looked very well constructed.
There was also a mural behind the coin exhibit. Each time 10000 coins are sold, an additional piece of the mural is added. This, in a sense, creates a jigsaw-puzzle-type painting. As of today, almost 180,000 coins have been sold, and the incomplete drawing shows a rocket ship and a man with his cane. The drawing appears to be very tactile–you can feel the cane and the ship.
For me, the coin exhibit stands out over all the other exhibits. I think it was great finally to find out how the coin feels and through that appreciate the work Louis Braille did for the blind community and beyond.
Making News While Covering News
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:48 AM By OlaedoYesterday the news crew participated in something that was amazing and overwhelming at the same time. We went to the Jernigan Institute and experienced something that we would never forget. Let me start from the beginning.
After we had a sack lunch we listened to the speaker and also took part in a press conference about the poor state of Braille education in Baltimore City schools. Kayla, Grecia, and I asked some questions and worked our way through the interview. Little did we realize that our event would later be broadcast on TV.
When our press conference was finished, we took a tour of the Institute and saw a massive amount of technology that blind people use to be productive at work and home. We also went to the Exhibition Hall and took a look at all the booths and the exhibitions, which were all very fascinating to look at. Some of us even went to the Independence Marketplace and saw what NFB stocks for any blind person to use to be more productive and effective.
We then had an excellent dinner of pasta, chicken, string beans, and cookies, with coffee, tea, and water available for us to drink, and popcorn for us to munch on during the talent show. Speaking of the talent show, it was magnificent. From singing and the piano, to jokes and the saxophone, it was sort of like Showtime at the Apollo or America’s Got Talent, which was very good indeed. Then when all the excitement ended, we returned to the buses to head back to the University of Maryland. Amazing to see what the blind have accomplished by working together. Overall, it was a very exciting experience and something that I’ll remember for a very long time.
My First Press Conference
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:46 AM By OlaedoYesterday, while we were at the NFB’s Jernigan Institute , my mentor Harriet and three of the members of the News Slam (Kayla, Grecia, and I) took part in a press conference and discussed some key blindness issues. The press conference focused on a formal complaint the NFB filed against the Baltimore City schools because of their lack of training blind students in the use of Braille. The lack of Braille, of course, also causes a decrease in graduation rates for those who are blind. And when students are looking for a job, they tend to be held back and/or rejected because they were not able to compete with language-based activities without the key tools blind people use every day
We discussed how the School Board and other organizations can solve this problem and how they can make things better for all blind students. It was the first time I ever took part in a press conference, let alone one that was going to be broadcast on TV and radio. We managed to make it through the press conference, even though it was a little nerve-wracking for a newbie.
In the question-and-answer that followed, we discussed what was holding the schools back from achieving the goals for all blind students in Maryland and possibly in other states. We also learned the percentage of students who are blind or visually impaired and the percentages of students who have graduated or not graduated yet. I never realized that it was so difficult for blind students to get the accommodations they needed in order to do well in school and in life. Overall, the press conference was both thrilling and a little intimidating, but we managed to get through it. There is so much to learn about the needs of blind students and how we can help give them the tools they will need to succeed in life.
The First Day of the Tornado That Is the NFB Youth Slam
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:29 AM By greciaThe first day of Youth Slam was so great and exhausting!!! Breakfast was bright and early, starting at 6:00. My team was there at about 7:30. We would later discover that it was better to end up there earlier rather than later so we would have time to eat. That’s because slight mishaps do tend to happen.
That first day we had a lovely breakfast of potatoes, bacon, eggs, and other things my poor brain can’t remember.
After that, we all went to a welcoming short session. It featured some great speeches by people that had done some wonderful things as blind scientists, and the Dean of education for the University of Maryland. It was all fantastic, except for the fact that I was cold. But then I’m always cold, in case anyone ever wondered why I always wear a jacket, even in 90-degree weather.
The next order of business was finding and meeting with our Slam News track. Our track is awesome! When we got there, the different parts of what makes the Slam News tick were explained to us: the bloggers like myself, Kayla, Olado, Denzel, Tarik and Tomi; the podcasters like Dawlyn, Derrick, Scott, Jennifer, and Ja’Nesha; the journalists like Jordan and Gabe’ and the video people like Amber, Missy and Amber. Afterword we divided into our separate groups and were given our assignments.
For bloggers, the first assignment was writing down 25 things about ourselves, which are now posted. For the rest of the time with our track, what we created would appear some way or other, no matter which of the news crew did it. Even our tweets on Twitter would appear.
At around noonwe broke for lunch. That was a fun meal involving new faces and resulting in some honorary members invited to become friends with the Georgia students. We’re always looking for new friends. After lunch, it was back to work, finishing up our writing, audio, or video.
At around 6:00 , we broke for dinner, after which we had a dance. It was supposed to be a barbecue, but it rained so it was moved indoors instead. Our news crew wrote and posted a piece about the dance, keeping us alert and working whenever a slam activity merited it.
By the end of the evening we all had fun on the dance floor,
And by the time the dance ended, we were all exhausted and ready for bed. What a tornado of activity we had that first day, and a whole week still awaits us.
Getting to Know More About Barbara Pierce
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:26 AM By KaylaMembers of the National Federation of the Blind know Barbara Pierce as the editor of the Braille Monitor. I had the opportunity to interview her while on a bus ride to the Jernigan Institute. As we bounced over bumps, and talked in rather loud voices to hear one another over the clammer, she told me the story of how she survived in college with just a tape player, a cane that reached only to her waste, and a slate and stylus!
Barbara has had retinitis Pigmentosa since age two. She attended a regular public school, and read print. It wasn’t until the summer of her seventh grade year that she learned Braille. However, the only book that she had available to her was a high school physics book. “It definitely was not an ideal situation for someone who had just learned to read Braille. When people are first learning to read they really need something that captures their interests,” she said.
Despite having limited access to Braille she was able to keep up her skills. While in college she changed majors several times and finally decided to pursue English, although she had disliked it in school. Through her college career she had only that Braille which she wrote for her own personal use’ mostly notes for classes. “In college I had the best notes of anyone in the class. I would take notes with my slate and then record them so that they would be coherent.
After graduating from college she married and pursued a career in English. She heard about the NFB while reading a magazine which ironically had been printing some disparaging things about the Federation. . It wasn’t until several years later when someone gave her a voluminous pile of recordings done by the NFB that she became engrossed in the work of the federation. “It was like finding a family that I didn’t know existed!” Barbara remembers. She attended her first convention in 1975 and hasn’t missed one since!
It was a great pleasure meeting Barbara and I hope as the week progresses that I can get to know her better!
My Mentor’s Story: Harriet on the Go
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 08:05 AM By OlaedoHarriet Go originates from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She realized that she was blind from a very young age, but she didn’t know how her blindness would affect her in the future. She went to a school for the blind and she was taught Braille, mobility, alternative activities, and everything and anything that blind students needed in life; it was like a regular school. When it came to adjusting to the environment outside of school, other people made her life difficult
Harriet’s family has always been very supportive. But when it came to her peers, she went through a difficult time. She had to deal with other people and their stereotypes and she had to prove to them all that blind people can do things as well as sighted people. She was sometimes on the outside socially. But as she got older, she got stronger and bolder, and had a stronger belief in herself, especially when the NFB came into her life. .
When Harriet first heard about the NFB Youth Slam, she was at an NFB convention in Dallas. This is her first year as a mentor. She is enjoying it very much. Harriet has enjoyed the entire week, but what she really is excited about the most is the rally at the Lincoln Memorial and the March for Independence in Washington D.C. Overall, as a blind person, she is growing stronger every day and every year. She has taught me a great deal, both as a mentor and a friend.
Aloha From Karl Pangilinan.
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:40 AM By DenzelHey everyone, its me with another interesting interview. I had the opportunity to interview my mentor, Karl. He is from Honolulu, Hawaii, which is on one of the islands that make up the state. Karl’s hobbies include Playing the guitar, walking ( which I also do.), hanging out at the beach, and cooking. Karl came to The Youth Slam because he wanted to do at least one good deed for society. He says that being apart of this year’s Youth Slam has been a learning experience for him because he has learned not to live in fear and because his mentees are cool. Karl is having fun laughing with mentees and now realizes that he can relate to other blind people just as I can relate to him.
Growing up was a hard road for Karl. He was born blind, and his parents sheltered him. They felt that he was in the way and helpless, but they also wanted him to be perfect. Karl felt bad and was driven to rebel against everyone. He spoke about his high school life which brought a tear to my eye. Karl was picked on by his sister’s boyfriend and was later abandon by his sister. He also had bad grades because he had no accessible equipment for blind students. Karl says the only things he did well in school were dancing and wrestling, but he had to fight to join the team because he had to prove that a blind guy could wrestle. After high school he left home because he recognized that he had to grow up since his parents weren’t going to be around forever.
So Karl went to a training center in California, where he got the proper training to be a successful blind adult. He says it was scary, but fear drove him to learn quickly. After his training he attempted to attend college to study electronic music. He has one trustworthy friend who also wants him to be successful and live life.
Karl plans to find a job teaching computers. He wants us blind teens to keep our heads up. So, Karl, thank you. I want you to know that you are the best. Thanks for being my mentor. I love you and everyone else here.
Until next time.
An Overview of the Braille Note
Friday, July 31st, 2009, 07:07 AM By greciaThere are many note takers for blind people to choose from. My personal favorite is the BrailleNote, made and produced by HumanWare. Readers are probably wondering why I am beginning this blog entry with this comment. The reason is this: yesterday the youth slam toured the International Braille and Technology Center, (IBTC) at the National Center for the Blind.
We examined all sorts of notetakers, electrical appliances, and even phones and mp3 players–all accessible to the blind. I am here to highlight one of those amazing pieces of equipment, HumanWare’s Braille note.
Available with a Braille or full computer keyboard and with a Braille display built-in, the BrailleNote is a great introduction to notetakers. If you are just beginning to use notetakers and possibly learning Braille, the BrailleNote is simple to learn and easy to remember. If anyone ever gets lost or confused in any of the BrailleNote’s menus, the help feature is always available. If that fails, the BrailleNote is organized in menus, and the main one is the easiest to find and get to. One of the best things about the BrailleNote is that, if anyone has a question about how anything works, the user guide and manual is included in the BrailleNote, and a simple command gets you there. We all now know that BrailleNotes are very simple, easy to manage, and fun to work with.
Meet the Instructors: Barbara Pierce
Thursday, July 30th, 2009, 10:25 PM By TamasBarbara Pierce was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She moved to the outside of Pittsburgh area as a child. Her least favorite school subject was English, and writing was never her forte. She never imagined that she would make writing her career or that she would enjoy it so much.
As a result of her early dislike of writing, it was difficult for her to decide on a major at Oberlin College. At first, Barbara began working towards psychology, but she later switched to studying biology. Finally, in college, she began to see English as “not just about writing.” Ironically, she dated and eventually married a professor from the English department.
Barbara had substantial usable vision during childhood but lost it with time. Growing up, her family encouraged her to view herself as a regular sighted person. College however made her realize that she was blind and had many challenges.
She was not aware of any National Federation of the Blind programs until her children were born. A county-recruit person helped convince her of the organization’s benefits and to give it a try. By October of 1974, Barbara Pierce had founded a new NFB chapter.
Barbara first heard of the 2007 Youth slam during the planning phase. As the long-time editor of the Braille Monitor, her goal was to report on the program.
In 2009, she was called and given the opportunity to work during youth slam as an instructor.
After graciously accepting this offer, Barbara Pierce began working with students from the News crew. Her main objective is to help them create articles for the Braille monitor, providing editing tips and constructive feedback on their writing in the process.
Visit
This link
and stay tuned to the monitor in the next months for more in depth updates about Youth slam!