[nabs-l] being scholastically social?

[Serena]

When I was in college, I joined several clubs, including a couple of 
mentoring programs for disadvantaged youth and a club for people with 
disabilities.  Although the club didn't necessarily promote the NFB 
philosophy exactly, it wasn't against the NFB, either.  I finally joined it 
for comrodory more than anything else, after an ignorant sighted so-called 
friend badmouthed a fellow blind student to me about his lack of blindness 
skills.  Although some of her points were valid, I always tried to keep my 
opinion about the blind student's lack of skills to myself and thaught it 
was inappropriate for her to talk about him to me.

Serena


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Briley Pollard" <brileyp at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] being scholastically social?


>I don't think anyone is saying that clubs are the only way to get involved 
>on campus, but they can be a good starting point for many people.
>
> Briley
> On Mar 21, 2010, at 5:27 PM, Jedi wrote:
>
>> Frankly, my time is taken up with school, homework, and the nFB. I did 
>> join the school's step team. Step is a type of dance much like stomp 
>> minus any instruments. I found the club difficult for a few reasons. 
>> First, the uniform necessary for the club was expensive and I didn't have 
>> the money; the other dancers on the team (most notably the Captain) 
>> didn't understand this and thought that my unwillingness to buy the 
>> uniform was a personal choice rather than a choice inspired by the 
>> reality of my situation. Next, the dancers tended to use a visual form of 
>> communication that I was not privy to, and no one really tried to let me 
>> in even when I asked for as much information as I could get. To add to 
>> that, the Captain said that blindness was not an issue and refused my 
>> talking with the team explicitly about blindness. Then, the issue came up 
>> later on in the middle of dance practice where fellow team members wanted 
>> to know how much I could see putting me in a very uncomfortable position.
> It was also clear that as an individual person (blindness aside), I was 
> just not someone who fit into the general atmosphere. to be honest, I've 
> made occasional inquiries at other clubs on campus such as the free 
> thinkers society (mostly a group of atheists who spend their time 
> criticizing theists without understanding that their view is no more 
> valid) and the disability rights club (a pan-disability movement with its 
> own agenda that isn't in keeping with my values as a blind person and a 
> member of the NFB). I just figured that campus clubs weren't the best 
> route for me.
>>
>> That doesn't mean that I stopped socializing though, and I don't think 
>> that clubs have to be the only way to socialize for blind students just 
>> to be normal. I joined off-campus associations such as the local 
>> Democrats. I also started weightlifting at an all-women's gym. both of 
>> these involvements are less formal than a campus club. The Dems are 
>> formal, but I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. My real avenue 
>> for socializing at school is simply to engage in interpersonal 
>> relationships as I discover them. My blindness as an identity has 
>> informed these relationships somewhat because I don't make it a habbit of 
>> befriending those who spend their time with me asking question after 
>> question about blindness. I instead choose friends who just get it or at 
>> least get it enough to know that blindness should not be the central 
>> focus of their interest in me. If they have questions, then they ask, but 
>> not in that "bombs away" style that so many people favor.
>>
>> Respectfully,
>> Jedi
>>
>>
>> Original message:
>>> Hi list,
>>
>>> I'm curious to  here what  people's thoughts are about  becoming
>>> involved in  clubs and campus  activities in school (high school or
>>> college). do you  jump at the oppertunity to meet new people? do you
>>> feel nervous about it. have you met some of your  best friends at a
>>> ralley,  social club, campus society? how did your  self- identity as
>>> a blind person factor into  your interactions with people? how did
>>> people interact with you?
>>>  Thoughts?
>>>  Best,
>>>  Darian
>>> --
>>> Darian Smith
>>> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
>>> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
>>> The National Federation of the Blind has launched a nationwide teacher
>>> recruitment campaign to help attract energetic and passionate
>>> individuals into the field of blindness education, and we need your
>>> help!   To Get Involved  go to:
>>> www.TeachBlindStudents.org
>>
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