[nabs-l] being scholastically social?

Mon Mar 22 23:32:57 UTC 2010

I never really socialized in high school, except in marching band.  I
never went to prom, sadly.  But homecoming was sad because I never got
a date.  Because of behavioral issues that people noticed, I had to
have an adult chaperone with me at project graduation.  It made the
experience less fun, and I didn't get to socialize all the time with
friends.  In college, I found myself again and joined a couple of
clubs, but I don't get out because of transportation like what Jamie
was talking about.  Buses run on certain times and they're not always
around, even on campus.
Beth

On 3/22/10, Serena <serenacucco at verizon.net> wrote:
> 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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