[nabs-l] being scholastically social?

Tue Mar 23 00:30:14 UTC 2010

actually I'm the same way I get allong better if I'm talking professioonally to someone rather then just a 1 on 1 conversation. those who have talked to me already can attest, escept when I'm drunk. lol.
On Mar 22, 2010, at 6:23 AM, Mark J. Cadigan wrote:

> I am currently in high school. I don't do much in terms of clubs or other school activities in school. I briefly joined the stage crew for a play, but I was kind of in the way. No one talked to me, about anything other than professional questions about things of a technical nature. I did my job well, but I clearly did not fit in. people were afraid that if they talked to me they would offend me or something like that.
> 
> Because I don't do many activities in school, I am involved in the boy scouts, life teen, and the NFB. Even at places such as boy scouts and life teen, most of the conversations I have are professional or technical in nature. I really don't have many sighted friends. I don't know if this is blindness related, or what.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Principato" <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 8:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] being scholastically social?
> 
> 
>> In middle school, I would jump at the opportunity to get involved in as much
>> as my parents would allow. I did Student Government, Jazz Band, and a Youth
>> Leadership organization that focused on competitive debate and public
>> speaking (think like a junior Toastmasters International). I couldn't wait
>> for high school when I'd have even more interesting groups and activities to
>> choose from.
>> 
>> When I got to high school, I encountered a lot of...problems...with the
>> school's Vision department (which is sad since I only went to this high
>> school because we were told it offered the most for visually impaired
>> students). I could go on all day with the details here, but I'll spare you
>> that. One of these issues was the fact that blind students at this school
>> tended to be very...disconnected from the rest of the student body, avoiding
>> activities and student events. I learned shortly after joining Model UN and
>> Psychology Club, attending the first Freshman dance, and planning to go to a
>> pep rally that the Vision department wasn't happy with the fact t I joined
>> and attended these clubs without telling them first, and that if I was going
>> to keep attending, they'd need my mother to write up a permission note (no
>> other student needed to do this) and they would have to first find a teacher
>> to stay late in the day and basically babysit me while I attend these
>> activities. Oh, and I wasn't allowed to go to that pep rally unless I sat
>> with my TVI and the other teachers, not in the Freshman stands with my
>> class. My mother and I told them that all of this was unnecessary, and we
>> complained to the principal, but between this and a number of other issues,
>> we just ended up taking matters into our own hands.
>> 
>> We registered as a home schooling family, and joined a home school support
>> group with about 70 or so other families in the county. I took advantage of
>> my new freedom and got involved in a ton of extracurricular activities in my
>> community, even sports (something that never would have flown at that
>> school). Now that I'm in college, I try to get involved on campus and in the
>> city when ever I can. I joined the university's fencing club, a volunteer
>> organization, and I'm currently applying to Psi Chi. I also try to get the
>> most out of campus cultural events like plays or concerts, and make use of
>> campus facilities like the gym. THe only issue I've been having is that
>> transportation in my city. The only bus that comes near by house recently
>> changed its schedule and now stops running early in the evening. The only
>> way to really go out in the evening for any sort of event or get home from a
>> club meeting is to take a cab or ride with a friend, but you need to get out
>> a bit first to make those sighted friends. I find that if money is tight one
>> month, it's pretty unlikely that I'll be doing much outside of attending
>> class, including attending free activities or events. I guess that's just
>> one price of living off campus though.
>> 
>> On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Darian Smith <dsmithnfb at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> 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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