Saturday, October 13, 2007
MSSD 7: Dangers of Dorm Environment
To those who lived in residential school dorms, the MSSD 7 controversy is a familiar story. The familiar story being the downside of dorm living. How structure and environment of a dorm setting lend itself to this kind of occurrences. Read more about this where a mother posted on behalf of her son who was one of the MSSD 7.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
21 comments:
Good vlog. Agreed that a lax dorm structure allow kids with too free time that can lead to creative consequences. I wasn't there, can't really say what happened, but I like that mandatory structured schedule - keep kids busy and productive. My impression is that this incident is horseplay gone astray. Teens will involve symbols of public malice and prejudice - they are still in the process of learning what's right or wrong. Expelling them is not the answer due to social hysteria. School and staff should be held accountable since they should know fully well how a child's cognitive development stages need consistent monitoring and reinforcement. An unfortunate event.
MikeS
I didn't know your Yorkie is gay. Smile .. Typical Deaf or hearing do something stupid just because they are bored.
Hi Cy,
just wondered... is it the same as at home where older kids are learning their responsiblities? I mean, if structure involved, would it be given older kids some responsibilities as if they were at home??
Thanks, deafk
Mike aka drmzz,
Horseplay is a good word to describe what probably happened with those MSSD 7.
Right on - media exposure to Jena 6 led to this hysteria and overreaction at MSSD. Expelling the students do not match the crime. The black kid himself said he was not kidnapped - just a pretend play as one. Just a good lesson on history of KKK will suffice to educate those kids on why they shouldn't never participate in any activity that prejudices against a group of race. I think that would have sufficed.
I think the residential staff at MSSD should be held responsible for not properly supervising - failing to do their jobs - therefore consequences should have been given to them rather than those MSSD 7.
DeafK
Yes, when I was a houseparent at my alma mater, they changed the dorm structure where I had to submit weekly activity plans to my dean. List included chores and homework, and life experience activities - something they would learn at home with their families. Chores taught them responsiblity and duties. The kids took turns. Middle and high school kids did their own laundry.
Squ65
Ahem...Gay has another meaning...an old fashioned word for "happy." When she was a puppy, she was a hyper little dog, chipper, affectionate, thus "Gay." She came to us before the word gay became a slang for homosexual. During my younger days, gays were called homos. I get ragged for naming her Gay all the time. My next door neighbor was in her 90s and totally from another generation, and she always called her "Gaye." She wouldn't call her Gay. LOL.
This kind of stuff happens anywhere, not just in dorms or deaf schools but during recess at public hearing schools. My son's school was an example.
There was a bully in the 4th grade class one year who really got onto the other children's nerves. One day, one of the other boys decided to start gathering the group of kids that the bully tended to pick on and form a club together to get revenge on the bully. A group of 6th 4th grade boys who were formerly victims got together and formed what they called "The Kill (the bully's name) Club." They began to torment the bully, smashing his sandwich in his lunch box, throwing bugs and sand at him, anything they could do to turn the tables and seek revenge.
Naturally, the bully's parents were very upset and made an issue about it at school. Thus, the 6 boys and the bully were all suspended. These were 4th grade boys and this was just during recess time over a couple of months.
So it happens anywhere. What we need to do is to provide structured and supervised activities for these kids, deaf and hearing, and to provide them with prevention information. Everything from bully and violence prevention to drug and alcohol prevention to pregnancy prevention so that they can make healthy, wise and responsible decisions about what they do with their time.
Great vlog. Nice to see you again.
~ LaRonda
lol I already knew that ... smile. Of course it is another meaning. I am being silly today - a cute pup thou! I am a serious dog lover.
LaRonda
What you said is quite true - happens anywhere.
Bullying happens in most schools.
However, the MSSD 7 is not a bullying issue but a group of kids whose pastime went haywire and went too far. The "hostage" did not testify to being bullied but was a full participant of the war game.
What I seem to see is concidence between the Jena 6 and media exposure to it led to the MSSD administration getting all upset about it due to recent media limelight upon Jena 6 - they probably connected the war game the kids played to Jena 6 because in Jena 6, a noose was hung from a branch of a tree which was a message to the black student population. They (MSSD adminstration) might have interpreted the KKK on the head as an analogy to the noose. An overreaction in my opinion. Like Mike said, we don't know the full story and can only speculate.
Bullying to me is not an occurence where innocent play led to unintended malice or unexpected malice - it reminds me of "Lord of the Flies." Shipwrecked kids gone haywire and led to a boy's death. Kind of a group mentality. Happens often in the dorms.
Bullying is one kid picking on others while this is about a group of kids who are friends who set out to play or participate in something which unexpected or unintentionally led to tragic and/or serious consequences. The victim is often not a person they dislike but just happened to become one.
It is kind of hard to explain unless you've lived in a dorm.
However, you're right in the sense that a group of kids can make poor judgments and do the wrong things anywhere and not just in the dorms.
Squ65
LOL. I know you were just kidding. Yeah, Gay is 15 now and quite an old lady. I cherish each day I get to have her in my life - she doesn't have much time left.
One more thing ... also I blame on negative (news) Media ... it is getting out of proportion in a big time. Sad. Kids are Kids. They don't fully understand what's out there. As a young 5th grader girl, I angrily swiped with an old fashioned rope at the kid's face. (I was trying to practice the jump rope but he got into my way) Hit below of his eye! It was badly burned. If it hits right into his eye - FINISHED! I was ordered by the principal I must apologize the kid. I look back ugh I feel bad for him thou. If it's happened today, I would've been in the Juvie detention or expelled from school for good. Compare today and back in 70's, The negative media have gotten worsen and changed dramatically over the years.
Comparsion of Deaf and Hearing kids --
In my opinion, Deaf have lagged behind in the hearing world because they have missed out alot -such as listening to the radio, TV, family convo, and many more .... everyday since they were born. Don't forget there is a 90 percent Deaf of Hearing parents. MSSD Dorm counselors are responsible to educate kids.
Squ65
I heartily agree. It seems school overreacts to every little thing.
During lunch recess, my son Wes was playing football with his buddies and tackled one of them...broke his collarbone. He fell wrong and hit the ground on front of his shoulder.
My son got in-house suspension for that - 2 days. The boy with broken collarbone and his parents told the principal it was an innocent football play and the incident with the broken collarbone was just an accident - my son did not deserve in-house suspension but the principal insisted. So he served ISS.
In the old days, fighting was handled by prying apart kids and sending each to see principal or counselor to resolve problems. These days - they don't do that anymore.
With Garth, the principal simply felt intimidated by my older son's size - at 13 he was 6 foot and weighed over 200 and was arguing with a small kid and decided to give him ISS. Because of his size, she decided he was bullying the other kid. Actually both were in a shouting and shoving match - size had nothing to do with it. In fact the smaller kid was humiliated that the principal wanted to "protect" him.
Really, it was not necessary. They were just two kids squabbling over nothing. Important thing is get to the root of the conflict and decide from there what consequence fits the offense rather than just giving them ISS, suspension or explusion simply becuase they engaged in a physical confrontation.
My guess is liability issues - the schools react feverishly due to liability issues due to past incidents that led to tragic consequences. However, generally, schools have to expect squabbles and roll with the punches and deal with it accordingly instead of knee-jerk reaction.
HELLO,
IT DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED AT MSSD. AFTER CAREFULLY READING COMMENTS I DON'T THINK THIS INCIDENT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BUILDING ENVIRONMENT LET ALONE PERFORMING SUCH HATE HORSEPLAY. I GREW UP IN RESIDENTAIL DORM AS WELL AS WORKING AS A COUNSELOR. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT HORSE PLAYING ARE PERFORMED AT ALL TIME IN ANY RESIDENTAIL DORM JUST TO HAVE SOME FUN BUT NOT IN WAY TO TERROIZED LEADING UP TO HURT HUMAN BEING, LEAVING THE VICTIM WITH A SEVERE TRAUMATICE EXPERINCE. WHAT HAPPENED AT MSSD HAPPNEED TO BE BASED ON HATE CRIME.THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SUCH BEHAVIOR. THERFORE THOSE MSSD7 HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MESS THEY CREATED.
I AM WONDERING WHAT ACTIONS OR COMMENT WOULD BE MADE IF DONE...REVERSE
Hi Cy,
I see what you mean. I am much older now than during my idiot MSSD days and I better appreciate the staff and administrators' perspective as well as parents'.
Let me slightly disagree, though. Each incident of injury can result in higher insurance rates because when MSSD bids for insurance coverage, they are required to list all past injuries and payout amounts so the insurance companies can make a realistic judgement on how much it will cost MSSD for future coverage.
I highly encourage you to look at MSSD's 2005 RFP bid for insurance coverage:
http://af.gallaudet.edu/AI.RFP05.doc
I read through it. Very interesting information about type of injuries, date, activity, and amounts paid out.
If MSSD, through their policies, allows injuries to knowingly occur, then they could be stuck with higher rates. Costs that could be passed on.
I feel for your son, truly. Sometimes life is not fair. I remember in the 7th grade, I worked really hard on taking a science test. I was thrilled when I got 85% (grade of B). But then my science teacher accused me of letting my friend (who sat next to me) cheat. Not true at all! I was so focused on my test so I have no idea if someone looked over my shoulder or not. I also did not "make it easy". I was just taking a test normally.
But his decision stood: I got halved scores, so I got 42% instead. F. Failed big time. Was that fair? No. I did not have a way to protest this because I could not prove my side of the story. Kind of like your son. I had to swallow that F and move on with my life. Yes, it still annoys me a teeny tiny bit but I've moved on long ago. I still think well of my teacher for all the other good things he taught and did, even if he made a mistake that one time.
Ultimately, it will just fade from memory and your son may learn how to deal with even unfair situations. Because that will definitely pop up again as an adult, such as at an office when one has not successfully navigated the office politics well enough.
MSSD also had to... whether rightly or wrongly, communicate a message where they wouldn't tolerate activity leading to injury. Otherwise, kids would be going 'oh, no consequences' and doing it more often. Sometimes that snares an innocent victim -- trust me, I know how that feels. But most of the time, it helps. Because children spend much of their formative years learning by trial and error the difference between 'good risk activity' and 'bad risk activity'.
I guess I would say that despite my youthful idiocy during my MSSD years, they still ended up doing OK to shape me up as a contributing citizen to the public. If you trust them to do that, leave your son there. If you don't, renegotiate with them on certain parameters or pull your son out. You can discuss/debate an issue with an appropriate administrator or do what my parents did -- insisted certain issues be put in my annual IEP so that the school would have to honor it. That's your ultimate choice (and power) as a parent. I totally respect that.
I cannot second guess that because you know your child the best, so I won't try to guess a different direction. I trust you and I also trust MSSD (for the most part) to make appropriate judgement calls. Sometimes MSSD makes mistakes -- just like any parent who's human. But I know they try hard to provide a reasonable 'in loco parentis' environment for kids they're responsible for.
P.S. I agree the 'MSSD 7' situation was a bad situation that occurred where the kids didn't realize the full implications. Seems relatively harmless now after the fuller story came out, but I understand why the administrators acted the way they did. Full damage control or they would have had the press and possibly Congress demanding to know how things got so out of control. The administrators basically bought time to let things cool down and blow over a bit while deflecting negative attention away. I feel bad for the parents and kids involved, though. It's a lot of stress to deal with.
Anonymous,
Yes, all schools have liability insurances for incidents but not for something like breakikng bones, etc. That's why my school has parents sign waivers - write down medical insurance information and/or buy insurancee policy offered subcontractually through an agency.
Injury? I didn't think anyone was injured. The "kidnapped hostage" was only tied up. I don't think he was injured. A mother posted about this on Mishka Zena's blog which I put a link on mine. There does not appear to be any injury - just a kid tied up and abandoned for lengthy period of time before he was found. He was traumatized by that.
So you don't see it as a horseplay gone awry - that there was an intended malice?
BB
I don't know if it was actually a hate crime. They all were friends and the black kid was part of the group. He played a kidnapped hostage...but it does seem to get racism thrown in during the play which was why I think unintended malice lent itself to the war game and they ended up tying him up, spraying KKK on his head and abandoned him.
That part was indeed unacceptable and plain wrong - not the tying up...it was voluntary but KKK? Abandoning him? No. Yes, they have to be held accountable for that. However, I think the larger portion of accountability lie with the houseparents - where the hell were they during all this? How come it took them so long to realize the tied up kid was missing and they went out to look for him? He was left outside for several hours. As a former houseparents, head count is an essential part of the job, so this concerns me that houseparents failed to notice his absence for a long period of time. Thus why I wrote this topic of dorm enironment.
Before I am about ready to leave my home, I want to thank you so much for your GREAT VLOG! Wow, thanks so much for explaining about dorm structure! Expelling the students are NOT GOOD idea! You look great and glad that you are back on this vlog. Long time no seeing you! Welcome BAAAACCCCK!
Bye gotta go now! Have a very good day! Shawn
Hi Cy,
Your VLOG is well said for this issue. Sad it happened at MSSD. However, it does happen at other schools.
Anonymous, are you sure the MSSD's 2005 RFP bid for insurance coverage's address is correct? I could not open this.
Rest of you, good comments.
Cheers,
Katrina
P.S. Cy, we were roomies at Carlin Hall. You look great. You are the same CY I knew while we were roomies except that you are now a mother! :) Best wishes on your getting teacher certificate.
Hi Katrina!
Long time no hear or see you!
Yep, I am a mom. LOL.
If I remember right, you were a MSSD student yourself? Your comment to the anonymous commentor about the insurance policy led me to think you might still be connected to MSSD?
Yes, it does happen to other schools which was the whole point of my vlog. MSSD received the brunt of the exposure in part, I believe, to the Jena 6's media frenzy which was concidentially similiar to what happened at MSSD. Many residential schools have these occurences as well and MSSD is not unique in that.
Anyway, good to hear from you!
Good to see you again! ;)
I agree with you, drmzz and LaRonda. I don't have anything to add.
Thumbs up, Deaf Tea! Keep vlogging!
Wow, i got interested in your videos. Then one HIT me! MSSD DORM enviroment. 1st of all I AM FROM MSSD> I am an MSSD student. I am currently a senior there. I understand your view of point. The dorm staff do need to keep us busy. But i do disagree, they should NOT take our privilege away to be able to go off campus from 3-10pm. that is the senior's curfew on weekends. 8pm is for school nights but we can only go off campus tues and thurs from 3 05- 8pm. on weekend its from 10 or 12. i cant remember to 10pm for jr and seniors.
I dont think they should make us stay in dorm. that would make me feel like im in a jail. Yes it does give us a lot of free time to do bad. But honestly im a student that makes good decisions. I've been raised with good parents in my opinion. I am not racist... whatever.. And i dont want to do bad stuff. i like to have fun.
I do know those 7 boys. One boy that was involved in it is innocent. he got kicked out but the school lied to his parents. And his parents support him and he might be allowed to come back. he just had a meeting with the school recently Friday.
It did start with an game. It didnt intend to lead to this racism situation. There are differ rumors going on but i believe they started out with a game called war. And started with a water fight... For fun. Then somehow a boy drew the hands (kidnapped)
Yes it was wrong, but please tell me ur opinion more about what u think seniors should be able to go off campus. I think its a good privilege we have. I couldnt imagine the dorm staffs taking that privilege from us because of 7 stupid boys that ruined it for us. Our bed time on weekend changed from 1am to midnight because of them. i think its stupid. It isnt our fault. what do u think...?
i think im older. i shouldnt be stuck in dorms like the fresh and sophs. I am a senior, almost going into college. I plan on going to Gallaudet. I think they should treat us like young adults NOT kids... I mean we learn from our mistakes.. we are almost adults we need to make the mistakes right now rather than in college or later in life.
Deaf Samantha Lee~
Samantha Lee,
I am so glad you posted - a current MSSD student.
Yes, I know there are students who use good judgment and can handle the free time from 3 to 8 on weekends and til 10-12 on weekends. However, for some, that does seem too long for unstructured free time for a child, mature or not.
Most residential schools all over the country don't give that much free time even to their seniors because it is a liability to give that much free time. MSSD houseparents have huge burden of making sure everyone returns because by signing out, it means the student is off campus where the houseparents don't know where the students might be. As a mother myself, that does make me feel anxious and nervous. I probably won't send my child to MSSD dorm under that kind of dorm environment, to be honest. I prefer the houseparents to know where my child is and that he is properly supverised, even as a senior. Being a senior does not mean the person is an "adult" or "mature." A person does not really mature until they are in their 20s, really. ;) I think I'd be happier with 4 to 8. Id much rather for the kids to arrive at the dorms, allow time for head counts, to communicate with each resident of the dorm, to make sure nothing is amiss or to follow through with schedules or appointments etc. Give it an hour before allowing the students to sign out. I think 4 hours free time for seniors is long enough, don't you? And 10 for weekends - I definitely won't feel comfortable with my child coming back at midnight on weekends especially considering the fact that MSSD is in Washington DC with its high crime rate and declining. neighborhoods.
This is just from a mother's viewpoint. You, as ther teenager, of course, have a different viewpoint. My son probably will say the same as you. I remember being 17 and thinking I was so mature and that everyone treated like such a kid and I got annoyed with it. Now my 15 year old thinks that but I don't see him as mature just yet. That's because I've lived a lifetime, experienced much more, seen much more, and know what it is out there.
As for the MSSD 7 - I agree. It does look like a typical war game gone awry - that racism and malice was not intentional. I think the explusions were not warranted, but most of us don't know the full story so we only can speculate.
Your bedtime on weekends is at 1 AM? Whew. You have much more privileges than most kids in other residential dorms. At the dorm where I used to work as houseparent, seniors had to check back in dorms on weekends by 11 PM and in bed by midnight. It really meant they have to be in their rooms by midnight...most of the time the roomies chat, read books, play games, etc, until they were ready to fall asleep. As long as they stay in their own rooms.
I think 11 is late enough for a 17-18 year old. You all can have all the fun when you graduate and go to college where you will not have any restrictions on bedtime. So, why the hurry?
Again, dorm environment is different from being at home. The liabilty of the students' safety is on the houseparents which is huge. Your houseparents are watching you for your parents. Your parents want to be assured you all are safe. It is all about that. Once you're 18 and in college, it will be beyond your parents' control and you will be able to do whatever you wish and that is quite soon. Time flies.
Yes, I can imagine the incident with the MSSD 7 changing things around the dorms. It may be for the best. I know - a few bad apples ruining things for everyone. That is real life - you will face that a lot when you enter the real world. It is not always fair out there. This is a way to prepare you for the unfairness of life as well as preparing you for life outside school when you graduate.
Still, consider yourself lucky - you still have your 3 - 8 PM free time...most of kids in dorms in other states do not.
Hi Cy,(smile)
How are you? I am really glad to hear from you with your response.
Finally, that I was able to get on your website after a couple days not being able to get to it. Been really hectic on my end and had trouble finding your blog on the DeafRead.com. (lol) Too many topics to search for. I finally found this after looking for two days! Whew.
Important that I am here reading your replies along with others. (smile)
You asked if I was a former student there. Nope, I was a sub teacher there. That's why I asked about the MSSD's 2005 RFP bid for insurance coverage.
Have a blessed weekend!
I gotta go and get ready to head out for the day and weekend.
Likewise, so good to hear from you!
Cheers,
Ms. Katrina
Oh thank you very much, i didnt realize you could look there. on the blog page. i learned something! Thanks, and thanks for responding. its very late night here and im supposed to be in bed right now. something for me to consider...
yes there are some immature kids here. and i can understand your view of point, of being a mother. i guess im only 17 right now and when i become a mother ill be paranoid about my own kids.
but i guess the reason why i think we should be able to do anything is because the reason why my DAD send me to MSSD is bec i want to go to gallaudet... and i am now a senior and im only here for my senior year. he wants me to learn to be independent, live on my own, be awaY FROM home, etc.. but im not learning to be independent like my dad wants me to. yes i dont have my parents to support me and im more on my own here than when im at home... but i aint independent. mssd houseparents control me. or they try to.
i do respect the rules. but i think that they shouldnt make the rules apply to everyone. they should have a thing where the parents can sign a paper when they are required to go to bed, or how much free time they can have. I am sure many many many parents out there send their kids to school for education and to be safe... Yes my parents send me here to mSSD for education and they want me to be safe. but they also want me to go out and have fun not be stuck in the dorms. and for the type of my parents~ i know my Dad would be willing to sign a paper that says i can go off campus whenever i want. and that i can go to bed whenever i want. That is what he wants me to LEARN here... time management, and how to be on my own.
Yes the fresh, soph, jr and even seniors need to be supervised. but seniors, its our last yr. and we are soon going to be out on our own. For example, MSSD mascot is EAgle... we are "Eagles" after we graudate... the freshmen are weak eagles" that... ANyways if parents are worried like you of course rules can apply to them. but like for my parents they are worried but want me to learn on my own and be independent. and not rely on other people's rules.
yes there is rules, but its hard to explain. my parents have rules for me to follow but they are finally starting to let me go. Let me make my own choices, etc... Im going to be in college in less than 8 months. I understand where youre coming from... but do u see where im coming from?
Deaf Samantha Lee,
Yes, I relate to your teenage's viewpoint about wanting to be given "wings" to practice with towards becoming independent.
What I am always saying to my 15 year old son who is always in a big hurry to be a grown up, is always arguing with me about curfews, about wanting to work, and wanting to get a car, and to be independent, that he has only 18 years of childhood and the rest of his life to be an adult. I think all children need to enjoy their childhoods for as long as they could because their childhoods are in reality quite brief when you take steps back and look at it - 18 years versus 60-65 years of adulthood.
But then teenagers do not think in these terms - they only think of the present and not the future. So what can a parent do but give them the tools with which to become indepedent when they feel it is probably too soon.
Your father's action of sending you to MSSD alone far from home is quite commendable in his wanting you to learn independence.
I don't think I'd send my son to MSSD considering the fact it is in the DC area. But again he is hearing. Whatever he can do at MSSD, he can do it at home. At 15, he is already quite independent - not quite my choice, actually, but he fought for it. My term is he always carries his sidekick so we keep in constant touch - it is my way of feeling I am in contact and keeping tabs on him. Yes, I know he can easily lie about where he is...it is a way to build trust. Lying has a nasty habit of getting caught. He knows that.
Now to your subject of seniors having more privileges than the underclassmen....I suppose it makes sense. What I think in my mind is "why the hurry? You will have whole time in the world once you're 18." Well, I am an old lady now - perhaps I've forgotten what it is like being a senior in high school.
However it is logical, indeed, that seniors should be given tools to become independent and given an extended curfew is part of the process.
What I can remember being 18 was I was quite young and did a number of dumb stuff. Being legally adult did not make me any more mature than when I was 17. There was no magical thresold to cross. Maturity is a long process - a lifetime process, actually. I am in my 40s and I am still learning and maturing.
Anyway, best of luck with your school and enjoy your last year of high school. There's a whole world out there for you to explore.
As for rules - there exist for a reason and always remember that.
Post a Comment