Harris-Hillman visit

The girls and Dr. Dafonte warned me that the trip to the Harris-Hillman school may be shocking and possibly very saddening. However, during my visit I had the opposite reaction. Seeing the personnel work with the students there warmed my heart and made me truly appreciate their talents. It was amazing to experience first-hand that there are public schools and people out there with a true passion to work with people with disabilities; we have come a long way since Willowbrook.  I feel as though the experience emphasized to me how crucial it is to provide everyone in life with a safe and productive learning environment. Though initially nervous about the trip to the school, I'm now excited to return and volunteer.

Disability Awareness Week

Woohoo! It's Disability Awareness Week and mayfield 5 is working with mayfield 2 to raise awareness on Vanderbilt's campus. Mayfield 2 is awesome for planning all of this!
well the point of this post is to talk about my own disability, something that I can't sleep off, push to the side, or get over, that is depression. I always wish I was normal. I wish I could wake up! get out of this dark cloud. I wish living came easy to me; I wish it wasn't physically painful for me to get out of bed. I wish I had something to look forward to, anything! I wish my peers would actually enjoy my company. I wish I had friends. I wish I had someone who understands. I wish someone can remind me why I wake up everyday. I have to hear that life is going to get better because I don't believe it. Many people think that I choose to be as unhappy as I am, but the truth is, it takes every little fiber in me to leave my room, to smile, to hold a conversation. I don't choose to hate life; the little demons at the back of my thoughts tell me it's not worth it, just give up.

I want to acknowledge everyone that hasn't given up because you all are my inspiration. Thank You.

Including Samuel – Including Everyone . . .

If someone would have asked be before watching the film Including Samuel whether or not full inclusion should be allowed in schools, my answer, without a doubt, would have been no. I would have argued that children with certain disabilities learn differently, therefore they need to be in separate classrooms to learn at their pace, to the best of their ability. However, using this same argument, there should be a classroom just for kids with ADD, autism, depression, anxiety, or any other mental illnesses, but to my knowledge there isn’t. Every child learns a little differently, but limiting kids’ capabilities in schools due to physical disabilities is unfair. And yes, separating kids due to physical disabilities is limiting their capabilities; this world isn’t segregated anymore. Denying the sharing of learning space reduces the quality of the lives of children with disabilities and those without. 

Including Samuel: Lillian Hsu

Including Samuel really got me thinking about equality movements.  Before, I had always thought that equality for homosexuals would be the last big hurrah, but I was wrong.  Who knows who even else is still out there waiting for the same opportunities that we already have?  Including Samuel was pretty controversial for me, because I don't know if I truly believe that inclusion is the best way for individuals with disabilities to be integrated into society with the best possible chances of being a contributing and happy member of the community.  It just seems odd that teachers with no formal/informal training on teaching kids with disabilities are all of a sudden thrown into this really difficult situation.  I can't believe that this is truly the most efficient way for the classroom as a whole to function.  On the other hand, however, I do think it's important for the students with and without disabilities to get to know one another so that this topic becomes less and less of a tabu, and so that both parties can learn from one another.  Including Samuel is a touching story, and I hope it continues to impact the lives of others and force people to think about what might be the uncomfortable, but also the important.

Including Samuel: Rebecca Simpson

Our government is moving towards complete inclusion, but is this really the best choice? The benefit of including disabled children in normal classes is that the “normal” kids are introduced to kids with disabilities. These kids will be more accepting of people with disabilities when they become adults. Being around “normal” kids will also (usually) help the disabled child learn how to interact socially.

However, the disabled child almost always needs extra help, either physically, emotionally, or mentally. Often, the disabled child will need a personal aide, or the teacher must devote extra time to a single child. Most teachers, however, have not been trained in special education. How can a teacher be expected to know how to work with every type of disability she encounters in an integrated classroom?

Including Samuel did not show just the positive side of every person with disabilities, which I appreciated. For example, when the cameraman shot a scene of an integrated classroom, a disabled girl was staring out the window, completely uninvolved in the lesson and ignoring all attempts from her aide to make her pay attention. I really enjoyed the range of disabilities presented in this movie and the way Samuel’s father presented the benefits and drawbacks of integrated classrooms.   

Including Samuel Reaction: Lindsay

This week, our Mayfield watched the movie "Including Samuel".  I originally watched this movie in my Special Education class last year, but I got to watch the movie this time with some of the members of the Mayfield.  I was glad we got to watch the movie together because we had a really nice discussion after the movie.  I really enjoyed this movie, and I think it does a good job of presenting the issues of inclusion in public schools and showing that people who have disabilities are still people.  The disabilities they have are conditions, but they are first and foremost people.  The group I watched the movie with had a really good discussion about special education programs in schools and funding problems, and it was very interesting to get to discuss these things with my housemates who come from different places and have different experiences related to these subjects.  Overall, we had a great discussion about these issues and I think we all enjoyed the movie.

Including Samuel: Domenique Edwards

After watching Including Samuel I realized how ignorant I was to the struggles in children with disabilities’ lives. I often think of the homosexual movement as the last civil rights movement; however, after watching the movie I feel otherwise. The movie also made me think hard about inclusion. I’m still not personally sure if inclusion is what’s best for children with disabilities at all levels of education. It doesn’t seem like an effective way to teach all varieties of older children. It seems like that children with disabilities may get neglected while the other children may get uninterested if total inclusion goes on to high education such as high school. I am totally for inclusion at younger ages and definitely within families. I’m glad I watched the movie and am more educated as I have never really learned about these issues previously.

Including Samuel Response: Erin Lee

So we watched Including Samuel on Saturday and I was (pleasantly) surprised by how much I enjoyed the film. I was expecting it to focus on Samuel's battle with cerebral palsy, but it also including stories of other people with disabilities. I particularly liked the stories of the black man who has limited use of his hands/arms (I don't remember his name) and of the man whose speech was shown. I thought that both men were very articulate and they definitely changed my perception of people with disabilities. I was a bit put off by the comment that people assume that he was disabled due to being shot, even though I honestly had the same thought at first.

I think my favorite story in the movie was that of the woman with schizophrenia. I expected the movie to focus on people with physical disabilities and I thought that the inclusion of her story was both effective and fascinating. Overall, I thought that Including Samuel was thought-provoking and we had a good discussion after watching it.

When I wrote the draft for our mayfield project I envisioned ten enthusiastic individuals who had sincere intentions of looking deep within others, who were different than they were, and see a personality, not a malfunction. I was hoping that this would lead us to look at each other, and see personalities, not break into cliques. I was also hoping that we would look within ourselves, and be able to change Vanderbilt's campus, because we had changed as individuals. It wouldn't matter what fraternity or sorority someone was apart of, it wouldn't matter what major someone was in, it wouldn't matter what others wore, or what their religious beliefs are. I guess it was easy to sell an idea where everyone saw the perks, whether it was the single, the location on highland quad, or the ability to live right across from their best friend. I didn't realize that it's a lot harder to sell a vision; to have nine other people share your vision. honestly, the perks aren't worth it if I can't fulfill the mission that I set out to do. I don't need to be rewarded in any manner or receive a grade to put 100% effort towards any and everything I'm working towards. If I sound a lot aggressive it's because I am. Nothing is accomplished by sitting around and doing nothing, I realized that the day I decided to contact Harris Hillman.

Intro: Meisha McCray

To those who do not know me, I am a black woman with an accent, average height, athletic build, and kinda intimidating. But I am so much more than the labels society stick me with. On a deeper level, I am silly, easily humored, organized, strong-minded, and so much more. One of the problems that arise with labeling people is that a false display of feelings, attitude, and/or intentions can come about because of it.

Intro: Ayana Lowry

From childhood, I can distinctly remember being referred to as "the black girl". Although I have many different qualifying features other than my race, society and admittedly, myself, tend to place others in a category just because it seems like the easy route to take. Through this endeavor in our Mayfield Lodge, I hope to gain insight as to why we, as human beings, adhere and cling to stereotypes even though we're very consciously aware that they are sweeping generalizations. I know that I am at fault when it comes to judging someone by what I can see but I hope that as the year progresses, I shy away from that practice and see people for who they truly are.

Intro: Rebecca Simpson

I have had very little experience working with people with any sort of disability. For one semester in high school I volunteered at a tennis program for teenagers with downs syndrome. My partner, Meg, was nineteen and had been participating in this program for the past three years. I went into the program to fulfill a community service requirement for my high school, but I had no personal interest in the matter, other than I had played tennis the previous semester. By the end of the first week, though, I adored Meg. She was so joyful that I looked forward to seeing her every week. As the semester progressed, I came to see Meg as my tennis partner first, not just as someone with downs syndrome. I hope that by working with Harris Hillman, I will be able to reach this point with others with a disability faster than I did with Meg.

I am a little nervous to work with Harris Hillman because this tennis program has been one of the only times I have worked intimately with anyone with a disability. The goal of our project is to be able to see the person before you see their disability. Before our mayfield can teach others how to do this, we must first learn to do it ourselves. All of us are at different stages of achieving this goal. By working with Harris Hillman, I hope to become more comfortable working with anyone with a severe disability and come to see them as people, not as a diagnosis. 

Intro: Lillian Hsu

Moving forward into this living and learning community, I feel slightly apprehensive, as I’m sure do a lot of my housemates.  For me, I know that I have a lot of stereotypes about almost everything and everyone I encounter in daily life.  Whether it’s an Asian student who I assume is pre-medicine, or an insanely tall male I assume is on the basketball team, I sometimes feel like my whole life revolves around stereotypes. This project is about my housemates and I, learning as a team, how to live without defining ourselves and our surroundings by what wethink we already know about them.  It’s about learning how to take things at face value without preconceived notions.  And it is for these very purposes that I am beyond excited to work with the Harris Hillman school.  I know we will all gain an invaluable experience this year.

Intro: Brittany Matthews

Words people use to point me out in a crowd: Black, Tall, Brown Eyes, Quiet. Legs. Cackles.

But what they don't see is how those things are more than just ways to identify me.

I'm black and that includes being part of a race that is still trying to find it's niche in the land of the free after being oppressed for years.

I'm tall, and that means people sometimes don't look me in the face when they talk to me. Sometimes, people are intimidated. 

I have brown eyes - hazel actually - but they're actually a recessive gene that I got from a grandmother I never knew. They sometimes give me unwanted attention from people who should know better.

I'm quiet, but that's because I don't know how people will react to me when I open my mouth. My words sometimes get jumbled and what comes out sometimes makes no sense.

My legs attract a lot of attention, compliments and jealousy alike. Sometimes, the compliments are too much. I have scars all over them and I occasionally forget to shave.

My cackle is even worse. It's uncontrollable. It sometimes gets to a point where I am laughing at every other word and I literally. can't. breathe. 

But.

I love being black and I love my people. I love wearing heels and not caring what people think. I love how my eyes sometimes catch the sunlight and shine. I love people watching in silence. I love being able to wear shorts without feeling self conscious. And I find my cackle endearing, even if nobody else does.

This project is about getting to know people beyond their surface qualities. But for me, it's also about accepting the labels people put on me and understanding how they shape me as a person. Once I can get past my own labels, I can potentially help others to see past their own and those of others.

Ghandi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

So today, I must strive for self-actualization. Tomorrow, I strive to change the world.

Intro: Domenique Edwards

I admit that if someone asked me to describe myself I would immediately come up with labels. I’m Black and Italian, short, Vandy girl, and super nerdy among a list of many other labels. If I were to eliminate labels and stereotypes in describing myself I would say that I was accepting, loving, loyal, and hard-working to name a few. Eliminating labels gets to the heart of who a person really is without expectations clouding our view of who we think they will be. I’m excited to see how we all grow in the lodge together as we explore how to think of ourselves and others as more than a label.

Intro: Kelly Halom

I have always thought of myself and others in terms of applications. GPA, Clubs, Leadership Positions, Skills, Jobs, Internships, and anything else that could ever be deemed impressive. Starting in junior high, I became obsessed with the college search (most likely similar to many other Vandy students). I knew all the statistics: acceptance rates, percentages of minorities, average gpa, average sat score, and everything else about pretty much every school ranked within the top 50 schools in the United States. This obsession with the application process made me see people in terms of their application score.

By spring of senior year, I knew where I was going and I no longer felt a compulsion to obsess over these labels. Who cares if a kid has a 4.0 if he's a total jerk? Who cares if a girl is failing if she has a loving heart? These applications aren't the only way to assess people. They are not a measure of value. I have left behind all the statistics and numbers that I used to know by heart and I am trying to see people as people. I know that this year and my work at Harris-Hillman will help me in this effort.

Intro: Lindsay Freeland

To those who don't know me I am a short, white, quiet, and intelligent girl.  Beneath that exterior, I am friendly, fun, organized, dedicated, observant, and an animal lover.  Although these things aren't always apparent from the outside, there's much more than people can tell from the first glance.  This is true for everyone.

No one is exactly how they appear on the surface.  Although people often make judgments about others from their first impressions, that's rarely an accurate judgment.  With this project, I am looking forward to meeting new people and learning who they are, not how they appear. 

Intro: Erin Lee

I am many things on the surface: short, athletic, white, smart, and friendly (if sometimes quiet). However, beneath that I am highly motivated, organized, independent, anxious, happy, ALWAYS thinking. There are many things about me that others can't see--many of which I'm not quite sure of myself. But I'm on my way to figuring them out.

Growing up around two disabled (extended) family members (one with Asperger's and one with severe epilepsy and mental retardation), I've learned that what is visible does not always match what is on the inside of a person. I'd be lying if I said that what we're going to do won't put me out of my comfort zone. It will. But I am 100% certain that it will be worth it.

We are Mayfield Five

We have our labels: Asian, Black, White, Tall, Short, Nerd, Jock, Vandy Girl, Crazy Musician, it goes on.
But we are more than that. And so is everybody else.
We want to see past the labels and the stereotypes and the disabilities and the skin color and the scars, even past the labels we put on ourselves and each other.

We want to see people.

We are Mayfield Five. And we are more than meets the eye.