Read more... Hello, I’m Tarra Grammenos, Director of MRID. Hello, I’m Regina Daniels. Hi, I’m Nella Titus and I’m an interpreter. Regina: We want to have an open discussion today related to the workshop I presented at Camp ASL.I want to have a conversation with Nella. But first, the reason why we’re here. Just a heads up, the three of us have already talked prior to this being filmed. We wanted to have a chance to unpack our emotions before all of this. The three of us decided to just talk this out by ourselves, without anyone else in the room. Get all our feelings out so we’re able to clear the air. I know rumors were spreading and I know there were different sides to the story, but not everyone was there to see what happened. We had a discussion before today, and decided to do this together. We felt it was appropriate to witness what we unpacked, what we faced, and what MRID can do going forward. The whole purpose was to vlog together was to avoid any misunderstandings by doing individual videos separately. So that’s the reason we decided to go forward with this vlog together. We had some really good eye-opening moments, and I know I learned a lot, Nella learned a lot, MRID learned a lot, we all did. I think this conversation is valuable and beneficial for all. So I would like Nella to open with her comments on the situation. Nella: I attended Camp ASL and I went to Regina’s workshop. During her presentation, I got up for some tea. At that same time, Regina had called me up to the stage. I was surprised, but I did go up. She had a good question. She asked me why I had accepted a job interpreting for Michelle Obama. I was taken off guard and I froze. My mind went blank, I completely shut down, and in that moment, I lost the chance to respond. The opportunity was ripe for honest, vulnerable discussion and it passed us by because I was not able to express my thoughts. And you know that that opportunity could’ve been so meaningful. There were many students there, and students want to learn. Regina: The topic was about People of Color and reframing impact in the interpreting field. The reason I called Nella up was to challenge her and her experience, and I thought that this approach could really influence new interpreters, or students who are still learning. In challenging her, I was trying to do something different. I wanted to show ways to really step back and unpack yourself. When Nella froze, I realized things weren’t going according to plan. Nella ended up walking out and I started questioning myself. Was I in the wrong? Was it me? I was shocked at that point, too. Tarra and I made eye contact and I just thought, “Shit.” I was still questioning it. But part of me said, No, this is the topic. I warned people that this topic is heavy and sensitive. I told them they would feel uncomfortable and unsettled, and to be prepared for that. But it seems that didn’t happen that day. When she walked out, people seemed shaken. But I did take a minute...I felt like...I decided to... OK, no one told me what to do with this, no one, but I got back up on stage and I said . “I’m sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry if this caused an upset." And I explained my reasons. "I’m sorry you feel that way, that it was uncomfortable. I’m sorry that you were confronted with that situation. I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this. But unfortunately, this is hard core stuff, period. Whether you like it or not, because it’s for a reason." So when I met with you, and I wanted to know what happened, what was your response? Nella: I said, "Wow, I feel embarrassed. When I was called up I panicked, I wasn't ready." But really that opportunity for discussion, all those students watching and waiting for me to say something, and I was just standing there like a deer in the headlights...really I embarrassed myself. I did not have a good response to continue the discussion. I didn’t open up. I missed out. Really, I failed you. I failed the students and everyone in attendance. It wasn’t your fault, Regina. And I’m really sorry that happened. Regina: And that...that helps me understand how we as People of Color, as this diverse group, can better help the community. Because if they don’t have that experience, or they aren’t ready to approach that-- like in your situation, you weren’t ready or weren’t prepared. So how can we, in a situation like this, step in and say "Ok, this is what happened, engage with me here," and encourage a change of mind and a change of heart? Because this is how we will improve the interpreting field. I mean, you're right Nella, people were watching! Because you are, how many years have you been interpreting? Nella: Technically 7 years but I’m a CODA so I’ve really been interpreting all my life. Regina: Right! So people really look up to you as an interpreter. I’m not a hearing interpreter, but I am a Deaf interpreter, and also a Deaf instructor, so when we had this discussion, and you apologized to me, it really helped me understand where you were coming from in that moment, why you left, and why I felt I should apologized in that moment. Thank you for the apology. I really appreciate your explanation, it helps me understand how that situation played out for you. I would like to add because maybe we could explain a bit more about your culture and how you approach things, vs. my culture and how I approach things. Nella: I’m white. Born and raised in Minnesota. I’m a woman. I typically prefer private one-one-one conversations. So part of the reason I left was because I wanted this to be a private conversation between the two of us, but that was a different cultural framework for this situation. It was different than what I usually expect. And some of my emotions came from it not being what I expected. And frankly, that stemmed from me being white. Regina: I get it. From my culture, “calling out” just means to challenge you. "Let me challenge you." Right! Did I want to throw you under the bus? No! It was more of a teaching moment. We all need to learn. So I did challenge you. That's why I called her to the stage to say, "Let me challenge you." So that was the reason behind it. Nella: Right, I completely misunderstood. I thought the purpose was to embarrass me, which wasn’t true at all. Thank you, Regina, for explaining it to me because now it makes sense, and it wasn't what I thought. Regina: And again, it could be my Black culture, too. We tend to be very expressive and more animated than white people are used to. Sometimes they think we’re mad, like ‘Omg is she’s screaming at me?’ and they get intimidated. It's like, come on! It’s a Black culture thing. So, yeah. We just have so much to learn. Nella: Very true! I’m here and excited to learn more. Regina: And I look forward to teaching! I’m not going to give up; people better get ready! But honestly, I think this situation has really impacted the community too. Even outside our community...it's kind of crazy. Like, wow, people are actually listening, people are really taking it to heart. They are showing support and checking in with us. And it's like, finally! You’re paying attention to this! This is an issue within the community, and we need to wake up. We can't keep writing other people off. How can we pull each other up? If we someone with good skills, a Black interpreter, Deaf interpreter, Deaf presenter, Deaf...anyone, we have to support them. There’s just too much rejection and judgement out there. Too much ignorance. When will that stop? I know it's only my second year here in Minnesota but come on, I see it now. It's like, wow... This is really becoming a problem. And hopefully one day, we can say this is where we started; the three of us started with this and said . "Hey, what you’re doing is not appropriate. Stop." Nella: Right. Thank you for this dialogue. Regina: Yes, you're welcome. Okay so now that you’ve recognized the situation, what will you do differently, related to interpreting for Michelle Obama? You’ve unpacked a lot, what will change and how will you make that decision? Nella: OK. I’ve been working as an interpreter for 7 years and throughout the years, many jobs such as plays or concerts have come up that involved people of color. In the past, I would reach out to interpreters of color and try to bring them on as my team. This happened several times. But some of them would say, "Hey, I feel like you chose me because of my skin color alone." Or, "You picked me to team with you only because I’m a person of color?" It felt very tokenizing to them. So I took a hard look at the situation and realized I was causing them harm, and I clearly don’t want that. Plus, I’m a CODA. I grew up with Deaf parents. And I went through an interpreter training program which taught me to always follow what the Deaf consumer wants. Whatever I do, where I stand or sit, what I wear, etc., I must honor what the Deaf person wants. Sometimes it means adopting their signs, whatever it takes to best meet their needs. So, I saw the request for me to interpret for Michelle Obama's event, and I thought, Okay, on the one hand, do I risk causing harm to my colleagues, interpreters of color? But on the other hand, I must also follow what the Deaf consumer wants. I thought about both sides, and I eventually made the decision to accept the job. After the show, many people told me that I made the wrong decision. I did some serious soul searching and realized they were right. It wasn’t a good decision on my part. Because who am I to decide what jobs to offer interpreters of color and what jobs to interpret myself? That’s not for me to decide. Plus that job, come on, it’s Michelle Obama, she’s incredible. It would have been such a great opportunity for an interpreter of color and I took it away. They never even had a chance at it. I feel terrible, and now I recognize the impact of my decision. I apologize for that. So, going forward, what will I do differently? I will always reach out to interpreters of color; I now know they actually do want to be contacted. You know, to let them know I've been offered a job and see if they would be interested. If so, I can step out of the way and let them interpret for the job instead. I’m also thinking about students and newly graduated interpreters of color. I can mentor them, work with them on their platform interpreting skills. So I'm thinking about that. Plus, now I got your number, Regina. Regina: Right! You know where to find me. A few other things: You're right. Sometimes we don’t realize that in accepting a job, we know that we have to follow the Interpreter's Code of Professional Conduct and all those rules, and that's great!... but sometimes we just have to change our mindset and think about what’s best for the community. What's best for diversity, best for the Deaf community? And how can we support them and their advancement? That’s key here. We need to figure out how to give them a leg up. Many people of color, Black, Indian, Muslim, Asian, etc. I mean, really, the list goes on and on. They have amazing talent. The question is how we can support them. White people get many amazing opportunities, whereas we’re sitting here like, "Hey! Help us out!" First of all, now you know what to do going forward. If someone says you picked them just for the color of their skin, I would say, "I’m here to offer you mentoring, feedback, support, whatever you need." Then they may feel like, "Oh, well, she’s got my back. She knows I have talent and she’s here to help me out." It's a support system. We have to work together. Many people don’t recognize that. It’s not about tokenism, it’s about supporting and helping them get to a point of recognition. The beauty of it is, we won’t be abandoned. We won’t feel abandoned. It’s not about taking advantage, it’s more like offering others a hand. Raising them up. It’s like that crab theory, pulling everyone down, saying they can’t do this and that. That needs to stop right now. This is where the community needs to hear and see. See? She just recognized the next step. We need to pull each other up. If someone has a bad reputation, help them out. Have some heart. Benefit of the doubt, because everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves any help we can get. Every little piece of wisdom, we all need from each other. We don’t have time to bitter each other up, or fight with each other. This is 2019, soon 2020, when will all of this stop? So now, that leads me to the open letter that was sent out. First, I will say this, I know the letter was sent, it was not written by me. I feel conflicted here. I get it they meant well, supporting me. But at the same time, let me do the talking. Let me do the signing. Let me put myself out there. Let me be the front runner. But by them taking over, it didn’t leave anything for me to say. It didn’t allow me to think through things myself. It felt more like I was under pressure to respond. I don't need that. We as people of color need to be on the front line. Those who want to advocate and encourage us need to take a seat. We love you all but let us have our spot. Let us have the floor, let us have our message. You mean well. I appreciate the thought that was behind the letter but... let our POC Community express our thoughts without taking over. It took me a long time to process it but at the same time, people want to show their emotional support. Thank you. I really do thank you for listening and checking in. I do know you mean well, but let us be. Because it is our time, our words, our thoughts, our message. Let us. Nella: Thank you for that message. Tarra: Deep breath! Regina: I've already cried enough. Tarra: Thank you, Regina. And thank you, Nella. MRID needs to apologize to you Regina, that you experienced that going to Camp ASL. Nella, your experience, Regina your experience, it was a tough weekend. I apologize that you went through that. I know you were looking forward to a fun weekend at Camp, playing musical/light chairs your favorite game. Nella: Spoons tournament! Tarra: Spoons! Regina: Yes, spoons tournament was the best! Tarra: Right, spoons tournament was great! But then that situation happened and we as a Board and me as President, we didn't intervene in that moment. We waited trying to figure out what to do and ended up doing nothing. So now we know, we’re learning. We're all learning. We have a full white board, we’re still learning. We’re from Minnesota. We're learning. Regina: Yeah, "Minnesota Nice." Tarra: Well, in talking with you, talking with interpreters of color, getting their advice and help. Thank you for your energy, time, patience, going through this with us has really taught us a lot, and it really has only just begun. I’m excited for the conversations going forward. The MRID Board did meet, and talked about what to do going forward. We will be using you and other interpreters of color as our guide. Now we have an action plan, and that feels good. We have a list of things we’re going to do, it’s nice to see it written out. Rather than saying "Oh we will eventually do these things," it’s just nice to have something down on paper. I’m excited to work with you and others, I’m happy this is happening. Regina: I’m glad we’re talking about this right now because we finally have something concrete that can be done and successfully done. Nella: Right. I’m hoping that interpreters who are watching this now aren't just thinking,"Oh I will make different choices in the future,"but really, I would say make a different decision starting today. Now, right now. Tarra: Thank you. Regina: I'm touched. I love you! All: Love you! Tarra: Thank you for watching. Regina: Yes, thank you. Tarra: We’re excited for important dialogue in the future. Thanks again! Bye! |
Read more... Hello, I'm Nic Zapko, one of the MRID Board members and serving as the Communications Director. We've got an exciting announcement for membership!Now we finally have the ability to do auto-renewal for your membership. For so long we've had to manually renew every year, and with our lives nowadays, it's easy to forget among all the busyness. Now you can go to MRID.org (under your profile) and click on the "Change" button next to your membership level. At that point, you should be given the option to switch to the auto-renew membership level. If you select the auto-renew option, it means that it will automatically take your payment yearly (2020, 2021, etc). Keep in mind that with this cool feature, you can change your mind at any time and go back to manually paying yearly. This is also completely optional for you. If you feel like you want one less thing to worry about, but want to make sure you stay an MRID member make the change today. At this time, Student and Supporting membership renewal will still be done manually, but Certified and Associate members can take advantage of this great perk and have peace of mind. If you have any questions or need clarification about the process, email webmaster@mrid.org. Enjoy your Spring! |
Read more... Dear Communities, The Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens (MADC) and the The Minnesota Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MRID) would like to make a joint statement about discussions around HF 2634 and SF 2702.We have recently received confirmation from Representative Daniels, Senator Hoffman, and Sonny Wasilowski that HF 2634 and SF 2702 will not be heard this year, and therefore not move forward this legislative session. Our boards recognize how impactful this proposition was to our communities. We also acknowledge that there are members of our organizations who have publicly either supported or opposed the bill, and we understand that there are layers of history, emotion, and logic tied to licensing for sign language interpreting. We also respect that there have been ongoing discussions and work-groups that led to the development of this bill and an overarching acknowledgement of the need for continued evolution and growth of the work we do. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify what involvement we've had in this process. Sonny Wasilowski reached out to our presidents, John Fechter and Tarra Grammenos a few weeks ago. They were given a rough draft of the bill and offered the opportunity to provide feedback. Due to the sensitivity of the topic and tight timeline, the boards of both organizations were not fully involved with the creation or the drafting of this bill. Any opinions or perspectives that have been implied as being on behalf of either entity are unwarranted. MADC and MRID acknowledge that we have been selected to represent an incredible and engaged membership. We are committed to continuing this conversation around the idea of establishing a sign language interpreting license for the state of Minnesota, a board of sign language interpreters and transliterators, and the current language of the proposed bill, through the use of public forums and data collection throughout the year. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to MADC President, John Fechter at John.Fechter@minndeaf.org or MRID President, Tarra Grammenos at President@mrid.org. MADC & MRID Board of Directors |
Jakey Lingle - Camp ASL Mentor! |
Read more... MRID Fall Conference is coming up fast! It's happening October 26th - 28th at Breezy Point Resort. This conference is the perfect time to come together to catch up with old friends, and make new ones.We have such a diverse community with a wide range of knowledge and experience, plus the fantastic lineup of presenters, some great discussion, and the ability to learn and grow from each other is really the point of the entire weekend. Speaking of workshops, there are so many wonderful ones to choose from, it will be hard to decide! More than 15 presenters will be there over the weekend to teach us a wide variety of skills, tools, and resources to contribute to our professional growth. All workshops will be presented in ASL, which is great news! The cost for this conference is $350 until September 30th. That includes 2.0 RID CEUs, 2 nights lodging - and I'll explain more about that: that price includes a double occupancy room with two people (2 beds). If you want to room with a specific person, be sure to put down their name while registering, and have them do the same. We will be sure to pair you up when assigning rooms. The rooms look like your typical hotel/resort rooms, not like camping in the woods. The resort is warm, cozy, and includes everything you need. Of course if you would prefer your own room, you can certainly do that by paying an extra $100. The registration fee also includes 7 meals, and at $350 for all of that, it's such a great deal! You don't want to miss out on the early bird price - it ends Sept 30th! After October 1st, price will go up to $380, only $30 more! We already have over 100 signed up, so grab your spot now. The entire list of presenters, workshop topics, prices, etc is listed on our website at http://www.MRID.org, or on our Facebook page. The last day to register is October 22nd, so sign up now while you still can. Oh! Have you seen our new t-shirt and sweatshirts? It's an awesome design! It's also a fundraiser for the conference, so be sure to buy one of those - last day for the online store is October 8th - once you buy online, you'll be able to pick up your shirts at the conference! Hope to see you there! |
Read more... [Visual Description: Two woman are sitting outside. Sydney is on the left wearing a black blouse and Nic is on the right wearing a black shirt and jacket.] Sydney: Hello! Nic: Hi!Sydney: I’m Sydney Groven Nic: And I’m Nic Zapko Sydney: The two of us are part of the MRID Change Team. Nic, do you want to tell them what we’ve been up to? Nic: At the upcoming fall conference, during the business meeting, the Change Team along with the Board of Directors will be presenting a motion related to the Board positions. Historically, we have had 11 positions. Our motion proposes 7 new positions, each with its own focus. Sydney: And that brings us to the reason for this vlog. We want to introduce each new position along with a brief explanation of the role. The first position is all about communication. The Communications Director will be responsible for gathering any news or information from MRID and our greater community, and will get the word out. Our goal is to have more transparency in communication. Nic: The next position is Membership Director. They will focus on maintaining a good rapport with our members, as well as keeping a pulse on our community throughout the entire state of Minnesota. Sydney: Another focus will be on operations. This position will primarily be taking care of internal business, such as making sure tasks are completed, taking minutes, setting up meetings, etc. to keep MRID running smoothly. Nic: Next up is Finance Director. They will be responsible for the budget and making sure MRID stays on track. They would also oversee any fundraising efforts. Sydney: This next one is a new concept: Community Relations! It’s pretty cool. We all know Minnesota has many organizations focused on Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and interpreting too. Community Relations will work to create new partnerships and relationships with those organizations, as well as invite those groups to be involved with MRID. Nic: Now, onto Programs Director. Their job will be overseeing any conferences, workshops, and providing a variety of trainings for all of you. Sydney: I’m so excited to announce this last position: MRID Director! They will be keeping tabs on the organization as a whole, and will act as our liaison with RID. Plus, we hope they will be a visionary with ideas for the future of our organization. This is an exciting prospect! Nic: So that’s all 7 positions. We hope that gives you more to think about as we approach the fall conference! We will discuss these positions more in depth during the business meeting. Stay tuned for our next vlog! Sydney: Bye! Nic: Bye! |
Read more... Visual Description: Two woman are sitting outside. Nic is on the left wearing a purple shirt and Megan is on the right wearing a black shirt.] Nic: Hello, I’m Nic Zapko Megan: Hello, I’m Megan BolducNic: We are two members from the Change Team. Our last VLOG update was about how our organization, MRID, has been in a slow decline and something must be done. The Change Team has been meeting regularly to figure out what that something could be. And then we noticed… Megan: Yes! We noticed the MRID has several opportunities for growth. Nic: Exactly. Megan: Nic, where do we begin? Nic: Do you have ideas, Megan? Megan: Well, we’ve noticed some issues with the current board structure; it’s preventing us from being as effective as we could be. At this point, we are supposed to have 11 board positions. Nic: Right, 11-- that’s a lot. Megan: Noticing this as a barrier, the Change Team recommends the MRID take this time to refocus our board positions. Instead we could have a board of 7, each person specializing in a specific arena. For example, an emphasis in communication, Nic: along with membership, operations, etc. This change will allow the MRID to live up to membership expectations. Minnesota is huge and our board needs to match the diverse state of our community. It makes sense to move forward with 7 positions instead of 11. Megan: Want to learn more about these 7 positions? Stay tuned for the next VLOG! Nic: Bye! Megan: Bye! |
Read more... Hello! This is our MRID Update vlog. My name is Nic Zapko, I’m currently an MRID board member. This past spring, our update was by way of vlog, the update after that was in written English form, and now this one is in ASL via vlog. Can you believe summer is over and it’s already September? Everyone is already going back to school, back to work; I really hope you all had a great summer!During the last update, we had our hands full with the many events happening in our community: Deaf Aware Day, Camp ASL, Spring Conference, the ITP Grad party – wow it was a busy and very successful spring! Camp ASL was one for the record books! A total of 140 attendees, and it was truly an incredible weekend! This summer was not one for rest – nope! We buckled down and got straight back to work. The focus the last few months has been strategic planning, trying to figure out how MRID can be at its best. From those discussions, the Change Group was established. You saw the vlog from them last week? Well another one is coming shortly! We worked in collaboration with that group to see where our strengths and weaknesses were and where we can truly grow as an organization. You will learn more about that this coming fall. Speaking of fall, will there be a fall conference, you ask? Yes! Absolutely there will be! We are thrilled to host fall conference this year. I’m sure you’ve noticed over the years that fall conference is typically MEA weekend – well this year we’ve moved it to the last weekend in October, on the 26th – 28th, at the beautiful Breezy Point Resort. This year we’re proud to say there’s 16 different workshops and 3 keynotes! Up to 2.0 CEUs will be offered and the conference will be presented entirely in ASL! I’m sure you’re wondering the cost. From now until Sept 30th, the cost is $350. Of course, you’re thinking, oh but I also have to pay for food, and lodging, right? Nope! That cost includes 2.0 CEUs, 2 nights lodging, and 7 meals! What a great deal this is; grab it while you can! All the information is on our website including who the presenters are, what the workshops are about, the schedule, pricing, etc. Take a peek! Speaking of website, some other exciting news: we have a brand-new website! For a long time, we wanted to do something with the outdated, very expensive website that simply didn’t fit our needs. It took some time, but we found a better web host! And I must be honest, we have to give all the credit to our amazing webmaster, Dee Ramnarine for doing all of the heavy lifting! She literally started from scratch to create this amazingly beautiful website that does everything we need and more! It has a new look and feel, and just completely defines MRID and Minnesota all in one. It’s beautiful and we’re so grateful to Dee, thank you! Check it out at www.MRID.org! Looking for information about the upcoming fall conference? The website has it all! We’re just so happy these two big things are happening; it feels like we can finally breathe again! Of course, we have more to go, but it’s just great to know we’re going in the right direction! Oh, before I forget, for those of you who are members of MRID, you have to change your password when you log into the new website. If you aren’t yet a member, what’s taking you so long? Join us! Did you forget to renew your membership? No worries, you still have time, join us! Have a great fall! Thanks for watching! |
Read more... [Visual Description: Two woman are standing outside with grass and trees behind them. Melissa is on the left wearing a navy shirt and Nic is on the right wearing a black shirt.] Both: Hello!!! Melissa: I’m Melissa Mittelstaedt. Nic: And I’m Nic Zapko.Melissa: As a member of MRID, I’ve been involved with group called the Transition Team. We typically refer to it as the… Nic: “TT” for short. Melissa: Exactly. The Transition Team has been collecting data from all over Minnesota to try and figure out what MRID needs. Nic: Kinda like taking a pulse of the community to see what’s been going on. Melissa: Yeah, right. So, we set up focus groups to get the data, and also hosted a workshop at the Fall Conference with Darlene Zangara. Nic: Yep, that happened last year. Melissa: Right, last year. We used that time to collect even more information to add to our report. Once we completed our report, we handed it off to the Board of Directors. Nic: Right, once we got it, the current [2018] board read through the report. It was pretty eye opening, but after discussing it, we agree with their findings. It’s sad to say, but it seems like MRID is on our way to a stage of decline and something needs to be done! We started brainstorming about how to turn it around and decided to establish a new team. This “Change” team now has five members, and let me tell you, these are some pretty amazing people! So, we’ve got Megan, Sydney, Katelyn, and us! Melissa: Yep! And us! Nic: This team has been getting together every week to brainstorm and strategize about how to get MRID back on the upward track so we’re alive and healthy again. That’s really been our focus lately. Melissa: Yes! Look forward to more updates as we work toward the future of MRID! We’ll see what happens! Nic: Yep! Just wait until the next VLOG! |
Read more... Tarra: Hello, I’m Tarra Grammenos, President of MRID John: Hi I’m John Fechter MADC’s President. Tarra: Lately, several significant events have happened. We recognize that people are upset with RID’s recent CEO election. We also recognize the upset in the community over the outcomes of two major lawsuits in Minnesota which resulted in the courts deciding against the Deaf people involved.We are here to show our commitment to improving the relationship between our Deaf and Interpreting communities here in MN. John: Last July, I attended the NAD Conference with one other MADC representative. There was a lot of good discussion. Interpreting seemed to be a common point of interest in the conversations there. I plan to bring a lot of the information gleaned at the conference from workshops, dialogue, and activity back to MN for you. Tarra: I just got back from Region III Conference. There, I met many people, learned from them, and am bringing all the information that I gathered back to MN. John: Tarra and I have been working together this past year for our communities, and I’d like to highlight a few things we’ve done. 1. Supported University of MN’s College Bowl Team as they competed at NAD. 2. Provided mentoring for students at Camp ASL. 3. Partnered with the community for Spring Conference and held a Town Hall meeting there. From the info gathered at Spring Conference, we decided to establish a Task Force focused on interpreting. It’s already underway and you should hear more soon. Tarra: We’ve already reached out to MADC to see how they can be involved with this year’s MRID Fall Conference and we’re already planning to be involved with MADC’s 2019 Fall Conference! We are committed to maintaining this partnership between our organizations. John: Going back to when I mentioned the InterpretingTask Force, I wanted to say that if you have any stories, thoughts, or ideas please contact our (MN) MADC Task Force. Tarra: Our contact information will be at the very end of this video. We’re here for you, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns for either of us. Contact Information: MRID: president@mrid.org MADC: john.fechter@minndeaf.org (Attention to Interpreting Task Force) |
Read more... HEY! Camp ASL is coming up quick, I’m so excited! Let me tell you about what it’s is going to look like.But first, what’s all this white stuff still doing here?! It’s April! Hmm.. makes me wonder if we’ll have a snowy camp? I guess we’ll just have to see. If it does come, I know that it’ll be a blast! Back to what’ll be at camp. It’s a silent weekend, of course, an opportunity for everyone to communicate in sign, but is that all? No! There’s so much more. We’ll have activities surrounding sign language, such as Classifiers and handshapes, as well as team building activities. Plus, we’ll have many presenters, all of them DEAF. They will be presenting on a variety of topics such as math, education, and culture. Feel free to check out all the details on our website. We will even have over 10 Deaf Mentors. doubling the involvement of Deaf persons this year. This is a setting you don’t get every day. By coming, it’s your opportunity to gain cultural exposure, language, confidence, knowledge, conversational skills, and more. Again, the whole weekend will be voices off and hands up. If you know ASL, you’re welcome to come! This event isn’t just for students or recent graduates, anyone is welcome. If you’re a hearing parent of a Deaf child, come! If you work with someone who is Deaf, come! Instructors? Come! Interpreters who have been in the field 10…30…40 years, COME! Everyone can come if you know ASL. Our goal is to come together as a community and have a fun weekend. Go ahead and sign up! See you there! |
Read more... Hello! This is an update about MRID. I’m Nic Zapko, one of the members of the MRID Board of Directors. As a board, we’ve had a blast starting this year off and are excited to put the work in to serve YOU! We decided to make a video this month as a new approach to get the word out about what we’ve been up to, and we hope to get it out monthly.This VLOG will recap our activity from January and February. There’s a lot! • MRID and MADC have decided to resurrect Camp ASL as a joint effort. It’s been out of the picture for a few years, but it’s BACK! Check out our emails, Facebook, and website for all the details! • Spring Conference is coming up in May! We are partnering with MADC, ASLIS, and DHHS. Info will be coming out soon. • MRID will have a booth at Deaf Awareness Day this April. Stop by and see us! • We helped advertise and fundraise for the University of Minnesota COBO team to help them get to their national competition this summer. If you haven’t heard of their group, check out the U of M College Bowl team and sponsor if you can. • Some of our board members have attended the recent MERGE events to show our support for the community. One of us even spoke at one of their events. • Our Student Representative has gone to ITP’s in the area to speak about MRID. • MERGE and MRID are proud to be hosting a graduation event for the recent ITP Graduates in May. Keep a look out for more info. • Our Professional Development Committee (PDC) has been working hard to update our CEU processing procedure. Now everything is electronic! No more downloading forms, printing papers and mailing them in, it’s great! If you’re in need of CEUs for an independent study or PINRA and or are just wondering what the process looks like, check out our website at MRID.org which has all the info that you need. Thank you, PDC, for making this happen! • We’ve been continuing to work with the Transition Team (TT) to explore ways serve our membership better. • Our internal “To-Do” list grew to over 50 items long! Some were loose ends from previous years such as budget line items, and others are the start of new goals. To work smarter, not harder, we split up the responsibilities and have been making great progress. As an example, one of the current projects is to figure out if our website host is still a good fit for our organization. Now I’d like to give a shout-out to ASLIS for letting us use their Zoom account for our meetings. We greatly appreciate it. Don’t worry members, our monthly in-person board meetings haven’t gone away! We are just utilizing technology to maximize our time together. If someone in greater Minnesota can’t make the trip for a day, or if a schedule conflict has come up and a board member can only join for a short time, they can join us via video, using Zoom. This technology is great, those that can make it for the live meeting all have their own laptops open with Zoom and can video chat seamlessly with those elsewhere. Thank you again, ASLIS, for allowing us to use the Zoom account. Speaking of Thank You’s, we would also like to say a big thanks to St Kate’s (SCU) for allowing us to use your building. We’ve been hosting our meetings in Music & Speech 212 for the last few months and will continue to do so for the near future. Our next Board of Directors meeting will be March 24, 10am-2pm at SCU, in the Music & Speech building room 212, you’re welcome to join us! Thank you and see you next time! |