i TRETET PTVT

HOTTER

LaGuardia Community College

Programs for Deaf Adults
Nee Week ET | ER

HH
Winter ‘89

From the Director's Keyboard
Harmon P. Menkis

The Fall Quarter is now behind us and we
are preparing for the Winter Quarter with much
gusto. For the first time our degree students have a
Deaf adjunct instructor in the HUC098/099: Basic
Communication Strategies
Course with a modified curriculum to accommodate
the communicative modes of Deaf students. Ms.
Dorothy Cohler is the adjunct instructor who also
teaches Deaf students at the JH School for the Deaf
in Manhattan. Our hats off to Dr. Ana Maria,
chair-person of the Humanities Department and
Sandra Dickinson, coordinator of Speech
Communication for their will ingenues to try
innovative approaches in accommodating our
degree Deaf Students.

In the last newsletter, we announced a
Continuing Education Program for interpreters. It
is well underway and there is more information
and announcements of upcoming courses and
workshops elsewhere in this newsletter.

Thomas Samuels

I am pleased to announce the addition of
versatile Thomas Samuels to the Programs for Deaf
Adults. He will serve as program assistant in our
computer and media tabs, outreach and
recruitment, production editor of our newsletter
and assistant to the program director.

31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Isiand City. New York 11101 Volume 2

An Interview Vith
Lisa Henriques

Lisa Henriques

Lisa Henriques is a vivacious young
deaf woman who has set out to carve a niche
for herself somewhere in this world. She has
traveled intensively between the LaGuardia
quarters and sometimes postpones a quarter
of studying for her degree in Accounting to
pursue her travels which she says are “a
living educational experience". This is her
story as told through an interview.

Q. Lisa, what was the cause of your deafness
and how long have you been deaf?

A. I have been deaf since birth. My mother
had the German Measies in the early stages of
her pregnancy. My deafness is profound.

Q. How did you develop your excellent speech
and speech reading skills?

A. I had speech therapy with all of my family
participating since I wasa very small child. I
also attended the Lexington School for the
Deaf in Queens for a few years. Eventually I
was mainstreamed to PS 146 and PS 104 with


limited support services, just a resource
teacher to assist me with speech, lip reading,
some tutoring, and homework. I also had
private tutors

Q. Did you have any problems being
mainstreamed?

A. Yes, afew. I was the only deaf student
there and other students would make fun of
me, but later we solved the problem when my
teacher and I spoke about deafness. After
that I made friends with many students and
the problems gradually went away.

Q. Where did you attend High School and what
was your experience there like?

A. I graduated from Murray Bergtraum High
School. It was about the same as my other
schools, but I had to study long and hard.

Q. Did you participate in any extracurricular
school activities?

A. No. I had been focusing on my school
work. But I did belong to a community
organization for Young, Gifted and Black.
This organization focused on womanhood,
developing positive life goals, life
adjustments, and fashion in order to help
each person project positive images in
society.

Q. Do you like to date?

A. Yes. I like to date different guys. But I am
not interested in having a “steady” because I
consider my education my main priority.

Q. Why did you choose to come to LaGuardia
Community College?

A. Well, I had originaily went to a small black
women's college, Bennett College, in
Greensboro, North Carolina for about three
years. They did not have any support
services for deaf students there. I had to
depend too much on others to “wing- it" and I
did not like to have to depend on others as
they had their own things to do any my GPA
was something you don't write home about.
So I applied for a transfer to Lehman College,
they gave me a test and I did not do very well
so they referred me here to LaGuardia. And I
am very very glad they did.

Q. Why are you glad?

A. Because the support services are
wonderful, comprehensive and because of the
support services, 1 am doing much much
better here and my GPA has improved
considerably.

Q. Did you know or have other Deaf friends
before you went to Murray Bergtraum and
came to LaGuardia?

A. No. I thought I was the only Deaf person
until I came to LaGuardia. I was surprised,
but very happy to meet other Deaf students
after being isolated in the hearing world for
a long time.

Q. What did you benefit from meeting other
Deaf people at LaGuardia?

A. I started learning about the Deaf
Community and the Deaf World. I also started
learning Sign Language so I _ could
communicate with these other Deaf students,.
I found a whole new world. I got involved
with Black Deaf Advocates and they
encouraged me to enter the Miss New York
Black Deaf Pageant and I was selected as
second runner up and best talent for signing
a Poem call “Brown Sugar Ain't That Sweet".
It is an experience I will always cherish.

Q. Wow! One tast Question... What are your
future plans and goals?

A. Well, I plan to do a six month internship
with IBM as a part of my coop requirements
and will be traveling in Europe this summer.
This means I will postpone my graduation
form LaGuardia until the Fall of 1989. After
that I hope to go to The Rochester Institute of
Technology in Rochester, NY for a Bachelor
of Science degree in accounting, gain work
experience for a couple of years and to get a
Master's degree in some related area. And I
would like to then get married, have a family
and eventually (hopefully) start a business of
my own,

Q. Wow, aren't you ambitious?

A. You bet I am. What is life without
ambition?

Q. Bingo ! Go for it.



COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
WHAT IS IT?
by
H. P. Menkis

If you want to combine your classroom
experiences with related work experience while
you are stili in college, then cooperative education
provides that special opportunity for you.

How does cooperative education work?

If you are a degree student at LaGuardia CC,
you are eligible to apply. You need to have skills
in your career choice that can be used on a job
before you can be involved with cooperative
education. For example, if you are in accounting
or data processing, you need to have skiils that will
enable you to do actual work on the job. This
usually means that you need to be in your second
year of training. (In some majors you may be
ready to begin by your second or third quarter of
training.)

Do I earn college credit for my cooperative
education work experience?
Yes, students earn college credit and gain
valuable work experience at the same time.

Am I paid for the work I do?

Usually students are paid for the work;
however, some companies provide only the work
experience and do not pay wages. Some people
may think, “I don't want to work if I don't get
Paid”. One thing you may want to consider is that
you are getting valuable work experience even if
you are not paid. When you go out on job
interviews, one question that is almost always
asked is, “Do you have work experience?” You will
be able to answer “Yes” because of your
cooperative education work experience. This also
is good to put down on your resume.

How is cooperative education work
experience supervised?
Each student will have a cooperative education
advisor and a supervisor from the company where
you work. Your progress will be discussed with
you so you will be aware of you r work strengths
and weakness. If your boss identifies job
weakness, you still have time while you are in
college to improve that skills you need to work on.

Can Deaf/Hearing Impaired students enroll
in cooperative education?

Yes. Deaf/Hearing Impaired students enrolled at

LaGuardia CC have to take cooperative education

since it isa requirement for graduation. All of our

graduates have obtained employment after

graduation from LaGuardia CC.

If you would like more information about
this, contact Ms. Pamela Dinkins,(718) 482-5312 or
Ms. Claudia Gregory (718) 482-5312 counselors in
the Programs for Deaf Adults, and they will be
happy to give you more information.

RECOGNITION CEREMONY

Theresa Lesting7

Friends and family of Theresa Lesting
Kotrys, a recent graduate of LaGuardia Community
College, gathered together on December 21, 1988, to
recognize the many contributions she has made to
Programs for Deaf Adults. Fern Khan, Associate
Dean of Continuing Education at LaGuardia
Community College, presented the certificate of
award to Theresa.

In addition to the continuous support and
encouragement she offered her fellow classmates,
Theresa was recognized for her involvement in
S.0.D.A. (Student Organization of Deaf Awareness),
her recruitment and publicity efforts for
Programs for Deaf Adults, as well as her volunteer
services to the continuing Education math classes
within the Program.

Programs for Deaf Adults would also like to
congratulate Theresa on her recent marriage to
Anthony Kotrys. We whish them a happy and
healthy life together.

STUDENTS INTERN: SANDRA RIVERS
The Programs for Deaf Adults will miss

their most recent intern from LaGuardia
Community College, Sandra Rivers. She has

completed her internship as a teacher's assistant
within the Academic Studies for Deaf Adults
(ASDA).



Sandra did a wonderful job and will be
missed by PDA staff, adjunct faculty and students.
Sandra was especially successful in her ability to
teach math to a student who had extreme
difficulties with mathematical concepts. She was
able to work on a one-to-one basis with this
student, use many creative visuals, thus, helping
him to understand rudimentary math skills.

We whish Sandra the best of luck with her
. future endeavors.

TEACHER PROFILE: JOEL GOLDFARB
by Dorothy Pakula

Programs for Deaf Adults would like to
present a profile of one of our outstanding adjunct
instructors. Joel Goldfarb has worked within PDA
since 1980, first as an ESL (English as a Second
Language) tutor and currently as a GED (General
Education Diploma) and Driver Education
instructor.

Mr. Goldfarb received his early education
from PS. 47, School for the Deaf and graduated
from Bryant High School in 1962. He later studied
Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute
of Technology while working as an American Sign
Language (ASL) instructor, a reverse Skills
Interpreter and an evaluator for the Metro
Registered Interpreters of the Deaf (RID). In 1970,
Mr. Goldfarb graduated with an Associates degree
in Mechanical Engineering.

In order to further his education, Mr.
Goldfarb attended the Brooklyn Campus of Long
. Island University and received his Bachelors
degree in Psychology in 1979. Mr, Goldfarb
completed his Masters of Deaf Education at Adelphi
University in 1980.

After graduating from Adelphi, Mr.
Goldfarb worked at PS. 47 as a paraprofessional
with students ranging from ages 16 - 21. When he
had completed two years as a paraprofessional, Mr.
Goldfarb continued to work there as a teacher for
four more years. Mr. Goldfarb is presently
working with emotionally disturbed deaf
adolescents at Manhattan Children's Psychiatric
Center.

During my interview with Mr. Goldfarb, I

_ asked him why he enjoyed teaching the Driver

Education course. He said, “I enjoy teaching deaf
aduits and preparing them to pass the written test
to receive their Learner's Permit. This course is
very rewarding and enjoyable. It gives me a good
feeling to see so many of my students pass the
exam (90% who have taken the exam passed). Some
of the students even cry with joy and astonishment
when they pass the written exam after they have
had several futile tries taking the exam on their
own. It has never failed to move me”

PDA is fortunate to have such a talented and
dedicated person among our adjuct staff.

DRIVER EDUCATION STUDENTS PASS
WRITTEN EXAM

The Programs for Deaf Adults congratulates
the ten Driver Education students who passed the
Department of Motor Vehicles written exam on
December 21, 1988.

All students passed with flying colors!!!

The Program also congratulates the course
instructor, Joel Goldfarb, for his success with the
students.



UPDATE: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR
DEAF PARENTS AND THEIR HEARING
CHILDREN

The Programs for Deaf Adults and College
for Children successfully ran a course this Fall for
deaf parents with hearing children from ages
three to six. Funded by the LaGuardia Incentive
Grant, this pilot provided a forum to share ideas
and theories about parenting issues, as well as
opportunities for preschoolers to interact.

The six workshops consisted of storytelling,
a panel of hearing children of deaf parents, a
panel of deaf parents with hearing children,
strategies for parent effectiveness and advocacy,
tips on fun ways to learn at home and an
orientation to the Brooklyn Children's Museum.

While parents attended workshops, their
children were having fun learning new skills
through watching filmstrips, listening to music,
dancing and attending a Sign Language
interpreted children's performance in LaGuardia's
Theater. The children were also involved in many
projects, and as a finale, a Signed performance was
presented to their parents. Kathy McAleer and
Enza Lavencop helped to make these six weeks
memorable ones for the children involved.

Certificates were awarded to parents and
children on the last day of class. Parents involved
in the project expressed their wishes that similar
courses continue in the future. We hope to see a
follow-up to these workshops this Spring.

ADJUNCT RECOGNITION: CHARLES FARR

The Programs for Deaf Adults presented a
Certificate to one of their outstanding instructors,
Charles Farr, during the Adjunct Recognition
Ceremony, September 26, 1988.

Mr. Farr began working in the Program as
atutor in 1981, and currently works as an adjunct
instructor for Word Processing and GED math
courses. Mr. Farr has offered much enthusiasm
and creativeness to the program in the past few
years. His success within the program can be seen
in the increased scores among students who
complete his courses and in the respect which he
gains from students.

This ceremony acknowledged the many
contributions Mr. Farr has offered to the Program.

latetetetetetereteteceteteteteteceteteteteletetetete cetyl

UPDATE: REGENTS COMPETENCY TEST
PREPARATION COURSE

Last Spring. Programs for Deaf Adults
offered a new course to deaf High School students.
Regents Competency Test Preparation. The course
is designed to prepare students for the Regents
Exams (RCT) in offer to receive a High School
diploma, and it has achieved its goals

Of the eight students attending classes last
Spring, three passed the Writing portion of the
RCT exam and came back to the Programs for Deaf
Adults to prepare for the Reading portion in
January, 1989.

One student from this same course
successfully passed all of her RCT exams and is
currently enrolled in the Programs for Deaf
Adult's College Preparation course

The Program would like to congratulate our
College Prep student and wish the best of fuck to
those who are scheduled to take the RCT exam in
January


INTERPRETER NEWS
by
Bonnie Singer

; PDA's Interpreter Services has been busy
this Fall ‘88 quarter! Approximately 175 hours per
week of interpreting services were requested
These requests included interpreting for:

* college classes,

* Continuing Education courses,

* anew course for deaf parents,

* degree students’ meetings with their
instructors,

* PDA staff,

* field trips for both ASDA and the
degree program,

* children's theater performances,

* Graduation,

* Honors Night,

* etc,

: We look forward to another busy
interpreting schedule for the Winter ‘89 quarter

Interpreter Preparation
Mini - Courses

Interpreting at LaGuardia is often a
challenge. PDA students have a wide range of
college majors and interest, therefore ".aGuardia
interpreters find themselves interpreting for
many different college courses.

To provide interpreters with a foundation
in courses with which they have no previous
background, Bonnie Singer, coordinator of
Interpreter Services has begun a pilot program of
Interpreter Preparation mini-courses. Two
courses were offered during the Fall ‘88 quarter:.

* Interpreter Prep for Introduction to
business was taught by Charies Farr, a deaf
accountant currently working in Manhattan, an
Adjunct Interpreter for LaGuardia's Programs for
Deaf Adults.

* Interpreter Prep for Accounting was
taught by Ed Alletto, a CSC interpreter whose
college background is in accounting and business.

We are currently working on developing a
mini-course for biology, as were have several
students registered for two biology related courses
for Winter ‘89. We hope to offer Interpreter Prep
for Biology sometime during the first few weeks of
the Winter ‘89 quarter

New Continuing Education
Training Program for Interpreters

Interpreters in the New York metropolitan
area are always looking for ways to keep
themselves abreast of new developments in the
field. LaGuardia's new Continuing
Education/Training Program for Interpreters, will
provide interpreters with the opportunity to
attend workshops, classes, and lab sessions to study
and further develop skills in the various
components of the interpreting process.
Scheduled for Winter and Spring ‘89 are:

* ASL for Interpreters, January 27 - 29,
taught by MJ Bienvenue, Co-Director of The
Bicultural Center in Md.,

* Mentoring for Interpreters, March 17
and 18, taught by Linda Siple, a well-known
interpreter trainer from NTID,

* Interpreting Process models, May 12 - 14,
taught by Betty Colonomos, Co-Director the The
Bicultruai Center in Md.

All three workshops will be offered with a
four week lab component. The lab was developed
for participants to have the opportunity to
assimilate a practice some of the new ideas and
skills presented in the workshops.

The lab is also open Monday and Wednesday
evenings, 4pm - 8pm, for all interested
interpreters. During these hours, activities are set
up to further explore the interpreting process.
Interpreters interested in working on individual
projects or specific topics can contact Bonnie
Singer, Coordinator of Interpreter Services to
make arrangements.

Wishing you a very happy holiday season and a
great new year!

STAFF NOTES

Kimberly Lucas is a Graduate Student in
Counseling at New York University majoring in
Deafness Rehabilitation and plans to graduate with
a Master's Degree this coming Spring. Kimberly is
currently serving her Internship with the
Programs for Deaf Adults as an assistant intake
counselor. We are delighted to have Kimberly
because she has been an asset in providing
optimum services to our Deaf students.

Pamela Dinkins, our veteran and senior
counselor will be on maternity leave beginning in
February and will return in July. She will be
missed. We wish her the best and a happy and
healthy baby.



Claudia Gregory has been appointed to
replace Terri Lapalme who resigned to pursue a
‘mew career with the Office of Vocational
Rehabilitation in Manhattan. Claudia had been
serving as a part-time counselor in the Programs
for Deaf Adults since last September. She brings
with her familiarity with LaGuardia Community
College where she received her AA degree in
Liberal Arts in 1984: Following her graduation
from LaGuardia, she attended the University of
Tennessee in Knoxville where she earned her

Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. The PDA ~

extends to Claudia congratulations on her successes
and a welcome home!

A GET WELL WISH TO WILLIAM PAEULA

The Programs for Deaf Adults wishes
William Pakula a BIG get well wish for 1989.
William, husband of Dorothy Pakula (Assistant to
the Academic Coordinator of PDA), has been in and
out of the hospital since last October due to heart
problem.

We ail miss William's humor and warm
personality which he always brought to LaGuardia.

We also send our best wishes for 1989 to
Dorothy Pakula, who has kept up her usual
energetic and cheery demeanor throughout the
difficult months of her husband's illness.

Cumputer Lab Class

Lab Tech.=T. Samuels, ‘
Students=A. Sassano, J. Baez, L. Figueroa W.
Lozarda, L. Martinez, S. Guicardi, G. Johnson K.
Moher, S. Gether

Lexington School of the Deaf Welcomes
Seido Karaio
by Phyllis Iliges

Seido Karate for Deaf Adults, offered
through Programs for Deaf Adults, LaGuardia
Community College, held its first demonstration for
the Lexington School for the Deaf on December 8,
1988. Cheers and applause from an enthusiastic
audience confirmed the evening's success. Those
who gathered initially out of curiosity remained
out of genuine interest.

Phyllis Iliges, black belt instructor for the
Deaf Karate program,. introduced Sensei Sana
Bennett, 4th degree black belt from the World
Seido Karate Organization. Sensei Sana led th
demonstration with a group of his students, who
illustrated basic techniques as a group. More
advanced students demonstrated _ self-defense
techniques and kata, a basic form telling the story
of an imaginary fight.

Those who stuck around for the grand
finale were not disappointed. Sensei Sana jumped
over most of his students and several volunteers
form the audience to fiy through the air and break
the board awaiting him on the other side,. For
disbelievers who think these kinds of things only
happen in movies, this was a fantasy brought to
life.

Reports are that the new Deaf Karate
students are doing beautifully in the class and are
enjoying the experience as well. By this time next
year, they will all be “lethal weapons”.



TO DOROTHY PAKULA . 7
; : : I would like to give this speech to the
Assistant Academic Coordinator wonderful lady whose name is Dorothy Pakula. I
; am sure that all of you know her. Her job is
Assistant Academic Coordinator. I have known her
over two years since I entered the G.1S. programs.
I truly admire her... why? I can give you many
reasons.

She is helpful

Encourage me to transfer to the credit program
Help me when I needed to talk about my problems
Advised me on academic work

She takes time to help people with their work
Really cares about me and other students

Can you imagine why ! would like to make a
tribute to her? The way | feel about her is I think
she isa wonderful person. She is a special person
and has a very warm and nice personality. I would
like to be like her some day.

DOROTHY PAEULA By Jennifer Bausano

The following article is a speech by
Jennifer Bausano, a student in the HUC Speech
Communications class November, 1988.

Programs for Deaf Adults
Dean Judith McGaughey
Associate Dean Kenneth Cottrell
Associate Dean Fern Khan
Director Harmon P. Menkis

VS SSS SSSSOSOOF

Production Staff
Thomas Samuels... Production Editor
Desiree Dudia........... Managing Editor
Harmon Menkis......Consulting Editor

Phyllis Iliges........... Contributing Editors
Dorothy Pakula..... Contributing Editors
TRAVEL DIRECTIONS: (SEES
BY SUBWAY BY BUS BY.CAR This Newsletter is published three
The ieg canteen emi by ee mee Naber ope wetsing ge Sie goes pl quarters per year (Fall-Winter-
From she Bune: The QBX-! bs fom Comp From Ques The Lang ind Eapreren Spring) by Programs for Deaf Adults
City vo Mam Serer, Flom snd ermeer vo the wevt 00 Van Dm Sent. Mabe righ r c
BY sae eee ee ee LaGuardia Community College
mien tte poorer ee Toral 31-10 Thomson Avenue
Rratactaser asec cgecipeedpe tomes com Long Island City, NY 11101
ee ee (718) 482-5320
: Sse
wae

INNNANNANAXANNANSD