Houston…we have a party!” In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum will host a 1969-theme party from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 20.
The event will include 1960s-themed hors d’oeuvres and mocktails. Guests are encouraged to dress in 1960’s-era costumes and will be treated to a performance by Austin’s premier Motown tribute band, Groove Knight. Party tickets are $35 each for adults, $25 for museum members and Baylor students and can be purchased at the front desk or online at www.MaybornMuseum.com.
During the event, both the SpaceX and Be the Astronaut exhibits will be open at the
museum with available photo ops for guests. Designed in consultation with an advisory panel of NASA experts, Be the Astronaut exhibit gives visitors a sense of real astronaut pretraining with the use of touch screen stations, artifacts and interactive simulator pods built to look like space capsules.
SpaceX: This is Rocket Science exhibit features a rocket model and thruster engine, projection video, vibrant scale representation of our solar system along with historic facts of rocket development and testing facility located in McGregor, Texas.
“We are inviting all of our interested adult patrons to slip into their Nehru jacket or maxi skirt, tuck the kids into bed, and join us for an evening to commemorate mankind’s greatest leap of the 20th century,” said Charles Walter, director of the Mayborn Museum.
The historic event occurred on July 20, 1969 when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin famously made “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” by landing on the moon.
“July 20th represents one of man’s crowing achievements when Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon,” Walter said. “We hope this party will be a fun and playful way to celebrate one of the most historic moments our country witnessed during the 20th century.”
About the Mayborn Museum – The Mayborn Museum Complex at Baylor University provides a wide spectrum of
learning opportunities to engage visitors of all ages. The exhibits and education programs encourage families to learn together and design their own museum experience. This complex features a natural science and cultural history museum focusing on Central Texas with walk-in dioramas including one of the Waco Mammoth Site. The Mayborn Museum Complex also encompasses a multi-floor science discovery center encouraging hands-on learning for all ages and the Gov. Bill & Vara Daniel Historic Village. The nine wood frame buildings that comprise the village provide a glimpse into the past, bringing to life a community in the 1890s.
The museum’s hours are: Monday-Saturday 10 am- 5 pm
Thursday 10 am-8 pm
Sunday 1 pm-5 pm
The Mayborn Museum is open all year long except for the following: New Year’s Day, Good Friday through Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and all Baylor University home football game dates. The museum is located at 1300 S. University Parks Drive, Waco, Texas 76706. For more information, call 254-710-1110 or visit www.MaybornMuseum.com.
Press release
“Reunited and it feels so good!! This is the theme of this year’s 16th Biennial A. J. Moore High School Reunion (July 5, 6, & 7, 2019). A lot of planning has gone into making this year’s Reunion extra-special. We will celebrate the Golden Anniversaries of the Classes of 1968 and 1969 with a flair. In addition, all alumni veterans are invited to attend a lunch sponsored by several alumni and Jeff Hunter Toyota. There is no charge for alumni veterans who are registered for the Reunion. Already, more than 45 alumni veterans have registered for the luncheon.
Prior to the Alumni Veterans Luncheon there will be a business meeting where several elected civic leaders will greet alumni. Scholarships will be awarded to AJMHs legacy high school graduates.
In addition to coming together for the usual celebrating, cordiality, congratulating, and social meeting, alumni will have an opportunity to record their memories and reflections as part of an oral history project in collaboration with Baylor Oral History Department. This will be very important as it will add to contributions from others who lived and shared the AJMHS story. The school has been closed since 1971 and there are fewer voices left to share the legacy with each passing day. AJMHS alumni want the traditions, achievements, goals, and our voices to live on in recorded recollections.
On Friday, “Denim and Diamond” night, alumni will celebrate with a parade of classes from all years past, casino games, brunch, and awards to elected alumni civic leaders. On Saturday, “All White Unity Night,” alumni will celebrate with a banquet featuring Dr. Hazel Rowe, Interim Superintendent of Waco ISD. Music and dancing follows each night’s events.
Sunday morning begins with worship service and there will be a barbeque picnic that afternoon.
All events will take place in the Brazos Room at Waco Convention. For additional information visit our website.
A. J. Moore High School Alumni Association thanks everyone who is supporting this year’s Reunion. We want to send a special note of gratitude to Amy Hunter (Jeff-Hunter Toyota), Peter Kultgen (Bird-Kultgen Ford), Magnolia Market at The Silos, Ty White (Golden Corral), Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group, Awards Specialties, M & M Mars, Melvin Lipsitz (M. Lipsitz & Co.), Hilton Hotels and Resorts – Waco, and the City of Waco.
Press release
Caritas of Waco has received a $200,000 grant to continue a case management program specifically for low-income veterans, offering guidance for veterans living at or near the poverty level through a process to help them overcome financial, emotional, educational, employment and other barriers to success. The program’s goal is to assist these veterans in moving out of poverty by becoming more self-sufficient and less reliant on emergency assistance programs.
“Caritas is very excited about continuing this program and the benefits it will bring to veterans in our area,” said Tammy Stevens, Client Services Director at Caritas. “We have had numerous success stories with our case management veterans and we look forward to serving many more,” she added.
The Caritas Veterans’ Case Management Program will serve a veteran of any era and service branch who has had an honorable discharge, who resides in the six-county service area (McLennan, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone) and who has an annual income no greater than 200% of the federal poverty level. Caritas case management staff will offer a variety of direct and supportive services that veterans need to reach individual goals.
Veterans may contact Caritas directly in person, by phone or through referral from another service provider for information about the program. Individuals will speak with the veterans’ case manager to arrange an assessment of eligibility for participation in the program. Thereafter, the veteran will work with the case manager to carry out a needs assessment and begin work on a “plan of action” to address areas of need in the veteran’s life.
Caritas of Waco is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that serves McLennan County and the surrounding area by providing individuals and families with urgent support and long-term solutions to poverty.
For interviews or more information, contact Tammy Stevens by telephone at 254-753-4593 (extension 227), by e-mail ([email protected]), or in person at 300 South 15th Street.
This program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families.
By Christina Chan-Park
When the founders of the United States established the decennial census in Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, they wanted to use the “enumeration” to give the people rights and privileges. Historically, censuses were used for conscription or taxation purposes (remember the bible story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem for the census?); it was a way for those in power to wield control. But the US census is used to give power to the people. Getting an accurate census count ensures shared governance.
Most people are aware that the census determines how many congresspersons each state gets in the House of Representatives, but they might be less aware that it is also used to distribute $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs. Getting an accurate census count means that your community gets its fair share of resources from the taxes you have paid.
The data collected in the census is not locked up in a vault somewhere but is available to the public for free. These data are accessible to companies, developers, local governments, and even individuals. They can inform decisions on where to establish new businesses or how to revitalize old neighborhoods. They can be used to prepare plans for public safety and emergencies. Getting an accurate census account provides tools and information for local community development.
The census bureau collects more information that just how many people there are and where they live. On the census they also ask about the sex, age and race of each person. For months before the April 1 census date, the census bureau and local communities work on educating the public about why they needed to be counted and ensuring them that there are only positive and no negative consequences to being counted. Getting an accurate census count ensures everyone is counted once and only once.
Go explore census.gov (where I cribbed a lot of my information). There you can find more on how census data are gathered and used; what data is gathered in between the decennial censuses; and even download data and learn about your community. Just remember: getting an accurate census count is important.
Christina Chan-Park serves as the President of the League of Women Voters Waco. To join or learn more about LWV Waco, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LWVWaco/ or email us at [email protected].
By Glenn Robinson
Healthcare is changing rapidly with the constant development of new technology. While these developments allow us to better diagnose and treat patients, connect with the community, and promote wellness, it is important to remember that nothing can replace the trust and communication between a patient and their doctor when it comes to your health.
This month, we explore three new developments in healthcare technology and how they may affect your future care.
Prescription Kiosks
You’ve long been able to get food, drinks, money, and even DVDs out of machine kiosks. Now, there is something else Waco residents can get from similarly designed machines – their prescription medications.
In April, Baylor Scott & White Health installed the first remote prescription kiosk of its kind in Texas on the campus of the Texas Farm Bureau Headquarters in Waco, with more kiosks to be installed throughout the region in the coming months.
The pharmacy kiosks are being introduced at various locations to make filling prescriptions easier for more patients. Making managing your health easier and more convenient is one of the primary focuses of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, as well as federal and state regulatory agencies.
In fact, the kiosks themselves are as much a regulatory breakthrough as a technological one. After a year of evaluation, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy approved new rules that took effect in June of last year allowing Texas pharmacies to deliver medications outside of retail pharmacy locations via a kiosk. These kiosks must maintain the security of the medication and the efficacy of the medication during its storage.
While different kiosks may have different features, Baylor Scott & White kiosks fill all prescriptions and make prescriptions available within hours of pharmacy receipt. They can be picked up 24-hours a day, and pharmacist consultations are available via phone or video.
As they grow in number, kiosks will hopefully help make sticking to a medication plan easier to swallow.
Trackable Pill
Privacy concerns over technology are not just limited to social media and smart phones. A recent poll found that doctors are evenly divided over the cost and ethical implications of smart pills – an innovative technology which embeds sensors into medication to allow healthcare providers to monitor when it is taken.
The so-called smart pill contains a sensor about the size of a grain of sand that detects, records, and transmits the date and time a pill is ingested to a patch worn by the patient. The patch then relays the data via a smart phone application to doctors, family members, or other caregivers.
The greatest potential benefit of smart pills is that patients may be more likely to take their medicine if they know it is being tracked. Experts estimate that medication noncompliance costs $100 billion a year – much of it due to patients getting sicker and needing additional treatment or hospitalization because they didn’t take their medicine appropriately.
In fact, according to some estimates, patients not taking their medications as prescribed leads to about 10% of hospitalizations and 125,000 preventable deaths in the U.S. each year.
On the other hand, smart pills have the potential to lead to false-negative readings and can stir anxiety among patients about having their behavior tracked. There also is no evidence thus far that this technology will help patients take their medication as prescribed.
Regardless, with the Food and Drug Administration approving the first smart pill in late 2017, this technology’s potential is something worth tracking.
Clinical Wearables
One smart device maker recently issued an odd warning – its new smart watch technology to detect atrial fibrillation is not intended for people who have atrial fibrillation.
The truth is that a gadget worn on the wrist is simply not accurate enough to assess serious medical conditions. It’s mostly a vehicle for conversations with your doctor.
Stanford researchers working with the smartwatch maker to detect atrial fibrillation probably won’t cause an epidemic of worrisome diagnoses, but it didn’t really answer most of the questions doctors or consumers have about using the watch as intended.
With that in mind, the smartwatch company is now teaming with a large healthcare company to a conduct a study of 180,000 people over the age of 65 to get a better understanding of its own device’s impact on health.
As wearable smart technology makers push more deeply into healthcare, their creations are crossing the line into becoming medical devices. Although they may fit the definition of medical devices, the Food and Drug Administration has expressed little interest in regulating low-risk fitness monitors that are promoted for general “wellness.”
In practice, this means that companies can make exaggerated claims about the effectiveness of their devices for promoting wellness while doctors are puzzled about how to effectively use the sometimes-unreliable data the devices provide.
So, for the time being, patients’ best bet is trusting their instincts and their medical providers – not their smart watches – for diagnosing potential serious health events.
Glenn Robinson is the President of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest. He has over 30 years experience in hospital and health care management, and currently serves on several Boards associated with the Texas Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association. In addition, Glenn is Past-Chair and an active member of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Prosper Waco Board.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
(This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT)
By Jennifer Whitlark
Welcome to our 4th and final blog post in our CASA series.
Today, we have some Q&A with advocate Jennifer Whitlark, a working professional who makes time to contribute to her community even amidst her busy schedule.
How did you initially become interested in CASA?
I heard about CASA around town for several years before I got involved. I knew it was a great organization and I waited until I had some more space in my work life in order to join the organization.
What made you decide to get involved?
I work as a school administrator in Waco but I deal mainly with academics in my work and I was really interested in being more involved with the family side of things with the students. Being a CASA allowed me to experience this piece in a new way. Also, given the population I work with in my job, I knew the needs of children in hard situations and this gave me an avenue to work with them and try and make a difference. I also just feel called to love children and care for them.
Can you tell us a bit about your experience with CASA training and how it prepared you for your advocacy?
The training was a great time to learn the law as well as the good and hard points of being a CASA. It was helpful to hear stories of others’ experiences and also hear about all of the supports in place for advocates.
How does your CASA Supervisor support you in your advocacy? Has that coaching relationship been valuable to you?
My CASA supervisor has been a great sounding board for me. He has answered my questions, given my advice, and encouraged me. It has been a very beneficial relationship and his help has been invaluable.
How do you balance CASA and working full time?
I have to work to intentionally balance CASA responsibilities with my job. I have to carve out time to see my CASA child, write reports, and make phone calls. There are seasons when this is harder than others but it has been fine once I found ways to make this happen.
What is a highlight from your CASA advocacy so far when you felt like you made an impact?
At the beginning of my first case, the mom was very standoffish. She didn’t know me and didn’t trust me. She was shy, self-conscious, and defensive. I had to work to slowly break down the wall she had built around herself. Fast forward to 1.5 years later she was truly a different person. At her last court hearing her case was finally dismissed and she got her kids back. The whole courtroom clapped and cheered and she cried. She gave me a big hug and we celebrated. I drove her home from court that day and she told me how much she had grown and how much she had learned. She said she never wished this upon anyone but she explained how much more confident she felt as a mom and how this process has helped her in life. It was such a great conversation and as I reflected on how much she had truly grown from when I met her it was a confirmation that CASAs can make a difference in lives.
To learn more about CASA of McLennan County and the need for more advocates, visit our website at www.casaforeverychild.org or find us on social media @casamclennan.
If you have questions or are ready to begin advocating for children in foster care, email our CASA Recruiter, Kate Gilbert, at [email protected].
Jennifer has called Waco home for 20 years. She is originally from California but came to Waco to attend Baylor and never left. She has worked at Rapoport Academy since 2003, first as a 4th grade teacher for six years, then she stepped into administration as the Dean of Academics over the Elementary Campuses. Her husband, Jason, teaches at Baylor University and they have a 12-year-old daughter, Hannah. In her free time, when she’s not working or advocating for her CASA kids, Jennifer likes to read and work on cross stitching.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Kristi Pereira
I love collaborating. I love being in a room of colleagues and fellow community members, discussing projects and plans, and exploring ways in which we can work together to achieve a common goal. And I especially love this if that common goal is something that has the potential to create an improved quality of life in our beloved Waco. There is very little that is as satisfying to me professionally as when individuals come together to create something meaningful that benefits our community as a whole.
I have had the privilege of working for and with several non-profits within our community, and I now serve as the Coordinator of Community Programs in McLennan Community College’s Continuing Education Department. Over the past several years, I have enjoyed a great deal of partnering, networking, and you guessed it….collaborating. The projects and plans that I have witnessed come together the most successfully can be attributed to each person’s commitment to diligently working together in order to see the task through to the end. I am incredibly grateful to work in a position where I get to witness this very thing on nearly a daily basis. Our Continuing Education mission statement specifically states that we are “deeply committed to the advancement and enrichment of Waco and McLennan County through our collaborations to offer the best learning experiences possible.” We accomplish this in a number of ways, and like links in a chain, we cannot optimally function without every piece coming together.
It starts with our students. Our community has supported our mission to provide lifelong learning for more than 50 years! This long-term dedication has allowed our programs to grow and flourish, all while bringing people together from all walks of life to learn new skills and hobbies. From the children who attend Kids College, to the adults who prioritize lifelong learning, we would not exist without each student’s desire to expand their knowledge through our courses.
Furthermore, we would not function without our incredible team of instructors. Our instructors plan, prepare, and execute courses that meet a wide variety of needs within our community. They come to us excited to share their knowledge and experiences, and we are grateful for their influence. Even during my short time at MCC, I have heard stories of individuals gaining skills that helped them land their dream job, or others turning what was initially a hobby into a thriving career.
Another important link in the collaboration chain are our community partners. In recent years we have established partnerships with a number of local businesses and organization who have helped us expand and promote our course offerings. These partners have opened the doors of their businesses to help us reach an even broader audience, as well as provide new and unique learning opportunities to members of the Waco community.
I am proud to work for an institution that encourages partnership, and also to live in a city that embraces interconnection. We like to say in the Continuing Education Department that “Life is Good in Waco” (we print this very phrase on all of our publications!) And it is true! And life will continue to be good in Waco every time we choose to link together, creating an unbreakable chain of community collaboration.
Here’s the link to see what MCC Continuing Education has to offer: http://www.mclennan.edu/continuing-education/
Kristi Pereira is the Coordinator of Community Programs at McLennan Community College, through the Continuing Education Department. Originally from the Pineywoods of East Texas, she has called Waco home for almost 12 years. Kristi enjoys all things fitness and nutrition, reading, volunteering, and a good cup of coffee. She has been married to her husband Hermann, for almost 15 years, and they have two kids, Hudson and Ruby.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
“’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself though, not a Montague….
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet….”
Juliet was saying that a family name, or a group identity, is less important than the qualities of an individual. However, in Juliet’s speech and the rest of the famous “balcony scene,” Shakespeare reveals both Romeo and Juliet to be naïve and blinded by love. In fact, names mean a lot, as the young lovers would soon learn.
What does the name “Shakespeare” mean to you? His name gets used like a “brand” to mean someone who’s good with words, the way someone who’s smart in science gets called “Einstein.”
I’ve loved Shakespeare since I was a little girl. I grew up in Atlanta, and my dad used to take me to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival every summer, where we’d see three different Shakespeare plays in two days. Because I was young, and often didn’t understand everything that was being said by the adults around me, it didn’t bother me that I didn’t understand everything that was being said on the stage. When his stories were being performed by actors who knew what they were doing, his fancy words were a bonus, not a barrier.
Does Shakespeare have anything to say to us today in Waco? Some friends and I think so. I’m a theatre director and, since I moved to Waco nearly three years ago, I’ve gotten to know many people in the theatre community. Two in particular, Stefanie Wheat-Johnson and Trent Sutton, have similar interests and aspirations to mine, and we decided to collaborate on three “Shakespeare Studio” productions. These will bring together the best scenes, speeches, and sonnets from Shakespeare’s work around a particular theme. Our first, Love and War, will be performed July 16-18, and will feature a dozen talented actors ranging from high school students to community theatre regulars to professional actors. Our second Shakespeare Studio production will be Music, Magic…and Murder at Halloween, followed by Law and Order in the spring. Then…a full-length Shakespeare-in-the-Park production next summer!
Our arts organization is called “InSite.” What does that name mean? It’s a play on the word “insight,” which we believe happens when we thoughtfully engage with the arts. It’s also a play on the word “site,” or location. Since we don’t have a theatre building, we’ll be doing the plays “in sites” around Waco. Love and War will be presented at Brotherwell Tap Room in East Waco, which is much more like the places where Shakespeare’s plays would have originally been presented than the dark, quiet theatres of today.
Our name also refers to the fact that InSite is a “creative placemaking” initiative. The practice of creative placemaking is based in the belief that the arts and creativity are necessary to the identity and thriving of a community. When we gather around stories, events, and works of art that are meaningful to us, we help make Waco a great place to live, work, and visit!
In addition to Shakespeare, we have more fun and interesting performances planned! Learn more about InSite and the Shakespeare Studios, buy tickets, and join our email list at www.insitewaco.com; and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Luann Purcell Jennings (writer), Trent Sutton, and Stefanie Wheat-Johnson have, among them, more than 50 years of experience in directing, teaching, community building, Christian ministry, organizational startup, and more. They are creative, motivated, and determined to see Waco impacted by the ways that art can transform this beautiful city.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Mike Mellina
(This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT)
Welcome to the third post in our CASA blog series, which provides a close up look at our advocacy from a CASA volunteer’s perspective.
Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from a tenured CASA volunteer, Mike Mellina, who includes CASA in his various volunteer activities as he seeks to give back to his Waco community.
Mike has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate for six years and is currently appointed to two cases simultaneously, which are the third and fourth cases he has had. Though most advocates are assigned to just one case at a time, Mike is a rock star who has taken on two. Each of his cases have happened to only have one child per case, so he has been an advocate for four children so far.
Before he became an advocate, Mike had no knowledge of CASA, but he saw a billboard or an ad in passing. Then shortly after, he headed to his church, First United Methodist Church Waco, and found a little CASA bookmark clipped to his church name tag with information about becoming a CASA volunteer. He decided to call and learn more, then decided to give it a shot and, as Mike says, “it snowballed from there.”
Mike has been retired for almost nine years and enjoys spending his time giving back to our community. He says volunteering is a good way to fill his time and the fact that he did have time to give helped him take the leap and get involved with CASA.
As mentioned above, Mike didn’t know much about CASA when he jumped in. He went through the training process along with a small group of other advocates, and heard from different CASA staff as well as current advocates during the training, which provided him a good view of the advocacy work involved. The training helped him realize this is not your average volunteer opportunity and that there is a lot involved with advocating for children in foster care. He was able to form a realistic view of what his volunteer role would look like. “All the CASA staff have been super supportive”, Mike said of his time as a volunteer. “I’ve never felt like I’ve been on my own.” He has been involved beyond his casework, such as with continuing education that CASA provides to advocates, and really enjoys helping with public awareness efforts or events that CASA engages in, like a CASA booth at Waco Wonderland or the annual Crawfish for CASA fundraiser event. “I’m willing to pitch in however I’m needed,” Mike said with a smile.
Mike has a bit of advice for anyone considering becoming a CASA. “Be patient and give yourself time, don’t make quick judgments. I like defined goals and no ambiguity and CASA is a lot of ambiguity. If you’re volunteering to pick up trash, you pick it up and put it in the bag. With CASA, there are so many variables. I had no idea how any of this foster care stuff works, and it takes a while to learn all that. Don’t be hard on yourself. The training is good. Rely on the staff support.” He added that even with the learning curve, it is a very doable and rewarding volunteer experience.
When asked what he has enjoyed most about his time as a CASA volunteer, Mike said “Seeing positive results for children. Seeing a kid that you may have had doubts about their chances in life and seeing, to your surprise, the outcome turned out better than you thought it could’ve been for them when you first met them and met their situation. If nobody jumps in, then maybe nothing positive would have happened.”
Mike saw this first hand with one of his CASA cases. When he first met the child involved in the case and learned the circumstances, he thought “this kid doesn’t have a chance”. But in the end, in part because of Mike’s advocacy, he was reunited with family in a safe environment. After the case had closed, Mike reconnected with him and they have kept in contact since, though without any CASA involvement. The child was 14 when the case began and is now about to turn 20, has a great job, is about to get his own apartment. Mike sees him every week and helped him complete his GED. Not only is he doing great personally, but he also chooses to give back to the community and serve in a volunteer role, much like the example Mike has set for him, and he hopes to be able to share his story with other youth in foster care.
To learn more about CASA of McLennan County and the need for more advocates, visit our website at www.casaforeverychild.org or find us on social media @casamclennan.
If you have questions or are ready to begin advocating for children in foster care, email our CASA Recruiter, Kate Gilbert, at [email protected].
Mike Mellina is a retired Wacoan who built his entire career of 38 years at Southwestern Bell, which was purchased by AT&T. He has lived almost his whole life in Texas, except for 2 months as a baby in California. Mike began his career in Houston but transferred his job and moved to Waco in 1983, to be closer to his Dad who operated a ranch in nearby Groesbeck. Mike and his wife, Kate, raised their three kids here, who are now all grown. Mike and Kate have seven grandkids and another one on the way. Aside from his advocacy with CASA, Mike is highly involved in his church, First United Methodist Church Waco. He also gives back to our community as a Reading Buddy in Waco ISD schools and is part of the youth prison ministry out of FUMC.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Teresa Porter
I was born with the ability to hear.
I moved around a lot and landed in Waco around 2002. In the fall of 2003, I met my first Deaf person after he moved into the apartment above mine. One morning, he was trying to start his car, and it just wouldn’t start. After watching for a while, I approached and started asking questions.
At first I thought he was ignoring me, then he looked up and seemed startled by my presence. When he raised his hands and started signing, it was my turn to be startled. He repeated it twice. I slowly shook my head no, then turned and quickly went into my apartment for a pen and notepad. I learned several things that day, including how tiresome it can be to have a conversation with only a pen and paper.
One of the things he told me was, “We need interpreters more than we need mechanics.” Huh. Okay. So I left the Diesel program at TSTC and enrolled in MCC’s Interpreter program.
During the next several months, my eyes were opened to a new world, the Deaf World. I remember the first time I went to Deaf Club. I was overwhelmed, not just because I could barely spell my name in ASL, but by the beauty. So many people, so many hands, so beautiful, so noisy. It’s still hard to put it into words.
I learned the difference between deaf people and Deaf people. I learned about the role of interpreters, the cultural diversity, grammar rules, and the language and its dialects. I learned about the perspective, the pride, and the discrimination they face every day. I finished the program and failed the certification test, but set a goal to save money and try again. Funny thing about goals is, sometimes life happens.
You can’t outrun your genetics. I watched my grandmother slowly lose her hearing as she aged. I remember smirking at her when she said it would happen to me. She would urge me to use earplugs constantly. I laughed it off. I was so cocky. I grew up under the elbow of a mechanic, in a noisy environment using noisy tools, working on noisy engines. It never bothered me, and I could still listen to concertos and pick out a specific instrument and focus on it. My hearing was fine. Or so I thought.
One day I went to a fellow wrench-turner for help diagnosing a noise. He got in the car, I put it in reverse and backed out of the parking space. He got a strange expression on his face. I put it in drive and slowly rolled forward. He insisted I stop the car. He told me he wasn’t going anywhere with me until I changed the wheel bearings. I argued with him a little. I didn’t hear it. We put the car on the lift and he spun the tires. I still didn’t hear it. We disassembled one wheel. The bearing fell apart in my hand. All four wheel bearings were on the verge of locking up. We probably would have died if we had taken the car on the interstate to duplicate the noise.
I scheduled a hearing test, and left the audiologist’s office numb with brochures on hearing aids and hearing loss. I was 30. I lived in denial. I didn’t buy the hearing aids, I didn’t start using earplugs. I didn’t even cover my ears when I stood next to a race car.
For years my work schedule conflicted with Deaf Club, so I lost touch. After graduating from the program, to keep my skills from completely deteriorating, I volunteered at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway as their interpreter. Five years ago, I began having trouble understanding the announcer. Three years ago, I made my confession to the promoter. I can’t understand the announcer at all anymore. I still hear the noise, but it’s just noise. To my surprise, he told me to keep doing it. I can’t call myself an interpreter because that’s not what I do anymore. I’m the announcer for the Deaf.
Five years ago, it became harder to live in denial. I was managing a small repair shop doing everything except turning wrenches, slowly becoming increasingly frustrated with the telephone. I didn’t mind that it rang constantly, but I was really struggling to understand women and anyone with an accent. There were times that I would answer the phone, hear noise and say, “I’m sorry, a little louder and a little slower.” Noise again. “I’m sorry, one more time please?”
If they repeated the exact same phrase the exact same way, I was able to figure out what they were saying. If they changed what they said, I had to ask for more repeats. Eventually they would hang up.
There were days I got so frustrated that I would stop asking for repeats and tell them, “Look, if you found the phone number, you found the email address. Just send me an email.” Within a year I was having trouble understanding men too.
I had to tell the business owner that I could no longer perform that particular function of my job. I started trying to learn to lipread. I lost the ability to listen to the radio. (Oh, how I miss NPR!) I lost the ability to watch television without captions. I began to notice how many videos, livestreams, webinars, conference calls, etc. have no captions. It seems like a new podcast or radio interview pops up daily, sometimes an acquaintance will ask if I heard it. I smile through the small twinge of pain and ask if there’s a transcript available. They look at me like I’m from another planet. Sometimes I contact the radio show host and request a transcript, only to be ignored.
If it’s something really important, I will open one of the speech-to-text apps on my phone and play the video or audio recording. The translations can vary in accuracy, so sometimes I have to replay it multiple times using different apps, then try to piece the transcripts together and try to make sense of it. I think it’s weird to see captions on sign language videos like The Daily Moth, but no captions for WCCC-TV. If it’s important enough to tell hearing people, isn’t it important enough to tell Deaf people too?
Last year I got my first pair of reading glasses. Several months ago I noticed I was struggling to lipread more than I ever had before. I was getting more headaches, my eyes were hurting more, I was more exhausted by the end of the day. I got my eyes checked again, still the same as last year, but I noticed I had more trouble understanding the optometrist.
I hadn’t had a hearing test in a decade, so I made the appointment for the audiologist. I just knew I would end up getting a sales pitch for a hearing aid. I wasn’t expecting to see the words “too profound” and “cochlear implant.”
I played it cool as I left the office, but a few blocks away it hit me hard. Grandma wasn’t this deaf until she was 60. It’s happening too fast. Yeah, well, grandma spent her time in quiet classrooms, not around noisy race cars. Environmental plus genetic equals accelerated deafness.
Waco has a small Deaf population when compared to cities like Austin, so many people are ignorant about the federally protected rights of Deaf people. The Americans with Disabilities Act is more than 30 years old, but many businesses are unaware of their responsibilities. The ADA is a lot more than wheelchair ramps, braille, and service animals. It’s about equal access to communication and information. Federal law says you are required to provide “reasonable accommodations.”
We can negotiate on what those accommodations are, but you can’t exclude me. Expecting me to lipread around a microphone in bad lighting is unreasonable. Expecting me to lipread the back of someone’s head or the side of someone’s face is not only unreasonable, it’s impossible. Expecting me to understand more than half of what you say without an interpreter is unreasonable. Telling me I have to request an interpreter more than two weeks in advance is just ridiculous.
As my world slowly becomes quieter, I find myself more isolated. I’m alone in a crowded room filled with hearing people. Someone tells a joke, they laugh. I smile, but I have no idea what was so funny. I can only read one set of lips at a time, and some lips have no words on them. Lipreading is very difficult, and it’s very visually taxing and tiring.
My speech is still clear, I can still speak without an interpreter. I see the strange looks when I request an interpreter. I’ve even been told, “You’re not deaf.” I say, “Hear the world through my ears for one day and see for yourself.”
I speak to accommodate you. I’m not asking for an interpreter because I can’t hear, but because you don’t sign. You do want me to understand everything you say, right?
This isn’t the path “normal” people take. There is no guide for this transition. I still have a lot to learn and relearn as my hearing continues to fade. I wouldn’t know how to cope with this loss if I didn’t know about the Deaf World. I see every Deaf person as a role model. They are beautiful, strong, and so intelligent. Thanks to the local Deaf community, I know I’m not alone. Once a month, for a few short hours, I don’t have to struggle to lipread. They are my strength, my teachers, my future.
Thanks- not only to the local Deaf community, but also to famous Deaf people like Bernard Bragg, Peter Cook, Marlee Matlin, Ken Glickman, Nyle DiMarco, and so many more, my perspective is changed. This is a gift. I’ve never met a “dumb” Deaf person, but I’ve met plenty of dumb hearing people. I am not losing my hearing, I’m gaining my Deafness. I’m not disabled, I’m differently-abled. I am not “hearing impaired”, they are “Deaf impaired.” The saying is, if you love someone, you show it. Love isn’t blind. Love is DEAF.
Teresa Porter is a native Texan, automotive enthusiast, and novice gardener. In her spare time, she is a freelance writer, researcher, and community activist.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.