Welcome to the September 8, 2023 issue of Hi5! The 2023-2024 academic year is underway! We wish you all a good year.

Here are our Top Five stories.  
1  

“Be passionately curious.” This was the theme of President Cordano’s Welcome Home address last Thursday in Elstad Auditorium. President Cordano also reviewed the previous year’s many accomplishments and formally introduced new Provost Khadijat Rashid. BisonFest later in the day was hugely successful. Together, these two events set the tone for an exciting year ahead!

2  

Provost Rashid announced on August 17 the establishment of the Center for Deaf Latine Studies, or Nuestra Casa (Our House). This comes in response to requests by our Latine students, faculty, and staff. CLDS will support teaching, learning, and research in Latine Deaf Studies and other disciplines that benefit from more comprehensive coverage of the Latine Deaf experience, such as history, literature, psychology, sociology, and religion. Norma Morán and Leticia Arellano will lead the Center this year.
 
3 

Our faculty, staff, and alumni had a major role in many summer conferences, including Deaf Seniors of America, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and National Black Deaf Advocates. This week’s Hi5 will include a round-up of these coreferences.

4  

There is a lot going on in and around the Field House. The parking lot and underground garage behind the Field House is getting a much-needed facelift. The patio at the entrance to the building is being completely made over. Both outside projects should be complete by mid-October. And inside, Padden Court has a new look, with stunning art by recent graduate Isabella Paulone. Come and be amazed!

5

Motion Light Lab creative designer Yiqiao Wang is in the news once again. She has been selected as one of the 16 artists who will be creating a mural in the NoMa area. Yiqiao will be the second deaf artist represented in the neighborhood, after Art and Media Design professor Michelle McAuliffe. There will be a NoMa in Color kickoff party tomorrow morning. Details are in this issue of Hi5. Congratulations!

We have many other stories in Hi5 and on our website. English professor Sharon Pajka just published a book about Edgar Allan Poe and his contemporaries. Miss District of Columbia, MedStar Health, and our Athletics trainers worked together to produce a video about CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators. Our #IAmGallaudet campaign is a finalist for a PRNews Platinum Award. Finally, we have the sad duty of reporting the passing of several former faculty and staff.

Hi5 comes out biweekly during the academic year. The next issue of Hi5 will be on Friday, September 22. In the meantime, stay up to date by following us at @GallaudetU on our social media platforms. If you have a story that you feel would be a good fit for Hi5 or social media, share it with us at gu.live/request.   

Have a great month. We will see you again on September 22!