September-October 2001

Deaf Eagle Flies
at Marshall High

By Timothy Worthylake

Yer Yang, a senior at Milwaukee’s John Marshall High School, works hard with teachers and coworkers to get the newspaper, Marshall Deaf Eagle, written, produced, and distributed to their school’s students. Here is an interview with Yang.

WAY: Previously the newspaper was called the DHH Journal, then you changed the name to Marshall Deaf Eagle. Why?
Yang: Marshall Deaf Eagle says more about us. Our school mascot is the eagle and our program is the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program.

WAY: Whose idea was it to change the name?
Yang: Our teachers and new editors, Ms. Rohde and Ms. Harford.

WAY: Are names important?
Yang: Yes, because names identify us. But what is inside the newspaper is important, too.

WAY: How many students work on the Deaf Eagle?
Yang: There are 30 deaf students in our school and seven students work on the Deaf Eagle.

WAY: Do you enjoy your work?
Yang: Yes, I love to write for the newspaper. Writing English is hard for me. Sometimes it is frustrating. But my teachers like my enthusiasm and they help me.

WAY: Do you want to be a journalist?
Yang: No. I want a job working on a computer. I love data entry.

WAY: What are your favorite subjects?
Yang: Family living and, of course, our newspaper class.

WAY: Do you know of other school newspapers that are done by deaf and hard of hearing students?
Yang: Residential schools have newspapers, but we don’t know about day school programs that have newspapers. We are very curious to see if day programs in the U.S. have newspapers like ours.

Calling All Deaf Newspaper Editors

Students from John Marshall High School’s Marshall Deaf Eagle newspaper contacted World Around You because they were trying to find other newspapers of deaf and hard of hearing students. If you know of any school with a newspaper run by deaf and hard of hearing students, contact Deaf Eagle reporters through e-mail: bharford@exepc.com.

Deaf Eagle: A Newspaper for All Reasons

The Marshall Deaf Eagle covers many different topics. Topics in a recent issue included school news, women’s history, a report on the school Asian club, and a special goodbye to graduating deaf and hard of hearing students and one of their teachers. Another issue focused on building “bridges of understanding with our hearing allies.” Student Khamphanh Prakousonh illustrated this section. Prakousonh also drew Deaf Eagle, the newspaper mascot. When people told him that they thought his drawing showed an eagle that was “a bit thin”, Prakousonh replied, “He’s an Asian Deaf eagle.” Prakousonh’s drawing is below.