News

Registration is now open for Foundations I and II with Betty
Colonomos, to be held at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA
from May 3-6 2012. This 20-hour workshop will be approved for 2.000 PS
CEUs. For more information about the workshop and CEUs, and to get a
registration form, contact Nathan Fowler: fowler.nathan@gmail.com.

Please note, this workshop is for hearing interpreters. There is a
workshop for Deaf interpreters and CDIs called Deaf Foundations, also
with Betty Colonomos. That is a different event.

I wanted to announce that I just became a member of the Mass Commission
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Statewide Advisory Council (SAC).  I am
not a representative of interpreters, or of MassRID, or of any other
group, but I am happy to do my best to make the proceedings of the SAC
known to the community, and to bring the concerns of the community to
the SAC meetings.  If you have any questions, comments, or concerns,
feel free to be in touch.  Thanks, all.

Nathan Fowler, NIC-A
RID Nationally Certified Interpreter
MCDHH SAC Member
fowler.nathan@gmail.com

BUCIE presents …

David Evans Weekend March 2-4th, 2012

2 Workshops at Boston University

www.bu.edu/bucie

Special Registration Fee of $100 for both workshops will be extended through March!

Online Registration Available HERE

Workshop #1: PowerPoint Poisoning and Other Presentation Pitfalls for Presenters

March 2^nd and 3^rd, 2012

$75 CEUs pending

“It’s been called “death by PowerPoint.”  Research
indicates PowerPoint slides often interfere with participant
comprehension, organization, and retention of information.  You are a
dynamic presenter with knowledge and experience to share. 
Are your PowerPoints actually hindering your  message?”  Read more…

This workshop is open to all Deaf and Hearing community members. (Interpreters and non-interpreters!)

And

Workshop #2 ORANGE-EYES Doesn’t Mean “Amazing”: A Linguistic & Semantic Tune-up for Interpreters

March 4^th, 2012

$50 CEUs pending

“Hearing
accent: signing that marks one as a second-language learner of American
Sign Language. A hearing accent can affect not only the comprehension
of a message being delivered in ASL,
but also perceptions of the interpreter him or herself as being a
cultural outsider.”

Read more…

For David Evans bio:
http://www.bu.edu/bucie/david-evans/

Interpreter Attire: First and Lasting Impressions

Presented by: Interpreters Lena Dumont, Laura O’Callahan, Jackie Emmart, Will English &
Fashion Consultant/Personal Shopper SooJin Chu
With Special Guest Presenters Kristy Moroney and Matt Etemad-Gilbertson!

Why should we talk about attire as interpreters? Every encounter we interpret presents the potential
for long-standing impact on the perception of the Deaf community, and that of the interpreting
profession, simply based on how we "show up."

We have been, and will continue to, poll Deaf consumers of interpreter services about how the attire
of interpreters affects them. We have heard anecdotally over the years about interpreters showing
up to jobs under-dressed and inappropriately dressed, and as a result, negatively impacting Deaf
people in their personal and professional lives. This workshop will share some of those views as video
testimonials, and provide an opportunity for collegial dialogue.

We are also looking at the attitudes and biases of the majority culture, and the ongoing view of Deaf
people *and their allies* as second-class citizens. The appearance, comportment and register of
interpreters in all kinds of settings contribute to ongoing attitudes about Deaf people by members of
the majority culture. We are looking at what naive hearing people think when they encounter
interpreters: how they appear and what judgments are made about the Deaf consumers, by
association. We will draw from current research about first impressions, and attire at work, to
engage in further discussion.

Although there will be plenty of visuals to support the presentation, this is not a fashion show. It is an
interactive presentation about attire and interpreting, and how our daily choices with respect to how
we "show up" can seriously impact the lives of Deaf people. Our Special Guests will add tremendous
value to our day, and we are excited to have them on-board with us. Kristy Moroney will present the
tips and tricks of putting on finishing touches, and Matt Etemad-Gilbertson will lead a thoughtful and
provocative discussion about a prevalent concept known as “polite disregard.”

Our fashion consultant and personal shopper, SooJin Chu, works with people everyday who know
that attire is part and parcel to getting ahead in their fields. An expert in her field, she will share
appropriate attire selections for women and men in every setting, and for a variety of body types,
such that you will leave the workshop informed and prepared to make positive first and lasting
impressions!

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 10th, from 10am to 4pm, at TLC! CLICK HERE
for the registration form and contact Jackie Emmart at the email listed with any questions.

Hello! I'm Drew Pidkameny. I am excited to announce that the MassRID
board has approved me as the new Regional Representative for Western
Mass.

A little bit about me: I graduated from Northeastern
University in Boston last Spring, I have recently passed the state
interpreter screening, I love living here in beautiful Amherst, and I am
so excited to be involved in the interpreting community here in Western
Mass.

I look forward to seeing your thoughts, ideas, and
concerns about interpreting here in Massachusetts, and continuing to
support the relationship between the MassRID board and interpreters here
in Western Mass. Please contact me any time. MassRID want your ideas
and feedback!

I can be reached via email at westrep@massrid.org, or via phone or text at 413-345-1167.

Hello! I'm Drew Pidkameny. I am excited to announce that the MassRID
board has approved me as the new Regional Representative for Western
Mass.

A little bit about me: I graduated from Northeastern
University in Boston last Spring, I have recently passed the state
interpreter screening, I love living here in beautiful Amherst, and I am
so excited to be involved in the interpreting community here in Western
Mass.

I look forward to seeing your thoughts, ideas, and
concerns about interpreting here in Massachusetts, and continuing to
support the relationship between the MassRID board and interpreters here
in Western Mass. Please contact me any time. MassRID want your ideas
and feedback!

I can be reached via email at westrep@massrid.org, or via phone or text at 413-345-1167.

Dear MassRID Members,

MassRID is now accepting applications for scholarship funds. The application is November 1, 2011. We encourage you to apply online through the MassRID website. Go to MassRID.org and click on the "Documents" in the upper right hand corner. You will find the scholarship application there. Please email supporting documents to Scholarships@MassRID.org.

If you're a MassRID member and would like financial assistance for professional development activities, please consider applying. We look forward to receiving your applications. Spread the word to your friends and colleagues. Again, the deadline is November 1, 2011.

Sincerely,

Anna Davis & Paul Hammer

MassRID Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs

Announcing our next General Business Meeting!

Where: 51 Wood Ave, Gil MA (Map)

When: Sunday September 18th, 2011

9am-12pm Professional Dialogue: Revisiting Standard Practices (CEUs available)

This will be a discussion led by Nathan Fowler and Evelyn Shields regarding our Standard Practices as Interpreters. Prior to their first meeting at Deaf Inc., Nathan and Evelyn conducted a survey regarding the decisions we make as interpreters and how we come to those decisions. Do we, in fact, follow "standard practices"?. Please click the blue links in this sentence if you'd like to see the report summary of their survey, and/or the notes from the first group discussion.

12pm-1pm Pot Luck (please contact Cat Dvar at TerpStuff@aol.com regarding what to bring)

1pm-5pm General Business Meeting (agenda TBA)

Online Membership Registration is here!

I'm excited to announce the ability to join or renew membership with MassRID via MassRID.org!

To join/renew your MassRID membership online, please click on the Join MassRID link on the main page, underneath our main photo. This wil bring you to the registration page. Please fill in all required information, otherwise your submission will not be accepted.

Near the bottom of the first page, you'll notice this section:

When you create a profile by joining, other members (and only other members, not the general public) will be able to search for you via our new database. You have control over which items (phone numbers, addresses, etc) other members will be able to view when they search for you. As you can see above, all of the items are checked because by default this will make them all private. Please UNCHECK whichever pieces of information you wish to share with other members.

Once you've finished this page, please click submit and you'll be brought to this page:

Here you will choose your membership type (General/Student/Supporting/Organizational). Once you've selected, click on Pay Now and you'll be brought to Paypal. Via Paypal you can pay for your membership using a Paypal account or by using a credit card. Once you've made a payment, you'll receive a confirmation email. Within a few hours you'll receive an email from Web@MassRID.org welcoming you and giving you your username and password. From there you can go to MassRID.org and login, change your password, add a profile photo (optional), and search the database for other members.

Note: once you have registered the first time, you will not need to do so again each year to renew. Instead, you'll be able to renew on the website by logging into your profile and making a new payment.

Thank you!

~Aaron Malgeri

MassRID WebGuy

Hello. My name is Shannon Wright. I am the Scholarship Committee Chairperson for MassRID. I am here to announce the new scholarship policy.

We will be awarding five scholarships per year in the amount of $200 each. The deadline for applications is May 1 and November 1. If you are awarded the scholarship, you will be notified within thirty days, meaning by either May 30 or November 30. You can find the application form, here, on the website, under Documents. That will pull up another screen where you can find the application form. After filling out the application, please e-mail it toScholarships@massrid.org. You can also find the e-mail address on the application form.

In order to be eligible for the scholarship, you must be a current member of MassRID. The purpose of the scholarship is education. We want help educate the community. In order to get the scholarship, you must pay for your workshop, class, conference, etc. as well as attend the educational opportunity. Then, you need to provide proof of payment and your attendance to the Scholarship Committee Chairperson. You can use the same e-mail address to submit your paperwork. Upon receipt of the paperwork, the Chairperson will submit the documentation to the Treasurer for payment. Your scholarship award will be mailed to you.

Thank you so much for your interest. Hope you win! Good Luck!

Hello!

As you know we have a very important meeting coming up on June
4th. The post begins with a note from our nominations chair, Ruth
Lehrer. The details about the meeting follow.

From Ruth:

Greetings MassRID Membership,

Elections for Officers will be held June 4, 2011 during the MassRID General Meeting in the Central region.

The positions open for nominations are Vice-president and Treasurer.

There are also openings for Regional Representatives for the Boston, Southeast/Cape Cod, and West regions.  A Rep or Co-rep for Central region is also needed.

In order to be a region rep, the candidate must have been a MassRID
voting member for a minimum of one year immediately prior to being
elected. The candidate must be a member of National RID and she/he must
be a current resident of the region represented, having lived in the
region for at least one year prior.

Please, give this some thought! If you are interested in running, if
you would like a list of the region rep’s duties, or would like to
nominate someone, please email Ruth Lehrer, MassRID’s nomination
committee chair, at rlehrer@gis.net

The meeting details:

MassRID General Meeting

When: Saturday, June 4, 2011

Where: Advocates Inc.
1881 Worcester Road,  (Route 9 Westbound) Framingham, MA
Training Space A

Schedule:

9am-12pm Workshop

(TBA-panel)

A flyer with the information of who will be
on the panel etc will be posted soon!
- The workshop is open to all
- The workshop and CEUs are free for MassRID members
- Workshop registration is $20.00 for non-members and CEUs are $10.00
for non-members. Payable at the door.

12pm-1pm Potluck Lunch

- Everyone is asked to bring something to share. Chose from the list
at the end of this email and RSVP with what you will bring to
centralrep@massrid.org. Please remember to bring a list of
ingredients as there maybe food allergies.
- Be Green! You are encouraged to bring your own utensils, cups,
dishes to use and bring home with you.

1pm-5pm General Meeting

- We will be voting on positions on the board (Region reps, Vice
President and Co-rep for Treasurer)

- If you have any *agenda items *please email them to Letitia Bynoe
at: secretary@massrid.org
- Proxy votes-If you are unable to attend, please make sure to give
another member your proxy vote. You can either email the completed proxy
form (which is on MassRID's website under documents) to the secretary or the
person attending can give it to the secretary before the meeting.

Childcare will be provided for both the workshop and general meeting.
Please contact Anne Freeman at: anne.freeman3@verizon.net to reserve a
space for your child/children. There are limited spaces, so please register
asap.

*FOOD LIST for Pot Luck Lunch!*
Please chose an item/category from the list that you are able to bring and
share with the group and RSVP to centralrep@massrid.org

Appetizer:

Veggie Platter/Humus/Cheese & Crackers/Chips & Salsa/Other

Main Course:

Finger Sandwiches /Deli Meat Platter/Crockpot Meal/Other

Side Dish:

Garden Salad/Fruit Casserole/Potato Salad/Macaroni Salad/Other

Dessert:

Cookies/Brownies/Cake

Beverages:

Soda/Tea/Fruit Juice

Please let us know if you are bringing any Gluten Free or Vegan dishes

Any questions please feel free to contact me at centralrep@massrid.org

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Lynda Carmel