Oy!

So, tonight I was interviewed by the editor-in-chief of The Driftwood, UNO's campus paper.

You see, I am trying to get some activities organized for Disability Awareness Month, and Veronica (who used to write for the paper) thought it would be great to get a story about UNO's decided lack of accessability in the paper. I was actually supposed to meet with this guy yesterday, but after all the fun of flooding the night before, I was in no mood to talk to anyone.

The editor came to the apartment this evening instead. We spent an hour discussing the frustrations of my previous UNO incarnation and my plans to address them in the coming days and weeks. I told him that Veronica envisioned a very in-your-face kind of writeup but that I didn't think it would be appropriate at this time since I haven't had the chance to talk to anyone since my return. I even expressed apprehension about running an article at all at this time, and I especially didn't like the idea of focusing the entire story on me. I'm not the only student with a disability on this campus (though I often feel like I am), and as such I shouldn't be the only one represented. By focusing on me, he said, it gives a more personal angle to the overall inaccessability. He seems like he'll do a sensitive writeup.

He did say he was surprised by me. I guess after talking to V, he was expecting someone a bit more . . . militant. That wasn't the word he used, but I could read in his face that was what he was thinking. I told him I could get that way if forced to, but the time isn't right for that attitude. He seemed rather taken aback by that. I guess if my introduction to the story had been V, I would be, too.

He embarrassed me at one point by telling me he thought I was "courageous" for stepping up and bringing some of these issues to light. It isn't courage, I replied. It was just something that needed to be done, and I didn't see anyone else doing it.

I'm not a gimp activist. I've never envisioned myself in that role. I am the kind of person to speak up when I feel a wrong is being done. This university is doing wrong by not making sure that ALL of its students have access to buildings and safe living environments. I have to say something, or all the powers-that-be will keep their heads buried in the sand.

::sigh:: This was my sister's shtick. She was much better at this than I could ever hope to be. It's been a long time since I've had to wake people up -- haven't had to do much of it since those days in the Buhler Unified School District. I just hope that tough kid is still living somewhere inside of me.