Published by: California School for the Deaf, Fremont ... November 20, 2009 | California News Emcee for the Friday Night Live show Ella Mae Lentz Estelina Kovacs shows her Eagle spirit

California newsVolume 125 • Number 3 • November 20, 2009

Published by: California School for the Deaf, Fremont

150th CELEBRATION150th CELEBRATION

2 November 20, 2009 | California News

Emcee for the Friday Night Live show Ella Mae Lentz

Estelina Kovacs shows her Eagle spirit.

Theron Parker chats with Alice and Larry Obray.Cheryl Boyd and Yi-Cheng Kasheta help with registration.

Student workers pose with their #1 fan!

Ginny Malzkuhn greets former dorm counselor Josephina Arias.

Celebrity and former CSD teacher Bernard Bragg joins in the celebration.

Photographer: Stanley Matsumoto



Photographer: Rex Barlow




California News | November 20, 2009 3

CSD celebrates 150 Years of Excellence

On October 22-24, the California School for the Deaf celebrated the kick-off of its 150th anniversary. The event drew 3,800 alumni and friends to the school. For many of the Berkeley graduates, it was their first time visiting the Fremont campus and a chance to reconnect with former classmates after 30+ years.

Some highlights were: the movie "Gerald" which featured several members of the CSD family as cast and crew, the CSD Athletics Hall of Fame with 44 inductees; an elegant banquet with 800 guests that included a proclamation by State Senator Ellen Corbett and a tribute to CSD superin-tendent Dr. Henry Klopping; an exciting homecoming "Big Game" event; a guest appearance by Ella Mae Lentz; and a performance by Jon Kovacs (from Rathskellar). Plus, an impressive number of CSD students helped in many ways to host the event.

Please enjoy this commemorative issue of the California News featuring informative interviews and fabulous photographs. Rex Barlow, Cat Cassidy, Stanley Matsumoto, Ken Pedersen, Karlee Williams, and Alison Taggart-Barone were the photographers. Celia May Baldwin wrote the trivia. Megan Malzkuhn added informative details to the interview with her mom. Pat Moore, Katie Canfield, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Ken Norton, Annette Ng, Virginia Foletta, and Barbara Morrison assisted with editing. Meta Metal did the interviews. Jill Dean provided the CSD Athletics Hall of Fame information.

The Eagles march down the field and get ready to claw the Cubs on the football field.

Current students get ready to serve the alumni during a welcome reception at the 150th anniversary kick-off in the cafeteria: Angel Harrington, Xavier Chin, David Kudatsky, Romel Thurman, Seth DeBartolo, Alexandra Bejar Rosas, Moonlight Jones, Cesar Ortega Romo, Jose Alvarado, Luis Ventura Torres, Patrina Daniels, Elizabeth Hernandez, and Ruby Martinez. Photographer: Rex Barlow

Photographer: Cat Cassidy


Middle school students & principal cast in movie “Gerald”

Clark Brooke (principal): When I found out that the “Gerald” filming crew would be doing a film at CSD, I thought to myself, “Why not try out for a small role.” To make things even more comfortable, they were filming at the middle school department where I worked. With the familiarity of the location of my employment, I decided to go for it. Film director Mark Wood approached me and asked me if I wanted to audition for the role of the principal, and I ended up getting the part. My role was very brief, but I had to do about five hours of shooting. I couldn’t believe the amount of equipment that had to fit in my office—camera, lights, wires, and all that. I was glad to have the opportunity to be in the film and to work with Mark Wood, a long time friend of mine.

Brittany Mahoney-Beaver: It was fun to perform in “Gerald.” All I did was sit in the background, but it was still fun for me. I didn’t know it would take so long to film only one short scene; the focus wouldn’t be just right—or some-one would mess up on the lines. Every time, there would be something wrong. Finally, we got it right and called it a day. It was a great experience to see how a movie was made and to be in it!

Chandler Baer: I acted the character of Trey. It felt awesome being a part of the movie. I thought my line, “Can you give me your videophone number?” was very funny! It was not easy making the movie because I had to make my acting look like it was real. It was a really good experience being in the movie “Gerald.”

Christina Call: The experience itself was great! I learned a lot about how movies work. Yea, it was a heck of a lot of work. At first, I was having fun, but when we had to do the same scene again and again, it was very frustrating for me. It was an amazing experience, though. In fact, now I want to be in more movies because I liked the experience so much. It was so worth it.

Andrew Cho: Being in “Gerald” was my first experience being involved with ASL Films. I thought it would be easy, but it took us two hours to shoot a two-

minute scene. I realize that actors work very hard when they make a film.

Dakota Daniels: I acted as the “Harry” character in the ASL Films production of “Gerald.” Last spring, I saw an ad about auditioning to be in a deaf movie. I went to the audition and met Mark Wood and his crew. I was very nervous when I showed up for the audi-tion. I did not win the character in the first five minutes; I was in the final round with Zane Pedersen. But in the end, I made it. Mark Wood gave me a script. I was very thrilled.

The day we made the film, I made a lot of mistakes and we had to repeat the scene. That was the part about being an actor that I didn’t like; but my favorite part about being an actor was acting like another person and not as “Dakota.” It was hard, but fun at the same time. I had fun making the film and watching myself in “Gerald.”

Gideon Firl: Acting in a movie is a unique experience. It is easy if you have a lot of patience. When we started film-ing our scene, I was nervous at first. But after I got to know the crew, I felt comfortable. I got along well with them. It was an honor to be in that movie. I really enjoyed it.

Irissa MacAulay: Acting in “Gerald” was a wonderful experience for me. By the way, it was difficult to act it out perfectly. We repeated a short clip tons of times because it had to be perfect. Overall, I think it was a good thing that I got the chance to participate in making the movie.

Meeya Tjiang: When I was in “Gerald,” I got an idea about how films worked. It was not as easy as I thought. We had to do the scene over and over again until our director Mark Wood thought it was perfect. I felt funny work-ing with a real actor, Russell Harvard. I was glad that I auditioned for this movie for the classroom scenes, because this experience will happen only once in my lifetime. It was a great experience!

CSD middle school actors pose with director/producer Mark Wood and movie star Russell Harvard.

Photographer: Karlee Williams



Interview with Movie Director

Interview with Mark Wood Class of 1989

Talk a little bit about your time at CSD. Was there anything about your experience at the school that contributed to your later havingt a film career?

Two different experiences made an impression on me during my junior and senior years: the instructional television class and the annual spring play. In the instructional television class with Peter Rivest, we did news reporting, edit-ing, interviews, and short films. I really enjoyed that class, and it inspired me to have a career in film.

I actually acted in two of CSD’s spring plays with director Julianna Fjeld. The first play was “Sign Me Alice.” I played the role of Pete. The second play was “Into Hiding,” about Anne Frank. I played the role of the father, Otto.

How did you get involved in your film career?

After I graduated from the California School for the Deaf, I enrolled at Gallau-det University. Then, during my sopho-more year, I decided to move to Indiana and become a sign language teacher. Soon after that, I started directing plays for the Indiana School for the Deaf. I directed “Any Number Can Die” and “The Dark Flower.”

Ever since I was a very young boy, I wanted to become involved in the film industry. I finally wanted to make that dream happen; I wanted to produce my own films. My biggest hurdle was finances. I used the equity from my house and borrowed enough money to set up a small business: ASL Films. The goal of the company was to make films that showed ASL culture. I didn’t just

want it to be about being deaf, because it was too broad and could mean just about anything; I specifically wanted to emphasize ASL culture.

Anyway, I made my first film: “Forget Me Not.” After that, I went on to make “Wrong Game” and then “Legend of a Mountain Man.” Most recently, I wrote, directed, and produced “Gerald.”

Producing all four films has truly been a “labor of love” in which I’ve almost broken even. The four films combined have cost half a million dollars to produce.

What did it mean to you to have CSD be the backdrop for your movie “Gerald?”

I started attending CSD Berkeley when I was just six years old. I loved it there. I remember how disappointed I was when we moved down to Fremont. I wanted to portray that somehow in the movie.

You cast some of the current students from CSD Fremont. How did you choose which kids to use in the movie and what was your feeling about using the students?

I wanted to give the children who are currently attending CSD the opportunity to act in a film. My goal was to pass on the gift of acting to the next generation of potential deaf actors and to inspire them for their future. It was a wonderful experience!

Lots of kids auditioned for the part in the movie. We screened them and ultimately selected students based on appearance, acting ability, and ability to memorize lines.

What are your goals for the future?My next goal is to take it to

Hollywood, to the hearing world. I want to add sound to my movies, and to show the hearing world that deaf people can do this. I’m truly hoping that I will be able to raise the finances to make this dream of mine become a reality.




The Actors in “Gerald”

Interview with Sandra Ammons

parent of two CSD graduates

How did it feel to have the storyline of the movie connected to CSD (Berkeley and Fremont)?

It was a wonderful feeling. It was very fitting, especially with the 150th anniversary of CSD. We, at CSD, can be proud for having planted seeds and nourishing the creative mind of Mark Wood. To me, “Gerald” is Mark’s way of thanking CSD for all it had done to encourage him to dream big! Even though I’m not a CSD alumna, I have always had special connections to CSD while growing up through my childhood and through college friends who graduated from CSD. And of course, I’m a proud mother of two young CSD graduates. All in all, I can say I am proud to have had my daughters educated at CSD!

What did the story of “Gerald” mean to you personally?First, it is a lovely tribute to CSD and the Bay Area. The story

of “Gerald” tells us about how dark secrets are kept but even-tually become known one way or the other. It shows how the system takes advantage of some certain groups of people, abus-ing them. They become survivors in various ways. It is also about understanding the truth and accepting forgiveness. It means a lot to me to have a movie tell such a story in our own language, ASL and our Deaf-centered way. I have received some comments from friends saying they were pleased to see autism portrayed in the movie. Besides the heartfelt and moving scenes in the movie, it was nice to see some “comic relief” in between.

Can you describe your experience as an actor in the movie (developing the character of the mom, rehearsing, shooting scenes, working with the other actors)?

It was a wonderful experience! The script had Kathy as a “passive” wife with just a few lines. However, during rehearsal and shooting, Mark Wood (the director) made some changes and added some more lines for Kathy. It was interesting for me to see how some scenes were filmed first before other scenes that appeared early in the movie. It was all about logistics—shooting at one location which was at CSD in Fremont then in San Francisco and Berkeley. I learned some from working with trained and professional actors such as Russell Harvard and Andrew Vasnick. I also enjoyed the opportunity to work with Micaela Paulone, a young actress with great potential. The experience of working with all of the folks who were involved in many different ways, such as the film crew, photographers, cooks, etc. was amazing! I have to thank Mark Wood for giving me the opportunity to work with him. He is one brilliant director!

How did you end up getting selected to play the part of Kathy?Originally I got involved with the ASL translation team,

working on ASL from the script (in English). Then, I was tapped to audition for the role of Kathy. I auditioned. The role was assigned to me. After my work with the ASL translation was done, I began rehearsing for my role as Kathy.

CSD alumnus Michael Davis plays the role of a counselor in the movie "Gerald." In this scene, Michael is at Lake Elizabeth, in Fremont, meeting with the star of the film, Russell Harvard.

Sandra Ammons, the parent of two CSD graduates, has a leading role in “Gerald.” She plays the role of Kathy.





Homecoming“The Big Game”

Fremont superintendent Dr. Klopping says, "We're number 1!"

The varsity cheerleading team takes the Big Game trophy back from Riverside after Fremont's football team beat them: 41 to 6!

FOOTBALLFremont 41 Riverside 6

VOLLEYBALLFremont 3Riverside 2

CROSS COuNTRY Riverside won Team G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 Final

Fremont 20 18 25 26 15 3

Riverside 25 25 19 24 10 2

VOLLEYBALL

Photo by Stanley Matsumoto



Interview with Kevin Kovacs

Can you talk about the homecoming games?

Cross Country: Fremont understood that we could not win the cross country game because we didn’t have enough runners to win the meet. We wanted to go ahead and play against Riverside just to keep the competition between the two schools alive. Last year, Fremont and Riverside couldn’t compete in cross country because Riverside didn’t have a cross country team, so it was really important to us, this year, to make sure that we kept the momentum of the cross country competition between our two schools rolling.

Volleyball: There was a lot of sus-pense in the volleyball competition. We didn’t know who was going to win the game. During the first week of October at the Spike Out in Wisconsin, Fremont was surprised that Riverside beat us. Obviously, we didn’t know who was go-ing to win the meet. At the beginning of the homecoming competition, Riverside raced to a quick 2 to 0 lead. But to the credit of our coaching staff and the play-ers, Fremont survived the next game and the game after that. Before we knew it, we got to the fifth game. It was a seesaw battle until we got 10 points. Then we got 4 unanswered points to win the 50th match between our two schools.

It was also sweet because we just made the first ever Big Game volleyball trophy, and Fremont got to keep it! Football has always had a Big Game trophy but the volleyball competition never had one before this year. Fremont’s woodworking technology class made the trophy, and it was a goal of our volleyball team to keep it at CSD for the first year.

Football: It appeared that most people outside of Fremont thought that Riverside was going to win the foot-ball game easily. So, it was really ‘extra sweet’ to see that it went the other way around. I thought that our victory win-ning both the football and the volleyball

games was the perfect gift for CSD on its 150th year.

How was this year’s homecoming different?It was different with the 150th anniver-sary kick-off celebration. Everyone was involved. It was like everyone was riding a big wave together; every department got a lot of people involved. All of those waves were connected to make one huge wave of success. It all happened so fast! It was a great weekend.

How did CSD’s anniversary celebration affect you personally as a CSD alumnus?

I felt a lot of pride in knowing we have such a rich history that has encompassed 150 years. And all those years have produced so many stories of success. People all around the country respect Dr. Klopping and what he’s done for the school. The kick-off celebration was a culmination of everything. I can’t lie; those two big victories on Homecoming Day made it even more special. It gave me a good sense to realize that not only were we celebrating our 150 years, but also that the weekend was such a suc-cess. I was ‘on cloud nine!’

It didn’t take one person or one group; it was the result of so many people. It gave me a lot of pride being both a CSD graduate and a CSD employee. Everyone here knows that we would not get to where we are today if it weren’t for the other people involved. That brings with it a great sense of pride in the school.

Interview with CSD Athletic Director

Coach Mario Arellano celebrates the victory ball.




Volleyball & Cross Country

Alex Brinkley spikes the ball over the Cubbies!

Fremont & Riverside after the cross country meet at CSD.

The rival Eagle and Cub mascots from sister schools.

CSD keeps volleyball's traveling trophy. Fans chant "Go Eagles!"



Photographer: Rex BarlowPhotographer: Rex Barlow



Hank and Bunny Klopping ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

The horses that carried the Kloppings.

KING: Nicky Lim QuEEN: Rachelle Richardson

SENIOR PRINCESS: Nha Kim SENIOR PRINCE: Zachary Kohler

JuNIOR PRINCESS: Anna Krutikova JuNIOR PRINCE: Juan Dillard

SOPHOMORE PRINCESS: Brittany Farr SOPHOMORE PRINCE: Moises Escorcia Alvarez

FRESHMAN PRINCESS: Cristal Duenas FRESHMAN PRINCE: Jacy Pedersen

Boy Scouts carry the school flags.









The guest star at the pep rally was an American bald eagle named “Spirit,” from Alaska. Spirit was there to encourage CSD Eagles to soar to victory at homecoming!

A full house with a sea of orange watches the pep rally on Friday morning.

Francis Harmount & Conrad Baer perform a skit in American Sign Language.

Photo Above: Rachelle Richardson, Valerie Farr, Nha Kim, and Karina Pedersen are thrilled to see a real bald eagle at CSD for the first time!

Homecoming






Resolution from Senator CorbettWHEREAS The California School for the

Deaf is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and it is appropriate at this time that special public attention be drawn to the institution for the educational opportunities it has provided to students throughout the years and for the important role it has played in the history of the local community; and

WHEREAS Founded in San Francisco in 1860, the California School for the Deaf was the first special education program in the State; and

WHEREAS Opening the door with only three students, the school grew to an enrollment of approximately 50 students and moved to a new campus in Berkeley in 1869; and

WHEREAS Dr. Henry Klopping was appointed superintendent of the California School for the Deaf in 1975, and with an enrollment of 481 students, ground was broken in Fremont in 1977 for a 96-acre campus, which opened in Fremont on May 25, 1980; and

WHEREAS The California School for the Deaf serves deaf students from birth to 21 years of age, and provides com-prehensive educational programs which create a strong foundation for future learning among graduates in an accessi-ble learning environment that recognizes

deaf students and adults as culturally and linguistically distinct; and

WHEREAS In addition, the California School for the Deaf endures that students receive a quality education with emphasis on full communication access through fluency in both American Sign Language and English, enabling students to reach their maximum potential while preparing them to function effectively in a diverse, technologically-evolving world; and

WHEREAS Empowered by a positive Deaf identity, graduates of the California School for the Deaf demonstrate the knowledge, skills, competency, and self-esteem needed to achieve fulfilling per-sonal lives and careers, and they possess the confidence, discipline, leadership, and productivity that will enable them to

become contributing citizens in a democratic society; and

WHEREAS Over the past 150 years, the California School for the Deaf has provided its students with a firm founda-tion on which to base their future devel-opment, as well as a sense of community and belonging that is instilled in each student curriculum; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED BY SENATOR ELLEN CORBETT. That she draws the special attention of the public to the 150th anniversary of the California School for the Deaf, applauds its students, teachers, staff, and admin-istrators for the outstanding success of the school’s educational programs, and extends best wishes for the continued success of its programs in the future.

On behalf of the California Depart-ment of Education, Dr. Ron Kadish recognizes Dr. Henry Klopping for his nearly 35 years of service as superintendent of California School for the Deaf.



Banquetat

Marriott Hotel


Eagle Ice Sculpture

State Senator Ellen M. Corbett; Dr. Henry Klopping; Lin Grossinger; Mal Grossinger; Dr. Roz Rosen; Celia May Baldwin; Dr. William Ellerbee; Dr. Patrick Boudreault; Dr. Genie Gertz; Dr. Ron Kadish; and Bunny Klopping

Jon Kovacs performed “Wild Wild West,” “Rock It,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “Thriller,” as a part of Rathskellar.

All dressed up! Stefanie Ellis Gonzales, Rita Ribera, and Roberta Daniels

Megan Malzkuhn & Sarah Parker


Photographer: Ken Pedersen





You did an amazing presentation with your daughter, Megan, during the 150th anniversary celebration. Can you de-scribe the purpose of your presentation?

My daughter and I wanted to emphasize how important it is to preserve our history. Current media technology teachers Joey Baer and Charles Holmes, who made the documentary on CSD, approached us to present their DVD. We agreed with them that it was important to collect and value our rich resources, especially the narratives people had about their experiences at CSD. The school has remained solid throughout its 150-year history because it continues to provide education to deaf and hard-of-hearing children with successful programs. We need to cherish and pass down our culture by collecting the past.

Throughout our presentation, we encouraged the audience to realize that they were a part of the school’s history by attending this momentous event. We started the program by asking our audience questions, such as: the decade they graduated, whether they were involved with activities, and, “Berkeley or Fremont?” Because I met Brian, my husband, while we were still in school, I was curious about how many others met their spouses at CSD.

My daughter, who developed and designed the presentation, showed edited movie clips from the DVD, such as the segments on famous deaf gradu-ates who had become successful; sports through the generations; literacy and storytelling; and leadership. In regards to leadership, CSD has a variety of organiza-tions that the kids can become involved in, so that when they graduate and go out into the world, they will have the tools to become successful.

Before we ended our presentation, we gave the audience a chance to come up and share their stories. As Joey Baer explained it to me, "There is no limit to how much information CSD can collect." Some stories were filled with thanks to CSD, while others were funny memories of their time at the school.

Can you talk a little bit about what it was like to have a mother/daughter team? What was it like to do the presentation with your daughter?

Fun! We teased each other on stage. I enjoyed the rapport I shared with Megan. It went smoothly.

What did you do to prepare for the presentation?

After deciding we would do a preview of the DVD and review our history, I met with Joey Baer and Celia May Baldwin to make sure we didn’t use the same information; I didn’t want to repeat anything that Joey or Celia May would use for the banquet. The rest of the presentation Megan designed and edited on her Macbook Pro. I was really impressed by her talent and eye for style. She taught me things throughout this project, especially on what Keynote on the Mac can do for a presentation!

You told some great stories—both during your presentation on Friday and during the banquet on Saturday night. Could you share those stories with our readers?

LuNCH IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE BERKELEY SCHOOL

Back when I was growing up at the Berkeley school, all students would line up according to height, with the short-est children in the front and the tallest children in the back. In the dining room, there were two long rows of tables. Upon entering, we would march down the center aisle, and file off with four students sitting at each table on the fur-thest end. We continued until we filled all the tables. All tables had boys on one side and girls sitting on the opposite side. Two high school students would sit at both ends of the table as table captains. Every week, the table captains rotated, and if we looked over to the next table, we would know who were going to be our table captains for the following week. Some of the high school students were great storytellers, and I would look forward to having those students being at my table. However, some of the high school students could be mean and strict, and I used to dread the weeks when we were stuck with them. We also had a tradition with the girls always serving the food and the boys the drinks. I enjoyed watching some of the captains who were high school sweethearts have their own banter during mealtime.

BERKELEY DRESS CODE

Back in my time, CSD Berkeley was strict about dress code. We had a rule requiring all of the girls to wear our dresses just below our knees. If a dorm supervisor caught one of our dresses being too short, we would have to get on our knees for inspection. If our skirt touched the floor, it passed inspection. If it came short, we had to put on a dif-ferent skirt. Well, during the sixties, the fashion was to wear shorter outfits and I

Interview with Ginny Malzkuhn

SponsorsRon and Denise Obray•

Purple•

Sorenson Communications•

Sprint Relay•

San Francisco Club • for the Deaf

Parodi Charitable Trust•

California Association • of the Deaf

Rawland•

ASL Presents•

Gabrielle Davis•


had a skirt I really wanted to wear; but, I knew it was too short. When the time for inspection came, I slipped the skirt down lower so that it could pass the inspec-tion. As soon as the inspection was over, I pulled my skirt back up. The dorm supervisor never knew anything, because by then, I was long gone to class.

PRANKS IN THE DORM ROOMS

At the Berkeley school, we didn’t have cottages like we have in Fremont; we lived in dorms instead. All of our dorm rooms were along a long hallway, and the dorm supervisor had an apart-ment at the end of the hall. After lights out, we would take turns checking on the door while the girls would run down the hall and go in each other’s rooms. We even had a special sign we used for the girl who was on guard duty. One night, we decided to play a game of “ghost.” Two of us girls knelt down and the other two girls stood on our back. We put a sheet over us so that we looked like a very tall ghost. Then we woke up the other girls and they started screaming because they thought we were a ghost. Well, even though we had the girl guard-ing the door, the dorm supervisor could hear the kids screaming about the ghost, so we still got in trouble.

THE CSD SIGN ON THE HILL

The Berkeley campus was situated on the side of a hill. Partway up the hill was the football field. And further up on the hill, the letters “CSD,” painted by students in the forties, could be visible. We were very proud of that sign, and well, this was Berkeley during the late 60’s. One day, the students looked up at our CSD sign only to find that it said “LSD.” Some crazy hippie on drugs must have poured dirt of the top of the “C” to look like an “L.” We were so upset! We banded together and went up on the hill to clear off the dirt and restore the letters. A few days later, someone did it again! Once again, the students went up and cleared off our school’s sign. From there, we worked out a rotating schedule so that we could keep an eye on the letters. If it was messed with, some students would go up and clean it up. We really loved our school and I believe the same pride and love is still here today.

The Pedersens A Special Family of CSD (Berkeley & Fremont)

1948 - present

Teresa - 1934 Dom - 1934 Mel - 1962 Ethel - 1964

Vera - 1965 Ken - 1967 Diana - 1971 Chaz - 1984

Rod - 1986 Karina - 1997 Svenna - 1999 Jory - 2006

Cody - 2009 Jacy - 2014 Zane - 2015 Chelsea - 2016

Jax - 2017

61 YEARS!


CSD SuperintendentsPomeroy B. Clark 1st Principal 1861-1865

John M. Francis 2nd Principal 1865

Dr. Warring Wilkinson 3rd Principal 1865-1909

Douglas Keith 4th Principal 1909 - 1911

Edwards Milligan 5th Principal 1912 - 1920

William Andrew Caldwell 6th Principal 1920 - 1927

George W. Berry Acting Principal 1927 - 1928

Dr. Elwood A. Stevenson 7th Superintendent 1928 - 1960

Dr. Hugo F. Schunhoff 8th Superintendent 1960 - 1975



Interview with Dr. Henry Klopping

What was your impression of our 150th celebration?

I believe that this celebration demonstrated to all of our alumni and the people who came that the spirit of CSD is alive and well. They left the week-end impressed that our 150 years have been magnificently successful for Deaf kids. We showed the true CSD family dedication and hard work which led to the success of all of the activities that were undertaken.

What do you feel makes our school standout?

The school is innovative; people are creative. The staff is dedicated to seeing that Deaf kids get the best that we can possibly give them. Leadership abounds throughout the whole school, which results in our ability to focus on and deliver quality education to Deaf kids.

What have been the biggest obstacles that the school has had to overcome?

There are two.The first was Public Law 94-142 with

its emphasis on mainstreaming. We overcame it by providing appropriate education that parents have fought for.

The second has been transitioning from a mish mash of communication to a bilingual-bicultural education. This has been done through hard work and by educating our entire CSD family on what bilingual education is.

What do you think has been your biggest contribution to the school as superintendent?

The belief that Deaf people are capable of running and managing programs for Deaf kids if only given the opportunity.

Dr. Henry Klopping 9th Superintendent 1975 - present


Barbara Lange Barbour was the oldest alumna to attend CSD’s 150th anniversary celebration at 91 years old. Barbara enrolled at the California School for the Deaf, Berkeley, back in 1935. At that time, she didn’t know any sign language and was happy to meet a group of four girls who could speak like Barbara could. While at the school, Barbara took sewing classes with Mrs. Runde. Her teacher encouraged her to work part time at a tailor shop while she was at the school.

Barbara also had the job of typing up the menus for all the meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—for Mrs. Bertha Griffith in the CSD kitchen.

One of Barbara’s memories of CSD was the monthly dancing parties that the school held that was supposed to teach the students how to mingle with each other. What was interesting about the dances was that the girls picked the boys that they wanted to dance with.

Barbara only attended the school for five years. In 1940, Barbara’s friend got her a job as a waitress.

At 91, Barbara is still driving her car and visiting her friends. She goes to the Walnut Creek Deaf Seniors once a month. And, she still crochets and does needlepoint. Barbara has crocheted cushions, bedspreads, frames of flowers, and animals.

Upon arriving at the CSD Fremont campus for the 150th celebration, Barbara met school superintendent Dr. Henry Klopping. She was thrilled to see that there was a group of elderly women like herself attending the celebration. She was very surprised to see the Bell Tower and the Bear Hunt statue that the school had kept from their many years at the Berkeley campus.

Barbara still incorporates some very old-style signs into her communication. She uses the old fashioned sign for telephone with one fist up by her ear and the other fist by her mouth. She uses the old sign for riding a horse to mean that she’s driving a car. And, she signs “powder room” instead of “bathroom.”To this day, Barbara is a strong, independent, sweet, and very brilliant person.

—R. Sandra McLennon as Sandy

Oldest Alumna

The senior class of alumni at the 150th celebration: Benny Jason, Mary Baldwin, Lily Martin, Mary Lucido, Maryellen Lentz, Lucy Francis, Sarah Jason, Mary Burgos, Tommy Gomez, and Melvin Charles.



CSD Athletics Hall of FameCSD’s first Athletics Hall of Fame

event was held at the Hilton Hotel, in Newark, on July 1, 1995. Donald Ingraham, class of ’50, was the first Athletics Hall of Fame chairperson. He compiled much of the wealth of history about CSD athletics including the coaches, Foothill Athletic Association (FAA), and Girls Athletic Association (GAA) records. During the process, Don worked closely with the CSD Alumni Association and the Athletics Hall of Fame committee. It was one of the most historical moments for the CSD alumni. Eleven people were selected to be the first inductees. For this reason, Don is considered the founder of CSD's Athletics Hall of Fame.

The second Athletics Hall of Fame event was held at CSD on June 30, 2002, in the Big Gym. It was during the reunion weekend at CSD. Donald was at the helm, once again, and his tremendous work and passion led to yet another exciting Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony. There were many inspirational and enriching stories about the four individu-als who were newly inducted into CSD's Athletics Hall of Fame.

The third Athletics Hall of Fame event took place during the 150th anniversary event on October 23, 2009. Our arch-rival school, CSDR, was at Fremont for our annual Big Game in volleyball and

football. The 150th anniversary weekend was one of the biggest events in CSD's history! The new Athletics Hall of Fame committee handled this very important task. Ken Pedersen, ’67, is our new Athletics Hall of Fame chairperson. Forty-four new inductees became a part of the CSD Athletics Hall of Fame!

CSD is deeply indebted to Donald Ingraham for his pioneering efforts in establishing the Athletics Hall of Fame at CSD and for his dedication towards the preservation of CSD Athletics' history, also for his help in instilling a great sense of pride towards CSD!

Special thanks to the current Athletics Hall of Fame committee for preparing yet another exciting Athletics Hall of Fame event during the 150th anniversary week-end at CSD. Last, but not least, heartiest congratulations and best wishes to everyone in the Athletics Hall of Fame!

—Len Gonzales CSD Athletics Hall of Fame Liaison

James Baker Baseball: 1905Baker played 100 baseball games as a catcher and was an outstanding hitter with a .520 average. The University of California, Berkeley “borrowed” Baker to be on its baseball team competing with universities and colleges in 1905.

Arlie Taylor Football and Track: 1940Arlie, right tackle, was selected to the 1937 All-American Deaf team among schools for the Deaf. In track, Arlie's best record in discus was 122’ 5”; in shot put, 48’ 5.”

Elodie (Berg) Wukadinovich All-Around: 1943In the 1930’s, girls did not have an opportunity to play in interscholastic sports. Nothing stopped Elodie from playing sports with the boys. She participated in fencing and intramural games along with the boys (and often beat them!).

Eugene Rianda Track and Football: 1946Named team captain, Rianda's best time in the 100-yard dash was 10.2 and in the long jump, he jumped 21’3”. In football, he starred as a halfback.

Bruce Smith All-Around: 1946Bruce was one of the greatest all-around athletes ever produced at the Berkeley school. He excelled in all field events, including the low hurdle run, breaking most of the records at that time.

Epifanio Arce Football: 1952Epifanio was an All-American tackle in ’49 & ’50.

Jose Gonzales All-Around: 1957On the gridiron, Jose was an outstanding football player who earned All-American honors as tight end in ’55 and was named to the All-League team in ‘55. On the hardwood, he was the leading scorer for the basketball team in ’56 on his way to earning All-League honors. For the track & field team, his blazing speed helped CSD win the ‘55 national track championship. Jose eventually became a Deaf Olympian in ’57.

Maurice “Crazy Legs” Mosley All-Around: 1957Crazy Legs could do it all! As a quarter-back, Maurice led the football team to a 5-3 season earning him All-American honors in ’55. In ’54 and ’55, he also led the team on the hardwood as the leading scorer averaging 11.2 points per game, and garnering BCL All-Star status in both years. He also excelled on the track, winning best long jumper in the league and was a member of both the BCL and national championship team in ’55.


Ed Leighton presents Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Don Ingraham with his medal and certificate.


Melvin Pedersen Basketball: 1962Melvin played varsity for 4 years, earn-ing All-League and All-American honors in ‘61 and ‘62. He also won the East Bay Prep Writers’ Association Sportsman of the Week in ‘61 & ’62 as well as the pres-tigious Oakland Tribune Sportsman of the Year in ‘62. Averaging 13.0 points per game (1008 in 77 games), Melvin won the FAA MVP award twice, in ’61 & ‘62.

John “Tony” Ziviello Football & Track: 1964This bruising fullback posted a sparkling 7.8 yards per game average, earning 352 yards in 45 carries. In 1962, at the CSD-St. Vincents game in Petaluma, Ziviello blocked FOUR opponents paving the way for quarterback Zanon to run around to win the game, 20 to 19. He was chosen on the Bay Counties All Star League team. Tony’s feet carried him to success in hurdles and relays. He won the FAA MVP for football in ’61 and track in ’63.

Peter Murello Football: 1965A bulldozer of a fullback, Peter, was All-League and Deaf All-American for two straight years, ‘62-‘63.

Richard “Ricky” Zanon, Football: 1965Only 5’6” tall and 145 pounds, Ricky won the highest honor, Player of the Year, as a quarterback in 1963. He guided ‘62-‘63 teams to win the league championship and in ’63, the national championship among the schools for the Deaf.

Henry Bella Football: 1967Bella played admirably as guard and tackle. He was selected as a Deaf All-American as a tackle and won FAA MVP in ’64.

Raymond Ponciano Football: 1969In ’66, Ponciano was named on the San Francisco Chronicle High School Defensive Honor Roll several times, All-Bay Counties All-League, Oakland

Tribune Sportsman of the Week. Berkeley Gazette’s All Star Team and the FAA MVP.

Wesley Feria Wrestling: 1971Wesley won three years in a row as Bay Counties League Meet Champion from ’68-‘70. He was the first CSD grappler to reach the highest level of wrestling competition in the NCS championship in ’70. Undefeated in the BCL wrestling season led him to being selected as Prep of the Week by Berkeley Gazette and FAA MVP in ’70.

Dave Herdrich Wrestling: 1973Dave advanced to the NCS meet championship in ’71 and earned 2nd in the NCS championship in ‘72. His undefeated season in ’73 led him to be the 1st CSD wrestler to qualify for the C.I.F. State Wrestling Championship. Dave was named Prep of the Week by the Oakland Tribune in ‘72 and ‘73. He also was the FAA MVP in ’73. Dave won bronze in the Greco-Roman discipline at XII World Games for the Deaf in ’73.

Stuart Harold Wrestling: 1974Stuart is one of CSD’s most storied wres-tlers of all time with a record of 79-25-2. His matches were always packed with fans. A strong and quick grappler with a lean and cut physique; Stuart entered state and won the Most Outstanding Midweight class. Stuart went to Deaflym-pics in ’73 as a junior at CSD. Harold was voted twice as Deaf All-American and won FAA MVP in ’74.

Ralph Nieves Football: 1975 A hard-nosed tackle/linebacker, Nieves brought home the Northwestern League championship with a 5-1 record (6-3 overall) in ’74. He had 25 tackles in one game, establishing himself a leader on the defensive end. Ralph was named to All-League, All-American, and FAA Co-MVP in ’74.

Joselina (Arias) Keiser All-Around: 1979Joselina was a pioneer for FAA and was recognized as an all-around athlete. She was named FAA volleyball MVP in two years in a row ’77-‘78 and FAA basketball MVP in ’78.

Reginald “Reggie” Dean Football & Basketball: 1979 Reggie, as co-captain and quarterback, led the football team to the NWL cham-pionship with a 5-0 (6-3 overall) record winning him the All-League honors in ’78. On the hardwood, Reggie averaged 12.1 points per game career-wise. His leadership helped the team claim run-ner-up in the California Classic Tourney (’79), the highest finish at the time. Dean was named All-American in ’79 and won the FAA MVP twice in ’76 and ’78.

Bruce Price Track: 1981Bruce was All-American in ‘80 and ’81. He led the team into the Bay Counties League track championship in ’81 while specializing in the 300m Intermediate Hurdle, 39.6 and Long Jump, 21’10” and breaking school and BCL records in both events. Bruce won the FAA MVP in ‘80 and ’81.

Debbie (Saavedra) Virnig Track & Volleyball: 1981Debbie was selected BCL All-League in ’80. She holds two track school records for 100m low hurdles (16.8) and was a member of the 400m hurdle relay (1:17.8).She was named FAA MVP for track and volleyball in ’80.

Becky (Bonheyo) Ripley All-Around: 1983Becky won All-Tournament in volleyball in’80 and was awarded Girls All-American in basketball in ’82. She holds five school records in track: 800m run-(2:30.7), 300m low hurdle (51.0), 1600m relay (4:21.6), 3200-m relay (10:42), sprint relay (2:03.6) and distance med. relay (14:39.2). Becky won the FAA MVP award for basketball in ’82-’83 and track in ’81.


Mark King Basketball: 1983 Mark broke the school record with 30 rebounds in a single game. He also helped lead the team to the first-ever California Classic championship in ’81 and their second in ‘83. Leading the team in both rebounding and scoring in ’83 led him to All-American, National Player of the Year, and FAA MVP.

Tamara Gaudet Cross Country & Track: 1984The first CSD female harrier made a dazzling effort by placing 41st out of 102 competitors in the NCS championship. In cross country, Tamara placed second in the BCL by one second. A star long distance track runner, she set a school record for the 3200m run (12:12.0). She was on the 3200m relay and set another school record (10:42.0). Gaudet won the FAA MVP for cross country in ’81-83 and track in ’83-’84.

Tim Siaki Football & Track: 1984Siaki played in the East Bay All-Star game, made All-American twice, and won the FAA MVP in ’82. Siaki led track in winning both discus and shot put help-ing land the overall team victory in Class A NCS championship in ‘84. He still holds the school discus record at 157’8” and won FAA MVP in ’84.

Robert Garcia All-Around: 1986 "Deaf Athlete of Steel," Garcia was Deaf All-American in ’85 and a member of the National Deaf Champions in ’85. Garcia qualified for MVAL championship in 1986 and NCS in ’84-‘86. He also was named Prep of the Week by The Argus newspa-per in ’84 and ’86. He won FAA MVP for football in ’85 and wrestling in ’86.

Norman Edwards All-Around: 1986Edwards was All-American Deaf Prep in ’84 and ’85 for both football and bas-ketball. In ’85, Edwards was also Deaf All-American Football Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Co-MVP Defensive Player in Bay Six League, and the 1st Deaf Prep to participate in annual Alameda and Contra Costa Counties All-Star Classic as safety. He was a member of the national Deaf championship team in football and basketball in ’85. He also was on the WSBC championship team from ‘83-’86 and was on the 1st team at the Bay Athletic Conference in ‘85. In track, he was a member of the BCL Meet Champs and NCS Class A-Champions in ‘84 and ‘86. Norman holds the record for the triple jump - 45' 3 1/2"and was in the C.I.F. State Track and Field Meet in the triple jump. Edwards won the FAA MVP for football in ’85 and track in ’86.

Rodney Pedersen Basketball: 1986Rodney, was a three-time All-American. He directed CSD in winning four straight WSBC titles (‘83-‘86) and Team of the Year (’85). He led the team winning the league championship in ‘86 and brought the team to earn a berth for the first time in school history in the State NCS Class A Playoffs. Pedersen was selected as BAC MVP in’86 and named to NCS Class A All-Star team (’86). Rodney also holds the school career record in both assists (601) and steals (290). He averaged 15.8 points per game in his four-year career, third on the all-time list. Pedersen won the FAA basketball MVP in ’85 and ’86.

Lynn Barlow Cross Country & Track: 1988Barlow led the team to a fine track season (’87) winning the Team of the Year among the Deaf schools in ’87. On the track, she won the national cham-pionship for 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, which earned her a prestigious Trackster of the Year award in ’87. Barlow was named FAA MVP for cross country and track in ’86.

Quilla Mosley Volleyball and Track: 1989Mosley was selected by The Argus as Preps of the Week, Player of the Year in ’88 and Deaf All-American ‘88. In track, Quilla was a lightening quick sprinter who ran a school record in the 200m (26.3) and also in the 800m relay (1:54.1) and 400m relay (52.0). She was a mem-ber of the BCL championship teams from ’86-’88. She helped the team win the national Deaf championship in ’86 and ’87.

Merrill Samuel Cross-Country & Track: 1990Samuel still holds CSD’s records for 100m (10.68), 200m (21.82), and 400m (47.77). His prep career accolades: a Deaflympic bronze medal, 3-time All-American, NCS/State berths in cross country and track, FAA MVP for cross country in ’87 & ’89, and FAA MVP for track in ’89 & ’90.


CSD Athletics Hall of Fame Committee: Ken Norton, Ed Leighton, Ken Pedersen, Bob Ellis, Ty Kovacs, Len Gonzales, and Don Bullock


Karen Gilbert All-Around: 1990Karen made the most kills (177) and most blocks (36), in ’89, in volleyball, earning her the Deaf Player of the Year in ‘89. A solid Deaf All-American basketball player, in ‘90, Karen had a strong inside presence, as well as a deadly mid-range jump shot. She set the school records in track at the time in high jump (5’2”) and triple jump (30’7”), qualifying her for a berth in NCS. She was named the FAA MVP for volleyball in ’89 and basketball three years in a row from ’88-‘90.

Dyan Kovacs Basketball & Volleyball: 1992The Fremont Argus and the San Jose Mercury News tapped Kovacs for Prep Player of the Week during the height of the team’s winning streak. The national Deaf publications selected her, one of the Iron Girls, All-American in ’91. At the time, Kovacs set CSD’s volleyball records for kills, blocks, digs, and aces. She earned FAA MVP honors for volleyball in ’91. She was named All-American in bas-ketball in ’91 and ’92. Dyan was known as a great scorer, mastering both in the paint and jumping, which earned her FAA basketball MVP honors in ’91 and ’92.

Paul Eyrond Manager: 1975Eyrond was an outstanding manager who gave it his all and worked tirelessly for three major sports for three straight years. Eyrond was truly an unsung hero to both his teammates and his coaches because he diligently and promptly tended to every detail to meet their needs.

Jovette McCallon Contributor: 1978-1992Jovette was one of the key reasons that the Foothills Athletic Association is such a strong organization. For 15 years, he made sure that the concession stand was well-stocked with drinks and food, so that the FAA was able to maintain strong revenue in order to be able to cover the expense of the officials and other items (such as awards). He served on the board, as well.

Ken Pedersen Basketball & Track Coach: 1977-1997Coach Pedersen coached legends and cemented his legacy. In track, he brought home 10 BAC championships for both boys' and girls' teams. The girls basket-ball team was a co-champion of the BCL Girls’ East Division II in ‘95. In basketball, Ken won the boys’ WSBC record of eight times (with seven consecutive wins): BCL championship (’86), NCS Class A boys basketball playoffs (’86) and two Class A boys NCS championships in track (’84 and ’86), Class A girls track NCS runner-up and two girls track national championships in ’86 and ’87.

Robert Ellis Volleyball Coach: 1978-1982, 1984-1991Robert won the Coach of the Year in ‘88. He coached his team to the first ever Deaf school invitational championship in ‘89 and directed his famous team, The Iron Girls, to the national champion-ship with a 20-5 record in ‘90. During his reign, he produced three players to earn the honors as Player of the Year and five players to the All-American team.

Ron Obray Baseball Coach: 1987-1990With his passion for the game, Coach Obray resurrected baseball at CSD in 1987, when he helped to reestablish the school’s program after years of not field-ing a team. Because of Coach Obray’s commitment to excellence, CSD baseball is now a National Deaf Prep powerhouse.

Donald Ingraham Historian: 1970-2000Donald spent many, many hours collecting highlights, statistics, pictures and other related items from the early 1900’s to present. He often shared many amazing CSD sports stories with students, alumni, and the community. CSD’s sports legacy remains strong because of his love for CSD.

David Fraley Athletic Director: 1949-1984Fraley literally did everything. He coached football, basketball, and track and for several years served as athletic director. He retired in 1984 after 35 years of service. Many CSD students had fond memories of him as a loving, caring man.

Dr. Hugo Schunhoff Superintendent: 1960-1975Dr. Schunhoff was a staunch supporter for athletics at CSD. He strongly believed students should give back to CSD by playing their best. Even if it was rain-ing outside, he would show up with his umbrella and watch with his wife. His extreme support led CSD athletics to garner nationwide attention in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He had tremendous school spirit and had immense respect for coaches who devoted their time to students.

Dr. Henry Klopping Superintendent: 1975 to presentDr. Klopping has always been one of CSD athletics’ fiercest supporters. You are certain to find him sitting in the bleach-ers at CSD games next to his wife, a vibrant woman with bright blond hair and a ready smile and a warm heart. The First Lady of CSD, Bunny Klopping, is equally as committed in her loyalty and support of CSD. Dr. Klopping has been steadfast in his desire to provide the best for CSD students, and has consistently made sure that they have the same access to opportunities as other schools. He founded the California Classic tournament, which later evolved into the Western States Basketball Classic (WSBC). His expectations for CSD athletics have remained high over the years. He has always found various ways to support the athletics department including its coaches, athletes, parents, and alumni. Dr. Klopping is one of the reasons why the bar is so high for CSD athletics. His well-known quote remains: “CSD is #1!" And he declares exactly that at every pep rally, assembly, and meeting.


Interview with Ken Norton

Talk a little about your experience as a student at CSD.

I enrolled at the Berkeley school in the fall of 1931. My mother was heart-broken and thought it was too early for me to start school at the age of five. So, my father came to the school, a week later, and planned to take me home. He and I went to the office of the superin-tendent where he planned to convince Dr. Elwood Stevenson that it was too young for me to start my education at CSD. While my father and Dr. Stevenson were discussing the situation, I said that I wanted to go outside to play with my new friends. Dr. Stevenson jumped up from the desk to grab the opportunity to say that if I was independent enough to go out and play with my friends, I was “ready” for school. My father became speechless and agreed to let me stay at CSD. Poor Mother! Thus, CSD has been my love ever since.

What are some differences between the Berkeley school and the Fremont school?

The facilities at the Fremont school are far better than those that were at the Berkeley school. At the Fremont school, there is a large library, modern media center, living quarters in a cottage atmo-sphere, beautiful theater, big gym and sizable classrooms; while at the Berkeley school there were old fashioned dormi-tories, a small library, a non-tier audito-rium, a poorly structured gym, and small classrooms. Yet, there are two facilities that I have missed greatly from my time at the Berkeley school that were impos-sible to take to Fremont. They were the grand dining room that looked like a palace, with its elegant chandeliers, and the football field, with its great view of the San Francisco Bay.

What did you think this 150th reunion celebration meant to the alumni there?

Great! It was a big success! Appar-ently, it had a great deal of meaning to every one of the alumni, as well as the retirees. It meant a great deal to the staff members, too. Many of the alumni had not seen their classmates or schoolmates for 30 or 40 years. You can imagine how contented they were to meet with each other. Deaf people cherish and are extremely interested in their old days at CSD.

Interview with CSD HistorianWhy are you proud to be a CSD alumnus?

I’m not only a product of CSD, I was also a science teacher for 14 years, a major sports coach for 11 years, and the dean of students for 15 years. The total in years that I have been a part of CSD, counting my time in student life, is 43 years. Before coming to CSD, I was a teacher and a coach for 11 years at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf. Since my retirement in 1990, I have continued to connect with CSD, in many ways, because of my love for the school.



This mural shows first and second graders celebrating CSD alumnus Dr. Robert Davila's rise to success as Gallaudent university president. Dr. Davila is signing “Gallaudet” while holding the Chapel Hall building. The mural is located on the elementary building, next to the administration building.

The students in the mural are: Damaiya Daniels, Trevor Robertson, Chwa:Kin McCutcheon, Estelina Kovacs, Jaylen Johnson, Jaden Reader, and Naomi Brock.

This mural shows four CSD artists studying Granville Redmond’s work in an art studio.

The students in the mural are: Amelia Bernstein, Megan Ketchum, Micah Norris, and Erika Schwehr.

This mural shows a crowd of excited CSD students bringing Donald Parodi to the Bell Tower to show their gratitude for his philanthropy. While CSD high school students are carrying Donald Parodi on their backs, he is holding a small version of the Bell Tower in his hand. The mural is located on the corner of the CSD library, by the media center.

The students in the mural are: Sabrina Firl and Phillip Castaneda (kindergarten students), Walter Baldwin (special needs high school student), Alivia Alberigi-Speicher, Allan Diaz, and Andrey Cherepov (high school students), Tivon LeMaster and Kiara Morris-Dadzie (elementary students).

In celebration of CSD's 150th anniversary, David Call's art class created a series of six murals depicting important people in CSD history. This mural is of Douglas Tilden working on the Bear Hunt statue with present day CSD students admiring his work. It is located on the director of instruction’s outside wall.

The students depicted in the mural are: Odun Akintomide (high school student); Rosaura Gomez Rivas (middle school student); Alex Garcia (middle school student); and McKenna Brentham and Miguel Sombrerero (early childhood education students).

CSD's 150th anniversary mural series

Photographer: Alison Taggart-Barone






What have members of the alumni of CSD accomplished in their adult lives? Not surprisingly, each individual has had his or her own unique way of accomplishing his or her dreams and goals fruitfully. Features about their accomplishments have been disclosed widely in magazines and newspapers, in small towns and big towns, and in newsletters across the nation.

One of the two most important accomplishments of the CSD alumni was to install a popular exhibit in the CSD library featuring historic photographs of the sports teams.

The other most important accomplishment is that Eugene Rianda, a ’46 graduate, has for the first time, painstakingly brought together a collection from the archives of individual photographs of CSD graduates circa 1871 to 2010. The collection is now on display in the library hallway, along with the revolving case of sports photographs. The Donald Parodi Memorial Charitable Trust assisted in purchasing the revolving cases for these displays.

Eugene Rianda decided that the collection of photo-graphs of CSD graduates was too good to have only in the CSD library, so out of his pocket, he ordered the collection of pictures be transformed into the form of a book (called a scrapbook by Kinko’s). The book is entitled “Album of CSD Graduates 1871-2010.” There are a few of these books still available. Anyone wishing to purchase an album of CSD graduates (from 1871-2010) can send your request to:

Eugene Rianda12108 Gold Pointe LnGold River, CA 95670

Email Eugene at:[email protected]

The books are $25, which includes the cost to ship it to you.

Ken Norton, Class of ‘45

This mural shows Theophilus d’Estrella taking a photo of a group of restless middle school students. He was one of the first students to be enrolled at CSD in San Francisco. He had been an important part of the CSD community for more than 50 years as a writer, artist, ASL storyteller, traveler, photographer, and teacher. He was called “The Magic Lantern Man” because CSD students loved to watch the slide show of d’Estrella’s photos. He is truly a Renaissance man.

The students in the mural are: Andre Nathaniel, Jenniferrose Jones, Nereyda Rodriguez Meza, Alejandra Cisneros, Natalie Brentham, Daniel Cease, and Andrew Cho.

Ella Mae Lentz is a well-known poet, author, and Deaf advocate. She is one of the authors of the hugely popular Signing Naturally series (ASL curriculum and textbooks). She also produced several popular ASL poetry and story telling videos. She is a strong advocate for Deafhood. This mural shows Ella Mae Lentz giving balloons to students to enlighten them about Deafhood. Several students who got the balloons are flying free, while a line of excited students wait for their turn to become enlightened. The mural is located on the school cafeteria’s side access wall, next to the quad.

The students in the mural are: Nicky Lim, Ben Joss, Alexandria Brinkley-Green, Blanca Barron, Jordan Sandoval, Malvana Ramborger, Izcali Esparza, Donny Camp, Luke Bella, Malia Zornoza , and Cristina Mabuyo.

A Labor of Love


Photographer: Ken Norton


This toddler is having a face-to-face with the CSD Eagle.

The preschoolers wish CSD a dynamic birthday!

During an interview with the kindergarten students, the Eagle answered some philosophical questions.

Pre-kindergarten students reenact the roles in the Bear Hunt as they study CSD history.

The toddlers celebrate CSD’s 150th birthday.

The kindergarten class rates the CSD Eagle five stars. The class thinks the CSD Eagle was cool!


Toddler Class:Happy Birthday CSD was introduced

in the toddler class by discussing that we all have birthdays, including a student who had one the very week of homecoming. We celebrated the student's birthday on Tuesday and CSD’s birthday on Wednesday.

A variety of school celebration activities took place including:

Community watercolor art activity, • which became the birthday cake for our class bulletin boardTeachers collected birthday photos • from each student’s family, from their most recent birthday, and posted them on the bulletin board next to the birthday cakeStudents followed a recipe to make a • cake in celebration of CSD’s birthdayStudents put candles on the real • birthday cake for CSDStudents put candles on the bulletin • board cake for CSDStudents and staff signed, • “Happy birthday to CSD,” and enjoyed cake togetherT• eachers made a language experience book covering this “project”

Student Remarks: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!• As an extension of the kindergarten’s • celebration of CSD, they asked the toddlers how old they were. They answered proudly, “TWO!”

Additional Information:We had separate related lessons and • activities around CSD’s EagleIf you would like a copy of the language • experience book, let us know!

Preschool:The preschool class was introduced

to some old pictures of how CSD looked many years ago; how the CSD students were dressed; and what kind of things they used. They compared it to the things we use now. There were things

that they didn’t have, such as computers and colored markers. We painted a mural using a certain paint brush to create a dynamic pattern. The mural included a sign showing the “Happy birthday, CSD!” in ASL by the preschoolers!

Pre-KindergartenThe pre-kindergarten students

studied what an “eagle” is, and the Eagle pride at CSD.

We talked about the lifespan of eagles, and how they’re now endangered. “Eagles” by the Usborne publishing com-pany, was signed aloud to the class and the class then studied pictures of bald eagles. We discussed the anatomy of the eagle such as colors of the feathers, the eyes, the talons, and what kind of diet eagles eat.

Then, we took a tour of the CSD campus to find eagles in different forms such as the eagle on the gym and the Eagle mascot, etc. After we identified the eagles on campus, we came back and discussed that the bald eagle is CSD’s school mascot, and it is OUR PRIDE at the school.

We had a surprise visit from the CSD’s Eagle mascot. It came into our classroom, and we were all able to touch the mascot’s feathers and talons! We were not afraid of the mascot! One pre-kindergartener was curious if the mascot mask was see-through. The student tried it on and found it was indeed see-through!

We chanted three ASL signs pertaining to the CSD 150th celebration: EAGLE, PRIDE and C-S-D.

Then, we made bald eagles from brown paper bags stuffed with crumbled newspaper. We labeled the front of the paper bags with ‘CSD’ and pasted the face of an eagle on it, along with wings and talons. The students colored the eyes, talons, and put together the face and the wings. Now, the pre-kindergarten class gleans with CSD EAGLE PRIDE! The

eagles are posted on the class bulletin board with photos of the students signing “EAGLE- PRIDE” right next to their eagles! GO MIGHTY EAGLETTES!!!

KindergartenThe kindergarten class did a

series of lessons called “CSD – Then and Now!” We looked at the history book about CSD, written by Ken Norton, a CSD alumnus. We learned about how the campus moved four times before arriving in Fremont; saw how the schools looked different; and learned that the number of students just kept getting bigger and bigger!

We then went to visit the CSD historical museum in the library. The students noticed how the clothes and pictures looked much different from the San Francisco and early Berkeley campuses. They were amazed at how many symbols and objects had survived over 150 years! We made sculptures of the Bell Tower, as well as contributed to the ECE quilt by drawing eagles, bell towers, Bear Hunt statues, and other CSD symbols in orange and black. Our students then made a bulletin board, with both ASL and English components, to show what they had learned.

Finally, during the open house at CSD, on November 11, the kindergarten class made a production to share with visitors on what they had learned about the history of CSD.

Early Childhood Education OfficeThe early childhood education

secretary coordinated an ECE quilt, made of paper squares, drawn by all of the ECE students. The quilt is in only three colors—orange, black, and white—and is posted in the ECE hallway. Come and visit the quilt and the class bulletin boards to see what the ECE students did for the CSD’s 150th celebration!

—Roberta Daniels, ECE Principal

CSD 150th Celebration in Early Childhood Education


150th Celebration Co-ChairInterview with

Barbara Morrison

What do you think this event meant to the alumni?

There was an amazing response from the alumni for the 150th celebra-tion. At first, we expected about 300 to 400 reservations for the banquet. By last count, we had to reserve three banquet rooms for 808 guests. It was very exciting that so many of our alumni wanted to participate in this celebration. It was particularly exciting that alumni traveled all the way from the East Coast to attend, because they have so much pride in our school.

It was fun to watch the older alumni when they toured the class-rooms and saw how the students learn

nowadays. Technology, such as Smart Boards, are an everyday part of class-room learning. They were remarking that they didn’t have those tools back in their time. They were also happy to see that CSD had preserved and kept so many of the old treasures from Berkeley—like the Bell Tower, the ornate doors outside of the theatre, the Bear Hunt statue, and the artifacts in the museum.

This 150th event was so great for the alumni. Particularly, the banquet and the Athletics Hall of Fame really gave us a glimpse at the caliber of our alumni.

Could you talk a little bit about the impact of this event?

We were so lucky to have such a good committee and dedicated staff who worked together. It was particularly

great for our current students to see how many people came to celebrate the school’s history. It will make our students cherish their school even more. Plus, this event was the best thing that could have happened for our alumni who are reenergized and wanting to reestablish the California School for the Deaf Alumni Association again.

I never could have imagined that we would have 3,800 visitors. I particularly wanted to thank the transportation staff for providing the shuttle service to and from the hotel; nutritional services for the reception; and to the maintenance staff for handling the parking for all those cars.

What about the banquet?I felt bad because people had to

stand in long lines at the hotel just to get



in, but everyone was polite and courte-ous because they wanted to be a part of the celebration. The evening program at the banquet really showed that CSD does have successful alumni. It was also thrilling to see Senator Corbett and the California Department of Education staff supporting our school. We clearly have a wonderful working relationship with the people in Sacramento and we are able to work closely together.

We must not forget our wonderful sponsors. Because of their support, we are better able to serve the Deaf Community.

Did you get any comments about the weekend?

People thought that the weekend was wonderful. They were happy about the shuttle service to and from the hotel.

The alumni was thrilled to see the students taking a leadership role and

Trivia

running so many of the events including guiding the tours, serving food at the reception, performing at the pep rally, participating in the royalty court, doing spirit week, and clearing all of those chairs out of the big gym on Friday night, after the movie, so that it would be ready for the homecoming volleyball game the next morning.

Smallest graduating class • at CSD Fremont: 27 students in 1981

Largest graduating class • at CSD Fremont: 120 students in 1984

Smallest graduating class • at CSD Berkeley: 1 student in 1877

Largest graduating class • at CSD Berkeley: 73 students in 1973

Who served as superintendent • the shortest? John M. Francis - 9 months

Who served as superintendent • the longest? Dr. Warring Wilkinson - 44 years

On behalf of the Community Advisory Council

We wanted to share our deepest appreciation for all the effort that went into the amazing 150th celebration. Hand waves to you all!

Sincerely,Estella Bustamente, President

Danielle Reader, Vice PresidentJulie Navarro, Secretary

As well as all of the CAC members


First-ever Spirit Week for Jr. Eagles

Excitement was running high in middle school during Jr. Eagles Spirit Week (October 19-23). Theme days were a smashing success with the students, as they treated us to their imagination, bringing forth an assortment of colors, shapes, and styles. It was a brilliant and vibrant week at CSD indeed! On behalf of the Jr. Eagles of the middle school cottages, we would like to thank the Principal Advisory Council students for contacting the Jr. Eagles to establish the first-ever Spirit Week for our middle school students. The Jr. Eagles and the Principal Advisory Council worked together in making this Spirit Week a smashing success for everyone in middle school.

Spirit Week was organized by the Jr. Eagles in the student life division. Its aim was to instill community spirit, school pride, and self-esteem. Spirit Week was also a means of entertainment for the students during CSD’s homecoming week. Members of each class were encouraged to participate and keep the excitement fired, up during this special period, and to maintain a strong sense of unity.

Seventh grader Adam Wemmer had fun because the activities were cool, and because there was good competition against each other. It was a week filled with fun events, games, and exciting themes.

Sixth grader Jenniferrose Jones felt that Spirit Week motivated students to bond together.

The winner of Spirit Week ’09 was the eighth grade class; second place went to the sixth grade class; and third place went to the seventh grade class. In the end, everyone was a winner!

Spirit Week provided a great opportunity to make meaning-ful memories for the middle school students and marked some important milestones in their development; the event devel-oped incomparable PRIDE in the California School for the Deaf.

I would like to thank supervising counselors Alexander Ash and Shirley Dart; and middle school cottage counselors Connie Davenport, Alicia Flores, Leslie Hanaumi, Jonathan Hughes, Jeri Keller, Sam Reynolds, Jennifer Savage, Brian Strother and Casey Burpee. I would also like to thank Clark Brooke, Eugene LaCosse, and the PAC committees for the splendid job they did in arranging Spirit Week and the royalty court last week.

Darriyan Thomas and Marilee Williams also deserve special thanks for being our middle school Spirit Week chairpersons, thank you for all your hard work with the students.

—Justen AJ Burns

Middle School Royalty Court: Enrico Harmount & Marilee Williams

The logo (front cover) is the official logo for California School for the Deaf’s 150th anniversary. The winner of the logo contest was Andrew Anabu. Andrew is the son of Martha Anabu, who works in the business office at CSD. Andrew grew up watching his mother go to work at CSD and became interested in the school and culture. Andrew worked hard on this project; his winning logo was his sixth artistic attempt! Andrew is currently a student at Academy of Art university in San Francisco. Below is Andrew's description of the logo he created:

under the warm glow of the yellow sun, a community of buildings thrives in a green valley. They belong to the California School for the Deaf in their 150 years of educating and nurturing students from all over the world.

Down the long, winding asphalt road are the schools represented by CSD throughout its incredible lifetime.

From the left, the Bear Statue stands prominently besides the first CSD school of Mission Street, San Francisco during the year 1861. Immediately behind lies the current Fremont CSD with the Bell Tower standing loud and tall.

Near the center of the logo is the first of the three CSD Berkeley schools. Belonging to the era right before the turn of the 20th century, the first educational building is recognized by its cathedral-like, Gothic architecture. After a half a century later, in the 1950’s, a new administration building was constructed. Just as a human heart, this vital edifice lies to the center right. The third and final structure, with its contemporary clock tower, is situated at the very right of the logo. Just under its roof it shelters the long-lost Bird Fountain.

Lastly, the Bald Eagle, the everlasting and enduring symbol of CSD, is embossed onto the never-ending asphalt road.

Logo


1860 Tehema Street

San Francisco

1861Mission Street

San Francisco

1869The Hills of

Berkeley

1980Gallaudet Drive

Fremont

Did you know that CSD-Berkeley lost a building to fire?The move to Fremont

Staff who worked at Berkeley that are still with us at Fremont

Holly Benedict•

Nancy Brill•

Joyce Clark•

Joann Coakley•

Zannet Coleman•

Harvey Johnson•

Vikki King•

Hank Klopping•

Eugene LaCosse•

Sandy Lund•

Ginny Malzkuhn•

Ann Moxley•

Steve Orman•

Barrett Smith•

Anthony St. Julian•

Mike Sutherland•

Lisa Viall•

Terry Viall•

Ellen Winters•

Trivia

www.csdf.k12.ca.us

BUY NOW!150th

AnniversaryCollectionTO ORDER CONTACT:

Ma-Ling Chiou

510-344-6075 Videophone

866-790-4035 Videophone (toll free)

510-794-2577 FAX

[email protected]

T-Shirt $15Program Book $5

Mug $10 CSD DVD $20

DeafLife $5

History Book $29.95


Documents

Published by: California School for the Deaf, Fremont ... November 20, 2009 | California News Emcee for the Friday Night Live show Ella Mae Lentz Estelina Kovacs shows her Eagle spirit