Issues with Tissues

View of the RIT Quarter Mile, then and two years ago. Look at what has changed, and how the trees have grown!

*This is NOT an image I will be using in my thesis, just one that I found online can demonstrate the thrill of comparing the past and present side by side. 

This has been a horrible past couple of months for me as far as getting sick goes - it seems as if I haven't gone more than a week at a time without getting sick. First was a nasty sinus infection, then an upper respiratory infection, a stomach bug, and last week - the day before the first rough draft of my thesis was due - I was struck down by a particularly nasty case of Strep A. I won the lottery as far as the strain goes though, because it meant I was able to start antibiotics right away. Still, it has been a rough recovery since the antibiotics have been hard on my stomach and my body is just worn out from constantly fighting off all these illnesses.

Despite all that, I have been working on my rough draft, re-reading sources, reviewing/choosing/searching for images, scheduling interviews, and trying to finalize my list of locations. 

So far, the list includes: 

• The Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD)
• Grave sites of RSD children and founders 
• The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at RIT (will include the Panara Theatre & the Dyer Arts Center)
• The cafe/bar where Deaf Poetry Nights were held
• The Little Theatre (which has hosted Deaf Rochester Film Festival screenings)
• The Rochester Recreation Club for the Deaf

I still need to find/choose images for the last three locations currently on the list (may need to pay a visit to the Rochester Public Library or ask individuals for photos), and I am still searching for deaf-owned businesses - which will hopefully turn up during interviews with the NTID/RIT staff and faculty members I have contacted.

I am looking forward to a meeting with my secondary advisor, Dr. Kitzel, on Monday for an in-depth discussion on the subject of deaf geographies. She currently teachers a course on the subject here at RIT, and will also be directing the Deaf Geographies Field School this summer.