Photo by: “DaddyK_NE”

Hi Everyone. Last month, I posted this story below about my memories of Gallaudet. I thought I would run this topic again now that I have more exposure. The story below is about the “rat funeral” tradition at Gally. It was a long time ago (Spring of 1984) that I was there as a special visiting student for 1 semester. I have some questions…

I’m wondering:

• Is the rat funeral is still a tradition?
• If so, how has it changed over the years?
• How do you feel about that tradition?
• What are some of your favorite or poignant memories of those rat funerals and Freshman processions?

I look forward to your comments! …

Photo by: Eric Brochu

While attending Gallaudet in 1984, I became more fluent in ASL and more acclimated to the environment and culture of my Deaf peers. I was able to clearly follow my signing instructors and classmates, and participate fully in all my college courses. I felt on top of my game! I joined in deep, philosophical discussions during class and took part in comical or heated debates with acquaintances in the dorms where I lived. I hung out with friends in the cafeteria amid the loud, visual noise of waving hands, flashing lights and vibrating tables, and laughed at the lively, animated hazing rituals of newbies entering Deaf frats or sororities.

Photo by: Stefan install

In the evenings and on weekends, I continued to explore the social world and cultural behaviors of my Deaf friends. I was invited to “Deafnasty” parties — Deaf versions of cocktail parties where people dressed up as characters from the then popular TV series, Dynasty. Gathering in the dorm commons one night a week to watch Dynasty on TV was a cultural phenomenon at Gallaudet at the time.

Photo by: Gene Kaufman

Instead of going to the indoor cinemas off campus that I wouldn’t be able to hear anyway, I now went to captioned movies set up at the campus Bar and Grill. In “hearing” movie theatres, you’re not supposed to laugh too loud or too long, or applaud a scene unless it’s at the very end of the movie, and that’s usually only if it’s a comedy or an adventure film where the hero saves the day. Still, I recall that it’s rarely done. It’s also generally not socially acceptable to verbally cheer on a movie character during the movie while in the cinema.

But at Gallaudet, those exact behaviors were often encouraged among my Deaf peers. I “whooped-it-up” with my friends there and silently applauded exciting scenes with my hands waving in the air at each exciting twist and turn! It made watching a movie a whole group experience! Very fun! Being able to follow the movie through captions was wonderful! The only problem was that they only seemed to play movies that had been out for years. All of the new releases would have to wait to be captioned and then rented. While progress has been made over the years with captioned media, Deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened people still have to wait for the new releases to be captioned. By then, the plot has often been spoiled. No fun! Those movies that are captioned in the cinemas usually have limited showings in remote locations. Equal access still has a long way to go.

Photo by: “Vero.b”

There were also occasional dances held in Gallaudet’s Bar and Grill. I bravely boogied with other Deaf or hard of hearing peers to the colorful lights that pulsated in rhythm with the loud beat of the music. The few hearing friends who were also a part of the Special Visiting Student Program that year at Gallaudet, chose not to join me for those dances. The music was sooooo loud that they could not stand to be there for long. Research now points out that prolonged exposure to loud music and noisy environments results in progressive and significant hearing loss. I’m glad they chose to protect their hearing. But I secretly enjoyed tossing my hearing aids in their boxes in the dorms and going out to dance the night away!

I once attended a concert at Gallaudet with music so loud that my eyes crossed, my teeth rattled, my head throbbed, and my bones rumbled and rocked in rhythm with the pounding bass guitar and drums. I did not use my hearing aids that night. If I had any residual hearing left back then, it was probably shattered at that one event! My ears rung for days! Gallaudet was definitely not a world of silence, but it was a fun place to be!

Photo by: “dbking”

During school holidays, I went to the Smithsonian Museums and the Washington Monuments with groups of girlfriends. I began learning how to navigate the city transit and subway systems in Washington D.C. as a Deaf person. Another Deaf friend and I even helped lead a Deaf-Blind couple into Georgetown one evening so that they could have a dinner date and go dancing out on the town.

One of the most unusual and memorable Deaf-cultural events at Gallaudet back then was the traditional “Rat Funeral.” At the end of each spring semester, each freshman class ritually held a funeral for their male and female pet rats, which they have caught or bought, made their mascots, and cared for all year. At the end of the school year, these rats were given formal names, were somehow exterminated, and then buried somewhere on Gallaudet’s campus. Each freshman class, as a way to symbolize saying goodbye to their freshman year, performed this ritual.

Photo by: Karin Reichert-Frei

All the members of the freshman class would dress up in black and don sad faces. Smiling and laughing among the those in the solemn procession was strongly discouraged. However, it seemed anticipated and almost expected that the by-standing upper-classmen would try to make the freshman students laugh or break character.

The procession I watched that year was lead by a couple of hooded forerunners carrying scythes. They were followed by one elect freshman that carried the dead rats in a box. Some of these freshman students went so far as to shave their heads in mourning for their dead rats! It was a very cult-like phenomenon that I had difficulty understanding.

My roommates explained how each freshman class puts something of individual value or special meaning to their group in the small coffin or box with the dead rats. The rats were then buried somewhere on Gallaudet’s campus.

Photo by: Trevor DeVincenzi

These memorials were actually one of the first things I noticed when exploring my surroundings at Gallaudet. There seemed to be more than the usual number of little brass plaques under trees or near benches. I remember reading one that said, “In loving memory of George and Gracie. Rest in Peace, Class of ‘80″. I had wondered if these memorials were for classmates or professors or donors to the college. I was surprised at how many there were. Once I learned these memorials were actually burial sites for dead rats, I was a little creeped out!

Eventually, this unique Gallaudet tradition of capturing and killing live rats became one of great debate. Ultimately, a decision was made to maintain a more politically correct version of this ritual by no longer using or killing live rats. Students began using rubber rats instead.

I was a junior when I attended Gallaudet, so I never got to walk in procession with other freshman. Yet I did get to participate from the sidelines, and considered it to be a very crazy, but memorable cultural experience.

Posted by LaRonda on Friday, March 2nd, 2007 at 9:53 am.