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69 Chapter 7 Syracuse The move to Syracuse in the fall of 1970 was a positive experience for the Davila family. Though Bob, Donna and the boys knew that the primary reason they were there was for Bob to complete his doctoral studies , they nevertheless found their increasing time together a joy. Prior to the move, Bob had always been engaged in earning extra income, which, not unlike his own father, often kept him away from home and the family. Now in Syracuse, he was more confined, away from familiar surroundings and friends. Despite the demands of his studies, Bob spent much more time with Donna and the boys. Even though they missed their friends, the family fused together in a way they had not done previously. Bob rediscovered his family and became much closer to his sons. Bob had always gone above and beyond what was expected of him professionally, sometimes to the detriment of other aspects of his life. By the time he arrived at Syracuse University, he had already accumulated 42 credits above those required to earn his master’s degree. This he had done by taking optional courses at a variety of schools, including New York University and New Mexico State University. Now, as he walked across the Syracuse campus, he certainly did not look his best. Bob remembered his arrival shortly after the automobile accident: “I stuck to my plans and appeared at Syracuse in a green jump suit over my cast, looking like a maintenance man without a broom. That was my inauspicious beginning to doctoral studies.”1 During the first semester, Bob struggled to follow what was being discussed in his classes and to interact with professors who did not have any prior experience working with deaf students. There were several classmates who knew sign language, but since doctoral programs are very competitive, Bob knew he could not expect his classmates to interpret for him and still be able 70 Moments of Truth to follow their own studies. During the second semester of this first year, Bob struck up a conversation with Professor Donald Ely and asked him whether there was any money in the Department of Education grant for interpreter support. Ely looked into it and shortly afterwards told Bob the good news that he had found money for part-time assistance. But because the funds were very limited, Bob had to be selective, requesting an interpreter only for significant speeches by prominent visitors, special classes such as course reviews, and for study groups before exams. After the first year, Ely was able to acquire funds from the Department of Education for ongoing, but not full-time, interpreter support. However, Bob still had to be selective. He never had a fulltime interpreter to work with him. Desiring to maximize his communication access, he also taught fingerspelling to some of his professors, including Ely. The Davilas found a comfortable apartment complex in Liverpool, New York, a suburb of Syracuse, near Onondaga Lake. During the winters there, Bob and his sons discovered ice fishing and other winter sports. Brian, the older son, developed an especially great love for the outdoors, including hunting. One morning, about a month after the family had finally settled in their new apartment, Brian and Brent came running into their parents’ bedroom. A blizzard-like snowstorm had struck and Bob, Donna and the boys got into a festive mood, knowing that the family would be stuck at home together. They satdownatthekitchentableandbegandebatingtheplansfortheday.Theboys wanted to go sledding. Donna wanted to go to the lake. Bob was more than willing to take a day off from his studies. In the middle of the discussion the boys heard the doorbell ring. Bob answered the door and saw a man bundled up in winter clothes. It was the school bus driver. “Are your boys coming to school today or not?” He knew the Davilas were new to the neighborhood— and not aware that school was rarely closed for weather conditions. The boys were crestfallen. It was the family’s introduction to Upstate New York winters. For extra income, Bob brought with him a “travel card” from the typographical union of the New York Times and took on part-time employment as a Linotype operator at the Syracuse Herald Statesmen. Because he quickly found that he needed weekends to do library research for his courses, he gave up that work after a few weeks. Donna got a job as a typesetter operator and took a...

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