Spilyay tymoo., June 15, 1979, Page 9, Image 9

Page 10
June 15,1979
Spilyay Tymoo
Graduates ’79
Clinton Bruno leaves security of deaf school
Fifteen years ago, when
Clinton Bruno’s family took
Life for Clinton Bruno at the
him over the mountains and
left him at the Oregon State Oregon State School for the
School for the deaf, the Deaf has been rich with
frightened four year old cried accomplishments and friends.
His senior year has been
with homesickness.
Last week Clinton “signed” particularly active as Clinton
the closing prayer at his has contributed much to his
graduation and faced the class.
The backdrop for gradua­
prospect of leaving home
again. For Clinton, 18, the son tion ceremonies that Clinton
of Cecil Bruno, Sr., graduation helped create (right) bears a
m eans a n o th e r d iffic u lt message that he will no doubt
transition—this time from the take to heart. The days before
school’s secure environment to graduation found Clinton
life in- a world of hearing signing yearbooks (below) and
figuring out the fine points of
people.
Clinton’s parents became his cap & gown (below right).
aware of their son’s hearing It will be hard for Clinton to
problem when he was a toddler leave his second family,
and was not developing including his “brat mom”
language ability. Tests at the (bottom) who has shared lunch
Portland Center fo r, Hearing with him daily and taken him
and Speech revealed a into her home on weekends.
“moderate” hearing loss and
s p e c ia l s c h o o lin g was
recommended. School officials
explain that Clinton’s loss is
now .considered “ severe.”
Without his hearing aid he
hears virtually nothing. With
his aid, he can enjoy loud music
and hear sharp warniijg signals
such as car horns or train
whistles, but he hears no
speech. The cause of his
hearing loss is uncertain but he
is not the only one in his family
who was stricken—sisters and
brothers also have less severe
losses and their maternal
grandmother was a deaf mute.
Over the years, Clinton’s
silent world has revolved
around the school in Salem, his
family in Warm Springs and
the four-hour bus ride between.
A world rich with lifelong
friends and a large, warm
family, it is also a divided
world. At home in both places,
but not sure where he belongs,
Clinton now wonders what the
rest of the world has in store for
him.
But somehow it’s hard to
worry about Clinton. Perhaps
that is because Clinton himself
Story and Photos by Cynthia Stowell
appears unconcerned. His
ch e erfu l, d evil-m ay-care
disposition hides the “deep
thinking” that counselors say his reputation as a ladies’ man.
he’s known for. Beyond that, And he humbly denies any
Clinton seems to be well- dancing ability, while teachers
equipped-with confidence and tag him as the best dancer on
ability—to tackle whatever he campus—“better than many
hearing boys,” said one.
sets his mind to.
And on top if it all, one
A long list of accomplishments
His school record bears this teacher commented that the
out. If not the “big man on Warm Springs boy was “one of
campus” Clinton has certainly the most highly respected
made his mark on the school students” in the view of faculty
and its faculty and student and staff because of his
body. In his senior year alone, “responsibility, courtesy and
Clinton, has racked up a long politeness.”
No wonder it is difficult to
list of accomplishments.
leave
OSSD. Clinton has
Besides participating in the
graduation ceremony, he clearly found a comfortable
helped design and paint the. niche or two, making a name
colorful backdrop for the Class for himself along the way. But
of 1979. The cover of the it is precisely the world beyond
special senior edition of the the school’s green lawns for
school’s monthly magazine which the school attempts to
“Oregon Outlook” wasanother prepare students.
outlet for Clinton’s creativity.
And Clinton further helped out More than academics
his class of 22 by heading up the
Established in 1870 as the
senior will committee.
Oregon Institute for the deaf
Throughout high school and Dumb, O.S.S.D. has
Clinton has proven himself to grown in size and scope while by O.S.S.D. He spent his
be an enthusiastic athlete. He still serving the state’s deaf m ornings in tra d itio n a l
proudly takes visitors to the children at no cost to the classrooms, studying citizen­
trophy room where plaques families. Founded by a deaf ship, language . and public
'ecognize his skills in football man, the school continues to speaking. Then it was off to the
x nd track.
employ deaf people, including woodworking shop, followed
C lin to n ’s p op u larity is its own alumni, in administra­ by an afternoon of art and
welding. Other students chose
obvious, especially among tive and teaching positions.
to pursue printing, homemak­
OSSD’s girls. The handsome
Clinton’s class schedule for ing,
electronics, or business, as
young man shrugs and shakes last semester is an indication of
his .head when confronted with the variety of skills, prompted. vocational electives.
A happy place to be, the halls
of the high school are filled
with the usual sights-couples
stealing quick em braces,
hurried visits to lockers, teasing
and practical jokes, and
although generally a lot quieter
than m ost school halls,
occasional hoots and hollers
echo for those who can hear
them. Faculty and students
fra'ferh iie more"' thaft
“regular” schools, and an
atm o sp h ere of ch eerfu l
confidence provides a welcome
relief to the alienation
pervading so many public
schools.
M ore th a n p ro v id in g
stu d en ts w ith p ra c tic a l
occupational skills, O.S.S.D.
encourages the development of
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