Gallaudet

WASHINGTON -- To "mainstream" or not to "mainstream"? That is the question that energizes student and faculty protests at Gallaudet University. The return of protests at America's only liberal arts university for the deaf and hearing-impaired has been obscured by other big stories in Washington these days. But in many ways, the complicated and emotion-charged politics of Gallaudet reveal a much larger story. It is a saga about identity, the many ways we humans see ourselves as individuals or as groups, and how far we will go to keep our groups intact.

In five years, Ed Hottle took Gallaudet's football program from a moribund club team to an NCAA Division III winner. Today, he will be named the first football coach at Stevenson University in Owings Mills, where he hopes to do the same. "I'm honored to be the first guy," Hottle, 37, said Tuesday. "It'll be a colossal undertaking but I look forward to the challenge." Stevenson has scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning to introduce its coach, who beat out three other finalists for the job. The school expects to field a developmental football team in 2010, with plans to begin intercollegiate play the following year.

In five years, Ed Hottle took Gallaudet's football program from a moribund club team to an NCAA Division III winner. Today, he will be named the first football coach at Stevenson University in Owings Mills, where he hopes to do the same. "I'm honored to be the first guy," Hottle, 37, said Tuesday. "It'll be a colossal undertaking but I look forward to the challenge." Stevenson has scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning to introduce its coach, who beat out three other finalists for the job. The school expects to field a developmental football team in 2010, with plans to begin intercollegiate play the following year.

the silent one she's inhabited since birth and the noisy one she wasforced to grow up in.For most of her 21 years, Randi could neverhear more than brief snippets of conversation. She tried to hide herdeafness and her reliance on lip reading, the least obtrusive -- andleast visible -- way of compensating for what her ears would not allow her to hear.But now, at Gallaudet College in Washington, the former county student has learned to accept herself.At Gallaudet, which is tailored for its deaf students, she has developed the self-esteem lacking for most of her life.

Jerry Davis scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Washington College to an 80-60 victory over Wesley College in a men's basketball game last night in Chestertown.Ben Harris added 18 points for the Shoremen.Dallas Preston led Wesley with 20 points and 10 rebounds.* St. Mary's 87, Gallaudet 78: Andy Benincasa scored 32 points to lead visiting St. Mary's over Gallaudet in a Capital Athletic Conference game.The Seahawks (6-11, 3-6) were 27-for-30 from the free-throw line.John Perry led Gallaudet (9-9, 5-4)

Tim and Caren Gallaudet don't always get to see their families for Thanksgiving. He is a commander in the Navy and has spent holidays on ships in the Pacific and in the Persian Gulf region. The Gallaudets have lived in San Diego and, most recently, Bay St. Louis, Miss. But this year, Gallaudet and his wife are home. Sort of. Their house in Bay St. Louis was washed away by floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina. The Gallaudets, their daughter, Laurel, 5, and their six dogs stayed for a week in a Pensacola, Fla., hotel before finding a family on Kent Island that would take them in. Tim Gallaudet's parents live in Annapolis, and his wife's live in Southern Maryland, so, for the first time in a decade, the couple will be home for Thanksgiving.

Sophomore guard Chad Beeten scored a game-high 23 as host Goucher (16-9) posted a 92-80 win over Gallaudet (14-12) in a Capital Athletic Conference tournament semifinal last night.Goucher, the tournament's top seed, will play second-seeded York at home for the CAC title tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

David Clark had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead Goucher (6-3) to a 95-90 victory over host Salisbury State (3-5) in a men's college basketball game last night.Kyle Jefferson led Salisbury State with 38 points.* Gallaudet 108, Western Maryland 78: Mike Kent scored 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to power Gallaudet (6-3) past Western Maryland (4-4).Kent had 19 points and nine rebounds in the first half. He scored six points in an 11-0 Gallaudet run that pushed the Bison to a 31-13 lead midway through the first half.

Carrying out the cryptic last wishes of a reclusive multimillionaire, a Baltimore County court ended a battle of wills yesterday and awarded nearly $1 million of the fortune to the Daughters of the American Revolution.The will of Olive Swindells -- a Lochearn resident who died in squalor in March despite having amassed a $4.4 million stock portfolio -- had pitted the DAR and Gallaudet University against each other in a legal struggle for part of the riches.Mrs. Swindells' will left 80 percent of her estate to Gallaudet, the college for the deaf in Washington, and the remaining 20 percent to "the Daughters of the American Revolution Nursing Home for the use of the destitute members."

Becky Dowling scored 20 points and Adi Schneck added 15, leading Navy to a 65-35 victory over Lafayette in a Patriot League game last night in Annapolis.Navy (5-8, 1-1) led 39-13 at halftime as Dowling and Schneck each scored 12. Navy shot 14-for-27 from the field and Lafayette was 6-for-20. Dowling led all players with seven rebounds.Kate Wells added 14 points for Navy. Dana Gould led Lafayette with 11 points and five rebounds.* Notre Dame 85, Gallaudet 53: Jennifer Chaney scored 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, leading visiting College of Notre Dame (4-5)