mactrunk
I am publicly expressing my gratitude to David Modugno, the manager of Cinemark at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley.
I am a teacher of the deaf at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech in Northampton, and many of my students have studied the novel “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. At the suggestion of a parent, I scheduled a field trip to see the movie version at Cinemark in Hadley.
From the beginning of the planning to the day of the trip, Mr. Modugno went out of his way to ensure our trip was not only successful, but memorable.
At Clarke, our deaf/hard of hearing students use hearing technology to access sound, but this does not restore their hearing to “normal,” and accessing audio in a movie theater can present challenges. Mr. Modugno secured an open-captioned version of the film for us, meaning the captions were on screen throughout the movie.
He also invited me to preview the movie theater’s projection technology, in the hope that our wireless microphone might couple with the theater’s system to allow for direct audio input. The students and staff members were all very touched that someone would go to such lengths to help us ensure our students had the best access possible, and therefore the best experience possible.
Throughout the planning process, Mr. Modugno was easy to contact, extremely accommodating (including meeting some specific dietary needs for movie snacks), and a very gracious host who went above and beyond what was necessary. For some of our students, this was their first time seeing a movie in a theater, and for all our students and staff members, it was an unforgettable day.
On behalf of my students and fellow staff members at Clarke School, I’d like to extend our deep appreciation of Mr. Modugno for his outstanding kindness, and to thank him for making our community a better place.
R.J. Palacio writes, “… it’s not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.”
Mr. Modugno, thank you for showing our students what it is to be kinder than needed.
Lila West
South Hadley
