Silent Raiders reach out to deaf students
September 24, 2013
By Keela Cooper
The Silent Raiders American Sign Language (ASL) club at Texas Tech does more than teach its members to sign.
The organization makes a point to reach out to the deaf community of Lubbock.
Melissa Aguilar, a junior chemistry major and president of the organization, said the group is more about the deaf community than actually learning sign language.
“This organization is more about social events,” she said. “We just want to show them the deaf culture.”
The Silent Raiders hosted their first general meeting last week. Aguilar said, they had a significant amount of people show up.
“We had about 98 attendances and about 35 new members,” she said. “We’re also expecting more new members to join the organization.”
Aguilar said the group is for anyone who has interest in sign language and The Silent Raiders welcome all.
“We welcome all people to come, whether you’re a beginner or expert,” she said. “Anyone who is interested in sign language or the deaf culture, this would be a great experience for them.”
Aguilar said she loves sign language and wants to share her passion for it with the members of the Silent Raiders.
Because she is deaf, she said ASL is especially significant to her.
“It’s really important to me because it’s my way of communication,” Aguilar said. “I just really want people to understand that it’s a way of expressing yourself, as well as speaking.”
Effy Stockton, a junior education major and vice president of the organization, said she wants to be a deaf education teacher.
“When I came to Tech, I wanted to do education,” she said. “I switched when I started taking sign language because I just fell in love with the language and the deaf community itself.”
Amanda Sellers, a graduate student in deaf education and secretary of Silent Raiders, said she is excited about the deaf community events The Silent Raiders are a part of this year.
“We get with LISD because they have a deaf education program,” she said. “We do trunk or treat with them, which is in October.”
Sellers said it is important to reach out to the deaf community because they don’t often have people to talk to and that the Silent Raiders strive to bring deaf and hearing people together.
“In November, we do a potluck and a deaf panel,” she said. “Anyone can come and ask questions on things they were curious about.”
While it is important to reach out to the deaf community of Lubbock, Sellers said the group also does events through Tech.
Aguilar, Stockton and Sellers said they were excited about a particular event occurring later this semester.
“In December, we sign the Carol of Lights,” Sellers said.
Another event occurring next semester is the second annual Deaf Deaf World, Aguilar said.
It is an event in which hearing people get the opportunity to see what it’s like to be deaf, Sellers said.
“We give them earplugs,” she said. “It provides just a little inside about what a deaf individual has to go through.”
Aguilar, Stockton and Sellers said The Silent Raiders is an organization for everyone and not only is it good to reach out to the deaf community, but members also can brush up on their sign language.
“It’s just a way to get them to interact with people who don’t have any peers who can do that,” Sellers said. “We also offer help to ASL students or people who just want to learn how to sign in general.”
SOURCE:
http://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/article_29223d68-2591-11e3-8bef-0019bb30f31a.html