Luau brings hearing and deaf together
By Maria Duran
sac-ranger.alamo.edu
April 14, 2014
More than 70 people gathered April 11 for the fifth annual luau hosted by the Connection Club and the American Sign Language and interpreter training department in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center.
The luau involved food, games, a costume contest and a raffle, all in a deaf-friendly environment.
Melody Hull, American Sign Language and interpreter professor, said American Sign Language students are required to go to two deaf events.
“This is a safe place for students to interact with the deaf community,” Hull said.
She said they usually host events for students such as workshops and panels, but parties are always more fun.
Students were encouraged to turn their voices off and use sign language as much as possible to make the event deaf-friendly.
Everyone gathered and had dinner donated by Bill Miller BBQ, Pizza Patron and the office of student life.
Students used that time to sit down and sign with fellow classmates and members of the deaf community.
There were games for children and adults involving dancing with hula hoops and playing limbo. The prize for going the lowest under a wooden bar was candy.
The Gleek Squad was in charge of selling raffle tickets for 12 prizes being given away through the raffle.
The Gleek Squad is an alumni of the SLNG 1206, Interpreting Artistic Text, class, also known as the ASL Glee Club, Robert Cardoza, Gleek Squad president, said.
The word Gleek is used to refer to fans of the TV show “Glee,” where the name Gleek Squad originated, he said.
The prizes included four Alamo Plaza attraction tickets and a dinner gift card valued to $330 and two movie tickets worth up to $16.
“All the gifts were donated by the students, staff members and local businesses,” he said.
Cardoza said all the money for the raffle and the event goes back to students in the department and the deaf community.
The event continued with a costume contest for best Hawaiian outfit for children, and adult males and females.
Interpreting sophomores Robert Mata and Sarah Vasquez went home with a Starbucks goody bag after winning the costume contest.
“The first time we had it, we had it in our department, we had so many people there was standing room only. Now we have it here (Fiesta Room),” Hull said, referring to the increasing popularity of the luau.
For more information on the American Sign Language and interpreter training department, call 210-486-1106. (San Antonio College)
SOURCE:
http://www.theranger.org/premiere/luau-brings-hearing-and-deaf-together-1.2864740#.U1gs9vldV8F