Talent show spotlights ASL student skills for scholarship funds<\/p>\n
Program is from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. today in Fiesta Room of Loftin for $5 admission.<\/p>\n
By Jared Solis <\/p>\n
Deaf students at this college will try their hand at performing during a talent show today sponsored by the American Sign Language and interpreter training department. <\/p>\n
This is an example of the department’s efforts to afford deaf students more of the opportunities that hearing students have on campus.<\/p>\n
“We feel very strongly about providing interpreters for deaf students at any public events happening on campus, so that at any given point there is that access to communication without making a formal request for it,” said Instructor Julie Razuri said Feb. 27.<\/p>\n
The talent show will be from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center, and proceeds from the suggested donations of $5 will go to the Rea and Barbara Hinrichs Scholarship Fund for ASL students.<\/p>\n
This new endowed scholarship, named for the deaf parents of department Chair Lauri Metcalf, is a $250 stipend that will be awarded every semester to two ASL students with a 3.0 grade-point average, a registered nine credit hours per semester and a grade on all parts of the departmental mid-program exam with of 80 percent or higher.<\/p>\n
Acts include poetry and songs in sign language, juggling, jokes and belly dancing.<\/p>\n
The faculty and staff hope events like the talent show will shrink the gap between the communities of deaf and hearing students.<\/p>\n
“We strive to interpret everything, but that doesn’t always happen,” Interpreting service manager Jo Hilton said. “For example, if it’s a movie and it’s not captioned, that is something that is really difficult to interpret for.”<\/p>\n
Hilton also said that certain events get more priority than others.<\/p>\n
“If it’s a scheduled event such as a lecture or play, then that gets priority,” Hilton said. “We usually pick two or three nights out of the week to interpret events on campus.”<\/p>\n
Operating as a required service under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the deaf and hearing services at this college, a service of the department, provides interpreters in classes when requested by deaf students at enrollment. <\/p>\n
The department, however, wants to eliminate the laborious task that 26 enrolled deaf students have of signing up for an interpreter in advance for every event that they may attend this semester.<\/p>\n
Undertaking this task are eight interpreter training interns as well as the department’s certified staff.<\/p>\n
“During Black History Month, there was an event called the D.J. Hip Hop panel, and we thought it was going to be a panel of people,” Hilton said. “It ended up being a lot of D.J. and mixing music, which presented a challenge to the interpreters. But they managed to interpret the words that were being sung and ended up doing an awesome job.”<\/p>\n
The department was established in the fall of 1994. <\/p>\n
“In our lab, we have hearing students learning sign language and deaf students working on college-level classes,” Hilton said. “We also have deaf faculty working in the department, which gives deaf students a chance to see deaf adults that are successful working professionals.”<\/p>\n
One of the students benefiting from this service is liberal arts sophomore Misty Villanueva.<\/p>\n
“When I came here, I realized I had other benefits that other deaf people didn’t have at their schools, such as interpreters and tutors,” Villanueva said, “but what really stood out was the access to communication.”<\/p>\n
Originally from Oklahoma, Villanueva came to San Antonio with the hopes of a better opportunity to get into the medical field. <\/p>\n
“I like it here because it really does pose a challenge to me,” Villanueva said. “I am able to really get into my school work and see other deaf students, and that really does encourage me.”<\/p>\n
Being able to communicate with other deaf students and hearing students has given Villanueva a sense of pride and a realization that deaf people can do anything except hear, she said.<\/p>\n
“I want to convey to people who aren’t deaf that when they have deaf students in their classes, really look on the bright side of things and step up to the challenge and opportunity of forging friendships,” Villanueva said.<\/p>\n
For deadlines and further requirements to qualify for the Rea and Barbara Hinrichs Scholarship Fund call the ASL\/IT department at 733-2071.<\/p>\n
Link: http:\/\/media.www.theranger.org\/media\/storage\/paper1010\/news\/2007\/04\/13\/Premiere\/Talent.Show.Spotlights.Asl.Student.Skills.For.Scholarship.Funds-2838901.shtml<\/p>\n
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Talent show spotlights ASL student skills for scholarship funds Program is from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. today in Fiesta Room of Loftin for $5 admission. By Jared Solis Deaf students at this college will try their hand at performing during…<\/p>\n