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Challenges of being deaf acknowledged by student ASL Club - Focus
Many deaf people consider themselves part of a culture minority, rather than having a disability.
Though "hearing impaired" may seem like a politically correct term, Jennifer Boak-Owens, a sophomore public relations major, said that she dislikes the term.
"English is my second language," Boak-Owens said. "Personally, I don't like people to say I'm hearing impaired," Boak-Owens said. "That's a media thing. I'm deaf. That's it. There's nothing wrong with that."
Life at SRU is not without it's challenges, though. Boak-Owens said that there is a lot of "speeding" involved in her day.
"Everyone is slightly ahead of me, so I need to speed to catch up. By the end of the day, I get a headache," Boak-Owens said.
Boak-Owens became the co-founder of the Regional Action Team, an organization whose mission is to provide resources to the deaf community.
She said that she learned to be an activist through working with AmeriCorps.
Boak-Owens said that one of her proudest moments at SRU was seeing her play "To Hear Or Not To Hear" being performed as part of the Brave New Plays series.
Ashley Snyder, 18, a freshman psychology major and member of SRU's American Sign Language Club, said that learning American Sign Language has been a fascinating experience for her.
Snyder said that one of the most memorable experiences with the ASL Club this year was their Day of Silence on Tuesday, April 5.
"We took a vow of silence to represent a deaf person living in a silent world," Snyder said. "So we couldn't talk, but we could sign to each other."
Snyder said the experience of learning about American Sign Language became of a stronger interest to her and she fell in love with the language's complexity.
She said it should be an experience learned by many other students to give them a better understanding of what it's like for students who are deaf.
"The language is very fascinating. It's a fascinating culture, and it's a culture I want to learn more about," Snyder said.
Many deaf people consider themselves part of a culture minority, rather than having a disability.
Though "hearing impaired" may seem like a politically correct term, Jennifer Boak-Owens, a sophomore public relations major, said that she dislikes the term.
"English is my second language," Boak-Owens said. "Personally, I don't like people to say I'm hearing impaired," Boak-Owens said. "That's a media thing. I'm deaf. That's it. There's nothing wrong with that."
Life at SRU is not without it's challenges, though. Boak-Owens said that there is a lot of "speeding" involved in her day.
"Everyone is slightly ahead of me, so I need to speed to catch up. By the end of the day, I get a headache," Boak-Owens said.
Boak-Owens became the co-founder of the Regional Action Team, an organization whose mission is to provide resources to the deaf community.
She said that she learned to be an activist through working with AmeriCorps.
Boak-Owens said that one of her proudest moments at SRU was seeing her play "To Hear Or Not To Hear" being performed as part of the Brave New Plays series.
Ashley Snyder, 18, a freshman psychology major and member of SRU's American Sign Language Club, said that learning American Sign Language has been a fascinating experience for her.
Snyder said that one of the most memorable experiences with the ASL Club this year was their Day of Silence on Tuesday, April 5.
"We took a vow of silence to represent a deaf person living in a silent world," Snyder said. "So we couldn't talk, but we could sign to each other."
Snyder said the experience of learning about American Sign Language became of a stronger interest to her and she fell in love with the language's complexity.
She said it should be an experience learned by many other students to give them a better understanding of what it's like for students who are deaf.
"The language is very fascinating. It's a fascinating culture, and it's a culture I want to learn more about," Snyder said.