Carlos Ryan proposes marriage to Lindsey Lyons, ASL/IT sophomore at the ASL talent show March 2014 in McAllister. File
ASL to raise money for a scholarship.
By Tyrin Bradley
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The department of American Sign Language and interpreter training will host its eighth annual talent show at 7 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
Proceeds will help support the Barbara and Rea Hinrichs Scholarship in conjunction with a silent auction set to take place prior to the college’s Spring Festival.
The scholarship is named after ASL Chair Lauri Metcalf’s deaf parents. The scholarship will be awarded to two sophomores. Applicants must complete an application, which will be reviewed by a committee.
The event is an effort to bring the deaf and hearing community together for a night of camaraderie, scholarship and fun, interpreting services Manager Jo Hilton said.
“One of the things I think we are getting better at every year is making it accessible to both deaf and hearing people,” Hilton said. “Deaf people can enjoy it visually, while hearing people that don’t know sign language can as well.”
Spectators can expect a show that will be visually accessible, “which means (performances) can be in sign language or just very visual,” Hilton said.
In past years, performances ranged from ribbon dancers to hula-hoop acts. Last year, Carlos Lazzano, a former student of this college, proposed to his girlfriend during his performance in sign language, with the help of staff members.
Hilton also expressed the importance of the show for ASL students.
“If you want to learn Spanish, you can go to a Spanish-speaking country and immerse yourself in learning Spanish,” she said. “You don’t have that option when you learn sign language.
“So the more that (the ASL Department) can provide for our students, where they can have the opportunity to see sign language, use sign language and interact with deaf people, the more it will benefit them. So we try to do a lot.”
If interested, students who have taken an ASL course are still eligible to participate in the talent show.
The deadline to enter will be Wednesday. The show had room for two more acts Monday.
To sign up, call the department at 210-486-1106.
Admission is $10 for people 12 and older. Children under 12 will be admitted free.
