Good vibrations
Published 9:38 pm Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Lakeland High School American Sign Language students are getting ready to present their annual spring drama: back row: Elysia Hickman, Joshua Deets, Laura Hickman, Jacob Allen and Abby Geary; middle: Arielle Mohr, Lettie Owens, Jayla Walker, Christelle Hollomon and Dixie Seitz; front: Hunter Etheridge, Autumn Branch and Tut Harville.
The school district has granted Anita Fisher a special request, and it has set the scene for this year’s spring drama by American Sign Language students at Lakeland High School.
“Last year, I was told that I could put my Volkswagen bug convertible up on stage,” said Fisher, ASL teacher.
The stunt will mesh beautifully with a beach scene, according to Fisher, complete with surfboards on the bug.
“There’s a back door that opens up, and I can just drive it straight in,” she said.
About 13 members of the ASL Club will perform 14 songs, some from Annette Funicello and some from The Beach Boys.
A six-member stage crew will also help transport the audience surfside.
The performance in the school auditorium will take place at 6:30 p.m. on April 24 and 25. It’s open to the entire community, with a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for students. (There’s no suggested donation for children under school age.)
One of the student performers, Tut Harville, said he’s been signing about two years.
“I just joined the club, because I was doing sports before this,” Harville said.
“It’s fun,” he said about rehearsing for the drama. “I’m excited about it. I have two songs that I’m signing, then I’m in two or three other songs.”
Lettie Owens said she joined the ASL Club only about a month ago. “I love sign language,” she said. “I intend to become fluent in it.”
Owens said she likes promoting people with disabilities — “showing other people that they can be just as good as they can; showing themselves that they can be just as good as anyone else.”
ASL isn’t hard, she said. Owens added she has even taught her 5-year-old sister about 50 signs.
Jayla Walker said ASL is like learning a new language. She said she was inspired to learn it after being out in public and seeing others sign.
“I’m, like, I want to do that,” she said.
Fisher said the annual concert is a way to show the general population that deaf people are just as capable as anyone else.
“People say, ‘How could they hear music?’” she said, answering, “They feel the vibrations.”
“We’re (also) doing it as hearing students so deaf students can come and enjoy,” Fisher continued. “Hampton Roads does not have a lot of things for the deaf, and we are trying to add more and more things they can come to.”
