Alex Paul
The performer’s hands move gracefully back and forth as the music begins playing in the background.
Soon, those hands are moving briskly, signing words to nearly 40 fellow deaf persons enjoying an evening together. Sharing poetry, music and fellowship.
For a couple Thursday evening’s first meeting of the Silent Night group was also a reunion. They had attended high school together and hadn’t seen each other in more than 25 years.
For organizer Connie Trask, the evening was “so exciting…I can’t believe it…I didn’t think there would be so many people here the first night.”
Trask, a sign language interpreter and instructor for 24 years, said the purpose of the meeting to be held the first Thursday of each month, is to simply provide deaf or hard of hearing persons with a chance to be with others on an even scale.
“Are you guys excited…don’t be scared,” said said during a summary of the effort. Looking around the room, Trask needn’t wait for an answer. There were huge smiles on faces, giggles from every corner of the room and lots of communication going on, albeit without oral words.
“This will be a place for families, kids, friends,” Trask said. “I hope we can have a different theme each month and that we can have different activities as well. Our goal is to bring together members of the deaf community and to have a local place to meet.”
Trask said currently local deaf persons have to drive to Monmouth or Salem to participate in special activities.
Thursday evening’s meeting was held at the Sunshine Center. Program manager William Baughner is a sign student.
“If we get more people coming, we will move to the community center,” Trask said.
Although Trask used spoken language in addition to sign for part of the program, she said the goal will be to eliminate the spoken word as the group assimilates and use only sign language. That seems a daunting task for several of her sign language students who attended the meeting.
“The rule is that the students have to try hard to use only sign and you have to be willing to be patient with them, to go slowly and repeat until they get it,” Trask said.
Trask asked everyone introduce themselves.
When one man from Corvallis signed a last name that was very unusual, laughter broke out and at the end of each introduction, members raised their hands and wiggled them, the equivalent of clapping.
Bill Baughner signed a song as did fellow students Kelly Stoner and Donna Davis.
Natalie Watkins signed a poem.
George Taylor of Albany is involved with programs for the deaf such as the Association for the Deaf and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Access Program.
He posts a weekly list of event for the deaf on the internet.
Taylor said due to state budget cutbacks, programs for the deaf are facing elimination. He urged the group to contact politicians and to support a bill that would raise the PUC money raised on phone bills from 13 cents to 18 cents.
He also predicted that due to the influence of illegal drugs on many expectant mothers over recent years, there are more deaf and blind students in Oregon schools.
Taylor said that unless their needs can be met while they are young, “they will end up in prison.”
Susan (Strubhar) Quinn of Sweet Home said she was born with hearing but lost it at age three due to spinal meningitis.
She called the evening “pah…great…very good to set up, especially in a small community.”
Mrs. Quinn attended the Oregon School for the Deaf until the eighth grade when she returned to Sweet Home schools. She brought her whole family, including her husband to the meeting.
For more information about the Silent Night program, contact Mrs. Trask at 367-8282.