hen you sign, it's like ' 'W painting a picture . It's mostly visual. You've got to take it personally and then take it out of you to show to the deaf people." - Debbie French Sign-off. For Debbie French , interpreting exceeds communication; it becomes an art. - photo by Johnny Couch . Jill Renee Smiley - Houston , TX Brian Lee Smith - E. Syracuse, NY David Robert Smith - Dayton, OH Genolyne Smith - Myrtle Beach, SC Gerald William Smith - Bloomington, MN Karen Jerrine Smith - Los Alamitos, CA Kimberly Lynn Smith - Torrance, CA Leslie Cheryl Smith - Black Rock, AR Nancy Jill Smith - Yellville, AR Rodney Scott Smith - Searcy, AR Russell Lawton Smoak - Antioch , TN Lisa Darlene Spence - Mt. Pleasant , AR Tammy Lynn Spoerl - Mabelvale. AR Connie Elizabeth Sproule - W. Palm Beach, FL Beth Ann Srygley - Memphis , TN Kimberly Denise Stacy - Rogers , AR Cara Lisa Standridge - Baytown , TX Benjamin Clay Stanley - Alpharetta, GA Cheryl Elizabeth Stanley - Searcy , AR Gwenda Joy Starling - Sterling Heights, MI Gina Elizabeth Stevens - Memphis , TN Gregory Matthew Stevenson - Effingham, IL Ronda Lee Stewart - Warren , Ml Christa Kay Stricklen - Conway, AR Nancy Renee Stuck - Strafford, MO Stephen Patrick Stumne - Smithton, IL Jennifer Diana Stutesman - Nevada , MO Melissa Maude Sullivan - Cha rl eston , SC 198 Freshmen Hands of Service Without opening her mouth, she shared her own thoughts and the thoughts of others with a very special group of people - the deaf. Debbie French was a freshman with an unusual talent. A nursing major and French minor, she also incorporated her sign language skills in her college activities by interpreting songs and sermons for the deaf members of the College Church. Until this year, though, Debbie had never had a course in signing. She taught herself in junior high, after becoming interested in two deaf members of her home congregation. "I wanted to get into it at first just to communicate with them," she said. "Then I started learning to interpret." She bought a book and learned the basics, and then practiced. She started to interpret in church during her freshman year in high school. "It's not hard to learn," she said. "It's really, really easy. It just takes a lot of practice." At first, she would just interpret songs, because she could practice them ahead of time , but as she became more fluent she began to do prayers and sermons. She practiced by signing Cordelia Suter - Richterswill, Switzerland Fami Hiromi Suzuki - Mito, Japan David William Swanson - Bentonville, AR Rick Dale Swing - Matoaca, VA along with the radio and television to build up speed, which helped her in interpreting sermons, in particular. "Every preacher has a different style," she said. "They have their own vocabulary, their own speed, which is interesting to try to adapt to. Some people are really slow. Then there are people like Jimmy Allen (who doesn't breathe)." She added, "The more you've practiced, the easier it is to interpret for faster speaking people. That's where your skill as an interpreter comes in." "When you sign, it's like you're painting a picture," she said. "It's mostly visual." She added, "You've got to take it personally and then take it out of you to show to the deaf people." For Debbie, the real motivation for signing came from the deaf people. "If it weren't for an interpreter, the deaf people wouldn't hear the sermon," she explained. "It's a good feeling to know you're helping other people and giving . them something they wouldn't have without you." For Debbie French, signing was not only a skill and an art, but a means of serving. 4 - Sherry Daniel
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