niors Angela Boyd and Rachel Maul and Becky McLain, sistant professor of communication and sponsor for the Student eech and Hearing Association, relax at Ms. Pittycat's Porch, a Pular restaurant in Atlanta, Ga. Members of SSHA traveled to lanta for a national convention Nov. 21 -24. (Photo courtesy of gela Boyd) ~<' , For Fleming Bell, assistant pro– ~ssor of modern foreign language, nd his wife, Penny, the Dactylol– gy Club, an organization for stu– ents interested in sign language, racticed the very method of comunication that was a necessary art of their everyday lives. After a case of spinal meningitis hen she was three years old, enny Bell lost all of the hearing in er right ear and almost all in her ~ft ear. "I went to a speech pathologist nd started lea rning to sign right fter that," Penny Sell said. Penny Bell, who worked in the Alpha Chi national office on cam– pus this year, said she communi– cated with others by reading li ps, using notepads, American Online Instant Messenger and sign lan– guage. The Sells agreed in 2001 to be cosponsors of the Da cty lology Club, at the urging of the club's other sponsor, Dr. Linda Thomp– son, director of student support services. "Dr. Thompson interprets for Penny at the College Church of Christ," Fleming Bell said. "Tha t is how we met. We started last year and had fun. I think people in the club like Penny being there." Sophomore Michaela Cox, presi– dent of the organization, said the main goal of the club, which met every Tuesday, was to help mem– bers learn sign language. "At our meetings, we try to learn a lot of new signs," Cox said. "That's one of the goals, to help people learn the language. When I started, 1 didn't even know the alphabet, but now I know a lot." The club also provided students with opportunities to use sign lan– guage skills. Members met for meals together, ca ll ed "S il ent Stuffers," where they communiSophomore Rafael Ramirez, senior Paola Padilla and sophomore Emily Lloyd, Spanish club members, pray for peace in Latin American countries Jan. 16. Mem– bers worshiped together every Sunday and Wednesday. (Photo by Melissa Wil– son) cated u sing only sign language for the duration of an entire meal. The club also hosted mov ie nights where members watched movies with the volume down, us– ing only the captions, in order to understand how the deaf experi– enced movies. Penny and Fleming Bell appreci– ated their interaction with members in the Dactylology Club, as well as the opportunity to be a resource for students just learning to sign. "It seemed like a natural place for Penny and me to be involved," Fleming Bell said. -Marina Shannon languages 197 Willi .
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