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Sign language expert helps
deaf to join in services
THE BATTALION Page 7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1980
By NANCY ANDERSEN
City Staff
For years, the deaf were shut out
i; of church services.
. They sat patiently through the ser-
I Cv III mons ’ unaware °f w hat was said.
They couldn’t join in when the
SI hymns were sung.
lated health ol; hut now the deaf can participate in
•al officials ini worship services through the use of
liting animals,1, si gn language and interpreters. Mar-
-olsonthciqy g ie Kellim of the First Baptist
other animalsM Church of College Station uses sign
j language during services for the
l the healthdep. ( l ea C
> assist counti Kellim earned a degree in cduca-
ablishingUiJ h° n the deaf from the University
nel and of Northern Colorado in 1972. In her
rams jf theiT' s P are time, Kellim said, she learned
||l sign language and used it in teaching
the programH a Sunday school class for deaf ehil-
;al penalties w ' n Pueblo. This experience im-
not met. f
eluded his s
1 that I
: we may pat
lunity fromf
an and death3S
g inflicted hri
proved her skill in using sign lan
guage.
Though there isn’t always a sign
for every word, Kellim said, “The
deaf make it (sign language) exten
sive. Some signs are used for many
different words by a different usage. ”
Kellim said she has a basic smat
tering of the language, and like any
other language, fluency improves
with regular practice.
“It’s a challenge for me,” she said.
Kellim began interpreting in Col
lege Station in November, 1978, af
ter she was approached by the friend
of a deaf man. The man had heard
that she knew sign language and
wanted her to interpret the service
for his friend, she said.
“I felt like it was the Lord’s oppor
tunity for me because it was dropped
right in my lap,” Kellim said. “I think
it’s what the Lord wants me to do.”
Kellim said she stands to the side
of the altar and interprets the entire
service, from the opening announce
ments to the last prayer.
Kellim interprets the hymns,
enabling the deaf to “sing along”
with their hands. Her husband
serves as music director at the
church.
There are two deaf people in the
congregation, she said.
Kellim said the use of sign lan
guage in churches is definitely a na
tional trend.
“All the needs of the handicapped
are being recognized and helped,”
she said.
A Southern Baptist church organi
zation held a statewide conference
for the deaf that was well-attended,
she said. Also, many churches of all
denominations throughout the state
have interpretation programs.
Kellim estimated that there are
20-30 deaf people in the Bryan-
College Station area. A random sur
vey of 13 local churches and synago
gues revealed only two other chur
ches — the United Pentecostal
Church in Bryan and the LDS
Church Institute of Religion in Col
lege Station — had sign language
programs. The former has interpre
ters available at each service, and the
latter has an interpreter who works
exclusively with one deaf family.
A spokesman for the Institute said
it used to have a class for learning
sign language and possibly another
could be started if enough people are
interested. For more information,
call 696-8202.
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Speaker helps student government go
os comefromi
By MERIL EDWARDS
Campus Staff
The motion has been made and
econded. It is undebatable and un-
1 • itmendable. It requires a majority
I 1 mote. All in favor signify by saying
_£ laye All righ t, now those opposed say
po. Thank you, the bill passes.
Robert Van Winkle, a junior agri-
ulture education major, is a stickler
lor Roberts’ Rules of Order and cor-
ry throu'>q|| ec t p ar ]j arnen t;ary procedure. But as
roject. Subjappeaker of the Texas A&M Universi-
e N0\As®!|y student senate, he has to be.
s, canning,■ It’s Van Winkle’s job to preside
and even Fk p ver the senate’s bi-monthly meet-
gton Bear lungs. He keeps the approximately 75
media facilj®|nenibers of the senate working
t a requesuoTOogether and makes sure the meet-
igperiod,Mffijngs nm as smoothly as possible,
w hether or® “I try to give the debaters equal
e. Rime,” Van Winkle said. “It’s my re-
tte player <Rponsibility to see that we cover the
three clays.Tftecessary major items of legislation,
■heck it outaiibut at the same time try to keep the
ind one dnpneetings to a reasonable length of
j time.”
»es are tw Van Winkle appears to do his job
vide and I ( well. The meetings are business-like
leo systenui and organized. He knows the rules
e. )y heart and uses them in quick suc-
Isinthede|» ression as rapidly as his East Texas
lot set up»; Irawl will allow.
,ytle, how? You ’re out of order. The floor is
1st one oft'* wt open for debate at this time.
t up forstinlc Before his election as speaker, Van
iVinkle served as parliamentarian, a
position which enabled him to he
me familiar with the rules. His
ther experience includes four years
jofhigh school involvement with Eu
re Farmers of America.
The senate acts as the voice of the
Texas A&M student body. And Van
jWinkle said that how much this voice
; is heard depends on the senate’s rap
port with the administration.
5 “Our relationship with the admi-
|nistration is good,” Van Winkle said.
“They consider every recommenda
tion we make. ”
Van Winkle said the senate offic
ers meet with Dr. John Koldus, vice
president for student services, every
other week.
^ “We try to give him an idea of how
the students feel, ” Van Winkle said,
“and he lets us know plans the admi
nistration is making. Both Koldus
and Dr. Miller (Texas A&M Presi
dent Dr. Jarvis Miller) are very
open-minded.’’
Van Winkle said the senate tries to
make sure students know what their
! representatives are doing. They
have used Battalion ads, flyers and
■■■■ surveys to get student opinion.
“Anything we do, we try to involve
■■■I the students,” he said. “A large per-
I centage of the student body doesn’t
I know what we’re doing. We don’t
have the coverage we need. Visitors
do come to our meetings depending
on the issues and some come to com
mittee meetings, too. ”
Van Winkle said much of the sen
ate’s work is done in committees.
Some senators may never debate or
present legislation in regular meet
ings, but each senator is in one of five
committees.
These committees are academic
affairs, external afiairs, finance, rules
and regulations and student ser
vices.
“I think we have one of the most
active senates A&M has ever had,”
Van Winkle said. “If a senator isn’t
doing his job, we can get him out by
deducting points for being absent,
late or leaving early, things like
that.”
Any student may run for a position
in the senate. There are no inter
views or special qualifications neces
sary other than having a 2.25 GPR.
Van Winkle said he probably
won’t run again for speaker, but will
let someone else have a chance.
As for any future political aspira
tions, he said, “I have none. I don’t
love it that much. I plan to work in
some part of agriculture.
“I do like working with people
though, but there will always be a
place in the community so I’ll have to
wait and see.”
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Robert “Rip” Van Winkle, speaker of the Texas A&M Univer
sity student senate, presides over the organization’s Wednes
day meeting.
> c> m
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