SOCRATES

Reflections on Silence

March 18 was a day of total silence for more than 80 American Sign Language (ASL) students from the SOCRATES region who attended the Fourth Annual Silent Retreat in Mankato. This anticipated annual event provides distance-learning students with an opportunity to meet their classmates for the first time and to interact face-to-face with their instructor with sign language.

Below is the reflection of Thiemo Bischof, an exchange student from Austria who participated in the 2008 Silent Retreat. Thiemo is expanding his educational career by attending school in the United States at GFW High School in Winthrop.

Thiemo Bischof writes, “There have been so many times when I tried to imagine what it would be like to be Deaf. Personally, I think it is impossible for anyone with two functioning ears to completely understand. Unless we experience a Deaf person’s reality it is very unlikely that we could fully comprehend how unbelievably difficult it is for someone with a hearing loss to survive in the Hearing World.

“However, on March 18, for one day of complete silence the Silent Retreat in Mankato attempted to convey the feelings of being Deaf to about 80 ASL students from all over Minnesota.

“Amanda Noshush, Stacy Nachreiener, Emilee Lauwagie and I departed from GFW High School in Winthrop at 9 o’clock. It took us approximately one hour to get to Mankato, where we were dropped off at the wrong place, though fortunately we were not the only ones. Together with the Montgomery-Lonsdale High School we found the right place, where the rest of the group was already waiting for us.

“Before going into the room we were reminded again that speaking was strictly forbidden and anyone who broke this rule would get a flamboyant sticker on his chest. It was a strange feeling to walk into a room with about 90 people and hear only silence. Prior to the start of the seven prepared stations our instructor, Mrs. Crista Browne-Krosch, already using American Sign Language, explained the schedule.

“As an Exchange Student from Austria, I know that not understanding the language is sometimes very difficult. For the first couple of days I was in the U.S., in particular, I had a tremendous headache, because hearing a foreign language exclusively gets very exhausting for the brain and actually the entire body. During the Silent Retreat it was not just my brain and ears that had to ‘suffer’, but my eyes also started to get sore, because I had to visually focus so closely. If I didn’t follow the signer from the first moment, I would get totally lost.

“After giving the instructions, we were divided into groups and attended the stations. Every station had someone who signed either a Deaf person or hearing person who knew ASL very well. I felt frustrated many times because I wanted to ask a question, but I wasn’t able to ask immediately. Sometimes I just wanted to tell my neighbor something, but I couldn’t without using a great amount of time to explain.

“Using our basic ASL skills to communicate was fun though. As a matter of fact, it was quite amazing how much we already knew. Besides having the opportunity to use and improve our skills, it was also very interesting to see new faces and the faces of those whom I have seen on the little classroom TV screen for seven months. In addition, all the stations were entertaining and very interesting.

“Prior to this event I had seen Deaf people, however I had never actually signed to someone from the Deaf culture, and therefore to do so was a great feeling for me. It reminded me again, why I decided to do this Exchange Year. In my opinion, it is a great feeling to study something for a long time, like a language, and finally have the opportunity to meet someone who uses that language and show them I am able to communicate with them.

“When I decided to come to the United States, I hoped so much that I would discover my strengths and figure out what I want to do after high school. This retreat showed me that I am very fond of Sign Language and it is now clear to me what I want to do after graduation. I decided to look for a good education in Austria to become a Sign Language Interpreter. I am so glad that I have a goal now, something I want to achieve.”