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Universal Signs senses Deaf, hearing culture

Mon, 31 May 2010 19:10:12 +0100

A locally made film bridges the gap and speaks to the Deaf and the sign impaired.

As the first film to target both hearing and Deaf audiences alike, ‘Universal Signs’ understands the significance of hearing through another’s ears. The story is told through the eyes and ears of a protagonist who happens to be Deaf.

“It’s definitely a movie experience for the hearing audience as they have never seen something like this; and that was really the goal: to put them in someone else’s shoes. It’s very rare to get the chance at a movie theater to be in someone else’s world,” said writer and director Ann Calamia.

Students who study ASL at the collegiate level also find the film “fascinating and enlightening.”

“Personally, it was interesting for me to watch the movie entirely in captions and think about how this is the way Deaf people watch movies - by reading along via captions,” said Rochester Institute of Technology senior Lori Craig. “I like their slogan of ‘captioned for the hearing’ because it really turns the tables on how most hearing people view Deaf people - as people who can't hear and need accommodations to get through life - and there's so much more than that.”

It is a film unique to its kind because of its wide mainstream targeted audience.

“Other silent films that aren’t captioned and aren’t really meant for a hearing audience make our film unique. Our movie bridges the gap between hearing culture and Deaf culture, said producer Catherine Miller, “So it’s the first film that really has an audience who is [both] hearing and Deaf.”

Keeping the authentic nature of American Sign Language (ASL) throughout the film was important to Miller and Calamia.

“One of the things that made our movie different then other films is that we wanted our movie to be really authentic so that a Deaf person could watch it and think wow, they really know what they’re talking about,” said Miller.

For about a year, the staff worked in conjunction with an ASL consultant Robert DeMayo who took the script and transliterated it into ASL taking into account the different backgrounds of the characters “which means that when a Deaf person is watching it, they actually get a little more out of it,” said Calamia, “It’s the idea of having a different dialect. So through sign language, they are able to pick up different nuances of the characters.”

There are as many dialects of sign language as there are spoken languages around the world.

“There’s something called a Deaf interpreter, which is a really interesting concept,” said Calamia, “A Deaf interpreter’s job is to take gestural sign language and interpret it into American Sign Language, and then the ASL interpreter would translate it into English.”

Sign language may also have different “accents” depending on where in the world it is signed.

“We have signs in Philadelphia that they do not have anywhere else, so it was important to make sure that the signs could be understood by the majority of deaf people,” said Calamia, “We wanted the deaf people to not have to rely on the captions [but rather] watch and enjoy the movie in their native language.”

Organizing communication on set was vital in order to ensure that everyone was on the same page.

“We had a totally mixed set with hearing crew and Deaf crew as well as hearing actors and Deaf actors,” said Miller, “Relaying communication was really important to Ann because you don’t ever want to leave anybody out. The Deaf crew was just as much a part of the crew as anybody else.”

The set had pens and paper everywhere so communication could always be maintained through a common denominator: written English.

“That was one thing they had in common, if they couldn’t sign or read lips, both can write English,” said Calamia.

All of the characters in the film who were Deaf were played by Deaf actors or actresses and incorporated not only their native language (ASL) but also their own culture. These opportunities are usually otherwise unavailable to Deaf actors and actresses.

“It’s a film that incorporates Deaf culture which is [something that is] important for Deaf and Hard of hearing individuals, said Calamia, “It is not a physiological condition, but a different type of culture.” According to Miller, one of the goals in producing this film was to get more Deaf actors and actresses in Hollywood and to give them equal opportunity to work.

The sense of localness is also relevant throughout the film. Writer and director Ann Calamia is the daughter of former physics teacher here at Souderton, Mr. Ben Calamia. The film was also shot locally with various scenes in Philadelphia including Drexel University, The University of the Arts, Hamilton Hall at The University of the Arts, the Mayfair Diner, Our Lady of Ransom Church in northeast Philadelphia as well as a local artist in Bucks County.

Natural delicacy dished out at Naked Chocolate Cafe

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:51:18 +0100

Naked Chocolate Cafe's rich chocolate is far more intense than your typical in-from-the-cold-hot-chocolate. Whether you're into dark chocolate covered strawberries, individual cheesecakes, or a steaming mug of hot cocoa, Naked Chocolate Cafe has go you covered.

    Rest assured that this hot chocolate is not your average Swizz Miss.
    No sir, only the finest chocolates and the purest ingredients are incorporated at the Naked Chocolate Cafe in Philadelphia.
    "After you try hot chocolate here, you really don't want to go anywhere else," said Philadelphia resident Charles Denis.
    Located in between 34th and 35th Street on Walnut, Naked Chocolate Cafe ensures the ultimate chocolate experience accompanied by the classic yet sophisticated cafe atmosphere.
    "The location on Walnut Street and the whimsical and surprising things they were doing with it struck me most about his cafe. The variety of truffle and pastries is nice to have," said Denis.
    Showcasing Philadelphia's upscale side, Naked Chocolate Cafe provides an elegant escape opposite of what you would find at many venues in Philadelphia.
    "It's nice to have an establishment of high quality product instead of all that fast food junk that you tend to find around here," said Philadelphia resident Stephen Trotton.
    When it comes to selections, the vote is almost unanimous for the most favorable dessert.
    "The 'drinking chocolate' is definitely my favorite here," said Denis. Others could not agree more.
    "The peanut putter tarts are really good here, but of course, they don't stand up to the 'drinking chocolate," said University of Pennsylvania student Ekta Bajaj.
    The 'drinking chocolate' comes either as a frozen drink or a searing hot cup of rich chocolate served European style.
    One of the most appealing characteristics of Naked Chocolate Cafe is that all of the ingredients are produced locally. The business is currently independently owned with two branches in Center City and on the University City campus on Walnut Street.
    "We like the fact that it is a local chain where the money is directly turned back to the business; they make all the products in Philly and I really like that [about Naked Chocolate Cafe,]" said Denis.
    The originality is sure to spark anyone's sweet tooth. It certainly is not your typical Starbucks.
    "I really like how they integrated chocolate into so many different things! I feel like when you go to Starbucks, everything is coffee based, but here everything is chocolate based," said University of Pennsylvania Student Preeti Shenoy.
    Since the cafe is located in the middle of University City, students from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and University of the Sciences of Philadelphia (USP) find the cafe comes in handy at times.
    "When I first came here, it seemed that if was the perfect thing to have on a college campus," said Bajaj.
    "The location could not be more perfect," said Shenoy, "The Naked Chocolate in Center City is a lot bigger than the one here, but it is definitely nice to have this cafe on campus. I mean, there are Penn, Drexel, and USP students who all benefit greatly from the cafe."
    Not only does Naked Chocolate provide an elegant escape from a hectic college schedule, but the students from these surrounding campuses find it relaxing to do some work over a hot chocolate drink rather than cooped up in a library for hours.
    "It's nice to be able to get something different rather than the same old selections you would have in a regular dining meal plan," said Shenoy, "I enjoy coming here to get some studying done and find that I get more accomplished drinking chocolate here than some old soda in my dorm."

Class rank not the only determinant of success

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:14:05 +0100

Class rank may not hold as high a regard in the process of developing future success as some student may have originally thought.

   The levels of anxiety most students face throughout their academic career stream from one plausible concern: the academic achievement they know is vital to earn in high school to ensure post secondary success.
    Class rank is one major concern for striving students, but, according to guidance counselor Daniel Barber, it is not the only determining factor.
    "Class rank doesn't matter as much as it used to," said Barber, "A lot of unnecessary worry and stress happen as a result of it."
    Part of the problem is that students are uninformed of what exactly goes into class rank. According to the Souderton Area High School Student Agenda, class rank is calculated using quality points (QPA) and is not based on cumulative grade point average (GPA).
    Quality points are a cumulative record of all final grades multiplied by the course weight and course credit, and are different than the system that was used in the past when class rank was only determined by GPA.
    Class ranks are run twice a year - at the end of semester one and at the end of the year. In the past, class rank used to not truthfully and adequately measure a student's efforts.
    "By the way class rank was calculated, it ended up being that if you did well in a few amount of classes, you would have a higher class rank," said Barber, "But now, under the quality points formula or QPA, the more classes you take means the more credits you earn which boosts your class rank."
    The main concern students have with class rank is the impact it has on getting them into a highly regarded, competitive college. But what students do not understand it eh ambiguity the system entails.
    "Class rank doesn’t mean as much as the quality of work and the courses [a student] takes," said Barber, "It's completely arbitrary to the system you're using."
    For some students, even a powerful class rank doesn't guarantee a top school.
    "Good class rank definitely helps you," said California Institute of Technology senior and Souderton graduate David Kratz, "That said, I know there is some limit. I got rejected from MIT despite being valedictorian. Valedictorian doesn't assure you of getting in everywhere. Likewise, I'm sure MIT isn't composed only of valedictorians."
    A misconception students often have about class rank is that it will ensure success. They believe that class rank will ultimately provide them with success and happiness.
    "While having a good class rank is unequivocally a good thing, it is not eh only predictor of success (I'm not sure it's even up there with the best ones,)" said Kratz.

Seeing Eye dogs trained to lead the blind

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:14:57 +0100

By raising Seeing Eye dogs, junior Lauren Christie finds a unique way to make a difference.

    With a willingness to help others and a strong love for dogs, junior Lauren Christie finds a way to make a difference in the community by raising Seeing Eye dogs.
    Christie and her family receive the dogs from the Seeing Eye when the puppies are about seven weeks old. From there, Christie and her family begin to housebreak them and teach them basic commands.
    "We get them used to living at home, and then when they are four months old we are allowed to take them to stores and socialize them in public places; that is basically our main job - that and loving them," said Christie.
    When the dogs are 16 to 18 months old, they go back to the Seeing Eye for their formal training and a health exam.
    If they pass the test, they get assigned to a trainer and go through four months of extensive training. After that, they are matched with a blind person and the two go into training classes for about three to four weeks. "After all the training, [the person and the dog] leave and have a good life," said Christie.
    In the last step of training, Christie gets to see the dog actually guiding the trainer. "It's just really amazing because you have this goofy, crazy dog that is actually doing something amazing," said Christie, "but I do miss them when they go back."
    There are several perks that come with raising Seeing Eye dogs. "You can change someone's life," said Lauren's mom Kate Christie, "And that makes all the difference in the world." After a while, the dogs learn something called intelligent disobedience, which is where the dog has to make sure that the command given by the blind person is safe. "If the command is to cross the street and it is unsafe to cross the street at that time, then the dog needs to be aware of it," said Christie.
    Commands, however, are not the only things Seeing Eye dogs use. "A lot of people think that dogs have commands for everything when really it's kind of just judgment most of the time," said Christie, "Since the blind person obviously can't see, they can't tell them to do stuff. The dog has to learn to do it on their own."
    Christie and her family have a major role in the process to train a Seeing Eye dog. "We basically teach basic commands and get them used to going out places because that's really the most important thing. They cannot be afraid of anything when they are guiding because they could be placed in situations that they have never seen before. Our job is to get them used to any situation they could be in," said Christie.
    Christie and her family are raising two dogs now. "Pumpkin is about 14 months old, so she'll be going back in a couple of months, but Rosina is only 10 weeks old. She's still a baby, so she can't really go anywhere yet. She's pretty good with housebreaking right now though. We can take her out in public, but we can't really let people touch her cause she hasn't had all her shots yet," said Christie.
    The selection process is very delicate when it comes to distributing the dogs. According to Christie, when the dogs go back to the Seeing Eye, she and her family write a report about the dog and its personality. When the trainers have them, they learn about their personality and then try to match the right person to the right dog. "A lot of times with height, they try to match with the tall people a bigger dog. They also try to match the walking pace; like if the dog walks fast they will go with the person who walks fast," said Christie.
    There are many myths about Seeing Eye dogs that aren't true. "Strangely enough, people think [dogs] read traffic lights. They can't read traffic lights because they are colorblind," said Christie, "They watch the traffic, which makes more sense."
     Even though they are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference between guide dogs and Seeing Eye dogs.
    "A lot of people refer to guide dogs as Seeing Eye dogs. Seeing Eye dogs are only guide dogs from the Seeing Eye, which is a guide dog school. There are other guide dogs like leader dogs and guiding eyes for the blind," said Christie.