American Sign Language (ASL) II students are preparing for the 5th annual Deaf Deaf World (DDW) which will take place Sept. 28 in the upper level of the gym. Any teachers who are interested in taking their class must sign up in advance due to limited space. ASL II students may also give out passes to friends. ASL II student and senior, Carolyn Belford said, “The whole point is for students to learn how to sign basic ASL.”

The 25 minute sessions act as a simulator for real-world situations where ASL would be needed. Different stores and restaurants are the checkpoints such as the zoo, Target or Orange Leaf. Belford will be simulating Panera. “The kids pretty much pretend they are deaf at Panera,” Belford said. They’ll pick a phrase from a cup and use a chart to sign it. Students must sign something at 15 out of 28 stores to complete their “mission.”

Belford said, “It’ll be a great time, a lot of students would enjoy the experience.”