Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 133 No. 3 Spring 2012 | 页面 11

Jr. NAD Conference

Top Photo: Jr. NAD Participants:
Julian Chairez, Gunner Hahn and Taylor Koss

Three WSD students went to the Jr. NAD Conference
November 18-22 at the California School for the Deaf
at Riverside. Julian Chairez, Gunner Hahn and Taylor
Koss were able to meet many Deaf leaders, including
NAD president Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD CEO
Howard Rosenblum, Gerald “Bummy” Burstein,
Black Sand ASL film actor/Mr. Deaf California
Tommy Korn and, Jr. NAD/YLC/NLLC founder Dr. Frank Turk.
The students were among 80 high school students from across America.
Twenty two Deaf schools participated in the conference. Four workshops
included topics on: Diversity, Enthusiasm, Advocacy, and Fellowship.
These four topics were also the themes of presentations offered each day
for the high school students. In addition to workshop groups, students
also were each part of a project group. One group planned a Mr./Miss Jr.
NAD Pageant rehearsal; another was the Round Table Action Plan; a third
group worked on the George W. Veditz Video Project. The last two project
groups worked on ASL Entertainment and the Empty Bowl Project.
Gunner Hahn was proud that he had won first runner up in the Mr. Jr.
NAD pageant, being topped by a student from Indiana. He said he enjoyed
all the involvement and programs offered. Asked how he would use what
he learned, he shared he would like to be involved in programming for
younger students, like the Jr. Teen Getaway Weekend.
Julian Chairez said that it was an honor to attend this conference. He was
impressed with the leadership he saw and enjoyed learning about the
state associations for the deaf, such as WAD and CAD. He was part of
the Empty Bowl project, which would continue as a community service
project in the Riverside area. Each of the 80 bowls painted by the Jr. NAD
participants would be given away to recipients at a future soup meal.
Taylor Koss enjoyed being part of the Round Table Action teams. Students
offered proposals to be included in the NAD action teams. One idea was
for two Jr. NAD members to be included in the National Conference
held each summer, as well as two Jr. NAD members to attend the World
Federation of the Deaf conference. Another idea was to have message
boards, much like what WSD has in and around all buildings, to warn
of tornado alarms and fire alarms. It was suggested that these boards be
placed in all trains and airplanes as well as in train terminals and airports.
Another group suggested follow-up on the captioning of all movies in
movie theatres. This seems to be happening, but very slowly. Another idea
was to have a Deaf TV channel, much like HBO, or BET or TBS. The
diverse group of students thought about many great ideas.
Breakfast was at 7:00 AM each morning and activities ran from 8:00
a.m. until 11:00 p.m. each evening. In addition to the presentations and
projects, students were able to see the Fiesta Village near Disneyland, and
participate in a dance. All three WSD students, as well as their sponsor,
Karla Gunn were positive in every comment about this opportunity.
We are proud of you.

The photos above feature the WSD participants along with Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Howard Rosenblum, Gerald “Bummy” Burstein, and Dr. Frank Turk with
his lovely wife, Marilyn Turk.
Spring 2012 - 11
Bottom photo: Gunner Hahn rehearsing for the Mr. Jr. NAD Pageant.