Hearing Impaired Chapters
 

Hello from Chicago!

I just met some brothers from our hearing impaired chapter at the Rochster Institute of Technology. They're some really cool guys, and up until now I didn't realize we still had a hearing impaired chapter (Cal Poly Pomona closed years ago)

Anyone have innovative chapters like this? I think this was a really good idea, got some good bros, they're also one of the biggest recruiting chapters.

Re: Hearing Impaired Chapters
 

I forgot to tell you. During the school year when I was taking American Sign Language, I was watching a video on Deaf Culture with some guys from Cal Poly Pomona. It was cool to have that actually. Are they chapters that have lots of Deaf and hearing impaired brothers or how does it work?

-Rudey

Gallaudet University in Washington, DC is a college designed for the deaf. Several national GLOs have chapters there.

Delta Zeta has a chapter at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., a school geared specifically toward the deaf and hearing-impaired. I believe we are the only national sorority at Gallaudet, which makes sense because our our philanthropy is Speech and Hearing.

TriSigma's Chapter at RIT
 

Sigma Sigma Sigma's Epsilon Psi chapter is hearing-impared and is at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

~ Laura

Zeta Mu Chapter
University of Alaska Fairbanks

I was just about to mention that - Kappa Sigma has a chapter there, and I believe was the first national GLO to have a chapter at the University.

I've met some of the guys from there at Leadership Conferences and the such - really solid guys, fun to hang out with.

I thought I would share this related thread with you from the DZ forum:

click here for warm fuzzy story

I think it is a fabulous idea. There are several local GLO's at Gallaudet, all geared to the hearing impaired.

My wife is a member of Mu Delta Alpha, a greek honorary for ladies that compete in the Miss Deaf America pageant (I met her when she was the reigning Miss Deaf Colorado - so, nyah! I married a beauty queen).

I know that LXA has some deaf members - it makes for some interesting challenges for initiation, as it probably does for other GLO's, but nothing too challenging to overcome...

Alpha Phi at U of Toronto had a deaf member as well.....I remember seeing her signer working with her, etc. I was fascinated at how fast the signer could move...very impressive!

Reading this made me think of a question:

For those of you who have hearing-impaired members in your chapter who use an interpreter or signer, are they present for your ritual ceremonies? Or do you have an initiated member come in as their interpreter? (Yes, as always, if it's none of my business then say so!)

Former Miss America Heather Whitestone was a new member at one of our southern AOII chapters, but never initiated due to her pageant responsibilities AFAIK.

While I think this a may not apply, The first time I met a Black Btoher, I have become to find out What a Great Brother He is!

So hearing impared is no diffenct than being diffferent at a lke than Brothers Duferent than the NORM~

I love watching "Sue Thomas FBI" lOVEl lEVY!!!

Building on what Ksigkid said:

Our Ritual Initiation is extremely involved and must be performed completely from memory.

I have been told that at one leadership conference or Conclave the Mu Iota chapter performed a model initiation: Totally in Sign. It was said to be very moving.

Re: Hearing Impaired Chapters
 

Just out of curiosity, I went to Cal Poly, Pomona, when was the hearing impared chapter there? I have never heard of it.

It was either Fullerton or Pomona, don't remember.

That is correct - with our initiation being so involved, I heard it was unbelievable to see it being done completely in sign.

It was done at Conclave, I believe in New Orleans but I could be wrong.

I believe Delta Sigma Theta also has a chapter at Galludet University.

yes we do. :)

As well as Delta Sigma Phi :)

I love it when the greek world can reach all corners of the collegiate world.

I'm feeling really slow today...
 

OK, I need some help.

I understand that a chapter at Galludet would be hearing impaired, because that is a school for the deaf. However, I don't understand how chapters from RIT or a Cal State/Poly school would be considered hearing impaired? Is it because they have deaf members, or is the whole chapter deaf? I didn't think those schools were schools for the deaf, which is why I'm confused.

RIT also includes the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. (I found this all out when I met an ASA from RIT at convention.)

http://ntidweb.rit.edu/

I know we have a hearing impaired chapter a well, but I am not positive about where.

From RIT's website:

Fraternities
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Phi Alpha
Delta Sigma Phi
Kappa Delta Rho
Kappa Phi Theta
Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Iota Alpha
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Tau
Phi Sigma Kappa
Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Nu
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Triangle Fraternity

Sororities:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Alpha Sigma Alpha
Alpha Sigma Theta
Alpha Xi Delta
Delta Phi Epsilon
Lambda Pi Chi
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Zeta Tau Alpha

I think it's awesome that these chapters exist. I am hearing impaired, but to a minor enough degree that I can function without a hearing aid (mild to moderate hearing loss).

I am amazed about rituals, too. Even for a loss like mine, I do rely somewhat on lip reading, and in a dark room, signing and lip-reading become much more difficult.

I think it's great that these guys and girls get the opporunity to enjoy greek life, though! It sounds like RIT at least has a strong greek system!

RIT has a specific college for deaf students. Galludet is for hearing impaired students only.

So is your chapter there at the specific college, or at RIT in general? I guess I'm trying to ask - is the chapter all hearing-impaired brothers, or does it just have a high percentage of them?

I know we have a hearing impaired chapter -- not sure where though. They always have interpreters for the hearing impaired on stage at our national events. They even sign the ritual which is cool.

I know the Fraternity also has special ritual provisions for the deaf. So it's been a long held concern that we give these brothers as much help as we can to improve their experience.

D Phi E had a chapter at Gallaudet a few years ago, but it is inactive now.

From what I was told about the RIT chapters, they are open to all students (not just the deaf college) but the great majority of the chapter members are deaf. If someone has more info on this than me, let me know.

wow good to hear.............. I am deaf myself but I feel ashamed I didnt even know there was deaf greeks until last year!!! The ones in RIT, specifically, even though cali and ny deaf greeks were all very helpful..........they encouraged me so much that I decided to set up our (CSUS) first deaf/hearing sorority. The shocking thing is that CSUS has maybe 12 deaf people out of 25 thousand students but we have the support of the ASL program, NorCal center of Deafness and this is the best part....... even though we are 99 percent hearing university we have a very strong ASL program, this semester we had 33 deaf classes and all of them FULL and many more who wanted to add........ wow... and a lot of hearing want to learn about deafness and want to improve ASL skills, later work with/for deaf people in the future. I hope it goes great :) crossing fingers.