A group of Cochise College American Sign Language students has been invited to perform for Deaf children at the Northern Arizona University Deaf Expo next fall.

The invitation was based on the group’s performance of “Peter and the Wolf” at the Western Regional Honors Council conference several weeks ago. The performance, carried out in American Sign Language and set to piano score, drew applause from the interpreters sent by NAU to accommodate a Deaf cast member.

“Once again, Cochise College had an outstanding showing at the honors conference,” said Liz Lockwood, the group’s advisor. “All of our presentations were top-notch and engaged the audience.”

The ASL students included Margaret Smith, Shelly Gordon, Brian Dewitt, Olivia Young, Staci Smith, and Gracia Wolfe. They were among several Cochise College groups that presented at the conference at NAU. A group of Douglas Campus students presented “COOKIES: A Good Batch that Keeps Getting Better,” about a Student Government Association project to mentor students in Douglas elementary schools. Students from the Douglas Campus also presented “The Unending Cycle of Prejudice and Discrimination,” a project to survey and educate middle school students about the topic. In addition, Sierra Vista Campus students presented “The History According to Hollywood.”

“All of the Cochise College presentations were well-received, the students were prepared and gave a good account of themselves at their presentations and the conference as a whole,” said Michel Ouellette, advisor to the COOKIES group. “All in all, the conference was a success and, I believe, the Cochise College students learned much and also enjoyed the experience.”

The Western Regional Honors Council (WRHC) is a professional organization of faculty, administrators, and students dedicated to the promotion and advancement of undergraduate honors education. The conference brings together community college and university students for several days of leadership and networking activities.