Miss Deaf Georgia

Photography Exhibit

Words of Wisdom

Late Hour Studying

FC Student Miss Deaf Georgia opens up

By Daniel Bell
Editor
Krystle Self

Krystle Self, the current Miss Deaf Georgia, is much like every other Georgia Highlands College student. She starts her day with 8 a.m. classes and likes to spend her weekends hanging out with friends and partying in Atlanta and going to church on Sundays.

Though she cannot hear, she does have impressive verbal skills, and Self swears she is just the same as every other 19-year-old college student, except that she has a better driving record.

"It's a proven fact," she explained with a smile, "Deaf people drive better because they aren't messing with the radio and they pay more attention to what they are doing."

She said since she is more visual she uses her car's mirrors more and actually looks where she is going.

Although she does require an interpreter to "hear" what is going on in class and to communicate with those who cannot use sign language Self stresses that she is not disabled.

"Being deaf is not a disability. I am a deaf person. I am capable of doing anything and everything. Not all deaf people are like me. But we're not disabled. Just because someone wears glasses, are they disabled? No. Just because someone can't do a cartwheel, are they disabled? No. I'm just like everyone else, except that I can't hear. I want to emphasize this idea," she explained.

Self was born in Athens, GA, to two deaf parents. Because of this, she learned to sign easily at a very young age. She also has two younger siblings: a 17-year-old sister and a 13-year-old brother, both of which are also deaf.

Having an entire family that is deaf is very rare according to Self. "Most people are shocked; their jaws hit the ground when they first find out. We are very well-known throughout the deaf community," she said.

Self has not let her inability to hear stop her from being active in her community.

She spent most of her life in public schools and graduated from Faith Academy. She was president of her 4-H Club in grade school and won first place at region competition while doing a presentation about the Relay Service, which is a telecommunications service that allows deaf individuals to communicate over the phone with non-deaf people via a teleprompter.

In August 2001 she was named Miss Deaf Georgia and is currently serving her two-year reign. Self explained that her platform for the competition was "Silent Cries for Love" and that she wanted to stress the negative effects of drugs, sex and violence and the importance of a loving environment for children.

Krystle Self wins title of Miss Deaf Georgia During the competition Self won Miss Congeniality, Best Talent (she signed the song "I'm your Angel") and Best Platform.

Self explained that there is also a Miss Deaf America contest and that it works exactly like the Miss America contest.

With her title came responsibilities. Self has visited over 40 different places since becoming Miss Deaf Georgia, including her former schools.

She has attended Georgia Association for the Deaf meetings, and she is an active member in the Junior National Association for the Deaf, which she explained is a nation-wide organization that helps break through the hearing barrier. It provides legal services and holds the Miss Deaf America contest, among other things.

"It's a very strong organization," Self explained. "It's a lot like the NAACP."

Another place Self visited as Miss Deaf Georgia was Georgia Highlands College. She came to FC for the Deaf Extreme orientation. "That's why I go here now," she said.

She is currently studying teacher education and wants to teach deaf elementary school children.

Self said the one thing she wants people to understand about deaf people is that they are just like everyone else.

"Don't be afraid to come up and talk to someone just because they can't hear. If no one is around to use sign language, then write it down. We don't have a disease," she said.

She did warn, however, to be very careful when trying to communicate using sign language. One could very well say something totally different from what he or she is trying to say with just a slip of the hand.

"My interpreter once made a mistake in church," Self said, "The preacher had said 'lunch' (which is said with the thumb pressed against the chin and the index finger extended), but my interpreter used the sign for lesbian by mistake (which is said with the same way, but with the hand turned so that thumb and index finger are on either side of the mouth). So BE CAREFUL!"