Colleen Conway never takes notes in class. During her economics class, she depends on the hands and mouth of Jill McAlary to learn.

For hearing-impaired students like Conway, federal law states that they must be provided assistance in their education. Through the Office of Disability Services, the University provides interpreters and notetakers.

"The interpreter plays the role of a telephone," said McAlary (senior-communication disorders). "You transmit everything, but do not add or subtract anything."

Objectivity is essential, McAlary said. One interprets not only what the professor says but also other environment noises. If there is an accident outside the classroom window, it must be interpreted to the student, she said.

"Anything you hear, you sign," McAlary said.

McAlary learned sign language in a public school system that mainstreamed the hearing impaired. Interpreters were in all the classrooms, she said.

"I grew up with the deaf in my classes," McAlary said.

Learning sign language is similar to learning a foreign language, she said. Students can take the language in a class for many years or they can interact in the culture and learn much faster.

Debbie Marshall, a past interpreter, said learning to sign is much different than learning to interpret.

"It takes mental training," she said. "An interpreter must know their client and also the sign of that client."

There are several forms of sign language, Marshall said. If a person is born deaf or becomes hearing impaired before school age, the American sign language is generally used, she said. There is also exact signing and pigeon signing, a combination of American and exact.

"There is no universal language," Marshall said.

Usually signers must complete a training program and exam to become certified interpreters, Marshall said. But the University does not provide enough funding to hire this quality of interpreter.

However, experience and a signing background are needed to become an interpreter at the University, she said.

"Quality has been extraordinary even with the low pay," Marshall said.

Lisa Fennessy (senior-communication disorders), also an interpreter, lies on her back signing up to her student. At times, she must tap her foot on the floor to capture his attention.

"This class is especially hard," Fennessy said of her experience in signing for a yoga student.

This situation does not allow the student to be face-to-face with the interpreter, she said.

The role of the interpreter is to facilitate communication, Marshall said. The interpreter needs to grasp the material and its language, she said. The 400-level courses are the ones that can be most difficult.

"It is a real challenge," she said.

It is rewarding to see student's accomplishments, Marshall said. When a student performs well on an exam, the interpreter feels a small part of that effort, she said.

As a hearing-impaired student, Conway has relied on interpreters and notetakers in order to graduate this May. Growing up in a hearing school, she did not learn sign language until her first year of college.

Penn State has the necessary services, Conway said, but it could be better. Because there are only about three students who need an interpreter at Penn State, quality services are not always available.

But, she added, "I have never had any problems with the interpreters."

When Josh McDowell, an evangelist, came to the University, many of the deaf people wanted to hear him, she said. Interpreters volunteered to help.

In May, when Conway graduates with a degree in business management, Debbie Marshall, her first University interpreter, will interpret at her graduation.

"I am very excited," Marshall said. "It is nice to see her on the edge of a real life."