Carrying a treasure map in one hand and signing with the other, 11 strangers roamed the UW-Milwaukee campus in search of pirate-related hints.
At Lubar Hall, their first checkpoint, they scanned empty classrooms and climbed stairwells until initiative faltered. Footsteps slowed, and hands became glued to sides; communication halted. The map leader, a young boy, trudged behind the group with the map dragging at his side.
Hopelessness had begun to seep in, until the oldest man in the group jumped up and down, shouting and waving for everyone’s attention. The group’s energy surged as they followed him into a classroom to compete in a game of charades, ultimately winning a clue that would help them unlock the rest of the event.
Hosted by the American Sign Language English Interpreting Program and the ASL Studies Program, the “Pirate Treasure Hunt: Navigating the Journey” event was held Sept. 26 from 2 to 5 p.m. in Sandburg Flicks, located at 3400 N. Maryland Ave.
Following the hands-on treasure hunt, attendees were met with complimentary snacks and beverages before UWM ASL Studies Professor Christopher Rawlings took the stage to talk about his soon-to-be-released children’s book, “The Adventures of Captain Finn.”
Rawlings shared how he developed and published the book, as well as his personal experiences in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
“In my presentation today, the intent was to share my experience, my knowledge and show what I did,” Rawlings said through sign language interpreter Tony Barraza. “And inspire others to learn about what they can do because if we dream big and go for what we want without holding back, we can achieve it.”
Because Rawlings is an involved member of his community, many attendees had piqued an interest in the event after meeting him at other social affairs.
UWM student Janiyah Taylor explained that she first heard about Rawlings’ book at an Eyeth Day event last school year.
“It was fun meeting new people and walking around campus. I also like the decorations a lot,” Taylor said.
UWM student and longtime friend of Rawlings from within the community, Rashida Baker, communicated in ASL. Translated by the reporter, Baker added, “I knew he was writing a book for kids. I’m a deaf person; I work with deaf kids, and I have friends that have kids. I thought they could come learn about Christopher’s children’s book.”
Baker pointed out that events like this are productive if someone is eager to learn ASL: “This is a good way to get exposed to the deaf community and meet new people,” Baker said. “You can practice your ASL skills and also learn from the deaf community too.”
While Rawlings’ book was initially inspired by his deaf experiences, he said the book is meant to reach all identities.
“As a deaf person, I’ve experienced a lot of silos. Somebody would develop a resource similar to another resource,” Rawlings said. “So, it’s a lot of redundancy, and in my book I want to show that you don’t develop your own silos. To work together, build something better in hopes that if we bring together our collective knowledge, we can come up with something much better than working in those silos.”
On the first day of classes, Rawlings asks his students if they have ever met a deaf person before; he says about 90% of his students say no. In order to bridge this gap, Rawlings has found that humor helps ease students’ nerves.
“As a joke, I tell them that deaf people don’t eat hearing people. That deaf people don’t think hearing people taste good,” Rawlings said. “And I think adding humor to my teaching helps us connect more.”
“It’s not just with deaf people. There are people with other backgrounds too, who have amazing talents and skills. Their culture may be different than what we’re normally used to, but by approaching that, it helps us engage more,” Rawlings added.
As a result of this, Rawlings explained that he plans to publish a series of books following his first release. Each book will have a primary focus on different concepts in order to make it universal.
“The first one’s based on connections. The second book is going to be based on teamwork, like being able to use other people’s skills and talents to accomplish a goal. The third book is not making assumptions based on appearances,” Rawlings said.
Despite attendees bringing different identities to the event, it did not matter if they were deaf, hard of hearing, blind or hearing; everyone was encouraged to connect.
“I think it’s important to be exposed to different cultures because then you’re able to connect with more people,” Taylor said. “I feel like some people just end up feeling left out, and I don’t want to be the reason that someone feels like that.”
To break out of common norms that can put someone down, Rawlings believes that change starts with being curious and asking questions.
“When we’re young, we want to learn. We feel limitless, and we’re okay making mistakes. Sometimes we offend people, but it’s okay,” Rawlings said. “But once we get to an adult stage, we don’t want to offend anyone, so you’re careful about everything.”
“Kids will come up to me and say, ‘How do you sign this?’ And then parents will come up and say, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry they did that.’ And I think to myself, there’s nothing wrong with what they did. They were trying to connect with me, and I think that’s where, in my book, I want to show that that’s okay. Yes, people are sensitive in the world, but we have to be courageous, and we need to connect.”
Rawlings anticipates his book, “The Adventures of Captain Finn,” to be released in Fall 2026. Stay updated via his website: https://www.captainfinnadventures.com/