Students may notice an unusual silence on Wednesday while walking across the quad.

The Bells of Altgeld Hall will remain silent in support of International Week of the Deaf from Tuesday evening until Wednesday evening. The Chimes, which are usually played between ten minutes to the hour and the hour to signify passing periods, generally can be heard throughout the day.

The chiming of the bells is something that most people take for granted, said Professor of Speech and Hearing Science Matthew Dye. The goal of the silencing of the bells is simply to get students and faculty to notice. Dye said, “When people realize the bells aren’t (ringing), that will be an accomplishment in itself.”

The Department of Speech and Hearing Science is sponsoring events throughout the week to support the International Week of the Deaf and in observance of Silent Day, which is Wednesday. The purpose of the events is to raise awareness of the Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Sign Language community and culture.

Events for the week include a discussion on hearing technology, a bake sale and Silent Day, from which all proceeds will be divided between the Illini Chapter of the Illinois Association of the Deaf and the Illinois School for the Deaf.

The week will culminate in a performance of the National Anthem by deaf children from the Illinois School for the Deaf alongside the Marching Illini at the football game against Penn State on Saturday.

A full schedule of International Week of the Deaf can be found on the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences “website.”:http://shs.illinois.edu/Outreach/InternationalWeek/