Date: January 13th 2004

REL student to sign anthem at Super Bowl

By Lauren Sallee
Baytown Sun

Published January 12, 2004

BAYTOWN — Lee High School principal David Hall said he’ll be bragging on Super Bowl Sunday that Baytown Lee is in the house — Reliant Stadium, that is.

The Baytown Lee student at the big game will be Suzanna Christy, who will sign the national anthem for the hearing impaired while Houston superstar Beyoncé Knowles sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the pregame show for Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium on Feb. 1.

Hall said he would be at home with company watching the Super Bowl and doing a little bragging about his student. “I’m excited for her and happy she is representing Robert E. Lee,” Hall said.

Christy, however, is more concerned about the performance than boasting.

“I am nervous, scared and a little anxious,” Christy, 17, said of her big performance. “I wish the day was tomorrow.”

Fortunately for Christy, her Super Bowl debut won’t be the first time she’s signed the national anthem. For the past two years, Christy has signed the anthem at Lee’s home football games.

Lea Ann Gardner, Christy’s sign language teacher, sent a video and pictures of Christy to the Super Bowl Host Committee, which reviewed the items and selected her among many hopefuls.

Gardner said she knew the Super Bowl was coming, and was hoping officials possibly wanted someone to sign on the field.

“They saw pictures of her and the people in New York selected her out of everyone,” Gardner said. “It just so happened that she was hearing impaired.”

It was a good wake-up call for Christy on Monday morning as her mother, Kimberly, told her half-asleep daughter the news.

Kimberly said her daughter accused her of lying upon hearing that she was selected. Kimberly had taken the day off from work after receiving the call from Gardner, confirming Christy would sign at the game.

Christy will have the support of her friends, family and boyfriend, Jose Luna, as she takes the stage in front of millions of viewers. Christy will also have sideline support from Gardner.

Gardner is hoping to receive Beyoncé’s version of the anthem next week so Christy can begin practicing.

Gardner said the word has spread about Christy’s upcoming signing and teachers from Houston-area schools want her to be a guest speaker when some of the excitement dies down for the family.

Game time is set for Feb. 1 at 5:25 p.m., with Beyoncé singing the national anthem before the game, and Christy signing for the hearing impaired.

“When they picked her, they had no idea, but they picked the perfect person,” Gardner said.

Copyright © 2004 The Baytown Sun. All rights reserved.

http://web.baytownsun.com/story.lasso?wcd=14388


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