The American Sign Language (ASL) Club signs its way into the new school year, with general meetings every Tuesday afternoon from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in West Hall room 105. The club provides drinks, snacks and a welcoming smile for all those who attend.
The ASL club was founded in Spring 2024 by a group of Hamline students who felt they needed to make a change in Hamline University’s community, striving to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students, whether they are hearing, hard of hearing or deaf.
“This club is a safe and essential space and we just want to help bring awareness to the Deaf community.” Faith Kearns, Junior and President of the ASL club said.
Despite only being founded a year ago, the ASL club has succeeded in bringing major awareness to the Deaf community within Hamline, bringing up policies and changes that need to be seen, such as actively trying to get access to interpreters and more resources provided for students who may need it.
During the ASL meetings, you are taught basic and important signs for everyone to know such as greetings and simple need-to-know sentences, as well as how to sign all the letters in the alphabet so that you can spell your name and other words. All are encouraged to attend these meetings, whether you have little to no experience with sign language or know a lot.
“A lot of people don’t know how to treat the Deaf community. If you were sitting at a table with a bunch of people and weren’t able to hear what they were saying, you would feel left out, wouldn’t you?” Evelyn Adochio, Sophomore and the ASL club’s engagement coordinator said.
The World Federation of the Deaf estimated that around 70 million people are deaf and around 1.5 billion are hard of hearing worldwide, which is approximately 17.5% of the population.
Sign language is not just for those who need it firsthand or just a fun thing to know; it is necessary and an important skill for people to have, as it can help bridge the gap between the hearing and Deaf communities. It can also help with inclusiveness and building relationships with others, showing that there is always a way to communicate with someone despite challenges that may seem to be in the way.
The ASL club will have several events throughout the year and will be welcoming newcomers, no matter how late in the year it is. Even if one cannot make it every week, the ASL club will be thrilled to have you, so feel free to join the ASL club during their weekly meetings and learn more about the importance of sign language and how to sign.
