Western Oregon Journal

American Sign Language (ASL) is practiced in silence, yet it is just as beautifully complex and diverse as any other language. Sign language is one of many foreign languages offered at Western, and students looking to improve their American Sign Language skills, or have a general interest in the language, can join Western’s ASL club.

The club is open to students of all signing levels and is not limited to ASL students and interpreting majors. “We are a club that is more about socializing, and helping the ASL students to improve their signing skills,” Melissa Dalton, Club President, said.

The club meets on Monday nights at 7:30 in the basement of the Werner University Center. The club practices a no-voice policy during meetings in order to focus on sign language advancement.

The American Sign Language Club, like many campus clubs, is entirely student run with elected officers and created by-laws. The ASL club is not entirely restricted to on-campus programming, and likes to plan out-of-school activities as well. Last October, they organized a trip to Oregon School for the Deaf’s (OSD) haunted house, and later in May, the ASL club is planning a hiking excursion and a trip to the beach.

At the heart of deaf culture is the deaf community, and clubs like the one at Western are one of many ways that deaf people, ASL students and interpreters can experience that culture. To keep the pride and culture alive, all people need to recognize cultural difference without pity. 

“Unfortunately, not many Deaf people are proud to be Deaf due to their oppression; they were taught to be like hearing people,” said Wendy Stanley, OSD teacher and Western ASL professor. “Without its community, there would be no culture, I believe.”

Stanley encourages students that are interested in Deaf culture to not limit their research to simply Caucasian Deaf culture. “It is time to steer or change the curriculum to understand other kinds of people. I think it is great that there is Deaf Awareness to educate people, but it needs more exposure,” Stanley said.

Learning a foreign language is a difficult task as all students know. Emersion in a realistic situation is one of the most effective ways to learn. Club attendance is nothing short of that practice. “I think ASL students improve their ASL skills. The best way to learn ASL is socializing with deaf people, you learn ASL faster that way,” Dalton said.

Unfortunately, attendance at the ASL club has been down in comparison to recent years with numbers dropping sometimes to less than half of the norm. Dalton encourages students to not be nervous about the experience, and says that she would like to see more people participate, adding that club members will do their best to make newcomers feel welcome.

May is National Deaf Awareness month with the hope of raising recognition of Deaf culture and education for both hearing and Deaf people. The ASL Club will have an information table set up from May 2-6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Werner University Center. “[We] help other people understand ASL culture. May is Deaf Awareness Month, we support that,” Dalton said.

The information booth will include a schedule of upcoming events of both on- and off-campus activities, Deaf trivia with prizes, videos and a place to make donations. Students interested in either the ASL club or National Deaf Awareness Month are encouraged to contact Melissa Dalton at Mdalton@wou.edu.

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