The American Sign Language club is back in full swing from the pandemic with events and activities for Kent State students to learn more about the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. 

President of the ASL club, Emily Radebaugh, a senior American Sign Language major, revived the ASL club after the pandemic prevented students from gathering in large groups. 

“I restarted the club last spring, and we’ve done a couple of big and important events,” Radebaugh said. “We did a presentation with the Diversity in Nurses Association where we talked about medical signs and how to conduct yourself in an appointment with a patient who is Deaf.”

The presentation also included information on navigating different communication modes, what it means to be Deaf, and hypothetical scenarios medical practitioners may experience when treating a patient who is a part of the Deaf or hard-of-hearing community. 

The club has also been working with the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and the Student Academy of Audiology clubs at Kent State to promote Deaf culture in those fields. 

“Every Wednesday, we have game night, which is technically run by our two ASL professors, Larry and Bethany,” Radebaugh said. “We like to come out, help out, and sometimes teach games to students.” 

During game nights, students attending are encouraged to practice their ASL by turning off their voices and only signing to communicate with their peers.

“You see a lot of hearing students who are trying to understand ASL get frustrated and try to give up,” said Angeline Rice, senior American Sign Language and English Interpreting major. “Deaf people encourage them to keep trying because they want them to put in that effort and see their perspective.”

The ASL club helps students practice or learn ASL from the events they put on throughout the school year. 

“I’ve never really had friends I could sign with or switch back and forth between signing and just verbally speaking,” said Grace Baker, junior American Sign Language major. “Which is super cool; I’ve definitely improved my skills since joining the ASL club, which is awesome.”

Baker is the event planner for the club, and she plans various events, including game nights, book clubs and arts and crafts nights. 

“ASL is important for so many different reasons,” Radebaugh said. “It’s important to have the skill set for yourself and others; the language is useful in many different situations.”

Radebaugh gave the example of being in an unsafe situation where you can’t speak; ASL would allow you to communicate with others around you. 

“I want to encourage everyone to learn about ASL and Deaf culture,” Radebaugh said. “They don’t teach a lot about Deaf history in school, but it really impacted regular American History.”

In 1892 at Gallaudet University, a college dedicated to Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, a quarterback named Paul Hubbard created the football huddle now widely used in American football. Hubbard didn’t want the opposing team to see what his team was signing when discussing their plays, so he had them form a tight huddle, now known as the football huddle. 

“Learning ASL is the biggest way to support the Deaf community and show that you are an ally,” Radebaugh said.  

The club is open to all students who are either a part of the Deaf or hard-of-hearing community, who know ASL or who are interested in learning more about Deaf culture and ASL. If you are interested in learning more about ASL and going to the ASL club events, you can follow them on Instagram at @ksu.aslclub

Chania Crawford is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].