As Tim Davis coped with severe hearing loss in his right ear, he, along with a group of students, founded the American Sign Language (ASL) club and became its sponsor. Davis’ personal experience and preparation for the future motivated him to create the club.
“It felt like it was a way for me to mourn the loss of my hearing,” Davis said. If [my left] ear goes bad, then [I’d] be completely deaf. And I thought, well, might as well get started working on [sign language] early.”
Club members have accepted the challenge of learning not just the physical signs of ASL, but also the unique rules that define grammar and tone.
“ASL is actually different from normal English because there’s no helping verb,” said senior club President Makenzie Smith. “For punctuation, it’s just your facial expression [that] conveys the tone of what you’re trying to say.”
The club is, in large part, led by its members. That arrangement allows Davis to take a step back and fully immerse himself in the learning experience.
“[Students] prepare these PowerPoints and do games. They have full power; I just let them take it,” Davis said. “We just have a good time.”
Over time, members have gained sign language proficiency through routine practice at meetings, which usually occur every two weeks.
“I’ve gotten more confident with how I’m able to sign things, and I’ve learned more of the vocabulary,” said senior Jonathan Helms, who has been a member for two years.
As members’ sign language capabilities have evolved, it has fostered a greater sympathy for those incapable of verbal communication.
“It’s really difficult trying to learn ASL as someone who already knows English,” said Smith. “Trying to figure out how to communicate in a different way than what I’m used to is really difficult.”
Overall, the club offers its members a laid-back, inclusive learning experience that heavily emphasizes growth through interaction.
“You kind of get out of your own little world and realize that not everyone is left with the simple things that you possess or might take for granted,” Davis said. “But at the end of the day, we really just have a good time.”