The American Sign Language (ASL) club made its long-awaited return, reestablishing a supportive and inclusive space for students to connect, communicate and grow.
After years without a dedicated community, the club once again brought together those who are learning, interested in learning, or passionate about American Sign Language, while also promoting awareness of Deaf culture and fostering meaningful connections among its members.
ASL professor Christie DeSano, who has been at Oakland University for three years, led the effort to revive the club. With help from student organizer Alicia Leach, the club successfully held its first meeting on March 24.
Under new leadership, the club’s mission is simple: to create a welcoming, supportive space where students can practice, learn and develop a deeper appreciation for ASL and Deaf culture.
Students of all experience levels, whether beginners or fluent, hearing or Deaf, are encouraged to participate.
“Back in the day, there was an ASL club, but then it kind of fell apart, which is fine, because now we are going to restart it, and I’m really excited,” DeSano said. “Alicia is one of my former students. She’s awesome. She’s been helping me kind of navigate this whole thing.”
Many attendees were current or former students of DeSano; however, the strong turnout was evident as students filled and overflowed the room, reflecting clear interest in the club.
“I did not expect this at all. I was so happy and excited about everyone coming in,” Leach said. “This is my first time as a leader of an organization. I’m kind of learning everything as I go, day by day. But the amount of people who came out is great. We really want to make this a thing on campus and I want even more people to come next time. Yeah, I love and live for this.”
At the start of the meeting, DeSano emphasized the importance of studying ASL, noting that its ultimate goal is to foster communication between the Deaf and hearing communities.
She reassured attendees that regardless of their experience level, they would be supported by both her and others in the room, as the group was, at its core, focused on building a community.
Among the attendees was a member of the Deaf community whom DeSano acknowledged, encouraging those who were able to sign to feel comfortable doing so.
“The ASL meeting was a nice place to see students studying different levels of ASL and all being together in one room,” Soreen Shawka said. “It was also a great opportunity to communicate and connect with someone who was from the deaf community.”
After the introduction, attendees participated in three activities.
First, everyone went around the room, introducing themselves and sharing how they found the club, with encouragement to use sign language.
Next, Leach taught basic signs, which participants then practiced with a partner.
Finally, the group took part in a “guess the sign” game, learning a variety of fun and interesting signs before signing them for others to guess. Many added their own twist by choosing and sharing a personal favorite sign that had not been taught during the activity.
“I wanted to make it very interactive so that everyone was able to learn something new and leave here on the first meeting feeling like there’s already a community for them,” Leach said.
Throughout the activities, attendees gradually grew more comfortable and began helping one another.
Many already knew each other from previous classes, yet everyone welcomed newcomers with open arms and willing hands.
With the community that was built during this meeting, it’s clear the ASL club is set to continue thriving, with many more events and opportunities for connection in the future.
