By: Shaylie Pickerel Freelancer
NOTE: Last names of those involved in this event will be added soon!
On Oct. 20 the ASL club had a meeting with a guest speaker that included a question and answer panel. Western’s ASL club is very welcoming to anyone who is wanting to get more involved in the deaf community, become better at signing or anyone who just wants to hangout. During this meeting, elections were held for the officer positions in the club, as well as a small information session from all the people running.
The second half of the meeting was the question and answer panel. The panel included Mika Woodward, ASL President Holly Wright and Hanna Strahan, a guest from Oregon State University. The questions included everything from favorite pets, to what it was like growing up deaf, to when they learned ASL. When responding to the questions, the members of the panel would first sign and then speak, allowing people who are newer at signing to compare what they already know and what they need to practice. Some of the questions were harder to answer, such as what Strahan’s favorite sign was. When asked this question, she looked puzzled and then signed “butterfly.”
This event was inclusive and informational, especially when the panelists received questions which involved their opinion on signing in exact English. Strahan was very enthused to receive such a question; she said she was, “Very against it. Primarily because it’s not the true native language of the deaf community.” Her answer helps emphasize that ASL is like any other language; it involves variation in meaning and grammar and never translates perfectly.
You can learn more about ASL club and their meeting schedule, by reaching out to them on Facebook and Instagram at WOU ASL club. You can also find out about more deaf community events around Oregon on www.OAD1921.org.
Contact the author at spickrell15@mail.wou.edu
