Tracy High School in California has launched its first American Sign Language (ASL) club, drawing enthusiastic interest from students during Club Rush Week. “I was very excited and happy to see all of the people waiting to sign up,” one of the club’s first members told Nicolas Smith for the school’s student newspaper.
(half pint/Flickr Creative Commons)The club is led by Tracy High’s first deaf teacher, Moni Brown, alongside new teacher Daniel Hernandez. Their goal is to introduce more students to ASL while also sharing knowledge of deaf culture and awareness. “It’s an opportunity for people who aren’t in ASL class to gain knowledge of deaf awareness and deaf culture,” Mr Hernandez explained.
Both advisors also hope to strengthen the local deaf community. Ms Brown and Mr Hernandez plan to host social events in Tracy so residents don’t have to travel to nearby cities like Stockton or Modesto to connect with others. “We want to make socials for Tracy’s community, to create a bigger and more tightly knit community,” Mr Hernandez was quoted as saying.
The club is open to all students, regardless of prior knowledge of ASL. Meetings will be held twice a month, with advisors teaching new signs to members. To promote awareness, students in the ASL class will also take part in a “silent Wednesday,” spending the day communicating without spoken words.
