What’s recently happened?
American Sign Language (ASL) Club at Michigan City High School (MCHS) is a wonderful group that focuses on a language barrier that exists throughout the world but is frequently ignored. Students in the club learn ASL, immerse themselves in its culture and history, and, best of all, learn the importance of the unique language.
“I like the ASL club because it teaches me a new language for people with hearing loss or no voice so I can understand everyone and their culture. I feel like everybody should be understood, not just people who can use their voice. Speaking with your hands is a beautiful thing to learn, and I enjoy meeting and talking to people who use a different form of communication,” Club Member Jaden Hansen said.
The club has done many things to further engage with the local deaf and hard-of-hearing community throughout the years.
“We have gone to deaf community events at Purdue University Northwest, deaf events at restaurants, apple orchards to practice and learn signing, and we play games to practice signing. We also watch movies that are in ASL or use ASL,” Ashley Zahrt, a staff sponsor for the club, said.
The most important thing the club has done, and will continue to do, is work on expanding communication where it is lacking.
“I participate in ASL because I genuinely enjoy learning about the language that connects the deaf community. The idea of making someone's day a bit easier on the off chance that they do use ASL is something that motivates me to come back to learn more,” Club Member Habriah McFerson said.
What’s coming up?
The ASL Club continues to learn and practice as normal as the school year comes to a close.
The biggest event the club has coming up coincides with the chorale program’s “Pops Concert” on May 2. At the concert, ASL club members will sign alongside one of the chorale selections, “Under the Boardwalk.” This is a club tradition.
Besides the “Pops Concert,” the club will continue meetings through the end of the year.
Speaking to any of the club members or sponsors, the purpose of the club is clear. Learning from community experiences is important. Exciting things that draw interest can be essential at times. In reality, these things are far from the center.
With the conclusion of the school year coming in May, ASL Club focuses the rest of its year on continuing to learn the language. Overcoming the language barrier and creating greater connectivity will forever be at the heart of the club, and those involved stress that this is what they are doing with their last few meetings of the year.
“We will learn spring, Easter, and summer signs. We will also watch a movie entirely in ASL, ” Zahrt said.
While most of their field trip experiences and community opportunities have passed, Zahrt and members stressed the importance of sticking with their education, of continuing to learn ASL passionately so they can progress their knowledge and expand their communication skills as time goes by.
Staff spotlight:
Ashley Zahrt has been a teacher at MCHS for eight years now. She teaches Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Environmental Science.
“When I was young, I had a lot of illnesses. I was in the hospital a lot. That just got me interested in the human body and the medical field. Initially, I thought I would become a doctor, but then I realized I like teaching, so here I am,” Zahrt said.
Teaching classes that connect to those childhood interests is now a part of Zahrt’s day-to-day life.
“I think my childhood self that wanted to do this would be interested in these classes,” Zahrt said.
Longstanding interest in science and the medical field aside, Zahrt recognizes other interests in her life that she enjoys just as much.
“I’m really interested in philosophy and a little bit of religion. I feel like religions are just applied philosophies. I find it interesting to understand what people believe at their core,” Zahrt said.
Zahrt also serves as the sponsor for MCHS’S ASL Club.
“ASL Club started before me, but it didn’t have a place to meet. The teachers for the deaf and hard of hearing both ran this club, but they didn’t have a classroom because they go to all the buildings in the district. I was approached not by them, but by a student who asked me if I wanted to be a sponsor. I told him that I didn’t know sign language, but he told me that I didn’t need to, they just needed a room. That’s how I got involved,” Zahrt said.
Despite simply offering up a location, Zahrt decided she wanted to learn alongside her students.
“I am nowhere near fluent, but I have learned a lot over the years. Through being around it a lot, I’ve been able to learn a lot. I’ve learned how to say, ‘slow,’ and ‘again,’ to help me learn better. That’s probably the most important thing I’ve learned how to say,” Zahrt said.
Through her experiences with the club, Zahrt has learned about the necessity of ASL and the importance of learning it. She has, through her own and others’ experiences, come to recognize misconceptions with the language and how it can be difficult to learn. This does not change the fact that she believes ASL needs to become more widespread.
“It’s definitely not something that is understood well. A lot of times, people think that ASL is just English in sign form. English with your hands. It’s not at all. It is its own language. It has its own syntax; it has its own rules. It doesn’t follow how we do things. With that being said, it should be treated as a language. I think it would be awesome for more people to want to learn that. It creates accessibility for more people in the world,” Zahrt said.
A lot of the students involved with ASL Club are neither deaf nor hard of hearing, but Zahrt believes this is a good thing.
“Even though they don’t have a direct connection with it, they are compassionate students. They have an interest in knowing ASL so that, if they have the opportunity to meet somebody who is deaf or hard or hearing who primarily communicates with signing, they can know it, and they can communicate with them and make them feel accepted and understood,” Zahrt said.
Zahrt is a bright part of the MCHS community, and the way she shares her experiences and knowledge with her students continues to draw them towards her classes and clubs.
Student spotlight:
Habriah McFerson is a junior at MCHS and a truly well-rounded and remarkable student.
“I am involved in Drama Club, ASL Club, Japanese Club, and Girls and Boys Volleyball,” McFerson said.
On top of her extracurricular involvements, McFerson is on an early graduation track, meaning that, while it is her third year at MCHS, she intends to graduate this spring with the senior class.
“Early in my sophomore year, I had a meeting with my counselor, and after talking about it for a while, I signed a contract confirming my early graduation. After that, it was a matter of scheduling future classes and meeting graduation prerequisites,” McFerson said.
Following her graduation, McFerson has big plans for her future.
“I'm attending Valparaiso University on a full ride scholarship and plan on majoring in pre-med and biology,” McFerson said.
McFerson has truly been an involved and hardworking student during her time at MCHS. She is a highly active member of the ASL Club. While it was an unexpected interest for her, her passion for the club is clear.
“I really like the little community that is within the club, and I like learning more about the language and culture that is sign. I think the aspect of communication would draw others in. There's something about ASL that's slightly more intimate than verbal language, and I think because of that, it's easy to feel connected,” McFerson said.
Another high interest for McFerson is MCHS’s Drama Club. She has been involved since her sophomore year, but this year, she was chosen as the student director, increasing both her involvement and passion for the group.
“I do a lot. For example, with our last show, I did music design, sets, stage managing, taught choreography, helped with costumes, and I even acted once. I basically do what the director does, or can't do, but on a more personal level with the actors. But if you asked me what the most important thing I’ve done at MCHS is when I look to my future, I honestly do believe that it was working on the production of ‘The Addams Family.’ The things I had to do and deal with when doing that show taught me lessons that I'll carry with me for a while, and not all of it was bad,” McFerson said.
McFerson is a sharp minded and hardworking student who has a promising and remarkable future ahead of her.