Oakland University’s American Sign Language (ASL) club made its first public appearance after only a couple of months of being officially reestablished. 

The ASL club performed the National Anthem at a baseball game during Oakland University’s Alumni Night celebration on June 19. The appearance at United Wholesale Mortgage Field (formerly Jimmy John’s Field)  marked a public milestone for the club as it continues to rebuild its presence on campus.

“I think what’s awesome about our group is that we are someone who is new and we are up and coming,” Christine DeSano, professor and club advisor, said. “We’re really going to kick off our group and our club this year, so I think this is kind of like our first kind of moment that’ll just kind of set off the history of the club.”

DeSano was joined on the field by five OU students and ASL club members: Ronza Somo, Heather McGarity, Lina Almaflahi, Alyssa Turner and Payton Howick. 

“I chose to participate in the performance because I’m currently working on a degree in political science (pre-law) with a deaf studies minor,” McGarity said. “I wanted to get more practice/emerge myself in the culture more. I had reached out to DeSano about events and stuff I could do in the community and she told me about the club and asked if I wanted to join.”

McGarity is one of many of DeSano’s current and former students who have been encouraged to immerse themselves more deeply in the deaf community. DeSano has been a catalyst for raising awareness of ASL and the deaf community on OU’s campus through her efforts to grow and promote the club.

“I honestly feel like that has been one thing that I worked so hard to cultivate in my classroom, is just like that feeling of like having everyone feel like they’re a part of something,” DeSano said.  “This kind of lends so well to that, just because it’s something that we’re all learning together. I do feel like even though we are a new club, everyone feels comfortable and we just have a great time.”

In preparation for the performance, DeSano provided interested club members with a National Anthem tutorial in advance. Those who chose to participate spent the summer learning the anthem and rehearsed together in the hours leading up to the performance.

“I don’t think it would’ve all been possible without Mrs. DeSano’s dedication,” Somo said. “Her passion for ASL, the community and her students is constantly shown by her actions. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have pursued a passion for the language of ASL. She is truly an amazing professor.”

The passion fostered through the club extends beyond learning the language itself. Through events like this, club members hope to raise awareness of ASL and the deaf community while highlighting the importance of accessibility in public spaces and events where deaf individuals are often overlooked.

“I wanted to encourage people to recognize ASL as a legit language,” Almaflahi said. “I hope that one day ASL interpretation is the norm everywhere instead of a rare occurrence. Accessibility and language should always be a guarantee. I hope people see us do stuff like this and become inspired to learn ASL. It’s a fun language to learn!”