American Sign Language (ASLASLASL
On Thursday, May 1, 2014, the Deaf Jammers collaborated with the ASLDeaf Jam.At 6 p.m. in Wilkins Theater, nearly thirty performers performed songs, stories, and poems all in sign language. This was the third annual Deaf Jam at Kean, and each one was as successful as the previous. "We wanted to express the performance aspect of sign language...we thought that a performance would be the best way to get new people interested,"said Dana Bartone, a junior majoring in speech, language, and hearing sciences. Bartone also serves as a co-president of the Deaf Jammers with Jessica Pascalli, junior sign language and hearing major, both of whom were performers in Thursday's event.
While most of the performers were able to hear, one performer was a deaf student, graduate student, Jay Hicks . Toward the end of the first act, Hicks performed a poem he wrote, entitled "What it Means to be Deaf". As he signed on stage, an off-stage translator spoke the poem over the speakers. In this poem, Hicks discussed the advantages of being deaf, including not being able to hear everyone else's problems and being able to sleep well at night. While Hick's poem brought out many laughs from the audience, it was also an uplifting piece for all. In a story that Hicks told later in the evening, he said, "It doesn't matter if you're deaf...we're all the same and the show must go on."
Every performer astounded the audience with their ability to express intense emotions without speaking a single word. They were doing so much more than standing on stage and moving their hands. They involved their faces and the rest of their bodies in such a way that even audience members who did not know sign language were able to understand. Watching the performers sign was almost like watching a dance performance. In fact, one performer, Tsu-min Lin incorporated sign language into a robotic dance to the song "Promises"by Skrillex. Other songs performed varied in genre from famous Disney film songs to a medley of Billy Joel tunes to current popular radio hits. All in all, performers still managed to evoke several different emotions from the audience without fail. By the end of the event, it was made incredibly clear that although the deaf community may appear to be voiceless, they actually have the strongest voices of all.
For more information regarding the ASL Club and the Deaf Jammers Club, visit their profiles on CougarLink at (www.kean.collegiatelink.net/organization/DeafJammers) and (www.kean.collegiatelink.net/organization/ASL).
