Every year the organization Deaf Jammers hosts the event Deaf Jams. And this year couldn’t be any different. Deaf Jammers hosted its fifth Deaf Jams, titled Mini-Deaf Jam V: They Hear Through Their Eyes (and Sing with Their Hands). It was a night to remember and a night to enjoy for not only the audience, but the performers as well.

On Saturday, April 23, 2016, students and family members of performers gathered in the Little Theatre and sat through several amazing performances in sign language.

“The talent on that stage was amazing,” comments a family member of one of the performers, “I loved every bit of it.”

Deaf Jams is an event that allows people to learn how people in the deaf community communicate.

“They hear through their eyes,” as Dr. Goodman puts it. Dr. Goodman is the Advisor of the Deaf Jammers organization. This year, they allowed attendees to donate money to the Deaf Senior Housing that helps with housing adults who are deaf.

One of the many favorite performances included a performance done by Nicole Olearchil, who is a senior majoring in music and American Sign Language (ASL). She signed the hit song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, “Can’t Hold us.” People were astonished by the way she performed a hard song to sign. Performer Danielle Cunningham junior double majoring in ASL and music, comments that this was her favorite performance of the night.  She also comments that as a performer that night, she was nervous. 

“I really liked [the event],” Miline Datilus, a relative to one of the performers, comments. “My favorite performance had to be the students who signed ‘Where is Love,’” by The Blacked Eyed Peas. This song was signed by students Karina Santiago, who is a senior, and Fiorella Giordano, who is also a senior. Giordano is double majoring in ASL and psychology, while Santiago is double majoring in ASL and communication.

Another favorite was the performance done by ASL Professor Jay Hicks. Professor Hicks is deaf and signed a poem he wrote titled “A Original Ditty About Deafness.” He starts by signing how many people won’t understand what it is like to be deaf…“to hear silence.” Dr. Goodman spoke to the crowd what he was signing.

Professor Hicks continues to sign how life is being deaf. He signs that it has its perks because he doesn’t have to hear the problems of other people. He also said that he goes to sleep like a baby since he doesn’t hear all the noise that goes on outside.

He ends with an unforgettable line: “I’m deaf,” he signs, “that’s who I am. And that is everything to me.”

This one hour won’t be forgotten and brings information on a world a majority of the population does not know about. Deaf Jammers is an organization there to teach those who don’t understand what is it like to live day-by-day as someone who can’t hear, and Deaf Jams is the perfect way to explain it.

To learn more about Deaf Jammers visit the organizations webpage on Cougar Link.