In this era of mask-wearing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communication can be challenging, especially for hearing-impaired people who may often rely on lip-reading. Though American Sign Language (ASL) has been in existence for around 200 years, it is now more important than ever for people to communicate using ASL due to the masks blocking their view.

With that concern in mind, junior Cassandra Pultorak has revived the Sign Language Club at NASH, after the original club leader, Mrs. McAfee, could no longer lead it and suggested someone else carry it on.

“I knew other students [who were members] and I still really wanted to learn ASL and be a part of this club, so I started it back up again,” Pultorak said. “The focus of the club will be to learn ASL and try to reach the point of communication with others.”

Pultorak is aware of the challenges of running a club at a time when students cannot safely meet in person, so she is using Google Meet and aiming to be as flexible as possible.

“I am trying to do a meeting once a week,” she said. “The meetings are going to be on different days each week so different people are available. No meetings are mandatory but everyone is welcome to stay for as long as you’d like.”

The club, which currently has a record 45 members, is open to anyone, hearing-impaired or not, and the meeting agendas feature a variety of ways for members to engage in sign language.

“We learn different lessons and groups of words,” Pultorak said. “We also watch different videos that might explain why each hand movement is the way it is. I was planning on playing a movie in sign language that we could all watch and observe. I find that watching people sign is really helpful to learn. We also will have Mrs. Cary Thompson join us for some meetings! She is a certified interpreter who has interpreted for many different events such as concerts.”

Pultorak’s goal is for participants to share that same love for the language that she has had since the fifth grade, when she began to teach herself the basics of signing, such as the alphabet and common words and phrases. She then created a club in middle school along with some friends and continued to oversee it at NAI the last two years.

“What drew me to sign language was one of the special education teachers I met in elementary school,” she said. “She inspired me to learn more. I love how it is a unique way of communication that is unlike spoken languages. A lot of signs are interconnected and relate to the words they represent, which I think is one of the coolest things about signing. It’s also fun that my friends and I can sign across the room since we can no longer read lips due to masks.”

Pultorak has already gained 35 more members than the club had in previous years, but her drive to continue to spread enthusiasm for ASL is only growing stronger.

“I hope that students learn to appreciate the privilege that comes with speaking and hearing,” said Pultorak. “I hope they recognize the beauty of this language and continue to use it throughout their lives beyond this club.”

To join Sign Language Club, contact Cassandra Pultorak at [email protected], or text @nasign2021 to the number 81010.