The Sign Language Club has been popular at North so far this year.

On average, twenty students attend the club each week. They gather Thursday evenings from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Students take the time to learn a new way of communication. It starts with students learning the alphabet so they can greet each other with their names, and then they start to learn simple words and gestures.

“Learning a new language is fun. It’s really inclusive for kids who don’t have the full capability to communicate the way we do,” said sophomore Santiago Tellez.
Sign language is something known but not spoken of. Some students at this school don’t completely know about the community.

“I honestly didn’t know it was a club at our school. I’ve heard of some colleges doing classes, which sounded interesting, but I never acted on my interest,” said sophomore Hannah Han.

As younger people in society, it’s important to learn skills such as these at a time of learning and growth rather than have to learn skills that may be useful all at the same time. Sign language is often and incorrectly perceived as a type of language that is too complicated to learn or understand. Students who participate in Sign Language Club at North think otherwise.

“I don’t think sign language is talked about as much as it should be. I feel like it should be offered as a language course here. It’s an important language too,” Tellez said.

“It’s so cool seeing this different way to communicate because when you say something or sign something you really understand,” said sophomore Roxy Rondon.

Those who participate do so for different reasons. During breaks or during lunch, students can see other students communicate with the hearing impaired via a phone. There are times when sign language gets easier to understand, and students begin to sign to the hearing impaired students at North.

“If you really really want to learn, you have to be passionate about it. You have to care because it is a language,” Rondon said.

Sign language may not be entirely difficult to learn, but having a reason for trying to learn the language helps progress the learning process. By learning sign language, one has a new form of communication with around half a million Americans. Sign language at North is available for all who would like to join. The club works at flexible rates of learning and can be a great experience.