Esoshani Barton, ’16

Thursday evening, March 31, 2016, in Bouton Hall, I collaborated with Resident Advisor Esoshani Barton to put on an American Sign Language (ASL) Social Program for the dormitory residents as part of the Residence Life Community Outreach Initiative. Esoshani is a senior majoring in International Relations and minoring in Deaf Studies. She has taken numerous courses in the Deaf Studies minor and is currently working on an independent studies course to advance her knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture.

For the program, we instructed a beginning sign language lesson including ASL fingerspelled alphabet, numbers, Wh- question signs, food, family and feeling signs. Then we conducted activities such as ASL bingo and ASL charades. Participants had the opportunity to make ASL door decorations with the handshapes for the fingerspelled names.

This event was enjoyed by all attendees! It was wonderful to be involved in this Residence Life program that shared American Sign Language and Deaf Awareness with the dormitory community.

-Rebecca Swenson, Department of Communication Disorders
Deaf Studies Minor