DePaul’s American Sign Language Club returned on Jan. 29 after a year without programming because of a lack of faculty and staff. The group held their first meeting since April of last year. 

Without an advisor, the club was unable to remain active through DePaul’s Office of Student Involvement, according to members of the ASL Club’s executive board. 

“That was really the biggest reason,” club president Mia Schwarte said. “There was no staff or faculty advisor at the time, and now that we have one, we can officially be a club again.”

The club’s return was made possible after Brittany Frederick, the DePaul program director of ASL, joined as its faculty and staff advisor and helped recruit students to rebuild the organization. 

After Frederick joined as advisor, she recruited Schwarte, Kampschroeder and other asl students to help reactivate the club. Schwarte and Kampschroeder then took on leadership roles, working to rewrite the club’s constitution, reapply for university recognition and form a new executive board. 

“We basically rebuilt it from the ground up,” Kampschroeder said. 

Schwarte said their first meeting served as both a reintroduction to the student body and a foundation for the club’s goals moving forward. 

One of those goals is consistent programming throughout the academic year, Schwarte said. The club is led by a five-member executive board, with Schwarte serving as president, Kampschroeder as vice president, Shiloh Mathelier as secretary, Ranjani Sundar as treasurer and Briana Frederick as social media chair. The board plans to host multiple events each quarter, balancing student-focused gatherings with community outreach opportunities involving the Deaf community beyond DePaul. 

“ASL is not something you can really practice only in a classroom,” Schwarte said. “You have to practice with deaf people to be proficient, but also to understand Deaf culture and values.”

Kampschroeder said future events may include outings such as Deaf coffee chats or storytimes, giving students opportunities to engage with ASL in real-world settings. 

“We want to make sure we’re not just practicing among ourselves,” Kampschroeder said. “That we’re practicing with the actual community.”

In addition to language practice, club leaders emphasized that ASL Club aims to provide a welcoming environment for students at all skill levels. Frederick said the club functions as a low-pressure space for students who may feel intimidated using ASL.

“A lot of students get scared going into the Deaf community because their skills aren’t quite there yet,” Frederick said. “This is a place where it’s okay to ask someone to slow down or repeat themselves. Everyone here is doing that.”

Schwarte said building confidence is a central focus of the club’s mission. 

“We’re here to be a safe space,” she said. “No matter what level you’re at.”

The Jan. 29 meeting drew students with a wide range of ASL experience. Kampschroeder said attendees included students fluent in conversational signing as well as beginners who only knew finger spelling or basic introductions. 

“Just being in that environment helps,” Schwarte said. “Seeing the language, being around it — that’s how you learn.”

The club’s return also holds particular significance for deaf and hard-of-hearing students on campus. Schwarte said an active asl club provides a space where deaf students can socialize and communicate in their own language. 

“There are deaf students here at DePaul,” Schwarte said. “This gives them a place where their language is centered.” 

Frederick said the club’s presence contributes to broader accessibility and representation on campus by offering events where asl is the primary mode of communication, something she said is not common in many campus spaces.

“It’s a space where students can come and communicate in their own language,” she said. “That’s really important.”

As the ASL Club continues rebuilding, its leaders said their main focus remains on advocacy, allyship and connection, both within DePaul’s student body and the surrounding Deaf community.

“We’re not here to speak over anyone,” Frederick said. “We’re here to be allies.”

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• Deaf Awareness Month at DePaul: AI bridging communication gap