Fifth Annual American Sign Language Show

4/30/2016

The Seminole Ridge Community High School Holds Fifth Annual ASL Show

The Seminole Ridge Community High School in Palm Beach County, Florida recently held a special showcase at the school’s Dr. Lynne McGee Auditorium. The Fifth Annual ASL Show, held April 8th, allowed the school’s chapter of the American Sign Language Honor Society (ASLHS) to entertain while spreading inclusivity and acceptance.

About The American Sign Language Honor Society

The ASLHS’s main mission is, according to the ASLHS’ site, “to encourage and recognize high academic achievement in ASL studies for high school and college/university students.” The society gives its students many opportunities to expand their knowledge of sign language by hosting the yearly ASL Literature competition and encouraging students to use ASL in their community through service-learning. The society honors excelling students with medals, honor cords, and (as of 2010) “national-level scholarships for ASL students pursuing further education in the field of ASL, Deaf Studies, and Deaf education.” ASLHS also supports teachers with the necessary material and equipment to help their students learn.

The ASL Show

The high school’s chapter, led by Rose Adams, worked hard on becoming proficient in sign language before the show. “My ASL students in grades 10 12 had to sign songs,” she wrote in an email interview. “They would lip-sync the songs in English and sign a completely different language. This is a very difficult skill to master.”

Leading up to the show, spread the news about their ASL show with posters and sold custom printed event tickets for $5. “We used flyers that were hand-made and posted them around the schools and local stores,” Adams wrote. She went on to state that their custom printed flyers together with word of mouth were the most effective marketing tools.

Adams wrote that the event “went fabulously well,” stating that the group “had nearly 250 attending the show.” “Every part of the show was best,” she wrote. “We got the most applause when everyone came back onstage for the final bow.” Her advice for others planning similar events? “Use as much marketing as possible to get the most people attending the event.”