On Aug. 15, 25 MIT students and staff members were engaged in a lively lecture and discussion in Building 66 — but the room was completely silent. The teacher, Carol Zurek, wrote a word on the board and gestured to the class to repeat her movements.

The students practiced the motion, incorporating them into their existing American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary.

The class was organized by the American Sign Language and Deaf Culture Club at MIT and offered free to members of the MIT community. This fall, the club is hosting non-credit, level one and level two courses, supported by the MindHandHeart Innovation Fund and Graduate Student Life Grants.

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