New Belgium Brewing has opened its doors to the Colorado State University American Sign Language Club to provide a unique and quiet social experience. The atmosphere was that of a typical social bar, but completely silent.
Participants communicated by signing across the room, creating a visual spectacle of inclusivity. There was a sense of euphoria in the air on Thursday, January 18th, as people shared silent conversations over their favorite New Belgium beers.
New Belgium Brewing, headquartered in Fort Collins, is a national brewing company known for its commitment to creating inviting spaces for everyone. Employee Sidney Milner, who organized the event, spoke about his passion for the deaf community and ASL. Milner, who graduated from CSU with a degree in communications, linguistics and culture, currently holds the title of his lead at the New Liquid Center in Fort Collins, Belgium.
“This is a place where you can be who you are,” Milner says. “I feel that the inclusivity of ASL and the Deaf community gives everyone the opportunity to be seen for who they are. This is something I want to continue to do and hope to help more people in the future. We hope that people will want to participate.”
Ms. Milner, who belonged to the ASL club while attending CSU, shared her dedication to promoting ASL awareness and inclusivity in the Fort Collins area.
“We want to promote a safe and welcoming space for everyone, including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hard of hearing,” Milner said.
Milner studied ASL in college and gained experience volunteering at a deaf camp run by Trillium Deaf Programs, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Hannah Stovall, social support director for CSU’s ASL Club, is a senior majoring in human development and family studies and minoring in ASL.
“Collaborating with New Belgium was a natural thing. Breweries are places designed to sit and relax and hang out with friends while drinking good beer, so now we can enjoy a beer while drinking ( Now we can talk (quietly),” Stovall said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Stovall said New Belgium’s connections with CSU alumni have been beneficial to the ASL club.
“Sydney had attended our meetups before and knew to expect a completely silent chat, so she was very happy,” Stovall said. “She even wrote a sign for others to see, which was great. The biggest goal of this event was to further integrate her into the wider FoCo community, not just around campus. I think so.”
Charlie Knott attended the social gathering and is a first-year graduate student studying biomedical sciences at CSU.
“I was born deaf, so I originally learned ASL from my mom and continued to learn throughout my childhood,” Knott said. “ASL is my first language. I found out about this club through my friend Drew, who started learning ASL.”
If you are interested in joining the CSU ASL Club, check out our Instagram and Facebook pages for updates, meeting times, and social events. Meetings are held every Wednesday from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Rory Student Center.
The ASL club’s collaboration with New Belgium resonated with the club’s objectives.
“I think what makes our club and its structure unique is that its sole purpose is connection and fun,” Stovall said. “There is no obligation to participate. We just ask that you be respectful, open-minded, and willing to learn.”
Contact Kloe Brill at life@collegian.com or on Twitter. @CSUCollegian.