The BSL Society: What They Do and Why We Need Them

Noah Willerton on 31 January 2024

Since its formation in February, the BSL Society has gone from strength to strength, making ‘huge steps in terms of growth and interest’ (Olivia Carson, Co-President) and discovering ‘the large amount of interest and enthusiasm that students, and other University staff/members, have for learning BSL.’ (Katherine Stanton, Co-Secretary.)

The society meets every Friday to teach members correct grammar and new signs according to a specific theme, so far, they have covered topics such as; the basics of BSL, including the alphabet and numbers, university-related signs and, more recently, breast cancer awareness signs. Upcoming topics range from mental health signs, in collaboration with the society Psyched, and holiday-specific signs, where there will be an opportunity for gingerbread decoration! In addition to weekly teaching sessions, there are also monthly BSL Cafés held at the Common Ground. Co-President Olivia Carson says these are a great opportunity for people of all abilities to practise signs and learn from each other in a casual environment.

Crucially, the BSL Society contains members who are part of the deaf community, this enhances the experience of the learner as it allows them to gain accurate and up-to-date information about the language and culture within the community. As Co-President Rahim Karim explains, ‘it is extremely important to expose deaf culture to BSL learners as it assists their learning in a number of ways, such as being able to teach colloquialisms accurately. It also assists them in understanding the evolution of BSL and to improve their communication skills.

So, why do we need the BSL Society?

Well, according to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), one in five adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, and this number is estimated to increase significantly by 2035. As Co-Secretary Katherine Stanton argues, it is clear that learning sign language is an essential skill not only at university but in the wider world and a BSL Society is a great place to start.

The BSL Society here at Leeds offers ‘a safe space to learn’ (Gurleen Bansal, Co-Secretary) about matters of great importance which can often be underrepresented in mass media. Co-President Rahim Karim has highlighted and amended some common misconceptions; ‘I think it’s really important to clarify one thing first – a person who is fully involved in the deaf community is not necessarily a deaf person, the person could be hearing; likewise, some deaf people don’t involve themselves in the deaf community at all.

One major problem with the term ‘deaf’ is that most people assume that they cannot hear at all,’ he continues, ‘each deaf person has varying levels of hearing; hearing aids may be helpful for some, for others, cochlear implants may be helpful, but for some, both hearing aids and cochlear implants will not be helpful at all. Each person requires appropriate, individual adjustments to facilitate effective communication with others. Therefore, it is important to educate people about the wide range of communication tools available.’

EDI Representative Holly Wheeldon and Co-Secretary Katherine Stanton reflected on the issues a language barrier can ensue on people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the, unfortunately common, instance that interpreters are not available for events such as medical appointments:

‘We found it shocking that something as essential as informed consent could be jeopardised by this, and thought about how disheartening it must be for the patient to have their main form of communication taken from them.’

Holly Wheeldon, EDI Representative

Considering the facts from the members of the BSL Society and the RNID, it is clear that opportunities to learn British Sign Language and to spread ‘awareness about the issues faced by the deaf and hard of hearing community’ (Katherine Stanton, Co-Secretary) are essential within our university, our country, and society as a whole.

In the future, the BSL Society hope to ‘develop [their] relations with other societies in the university and external companies/charities’ to increase the awareness being raised on issues pertaining to the deaf and hard of hearing community, and, in time, they ‘also hope to have accredited courses for our members so they can gain BSL qualifications’ (Olivia Carson, Co-President). If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, then follow the BSL Society on Instagram @bslsocleeds for a range of information including, but not limited to; the times and locations of their events, upcoming collaborations with other societies or external organisations, and ‘Sign of the Week’ posts.

The Students Working With “Love and Power”, A Charity That Wants To Dismantle Sexism

Noah Willerton on 31 January 2024

This past Hallowe’en, Students Against Sexual Harassment & Assault (SASHA) Society at the University of Leeds joined forces with with students in Bath, Plymouth, LJMU and Liverpool to mark the closing of a revealing student-led survey, designed with Love and Power, a UK-based charity of feminists ‘working together to build the power needed to dismantle sexism.’ The survey’s focus was on illuminating the student experiences of sexual harassment and assault.

‘We dressed up in Halloween costumes, held posters with some of the survey’s initial findings, and ‘treated’ our university, inviting them to meet and discuss the survey’s full findings. The Harassment & Misconduct team at Leeds, have listened to and treated our concerns surrounding sexual violence at university with the utmost respect.’

Liv Dennings, President of SASHA

A full report of the findings will be released this month, however initial findings, unfortunately, show:

  • Nearly 90% of students have faced at least one form of sexual harassment 
  • Over 60% of students have experienced sexual assault 
  • 58% of student sexual assault survivors were assaulted by another student at their university
  • University support services only reach 14% of sexual assault survivors
  • Nearly 40% of students say that they have no understanding of what to expect from a uni sexual misconduct investigation
  • Over 50% of sexual assault survivors had at least one assault happen in a uni bar or club

If you want to find out more about the survey, or SASHA, or indeed, both, then head to their instagram page: @sasha_uol for more information about their team, their missions, and upcoming socials!

Rambunctious new play “The Wild Sighs” delivers on-the-hoof hilarity

Charlie Ashton on 31 January 2024

Those who were privy to the bout of storytelling that came kicking and bleating onto the stage of the Alec Clegg Studio for three consecutive nights from November 30th to December 2nd are likely not the same people today that they were before then. What was quite apparent in attending a performance of “The Wild Sighs”, produced by the Open Theatre, was that audiences were shocked, riveted, challenged, and delighted all at once by what they saw. Above all, there was rarely a moment in which even the subtlest expression of laughter did not make itself well-known in the room.

The play was best enjoyed for its absurdity and plot, which was anything but predictable, when approached without any prior knowledge of its subject matter. Nevertheless, a synopsis was provided on the event’s TicketSource page:

“A lonely Hiker unwittingly wanders into the middle of a fierce rural dispute. Janine, the prize-winning sheep of a local Farmer, has gone missing. But who has taken her? Could it be the shadowy Farmer King hell-bent on ruining the Farmer’s life? Or perhaps the Old Man with his anarchist tendencies and suspiciously large rucksack? Who knows? Who cares? The Hiker certainly doesn’t. He just wants to walk.”

The intrinsically humorous nature of the situation at the centre of the play made ample fodder for a stampede of gags, witty repartee, and comedic set-pieces which rarely received anything less than the audience’s fervent approval, and which often came about so naturally that it would be interesting to find out whether any given bit arose straight from writer-director Dillon Dowson’s pen or from the creative impulses of the actors in rehearsal. With that said, strong voices were evident on either side of the line. Dowson and co-director Thom Zeff imbued the action with a degree of precision and detail which made an otherwise ludicrous story and concisely decorated set feel part of a lived-in and all-encompassing ewe-niverse of its own, though never too rigid to where the sculptors’ hands were visible.

This is in part because the play’s greatest asset was quite possibly its cast, who portrayed some of the most oddly specific characters put to page of late with instinctive understanding and compassion, almost as though their dialogue was written with only them in mind. A particular favourite of the audience was Callum Smith as the “Farmer King”, the impossibly self-absorbed aggressor of agricultural society whose every inflection and gesture seemed to send tremors of amusement into the ceiling.

Equally, the principal trio of the play, which included Ginny Davis as the “Hiker”, Sara Roche as the “Farmer”, and Samantha Cass as the “Old Man”, led the proceedings with confidence and charm in abundance. It was by means of the Hiker character that the writer-director team was able to use bodily humour traditionally seen as crude to immediately relinquish all possible tensions right at the start of the play in favour of a funnier and more carefree tone while also raising questions about social pretences and constructs which for all intents and purposes have no place in our most natural state. The Farmer’s jarring mood swings were effortlessly captured by Roche which kept audiences guessing throughout, going from authority figure and expert on the land to a tragically whimpering, grieving husk of a man at a moment’s notice, and the Old Man provided perhaps some of the most morbid relief of the entire show, acting on the most steadfast of principles, even at the cost of committing serious crimes against the person.

In part a call to arms, a cry for help, a pastoral tragedy and a baa-rrel of laughs, “The Wild Sighs” came, saw, and conquered, which, ironically, the play would seem to suggest we ought to be doing a whole lot less of as a species.