For Karen Karpik, signing the national anthem at a recent home football game was not only a great opportunity, but also something to add to her list of firsts – hearing the crowd at a football game cheering for her.

Karpik was one of 28 American Sign Language students who performed the national anthem at each home game this football season. Karpik was one of two deaf students and two deaf faculty and staff members in the ASL program who participated. The other 24 students were all hearing. Different groups of nine students performed at each home football game.

Three years ago, Karpik, a zoology major, had a cochlear implant that enabled her to hear for the first time in 20 years. The implant is attached by a magnet on the side of her head and is covered by hair.

“I got the surgery done because I felt like something was missing,” she said. “I was given the opportunity to hear things for the first time.”

After the surgery, Karpik said she did not like being able to hear at first.

“It was overwhelming, but it enhanced a few things in my life,” she said.

Karpik said her favorite thing she can do now is to listen to the radio in her car when she is driving. She said she also likes using her cell phone and hearing rain pounding on her car.

“I like things to not be so silent anymore,” she said.

Karpik said there is some controversy about deaf people getting cochlear implants, but she is still glad she got hers. However, the implant has not changed the way she converses.

“I still communicate with sign language – ASL is the language I speak,” she said.

When Karpik heard about the idea of students signing at the game, she jumped at the chance to participate in what she called “a once in a lifetime experience.”

“It’s a great way to express the ASL program that OSU has,” she said.

Emily LeGros, an ASL professor, came up with the idea with that goal in mind.

LeGros said she thought of the idea this summer when she was brainstorming ideas to increase awareness of the ASL program.

“I thought it was a perfect opportunity to showcase the ASL program at OSU and spread deaf and hard of hearing awareness,” she said. “It’s also a great way to celebrate diversity and unity among the university and community.”

After proposing the idea to the athletic director and events coordinator and getting it approved, LeGros sent out invitations to all students currently taking ASL. She got an overwhelming response from the students – more wanted to participate than she could use.

Both LeGros and Karpik said the response from students and fans at the game has been positive. Karpik said she has heard comments about how nice the performance was, and LeGros even had a student tell her that the performance was one of the highlights of his college experience.

Karpik said ASL is not exactly a word-for-word language and they tried to make the performance more visual. She has had many people tell her what a nice addition to the game the performance was.

LeGros said the entire experience has been extremely positive and she hopes to continue the performances in the future.

“I think having the students sign the national anthem adds a special dynamic to the performance that the fans, both deaf and hearing, can appreciate,” she said.