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aren't just used for common gesticulation when he converses. They are a part of his main form of communication. This MU junior is deaf and uses American Sign Language as well as speech to communicate. 

 

Kristal is a teaching assistant for an ASL 1 class on campus. With the semester nearing its close, students in the class prepare for their final, which is performing a song in sign language. The students choose a song and choreograph signs to the lyrics, and then perform it in front of the class. The performances become a mixture of dancing and singing, similar to what music interpreters do for live musical shows.

 

Krisal invited students from his class into his home to practice their individual performances.

 

Hayden Kristal's hands

Hayden Kristal, MU junior, gives feedback and sign help for his students on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Students in the ASL 1 class he is a teaching assitant for perform a song in sign language for their final presentation.

An impromptu sign denotes 1405 Pearl Ave. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 as the place to practice for ASL 1 final perfomances. Hayden Kristal, a teaching assistant for the course and MU junior, lives here.

MU junior Joel Dalton, holding Kristal's dog, Grimli, sophomore Amy Ausdenmoore and Kristal watch as MU senior Sam Tochtrop performs on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. He performed his rendition of "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. Kristal encourages Tochtrop to take this class.

Kristal and MU sophomore Amy Ausdenmoore watch Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 as MU senior Sam Tochtrop perfoms his song in sign language. Ausdenmoore and Kristal are both deaf and help the other students with their signs.

Kristal helps MU senior Sam Tochtrop with his performance of an acoustic cover of "Call Me Maybe" on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Kristal encourages his students to bounce or sway with their signs depending on the rhythm of the song.

A drawing of signing hands hangs outside of Kristal's bedroom door on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Kristal says that deafness is a major part of his identity, but not the defining factor.

MU sophomore Amanda Behnke pauses to figure out a sign for her performance of "Youth" by Daughter. She is majoring in psychology but chose to take the class because she loves language in general. "I think it is pretty," she said.

MU sophomore Amanda Behnke signs part of her song, "Youth" by Daughter, while looking into a mirror to study her signs. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Ausdenmoore looks on to help.

This cheeky sign hangs outside of Kristal's bedroom.

MU junior Kaci Zimmerman goes over some of her signs on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 for her performance. She got into ASL because she thought it was something cool. "After I saw 'The Grinch Stole Christmas' on broadway, and they had interpreters and I was, like, 'Hell yeah, I can do that!'" Zimmerman says.

Kaci Zimmerman, MU junior, looks over the lyrics of the song she will be performing for the ASL 1 final. The judges during class keep the lyric sheets in front of them to check to see how the sign language used matches up.

Kristal instructs a student on a better sign for a lyric in the song on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. American Sign Langauge courses can be used as foreign language credit for MU.

Kaci Zimmerman, MU junior, shows off a performance from previous student to Ausdenmoore, Tochtrop and Behnke. She was using it to exemplify how you need to "just get really into it" for the signs and dance.

Buttons and inspirational sayings adorn Kristal's fridge. Kristal is the head of MU Student Exceptions, which is an organization to tie together people of all types of ability to discuss their challenges, everyday life on campus and ways to work towards inclusivity.

Ausdenmoore and Kristal cuddle on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 with Kristal's pitbull mix, Grimli. Both are members of MU Student Exceptions, an organization that ties together people with all types of abilities to work towards inclusivity.

A drawing of signing hands hangs outsided of MU senior Hayden Kristal's bedroom door.

MU sophomore Katie Guchien uses Zimmerman's iPhone on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 to show the other students Zimmerman's performance of "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. Zimmerman was in the class last semester and wishes to do music interpretations as a career.

MU sophomore Amy Ausdenmoore assists Tochtrop with his signs on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, using the mirror for assistance. Ausdenmoore is deaf and helps the other students with their signs.

MU sophomore Amy Ausdenmoore thinks of a sign for a lyric in one of the other students songs on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. When a song repeats words frequently, Kristal encourages varying signs for the same lyric to keep it from being repetitive.

the involved MU Junior, Hayden Kristal. Not only is he a teaching assistant for an ASL 1 class on campus, as shown in the gallery below, but he also is the leader of the club called MU Student Exceptions, known as MUSE. This group brings together people of all different abilities to discuss accessibility and disabilities on campus, emphasizing what they can do to increase awareness and make change. 

 

The many facets of Hayden do not stop there. He also performs drag, with his own twist, of course. This twist is that he performs in sign language. Hayden performed for MU students at the Black and Gold Drag show earlier in the Fall, doing well enough to be asked to perform at the New Performer's Competition at SoCo Club, Columbia's gay bar and drag show venue. He went on to win that competition and will be competing soon in the All Star Show.

 

.Drag show photo in video courtesy of Hayden Kristal

 

 

Deafness doesn't limit

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