The Penn State Sign Language Club let their hands do the talking on Saturday night.

The club was featured at HUB Late Night Penn State's Hot Spot, an event that highlights clubs around campus and allows them to engage Late Night-goers in activities that increase awareness of their club.

"I want people to at least stop by and learn how to spell their names," said Lauren Fee, Sign Language Club publicity chair.

Fee, Erin Clemmer and Kate Shemeley sat at the table playing Taboo without saying a word, signing game clues to each other and waiting for anyone interested to come up and inquire about signing.

Louisa Walker (senior-medieval studies) was one of those curious students.

"I was bored this week, and I found an online sign language class, so I taught myself a little bit," Walker said.

Walker stayed at the Sign Language Club's table for a few minutes, learning new words.

"I'd like to learn another language, and it's something I can use someday," she said.

Laurie Gross, a 2004 graduate, walked by the table Saturday night, but did not stop.

"I had a friend in the Sign Language Club who was really big into languages, but I'm not as interested," Gross said.

Once a month the Sign Language Club has a "silent dinner," where about 10 to 15 members go to a restaurant and eat dinner without talking.

"We get looks from other people, but we've never had anyone make any comments," club President Shemeley said.

To recruit new members last semester, club officers went to each section of the university's sign language classes, Communication Sciences Disorders (CSD) 218 and 318, to tell students about the Sign Language Club.

"We had a great turnout for the meetings after that, so we hope to go to the classes again this semester," Shemeley said.

While Shemeley would like to see a bigger turnout at meetings, she said being smaller allows members to get to know each other better.

"Even if only 10 people come out for a meeting, we still have a good time," Shemeley said.

In addition to going over new business, club meetings include time to practice signing to each other.

"Many of those that come out are taking either CSD 218 or 318, which require students to practice signing out of class," she said.

Shemeley has used her sign language abilities outside of both class and the Sign Language Club.

"My mom is a third grade teacher, and so I go to her classes every year and teach her students a few words. She says it cuts down on the noise in class," she said.

Most of the club officers' majors involve communication disorders and rehabilitation services. "My dream job would be to work in a hospital helping those who cannot speak to communicate," said Clemmer, who took three years of sign language classes in high school.

Fee said she wants to teach deaf children how to read and write English, adding that about 90 percent of deaf children are born to parents with normal hearing ability.

"In the majority of cases, either the parent or the child is deaf, not both," club Treasurer Jamie Harty said.