A semester-long collaborative study exploring minority languages on campus. Interdisciplinary student teams collected oral histories, ran surveys, annotated transcriptions, and designed visualizations to support policy recommendations and community practice.
Jazshua Andes-Cruz
Dominika Kowalska
Carlos Rotavista
Khamari Hunter
Irvanelys Cordero
Giovanna Tineo
Sean Price
Edward Velasquez
Natalie Mulholland
Alexa Santillan
Max Juliano
Joel Fuentes
Sara Mayor Guerrero
“My language connects me to home — I use it in the dorm kitchen and at community gatherings.”
“We often code-switch between English and another language; professors rarely address multilingual resources explicitly.”
“Community practice groups helped me maintain vocabulary and cultural songs.”
“Transcription workshops turned oral stories into lasting archives students can return to.”
Fund a student-staff role to coordinate events and link programs to academic credit.
Train students to archive oral histories with clear metadata standards.
Offer elective credit for community language practice and mentorship.
At Drew University, language is more than just a communication tool—it's a bridge to identity, community, and belonging.
How does your home language shape your sense of belonging on campus? Share how you maintain your linguistic heritage at Drew.
What languages are you learning at Drew? Reflect on how new language skills have changed your worldview and connections.
Tell us about moments when language brought you closer to others. How have language communities supported your Drew experience?
Salim Tamari described how non-native English speakers often feel discouraged from choosing smaller universities and pressured to express themselves only in English. He later transferred to American University, where he found larger communities for Arabic speakers and a stronger sense of belonging.