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The sound of conversation in various languages filled the room at the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics (LLL) luncheon. With dogs wearing bandanas, a masseuse giving massages and a table full of food from various cultures, the event was a celebration.

“We talked long and hard about making sure it was not an event where we just talked at students,” department chair Gail Bulman said. “No, we wanted people to just come and celebrate learning languages and knowing other languages and meeting people.”

On Friday, the LLL department held a VIP luncheon for their students majoring or minoring in the department. The three departments – languages, literatures and linguistics – were separate entities until they merged 50 years ago. The luncheon is part of this year’s series of celebrations for the department’s anniversary.

Bulman said the department is important in part because of its role in SU’s academic strategic plan. One of the pillars of the plan is internationalization, and another is diversity, equity and inclusivity.

“The Department of Languages, Literature and Linguistics is central to both of those missions,” Bulman said. “To be a global leader, you really need to understand other cultures … and meet them where they are in their world.”

She said SU does not want to be a university that sends students out to the world only speaking English. Languages are central to understanding other people’s worldviews “from their heart and soul,” Bulman added, beyond what can be accomplished with technology like Google Translate.

With the department’s classes and opportunities like study abroad, it aims to foster connection and understanding in its students. The classes are a foundation for more learning, she said.

Maxine Brackbill | Photo Editor

Along with the festivities, Paws of CNY brings out therapy dogs for people to pet. Here, Harley is adorned with a bandana with the text “LLL Minor,” while the other dog George wears another one with the text “LLL Major.”

Associate chair Emma Ticio echoed a similar sentiment. One of the goals of the event was to reassure students they were doing something worthwhile, Ticio said.

“One of the missions of this university is to educate global citizens – and global citizens speak more than English, right?” Ticio said. “Even though we can do automatic translation, that is not going to get you in the point of view of the person who is speaking that language.”

Ticio said the event is a small version of their annual Cultures on the Quad event. This year on April 17, they are expanding the event with more food, costumes and ceremonies to “see the world in a very small space.”

“(At Cultures on the Quad) representatives from all over the world will be there just to celebrate our multicultural diversity,” Professor Katie Clinton said. “It’s what makes us stronger because when we come together and learn from each other, that’s really where the growth happens.”

Clinton has been a Spanish instructor at SU for 20 years. She said speaking different languages creates opportunities for students and helps them connect with people on a deeper level.

“We are a backbone of this institution,” Clinton said. “We help foster internationalization in the community by empowering our students to communicate in different languages … it helps them open doors to different opportunities that are only opened by knowing that language.”

Sophomore Manuela Hees is a German minor in the LLL department. She is originally from Brazil, and described her life as “very international.”

She appreciates the tight-knit quality of the department and how accessible it makes languages for students. The professors are caring and involved, she said, which creates a close, supportive community throughout the various cultures represented.

Senior Daniel Morozov, a biochemistry major and a linguistics minor, said the close-knit nature of the department is fantastic. As a student in the biology department, his interactions with his professors are more professional, but with this department, he has more personal experiences and connections.

“I love the department,” Morozov said. “It’s very small, as you can see, it’s very friendly, everybody knows one another, they’re very willing to talk to you, find things for you, lend books … They’re very passionate about what they do.”

Published on April 5, 2024 at 4:31 pm