As the college works to have a more inclusive campus, Multi-Language Learner Support Specialist Tingting Kang wants to make sure that linguistic diversity does not get left behind. She believes that communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds and countries is important, and her newest project, an online magazine, aims to help with just that.

After the idea was initiated last fall, the “Global Expressions” magazine is now open for article submissions. These submissions can be any sort of writing, completed for a class or written on one’s own. There is no requirement for the article’s genre or content; they can be poems, narratives, class essays or reflections on a time moving to a new country or studying abroad.

The only requirement for article submissions is that it is not written in the author’s first language.

“You could submit poems, you could submit funky little notes that you wrote in your phone if you wanted to,” Helena Koffigoh ‘23, who has been working on the project with Kang, said.

Articles can then be translated into the author’s native language or any other language.

Kang is also looking for contributors, students who are fluent in multiple languages, who can review submitted writings or translate them to more languages.

Kang, who works with the college’s First-Year-Seminar (FYS) and Writing Associate programs, knows that there is a lot of talent among writers at the college and wants the magazine to be a place where students can showcase it. For international students in particular, she also hopes the magazine can provide faculty members with a further understanding of students’ native languages and cultural backgrounds, making them more comfortable working with international students.

English Professor Bianca Falbo, director of the FYS program, wrote in an email that she is excited about the project, as she thinks any space that allows students to talk about experiences is a good idea.

“Global Expressions can also be a resource for our campus community to better understand experiences of our multi-language learners,” Falbo wrote.

Kang said that publishing work through the magazine could be a good opportunity for students, and an experience to add to their resumes. But that’s not the only reason she encourages students to submit their work.

“I think [students] also should change their opinion that using a second language to write is hard…To build their self-confidence is another goal of this program,” Kang said.

Chinese Professor Han Luo, who is currently working with Kang to promote the project, wrote in an email that the opportunity is a “unique opportunity for us to foster intercultural learning and help students develop intercultural citizenship.”

Overall, Kang is excited to begin receiving submissions and contributor applications for the magazine.

“This [magazine] is to celebrate and to have a platform for people to have intercultural communication,” Kang said.