Spanish Club returns to campus with mission to build community

Spanish Club returns to campus with mission to build community Categories: A&C Spanish Club returns to campus with mission to build community Grace Phillips, A&C Reporter October 14, 2026 Heather Pollard Sam Salvador (right), who restarted the club, at a Spanish Club meeting in L.S. Dougherty Hall Sept. 30. The Spanish Club is back at App State after disbanding in 2020 due to COVID-19, once again bringing students together to practice Spanish, explore culture and build community. The club was restarted by Samantha Salvador, a senior majoring in political science and Spanish. For Salvador, bringing Spanish into a student-led space was an opportunity to make it more accessible. The club’s membership coordinator and senior psychology major Tyler Morris (left) plays ¡Basta! at a Spanish Club meeting in L.S. Dougherty Hall Sept. 30. (Heather Pollard) “Spanish is one of my majors, and I absolutely love language. I wanted to be able to bring it into an academic space so we could interact with the language,” Salvador said. The club is relatively new, with members working to establish leadership positions and grow the club’s membership across campus. At a recent meeting, the Spanish Club held elections for membership coordinator, community outreach and public relations positions. Nila Granillo, a sophomore majoring in nursing, was elected community outreach coordinator, while Tyler Morris, a senior majoring in psychology, was elected membership coordinator. Granillo said she was interested in helping the club grow and be more involved with the community. “This is a new club, and I really am interested in immersing the club with the community and getting as many members as we can,” Granillo said. Morris said he originally tried joining the club his first semester, and at the time, it was already disbanded. He was excited to participate in the club and now has an opportunity to. Morris previously attended faculty-led Spanish conversation hours but said the events can be dominated by faculty members. He sees the Spanish Club as an opportunity to cultivate a student-focused environment. The App State Spanish Club board welcoming members to the meeting in L.S. Dougherty Hall Sept. 30. (Heather Pollard) “I think this is a much better way to have it student-led and on a more individual level,” Morris said. For both Granillo and Morris, taking on these roles is also about ensuring students know the club exists and feel comfortable joining. “I have time, and I want to use it to do something useful. I wanted to make sure I can make it an experience that everybody knows about and can participate in,” Morris said. The club is open to all students regardless of their Spanish-speaking abilities. Salvador said having an environment where students can freely practice and learn from each other is one of its main goals. The club holds its own conversation hours two to three times a week, giving members plenty of time to practice. Ava Wilson, a junior majoring in English, said she enjoys the opportunity to practice Spanish while learning about the culture. “I think it’s really exciting to have a Spanish Club that is more focused on speaking Spanish but also doing a little bit of background and history,” Wilson said. Club members hard in thought while playing ¡Basta! at the Spanish Club meeting in L.S. Dougherty Hall Sept. 30. Wilson was elected as public relations officer for the club and said the club acts as a way to expand one’s cultural bubble. “I’ve always loved Spanish and speaking in Spanish, and I think it really builds community with people you maybe wouldn’t have been able to communicate with before,” Wilson said. Melea Lynch, a sophomore nursing major and club secretary, also said students do not need to be experienced to participate. “Anyone, no matter what level of Spanish they speak, whether they’ve never spoken Spanish or whether they are fluent, is welcome to come,” Lynch said. As the club continues to grow, Salvador is excited to give students a place to connect with others, learn about different cultures and feel comfortable. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: App State clubs Culture Spanish Donate to The Appalachian $400 $2,500 Contributed Our Goal We hope you appreciated this article! Before you move on, please consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. The bulk of our operational expenses — including printing, website hosting, training, and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the support, whether financial or otherwise, of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of time and money from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends. If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible donation or a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/54088/donations/new?designation_id=faa93386& Donate About the Contributors Grace Phillips, A&C Reporter Grace Phillips (she/her) is a senior digital journalism major with a minor in women’s studies. This is her second year writing for The Appalachian. Heather Pollard, Multimedia Editor Heather Pollard (she/they) is a digital journalism and electronic media/broadcasting double major, English minor from Asheville, North Carolina. This is their second year with The Appalachian. Mady Helt, Reporter Mady Helt (she/her) is a senior in Biology, from Jacksonville, N.C. This is her second year at The Appalachian, you can find her featured on both the Photo Desk and the Arts and Culture Department.