Students and scholars will explore Latin American themes in 19th Ohio Latin Americanist Conference on Feb. 24-25

Ohio University Spanish students and scholars will spend two days exploring Latin American themes, from Andean and Amazonian culture to inclusion and recognition for indigenous peoples, at the 19th Ohio Latin Americanist Conference on Feb. 24 and 25.

The 2023 conference is sponsored by Ohio University and will be held each day on the Athens campus from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Gordy Hall. The Friday evening program features a film screening of "Return to the Andes" at 6 p.m. in Walter Hall 145. The film will be accompanied by the pop-up exhibit: “Hidden Life of Things: Andean and Amazonian Cultural Artifacts and the Stories They Tell.”

More than 70 presenters, many of them OHIO undergraduate and graduate students, will talk about all themes Latin American. This year a group of Brazilian teachers and Fulbright scholars who are experiencing a six-week intensive language training study abroad through the Ohio Program of Intensive English will also be participating. All events are free and open to the public.

Coordinator Betsy Partyka, associate professor of Spanish in the College of Arts and Sciences, said the conference began at Ohio State University under a Title VI grant in 2002 with the idea of bringing together all Latin Americanist and Latinx Studies scholars, educators, and students from institutions of higher education in Ohio and surrounding states. Since 2008 the conference has traveled around the state to Ohio University, Bowling Green, Wittenberg, and Case Western. Research areas include literature, linguistics, history, education, business, geography, political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, art, international studies, gender studies, creative writing, sports, and more.

Ohio University hosted the conference in 2008, 2009, and 2010, then again in 2020, 2022 and now in 2023, providing experiential learning opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students from departments including Latin American studies in the Center for International Studies, geography and modern languages in the College of Arts and Sciences, and music in the College of Fine Arts.

"I can share that after I presented my project last year, I became so much more confident in my ability to speak Spanish," said Abby Neff, a senior pursuing a journalism major, Spanish major, and Latin American studies certificate. Neff presented on Pablo Neruda, his literature and his legacy. Neruda was a prolific Chilean poet and diplomat who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971.

"I learned exponentially about the culture of specific countries and states within Latin America from other presenters. It was an extremely enriching experience and I recommend everyone go—even if you don't speak Spanish!" Neff said.

"The conference is one of the few that invites undergraduates to participate as panelists, along with more seasoned scholars," Partyka noted. "OLAC also encourages 10-minute presentations on proposed projects to receive feedback. In addition, we have panels with talks for 20 minutes, plus sessions of creative writing and translation. We also invite area high school teachers and students to participate."

For more information contact: olac@ohio.edu.

Schedule of events

Friday, Feb. 24

8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Registration, Gordy Hall 113

9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Panels on Latin American Topics, Gordy Hall

6-8:30 p.m. — Film screening of "Return to the Andes" and pop-up exhibit: “Hidden Life of Things: Andean and Amazonian Cultural Artifacts and the Stories They Tell,” Walter Hall 145.

Saturday, Feb. 25

8 a.m. — Registration, Nelson Banquet Hall

9 a.m. — Breakfast, Nelson, pre-paid only

9:30 a.m. — Keynote: Elvia Andia Grágeda (Spanish) “What does the Resistance look like Today? The Ironic Need to Demand Inclusion and Recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Modern Times and Spaces”

11:30 a.m. — Panels on Latin American Topics, Gordy Hall