Conferences & Presentations

The Spanish capstone course taught this past Fall of 2013 by Professor Natalia Santamaria-Laorden, titled “Rewriting Hispanic Identity Constructions,” focused on providing Spanish majors with a solid understanding of the theoretical and historical frames in which the Hispanic tradition has been conceived throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. To complete the course, students were required to draw from what they learned to create and present a research paper on their subject of choice.

The resulting 11 presentations, the titles and authors of which can be viewed below,  turned out o be as exciting as they were varied:

• Clara Campoamor y el sufragio femenino: La lucha de una mujer para la mujer (by Kathia Cintron)
• “I feel robbed”: una exploración del mantenimieto y la pérdida del español en los hijos de la segunda generación (by Victoria Grey)
• Una exploración del iconismo de Che Guevara en Cuba (by Danielle Gold)
• Estudio comparativo entre su autobiografía y la película “Diarios de la motocicleta” (by Martin Salcedo)
• Las últimas controversias sobre las corridas de toros: Un examen de la influencia en la cultura y las razones para eliminar la tradición (by colleen Moran)
• Una exploración de Las Meninas (1656), a través del uso de los espejos, la representaciones de la edad, y el uso espacial (by Andrea Arias)
• Parc Güell: Un mosaico modernista en sí mismo de estilos, materiales e ideas (by Emily Gang)
• Fukushima, Japón (2011): Desastre nuclear, proceso fracasado, y la falta de una solución (by Josué Castillo)
• Las condiciones del viaje de niños y adolescentes de Latinoamérica a los Estados Unidos en busca a una mejor vida (by Catalina Kane)
• La evaporación del control: La privatización del agua en Cochabamba, Bolivia en 2004 y las perspectivas de todos involucrados (by Abi Smith)
• Las Representaciones de Pablo Escobar antes y después del procedimiento (by Danny Restrepo)

The Epistemological Nature of the Nation:

A Roundtable Based on the Study Abroad Programs of Ramapo College Students

In November of 2009, students taking Ramapo’s Spanish Civilizations class were given the exciting opportunity to attend a round-table discussion being held at the National Collegiate Honors Council in Washington, DC. Together, Associate Professor of Spanish, Natalia Santamaria-Leorden, five Spanish Language Studies students, and several students who had studied abroad in Venice worked together to prepare for the discussion which was to address the epidemiological nature of the nation.  The variety of conversations that ensued at the conference among students from different colleges and universities was a great success!