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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2004

Annual BSC symposium will explore Latin American issues through exhibits, research

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Dr. Michael J. La Rosa, associate history professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., will deliver the keynote address at the 12th Annual Latin American Studies Symposium April 2-3 at Birmingham-Southern College.

La Rosa will address a noon luncheon Friday, April 2, in the college's Norton Campus Center Bruno Great Hall on the topic “Colombia in Contrasts: Change Amidst Continuity and the Dangers of Losing Hope.”

All other symposium sessions—which will cover from a Latin American perspective such issues as culture, politics, literature, religious beliefs, education, ecology, gender, and health—will take place in the Harbert Auditorium and Stephens Conference Center on campus. The sessions will be conducted both in English and Spanish.

The art exhibit “Cuba Plástica: Recent Art from Cuba” organized by the University of Richmond Museum and portraying work by contemporary Cuban artists is another highlight of this year's program. The exhibit will be on display daily April 2-23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Durbin Gallery of the Kennedy Art Center/Azar Art Studios. A reception for the exhibit's opening will be held April 2 at 6 p.m.

“For more than a decade now, students and faculty interested in Latin America have been sharing their research, engaging in discussions, and establishing contacts with colleagues in other disciplines,” said Dr. Barbara Domcekova, BSC assistant professor of Spanish and coordinator of the college's Latin American Studies program. “We are proud of the success of the Latin American Studies Symposium and intend to continue the development of this event.”

The interdisciplinary two-day conference will showcase original research by undergraduate students from 30 colleges and universities, and also will include a documentary by Argentine filmmakers.

The symposium was established at Birmingham-Southern in 1992 to increase awareness of Latin America and to foster undergraduate research in the area. This year's symposium is partially supported by the Associated Colleges of the South and the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Grant.

All events are free and open to the public, with the exception of the luncheon. To register for the luncheon or for other event details, contact Domcekova at 226-4975.