Todo un Éxito. Successful Arconexiones 2025 Spanish MA Conference

On Saturday, February 8, academics and students from around the country and world gathered for the second annual ISU Spanish Graduate Student Conference, Arconexiones. This gathering took place entirely virtually and permitted for the sharing of voices and ideas across continents. Panelists connected through Zoom from Mexico, Chile, Spain, and numerous states in the United States. Over 60 participants registered for the conference, marking the highest participation yet in this annual event. 

Thirteen students and academics presented their original investigations during the conference, on themes ranging from the medieval Iberian literary references to Satan, to contemporary US Latinx Young Adult fiction that tackles the dichotomy between silence and finding a voice, and the place of memory in Hispanic performance art. 

Opening the day, Dr. Camila González Ortíz, of the University of Reading (UK) presented her keynote address titled, “From/to Communities: Entangling Theatre and Translation with Out of the Wings Collective” in which she described the work of this British-based theatre collective that works at the nexus of Hispanic and Lusophone theatre and translation. Her talk inspired participants to think about the creative process that translation supposes and the often overlooked role of the translator. For further information on this groundbreaking project, visit the Out of the Wings website at https://outofthewings.org/ 

At midday, the conference attendees enjoyed a roundtable discussion in which four academics in various fields related to Spanish language and Hispanic culture spoke about possible career routes and professional development opportunities available to students holding their MA degree. Dr. Olga Cruz Moya, Dr. Luisa Muñoz Cantú, Laura Hernández Ramos, and Morgen Harden joined the discussion to share their experiences with students. Students were encouraged by the panelists to continue to learn and to keep active in their fields through continuing coursework, online courses, certificate programs, and education abroad. The experts joining from Mexico and Spain explained the process of applying to and taking international courses at their institutions. 

The conference planning committee this year was composed of current and former Spanish MA students. They met bi-weekly from September until February in order to conceive of, plan, and finalize all details of the event. Subcommittees included groups focused on the keynote speakers, roundtable event, call for papers creation, moderator organization, and others. Without the dedication of these students, the conference would not have been possible. The committee members in 2024-2025 were Hillary Buckner, Rick Andreasen, Juan Miguel Martínez Martínez, Nadia Housel, Marleni Colvin, Tracy Stapleton, and Jessica Ferronetti. 

To learn more about the conference, please visit the website at https://www.isu.edu/anthropology/student-experience/arconexiones-conferenceconferencia/ 

The conference planning committee seeks new members and participation for the 2026 conference. Next year's iteration of the conference will look at 21st century literary, cultural, and pedagogical trends in Hispanic Studies. Please contact Dr. Marin Laufenberg if you are an ISU Spanish MA student and would like to get involved in this event. 

If you would like to get in contact with any of the presenters or receive resources and materials provided at the 2025 event, please write to Dr. Marin Laufenberg (marinlaufenberg@isu.edu).