Tapia said she and Herrera are especially excited to welcome director Juliana Mait茅, who will discuss her film, Without Prescription (2023), with the audience on Oct. 4. Participants will engage directly with the filmmaker.

鈥淪ince its inception in 2012, the festival has become a beloved tradition, eagerly anticipated by students, colleagues, and the local community,鈥� Tapia said. 鈥淢any attendees consider this festival a highlight of their year. We believe it will entertain, educate, and engage our audience, fostering a more inclusive and connected community.鈥�

Admission is free; the films are in Spanish language with English subtitles.

Films being shown include:

Without Prescription (Receta No Incluida) (2023) Director: Juliana Mait茅; Puerto Rico; 5 p.m. Oct. 4

• This film follows Olivia, a young woman suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Set on Christmas Eve, Olivia鈥檚 condition isolates her from her family and society. Her low-paid teaching job doesn鈥檛 provide health insurance, forcing her to seek medication through unconventional means. She meets David, a pharmacist who sells prescription medication clandestinely. A storm forces them to spend time together, leading to a transformative experience for both. The film has been praised for its honest portrayal of mental health issues, particularly OCD. It sheds light on the daily struggles of those with mental health conditions and challenges common misconceptions. The film will be followed by a Q&A and reception with Mait茅. The discussion will provide insights into the film鈥檚 themes and encourage meaningful conversations about trauma, mental health, social inequity, and access to medical care.

The Eternal Memory (La Memoria Infinita) (2023) Director: Maite Alberdi; Chile; 2 p.m. Oct. 5

• This documentary follows the life of Augusto G贸ngora, a Chilean journalist and cultural commentator, and his wife, Paulina Urrutia, as they navigate his battle with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. The film focuses on the concept of memory, both personal and collective, and how it shapes our identities. The film has been lauded for its delicate and lyrical approach to a deeply emotional subject. It balances personal reflection with historical consciousness, making it a poignant exploration of memory and loss.

Love and Revolution (Te Estoy Amando Locamente) (2023) Director: Alejandro Mar铆n; Spain; 4 p.m. Oct. 5

• Set in Seville in 1977, this film follows Reme, a traditional mother, who becomes involved in the LGBTQ+ movement to support her son, Miguel, who aspires to be a singer. The film explores the challenges and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community during a time when homosexuality was criminalized. The film has been praised for its heartfelt portrayal of a mother鈥檚 love and the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. It combines humor and tragedy to highlight the social changes of the time, making it both an inspiring and entertaining watch.

Cassandro (2023) Director: Roger Ross Williams; Mexico; 2 p.m. Oct. 6

• This biopic tells the story of Sa煤l Armend谩riz, a lucha libre wrestler who finds success as an 别虫贸迟颈肠辞, a male wrestler who performs in drag. Sa煤l, known as Cassandro, breaks barriers in the macho world of Mexican wrestling, becoming a national sensation. The film has been celebrated for its portrayal of a queer hero in a traditionally homophobic sport. Gael Garc铆a Bernal鈥檚 performance as Cassandro has been particularly praised for its depth and authenticity.

础濒别驳谤铆补 (2021) Director: Violeta Salama; Spain; 4 p.m. Oct. 6

• The film centers on 础濒别驳谤铆补, a woman who has distanced herself from her Jewish heritage. Living in Melilla, a city where Christian, Jewish, and Muslim families coexist peacefully, 础濒别驳谤铆补 must reconcile with her past and her family to find peace. 础濒别驳谤铆补 has been noted for its beautiful depiction of cultural and religious coexistence. The film鈥檚 setting in Melilla and its focus on small, human moments have been highlighted as its strengths.

Along with a burgeoning downtown and gastronomic experiences, the freedom offered at Lawrence was a big draw for Haller. Lawrence was a place where she could pursue three majors, play a sport, study abroad, and still have time to participate in several different clubs and organizations.聽聽

Haller鈥檚 love for and choice to study Spanish in college was long founded. For years, her family hosted exchange students through the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The first student they hosted was from Mexico, and Haller and her family are still in contact with her today.聽聽

It was through this exchange student that Haller was able to develop a study abroad experience in San Luis Potos铆, Mexico.聽聽

鈥淗er husband is an anesthesiologist, and that was what kind of formed the connection,鈥� Haller said. 鈥淔rom there, I was able to shadow and assist in surgeries, intubate patients, give anesthesia.鈥澛�

Madera Allan, associate professor of Spanish and Haller鈥檚 Spanish advisor, also helped her design the experience. While in Mexico, Haller was able to participate in more than 50 different procedures. With Allan鈥檚 help, she plans to turn her experience into an independent study next academic year, looking at the way medicine adapts with culture.聽

In addition to her rigorous academic load, Haller also thrives on the softball diamond. The ability to compete in her sport and still pursue other academic and personal endeavors aided her decision to attend Lawrence.聽

鈥淭here鈥檚 an emphasis here at Lawrence on, you鈥檙e a student (first), then you’re an athlete,鈥� Haller said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that really made me want to come to Lawrence, because I wasn鈥檛 ready to stop playing. There鈥檚 a really good balance here at Lawrence.鈥澛�

Haller also got involved in clubs and organizations on campus, including the Presidential Student Advisory Board鈥攚here she met with President Laurie A. Carter and her board to discuss a broad range of topics, including the Pre-Health Living Learning Community Board and LIGHT (Lawrentians Inspiring Global Change Together).聽聽

Haller is also involved with the first gen organization on campus. She said she felt supported by the Lawrence community, particularly by Allan, who was also a first gen student.聽聽

聽鈥淪he鈥檚 just very personable,鈥� Haller said. 鈥淲e have a lot of different areas where we connect, and she goes out of her way to make sure I鈥檓 doing OK. She鈥檚 an amazing professor.鈥澛�

Although she has another year before graduation, Haller is busy planning for her future, a prerequisite, she said, for being a pre-med student. This summer, she is studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), with plans to take the exam in the fall.聽聽

鈥淭hese are manuscripts made in the 13th century that record songs celebrating miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary,鈥� Joyner said of the Cantigas de Santa Maria and the interdisciplinary spark that first brought her, Allan, and Ceballos together. 鈥淪everal of them also contain notated music for the songs and truly beautiful, and sometimes very weird, imagery depicting their stories. Because it鈥檚 13th-century Spain, the relationships among the cultures occupying the peninsula are tightly woven and cross-pollinating and, yes, sometimes at odds with each other. Nonetheless, the mix of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions in Spain was unique in European history. 鈥� Once the three of us started working together, the hardest part became narrowing down which songs and stories to choose because there are so many fascinating, funny, and weird possibilities.鈥�

Teaching and learning

The three-unit course grew out of those initial conversations, with Allan, Ceballos, and Joyner jointly teaching the course, and all three learning along the way.

鈥淐ollaborating with Danielle and Madera was amazing,鈥� Ceballos said. 鈥淲e learned so much from one another, and very often that learning happened live in the classroom as we each took turns presenting materials and leading discussion. I imagine this was a pretty unique experience for some students to see their professors learning right along with them, asking questions, getting things wrong, and gaining new perspectives.鈥�

None of them wanted the class to end.

鈥淭he class was so much fun,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淭he students liked it, we liked it. We got to the end and thought, we have to do this again.鈥�

So they did.

Learn more about Lawrence Alumni trips

Allan has been on the Spanish faculty at Lawrence since 2008. Her scholarship is focused on community formation in late medieval and early modern Spain and the colonial era of Latin America.

Ceballos has taught musicology at Lawrence since 2008. Her scholarly work focuses on 18th century keyboard music. She has a fascination with early music and often performs on harpsichord, keyboards, and ukulele.

Joyner joined the art history faculty in 2018. Her scholarly work has most recently focused on intersections between the natural environment and the arts, publishing on topics such as sixth-century bird-shaped brooches, the ephemerality of gardens, animals in Anglo-Saxon arts, and representations of terra across the Middle Ages.

The three continue to find meaningful connections via 13th-century Spain in their respective fields. That power of shared knowledge and intersecting interests has driven this project in all three of its phases.

鈥淭hey bring wisdom and intellectual enthusiasm to everything they do,鈥� Allan said of Joyner and Ceballos. 鈥淚 have learned so much from both of them. They are also models of patience and generosity鈥攕o I鈥檓 not the only one who has learned from them. The students in both iterations of the class have produced amazingly nuanced analyses incorporating architectural, musical, and literary elements.鈥�

Taking the course to Spain

The D-Term trip took the experience to a new level. Joyner, who led the planning efforts, reached out to connections she had at Fundaci贸n Ortega-Mara帽on (FOM) in Toledo. With help from Yukiko Okazaki, the organization鈥檚 director of International Programs, they put together a travel course built around the Cantigas de Santa Maria.

鈥淎 number of the Cantigas refer to Toledo, and there are medieval mosques, synagogues, and churches that still stand in that extraordinary little city,鈥� Joyner said.

The itinerary led the group from Madrid to Toledo to C贸rdoba and back to Madrid.

鈥淲e stayed at the FOM campus in Toledo and had a bus that took us on our various outings,鈥� Joyner said.

A highlight was a private musical performance by the scholar Antoni Rossell. Ceballos had discovered his award-winning album, Galicia e as Cantigas de Santa Maria, during research for the earlier course.

鈥淗is album is unique in that he and his collaborators worked to make medieval Galicia and its sound worlds come alive on record, and they also endeavored to situate the Cantigas in that world,鈥� Ceballos said. 鈥淚n the opening track, you hear the creaking of a boat and the sounds of a powerful storm, and then the a cappella voices of singers praising the Virgin Mary and imploring, 鈥楬oly Mary, morning star, show us the way to God and guide us.鈥� Antoni鈥檚 performance blew me away and he was so engaging and generous.鈥�

Hannah Frank, a senior history major from New Canaan, Connecticut, called the D-Term trip a 鈥渦nique and special opportunity鈥� for the students.

鈥淏esides having classes with the professors throughout the term and learning historical context from them, we also got guided tours throughout Spain that were really important for me actually understanding the significance of the places we were in,鈥� Frank said.

The D-Term course was aided by two Lawrence alumni, Robert 鈥�79 and Janet Stevens 鈥�82, who joined the trip. The presence of the Stevens enriched the D-Term course, and it sparked talk of a wider alumni trip.

鈥淲e could have conversations with them that followed different paths than those we had with the students,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淏ecause of their own lives and experiences, they posed questions that likely would never come out of a 20-year-old鈥檚 mouth, and those questions made us think in different ways about what we were doing. It was fantastic, and it made me want to try it on a bigger scale.鈥�

With 14 alumni and family joining them on the spring break trip, it was the next step in an academic adventure that Allan, Ceballos, and Joyner continue to embrace.

鈥淚 do always want to share the medieval love with anyone who wants to listen, and sometimes even with people who don鈥檛,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淲e knew that we had an exciting and unique way of thinking about Spain, and we wanted to share it with another Lawrence audience. I think I can speak for Madera and Sara when I say that we firmly believe in the importance of the humanities and fine arts and that an important component of a liberal arts education is that it instills in those who are receptive a joy in life-long learning.鈥�

The Vilches lecturewill be followed by the showing of the historical drama/thriller Chile 鈥�76, which portrays the suffocating and terrifying early years of Augusto Pinochet鈥檚 dictatorial regime from the point of view of a middle-class housewife who finds herself helping a young fugitive. The second film of the night is Argentina, 1985, a courtroom drama that鈥檚 based on the true story of prosecutors who brought members of the Argentine military junta to justice.

The film festival will feature an appearance on Oct. 28 by filmmaker Enrique M. Rizo, who was a producer for the Oscar-winning film Roma. Rizo is coming from Mexico to present his documentary film, Un Lugar Llamado M煤sica聽(A Place Called Music). The work narrates the musical journeys and collaboration between an indigenous musician, Daniel Medina, and the composer Philip Glass.

鈥淲e think Lawrentians will love this beautiful movie and appreciate the opportunity to engage with the director after the screening,鈥� Tapia said. 鈥淭hat same night we are thrilled to offer the premiere of Perdidos en la Noche聽(Lost in the Night), an award-winning film by the famous director Amat Escalante, which hasn鈥檛 been released in U.S. theaters yet. In fact, Lawrence is one of just two places in the country that are being allowed to show Escalante鈥檚 film in late October.鈥�

This year鈥檚 lineup includes:

Oct. 26

4:30 p.m: Chile 鈥�76聽(Drama, Chile, 2022), directed by Manuela Martelli. (Preceded by 鈥淏etween Dictatorship and Democracy: Chile, 50 Years After the Coup,鈥� a talk by retired professor Patricia Vilches.) Three years after Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile through a coup, establishing a military dictatorship, housewife Carmen finds herself drawn out from her comfortable lifestyle into playing a more active role in the resistance.

8 p.m.: Argentina, 1985聽(Biography/Crime/Drama, Argentina, 2022), directed by Santiago Mitre. The true story of how a public prosecutor, a young lawyer, and their inexperienced legal team dares to prosecute the heads of Argentina鈥檚 bloody military dictatorship.

Oct. 27

5 p.m.: La Pecera聽(The Fishbowl)(Drama, Puerto Rico, 2023), directed by Glorimar Marrero S谩nchez. As cancer spreads, Noelia ultimately decides to return to her native Puerto Rico to claim her freedom and decide her own fate. She reunites with her friends and family, who are still dealing with contamination of the U.S. Navy after 60 years of military practices.

7 p.m.: Noche Latina at LU, Warch Campus Center. Talk by Ariela Rosa, dance/live music.

Oct. 28

5 p.m.: Un Lugar Llamado M煤sica聽(A Place Called Music) (Documentary, Mexico, 2022), followed by Q&A with director Enrique M. Rizo. This documentary depicts a musical journey between Mexican Wix谩rika聽musician Daniel Medina and American composer Philip Glass. Through a friendship that lacks words but abounds in must, they demonstrate that music is also a place in which lies an understanding of the most abstract forms of human emotions.

8 p.m.: Perdidos en la Noche聽(Lost in the Night) (Drama/Thriller, Mexico, 2023), directed by Amat Escalante. In a small mining town in Mexico, Emiliano searches for those responsible for the disappearance of his activist mother. Receiving no help from the police, he finds a clue that leads him to the wealthy Aldama family. It鈥檚 not long before he has a job at their home and becomes determined to uncover the secrets beneath the surface.

Oct. 29

2 p.m.: As Bestas聽(The Beasts)聽(Drama/Thriller, Spain, 2022), directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. A French couple move to a Galician town in search of a closer relationship with nature. However, a conflict with their neighbors, the Anta brothers, cause tensions to grow until the situation reaches a point of no return.

For more information, contact Herrera at cecilia.herrera@lawrence.edu or Tapia at聽rosa.tapia@lawrence.edu

AP exams, offered by the College Board, are taken by high school students each spring, a culmination of year-long AP courses. AP exams can lead to college credits and assist colleges and universities with placement decisions.

For 16 years, Tapia has been part of a team of educators working with the AP Spanish program, evaluating students鈥� Spanish language proficiency, setting standards of evaluation, and establishing exam content. She has been invited to give talks and workshops to university educators and administrators across the country. Now she will lead that team over the next four years.

.

Tapia called her appointment a 鈥渟ignificant milestone that fills me with immense pride and a profound sense of responsibility.鈥�

That responsibility revolves around establishing robust and equitable standards that guide colleges and universities in granting well-deserved AP credit and placing students in appropriate courses.

鈥淭his work holds immense significance for Lawrence and for over 2,600 institutions of higher learning across the nation,鈥� Tapia said. 鈥淭hese include highly selective colleges and flagship public universities that entrust my team’s expertise to make decisions that significantly impact the academic futures of countless students.鈥�

In the process, Tapia鈥檚 role elevates Lawrence鈥檚 profile and visibility on a national scale.

鈥淎s educators and students across the country become more acquainted with my representation of Lawrence’s commitment to academic excellence, I hope that they consider our campus an appealing choice for those seeking a nurturing, transformative, and forward-thinking educational environment,鈥� she said.

Over the course of the next four years, Tapia will oversee the evaluation of Spanish language proficiency for more than 700,000 students. AP Spanish participants include students from all backgrounds who choose to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and its cultures. The AP program draws both Latinx students who identify as heritage learners鈥攎any are growing up in multicultural environments and not automatically fluent in Spanish鈥攁nd students who are second-language learners.

鈥淔or many, the AP Spanish program serves as a gateway to other AP classes, a strong incentive to pursue a college education, and a reliable predictor of future academic success and degree completion,鈥� Tapia said. 鈥淭hrough my role, I aim to contribute to increased access to higher education for underrepresented communities. The AP Spanish Language & Culture program serves as a vital pathway for these students to realize their aspirations of a college education.鈥�

Tapia said she鈥檚 looking forward to deeper collaboration with Spanish language educators nationwide, building community while elevating dialogue.

鈥淭his is pivotal in creating an inclusive environment where educators from various backgrounds across the country and beyond unite for a common purpose,鈥� she said.

The AP leadership is an extension of the work Tapia has been doing at Lawrence for more than two decades. That includes co-founding the annual Latin American and Spanish Film Festival on campus. She helped launch the festival in 2012, bringing award-winning films from Latin America and Spain to Lawrence and connecting the community to national and international filmmakers.

Tapia, who holds a doctorate聽in Spanish from Penn State University, a Master of Arts in Spanish from the University of Delaware, and a聽Licenciatura聽in English philology from the University of Granada in Spain, has been a leader in academic advising at Lawrence, receiving the Excellence in Advising Award in 2014 and serving as faculty director of advising from 2016 to 2020. She chaired a task force that developed a new guide and resource page for advising and led initiatives that improved connections between faculty advisers and students.

In 2021, she was , a series of video lectures aimed at supporting high school students taking AP courses during the pandemic. Her new leadership role with AP Spanish is a next step, one with national significance.

鈥淯ltimately, my journey reflects 糖心vlog’s commitment to nurturing excellence, particularly in the realms of language and culture studies,鈥� Tapia said. 鈥淓qually significant, it is about upholding values of empathy, responsible citizenship, and integrity.鈥�

And Kassor traveled to Spain at Allan鈥檚 invite, making the week-long pilgrimage along coastal Spain together on foot.

Kassor said arriving at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela left her breathless鈥攁nd not just because they had walked for a week straight in temperatures hovering above 100 degrees.

鈥淚 was just amazed about so many things about the Camino,鈥� she said.

Their address, which included photos of their journeys, was insightful, thoughtful, and fun. .

Awards and honors

The Convocation followed Thursday鈥檚 Honors Awards Ceremony and Reception, where 130 Lawrence students, two student organizations, and seven faculty and staff were honored with awards that spanned academics, athletics, and student life. The recipients were applauded again at Convocation.

鈥淲e celebrate excellence and leadership exhibited by students, faculty, and staff during this academic year,鈥� President Laurie Carter said.

In addition to Allan and Kassor receiving the Faculty Convocation Award, the following faculty and staff were honored:

• Babcock Award for outstanding service to students (voted on by students): Pam Yeager of Bon Appetit;
• Mortar Board Honorary Award: Tim Spurgin, Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English Literature and associate professor of English, and Kelly Culhane, assistant professor of chemistry;
• University Award for Excellence in Advising: Jos茅 Encarnaci贸n, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies;
• First-Year Studies Teaching Award: Megan Pickett, associate professor of physics.

鈥淲e can all take great pride in these students, faculty, and staff and the many ways they have enriched our community,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淭hank you for your leadership, and congratulations on your impressive accomplishments.鈥�

A musical selection, The Servant Girl at Emmaus, by Nansi Carroll, was performed during the Convocation by Emma Sayeg 鈥�24, contralto soloist; Elena Crino 鈥�24, Chelsea Dongas 鈥�24, and Charlotte Hall 鈥�23, sopranos; Evan Ney 鈥�24, soprano saxophone; and Iris Hakes 鈥�24, bassoon.

Mark Phelan, associate professor of philosophy, was announced as next year鈥檚 Honors Convocation speaker.

Fares holds a Ph.D. in Latin American literature from the University of Pittsburgh; a master鈥檚 degree in foreign languages and literature from West Virginia University; a master鈥檚 in visual arts, painting, and printmaking from West Virginia University; and a J.D. law聽degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires.

We caught up with Fares to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom

Inside info:聽What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

This is my 22nd year at Lawrence, and I love my work. I would like students to know that I am here to help them be successful in any way that I can in the classroom and outside of it. I see their time in the classroom as one part of their education. Playing sports, living in an educational-residential environment, traveling while studying abroad, to name just a few activities, are also part of their education, and I love it when they take advantage of what Lawrence has to offer.

Getting energized:聽What work have you done or will you be doing at Lawrence that gets you the most excited?

Teaching and learning get me energized. I love to share what I bring to the classroom, and I also learn so much from my students. For me, it is a privilege to be part of their lives, and their energy and enthusiasm provide me with incentives to try to be better at what I do. In terms of learning, I also enjoy traveling and doing research, which I then bring back to my courses.

Going places:聽Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

In 2008, I had the chance to teach for the Semester at Sea program, which took me and my family on a semester-long voyage in a ship around the world. In 2011, I taught again on a summer voyage throughout the Mediterranean. To have had these experiences as part of my career continues to impact me by how they opened my eyes to so many different and diverse cultures and peoples.聽

Out of the classroom

This or that:聽If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?

I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. If I weren鈥檛 teaching, I would spend more time painting, drawing, and making prints. My work is represented by Marz茅n Gallery/Integrated Art Works, in Madison, and can be seen .

Right at home:聽Whether for work, relaxation, or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

I love to sit and read in the Pusey Room in the Warch Campus Center. I have always enjoyed the vistas from the windows, the quiet space, the light. For me, it is an ideal place to just be.

One book, one recording, one film:聽Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

A book I read as a teenager and have been re-reading ever since is the novel Pedro P谩ramo by the Mexican writer Juan Rulfo. Each time I read it, it acquires a different resonance, as happens with most good literature, according to what is going on at the time in my life. Its ghostly characters, their search for (dead) family members, the dream world they inhabit, their strong criticism to social and religious mores, make it a fascinating work of fiction.

I enjoy sci-fi movies since they portray alternative realities, allowing us to consider our world from different perspectives. Two of my favorite films are Blade Runner andthe sequel, Blade Runner 2049. The films inquiry into what is human and what is not, through the expedient of the replicants, and how to tell one from the other, is a topic that has become much more discussed given the prevalence of A.I. today.

I鈥檓 also a podcast fan, and I recommend The Moth. The stories are interesting and engaging.

“The film festival was born in 2012, so this is its 10th anniversary,” Tapia: said.聽“To celebrate this milestone, we are bringing special guest Dr. Javier Guerrero from Princeton University, a leading scholar in Latin American and Film Studies.鈥�

Guerrero will give a talk about famous Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar (4:30 p.m. Oct. 14) before the screening of his latest film,聽Parallel Mothers. Guerrero is the author of many important books about Latin American cinema and literature, and he was the 2017 winner of the Latin American Studies Association鈥檚 Sylvia Molloy Award.

鈥淒r. Guerrero was a Postdoctoral Fellow at 糖心vlog in 2011-2012 and he was one of the original organizers of the film festival, so this is a very special homecoming and anniversary for all of us,鈥� Tapia said.

The five films featured this year represent different Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, M茅xico, Spain, Costa Rica, and Peru. The movies have won numerous international awards and almost all are from 2021.

Below is the lineup for this year鈥檚 LULASFF (you can find additional information by clicking on the film titles in the event鈥檚 web page,聽):

Free admission to Warch Cinema. All films are rated 鈥淩鈥� (Restricted) or 鈥淣R鈥� (Not rated for US audiences). Viewer discretion is advised.

Thursday, October 13

5 p.m.: THE WEASELS鈥� TALE / El cuento de las comadrejas聽 (Argentina, 2019)

8 p.m.: PRAYERS FOR THE STOLEN / Noche de fuego聽 (Mexico, 2021)

Friday, October 14

4:30 p.m.: 鈥淎lmod贸var: A Critical Take.鈥� Javier Guerrero (Princeton University)

5:30 p.m.: PARALLEL MOTHERS / Madres paralelas (Spain, 2021)

Saturday, October 15

5 p.m.: CLARA SOLA (Costa Rica, 2021)

8 p.m.: THE GOOD BOSS / El buen patr贸n聽 (Spain, 2021)

Sunday, October 16

2 p.m.: A聽WORLD FOR JULIUS / Un mundo para Julius (Peru, 2021)

It was Joyner鈥檚 first visit to the medieval congress held in England鈥攁 U.S. version, the International Congress on Medieval Studies, happens each year in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She鈥檚 been to that one multiple times, and it鈥檚 always robust and interesting, but there was something special about experiencing it in England, where you are immersed in the history, she said.

鈥淓uropeans do medieval studies differently than Americans do medieval studies because they live in the ongoing presence of monuments and traditions,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淭hey are surrounded by all this material culture, architectural remains; their libraries are right there at hand. And because it鈥檚 so at hand and so familiar, they tend to ask different types of questions.鈥�

Joyner, who holds a Ph.D. in history of art and architecture from Harvard, and master鈥檚 degrees in medieval studies from the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto and art and art history at the University of Utah, returned from Leeds ready to share with students her insights and reflections鈥攇et your hands on primary sources, if not by traveling then via museums and libraries; history can not only teach us, it can inspire us; and international travel can be transformative.

Not lost in all of that is the interdisciplinary approach that Joyner has been such an advocate for since arriving on the Lawrence faculty in 2018.

鈥淭o get at any aspect of an object made 1,200 years ago, you have to do history, you have to do literature,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a church object, which many of them are, you need to understand the liturgy. I think all of art history is very interdisciplinary, but medievalism especially opens itself up to those different approaches.

鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 go around thinking about the Middle Ages or medieval art or art history. And, so, the interdisciplinary approach I feel gives students ways of finding connections between the long ago and the now, connections that they maybe never would have thought about.鈥�

Joyner saw her students鈥� eyes open wide last academic year when she joined with colleagues Sara Ceballos, an associate professor of music, and Madera Allan, an associate professor of Spanish, to team-teach Cantigas de Santa Maria, a course focused on a 13th century songbook from Spain that blended art, music, and history. The collaboration between musicology in the Conservatory and Spanish and art history in the College of Arts and Sciences was exhilarating, she said.

鈥淭he class was so much fun,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淭he students liked it, we liked it. We got to the end and thought, we have to do this again.鈥�

They鈥檙e planning a follow-up class during December Term (known as D-Term), the two-week optional session between fall and winter terms. Joyner, Ceballos, and Allan will take 10 to 12 students to Spain for two weeks. A foundation is helping to organize experiences in Toledo, Cordoba, and Madrid, Spain, where the group will study the Cantigas songbook while analyzing depictions of relationships among Christians, Muslims, and Jews and visiting surviving medieval architecture.

Meanwhile, in the coming Fall Term, Joyner will join Martyn Smith, associate professor of religious studies, to co-teach a course examining the differences between the travels and lessons of two famous explorers鈥擬arco Polo, a Venetian traveler of the 13th century, and Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler of the 14th century.

It’s all part of the interdisciplinary approach that brings Joyner so much joy. It鈥檚 about lighting a spark, she said, whether it鈥檚 an art history major who wants to be a curator or a biology major who has never given the Middle Ages a second thought.

鈥淢y favorite thing is learning new stuff,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淎nd I love it when the window opens and a connection happens, or I can see something pop in other people. I love that. It is a vicarious thrill. So, whether they decide to do this forever, that鈥檚 exciting, or whether they never thought about it, but something made them go, 鈥榃hoa,鈥� that is equally as exciting. That鈥檚 the joy of teaching. It鈥檚 pretty thrilling.鈥�

Chand will apply her interdisciplinary background in graduate school at Leeds, writing a thesis that examines representations of autistic and cognitively disabled voices in literature.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled,鈥� she said of landing the Fulbright.

While abroad, Chand plans to continue her work in disability advocacy, something she has been passionate about at Lawrence, and will transition from competing in cross country at Lawrence to competing in triathlons in England.

Her award is particularly notable considering there is only one Fulbright position at the University of Leeds, and competition for it is always robust, Kervin said.

Chand said it was work done at Lawrence that prepared her for this opportunity, both in science labs and in the expansion of her writing. Her master鈥檚 thesis, she said, will in many ways be an extension of her undergraduate honors thesis, Charting Autistic Voices.

鈥淚’m grateful for the flexibility, independence, and adventures I’ve had in undergrad,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 came into undergrad convinced that I wanted to do biophysics鈥攚hich is funny in hindsight, because I spent a year between high school and college writing. Through聽a summer of research at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in a biophysics lab and another summer of virtual research through a physics REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) at the University of New Mexico, as well as a virtual biomedical optics summer institute run by the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, I learned loads of valuable skills I’ve been able to carry with me back to Lawrence and use in my science classes. But at the end of each day, I found myself wanting to read and write. Of course, I do a bit of writing as a scientist, too. It’s just not where my heart is, though.鈥�

Chand credited professor Doug Martin in Physics and professors Celia Barnes, Karen Hoffmann, Melissa Range, and Timothy Spurgin in English with helping her find that balance between science and literature. And she praised Kervin for helping her make sense of all that in the Fulbright application process.

“Professor Range is my honors thesis advisor, has always been supportive of my work, and encouraged me to apply to Ole Miss for my MFA in creative writing, where I’ll be heading after my Fulbright,” Chand said.

Hermitanio: Heading to Mexico

Hermitanio applied to the Fulbright program to be an English teaching assistant (ETA) in Mexico.

鈥淚t felt so surreal,鈥� Hermitanio said of getting the news that she received the award. 鈥淚 applied for the Fulbright not thinking at all that I would get it.鈥�

Hermitanio said she viewed the Fulbright as an opportunity to engage more deeply with Mexico and Latin America.

鈥淢y previous engagements with the Latin-American and particularly the Mexican-American community inspired me to apply to teach in the country that many of my peers first called home,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hrough volunteering at the Appleton Bilingual School and working as a Spanish interpreter and teaching assistant for an English learner program, I had the opportunity to build relationships with Latinxs and Spanish speakers in the Appleton area. However, I know that staying in my Wisconsin bubble can only do so much to expose me to Latin-American culture.鈥�

Hermitanio is planning to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

鈥淚 want to work with Spanish-speaking populations and advocate for more linguistic and cultural awareness within the field, and I聽think that there鈥檚 no better way to learn about the Latin American identity than living and working in a Latin American country,鈥� she said

Kervin helped guide Hermitanio through the application process. And she got an assist from Rosa Tapia, professor of Spanish, in preparing for an interview in Spanish.

鈥淚 feel like I have a unique perspective having studied linguistics at Lawrence,鈥� Hermitanio said. 鈥淢y classes have helped me realize that as much as language is a powerful tool for human connection, standard linguistic practices are often rooted in perspectives that uphold one community while denying others visibility. I want to teach students to own their language and find new ways to communicate who they are. I鈥檓 excited to bring this perspective and what I鈥檝e learned at Lawrence to my English teaching assistantship in Mexico.鈥�

The selections for Fulbright honors came from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.聽

Lawrence students interested in applying in the future for a Fulbright award or other fellowships should reach out to Kervin.