Scholars convene for the 36th annual meeting of the New England Council of Latin American Studies
November 10, 2006
Middlebury student David Restrepo is named “Outstanding Senior in Latin American Studies”
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Nearly 150 scholars from more than 30 top schools convened to discuss Latin American issues at the 36th annual meeting of the New England Council of Latin American Studies (NECLAS), held at Middlebury College’s McCardell Bicentennial Hall on Saturday, Oct. 28. The meeting, which addressed such issues as cultural exchange, trade, immigration and politics, exemplified the NECLAS mission to foster and develop the interests of scholars, researchers, teachers, students and the general public in Latin American studies.
Middlebury College Associate Professor of Political Science Mark Williams, who served as NECLAS vice president during 2005 and assumed its presidency at Saturday’s meeting, said that Latin American issues and hemispheric relations are of emerging and enduring significance to the United States and the rest of the world. According to Williams, while most Latin American governments had expected their countries to grow wealthy after adopting market policies and entering into relationships with the world’s economic powers, many have witnessed instead an ever widening gap between rich and poor, resulting in a large backlash of political unrest all across the region. “This phenomenon is antithetical to U.S. economic interest in promoting strong governing performance, free trade agreements and market economic reforms,” said Williams.
Williams described the conference as a significant opportunity for experts to share cutting edge research on critical issues, with Middlebury College as an excellent venue. “Middlebury College has been a member of NECLAS for several years, but this is the first time we’ve had the honor of hosting this important conference,” he said. “To be selected to host the conference is recognition of the college’s vibrant interdisciplinary studies, and highlights its strength, across disciplines, in Latin American studies.”
The all-day conference comprised four sessions, which were divided into nearly 60 presentations and discussions led by experts and faculty from numerous schools, both in and outside of New England. Institutions represented at the conference ranged from Harvard, Dartmouth, Rutgers and the University of Texas at Austin to those as far away as the London School of Economics. Middlebury was also joined by several other Vermont institutions – Marlboro College, Green Mountain College and the University of Vermont.
During the annual meeting, NECLAS honored David Restrepo, a Middlebury international politics and economics major. NECLAS named him “Outstanding Senior in Latin American Studies” for his ongoing academic excellence in Latin American studies and for a presentation he gave at the meeting titled “The Latin ‘Left’: Voting for Chavismo?” The presentation was based on Restrepo’s summer research and an article, as yet unpublished, titled “Electoral Volatility and Political Experimentation: Explaining Popular Support for Latin America’s ‘Untried Left,’” which he co-authored with Williams. Restrepo’s presentation argued that contemporary Latin American political trends respond to gradual loosening of political loyalties and a recent popular disappointment with economic performance. Restrepo also chaired the undergraduate panel titled “Politics and Conflict,” which included his own presentation and two by students from Binghamton University.
Restrepo said he participated in the NECLAS meeting for the valuable opportunities it offered. “I felt truly privileged to meet and talk with other undergraduates and Latin America experts from so many colleges, universities and disciplines. In a short span of time, a lot of fascinating research was made available to me, as well as passionate conversations that informed my thesis work about drug policies in the Andes. I was also able to obtain insiders’ information about graduate schools and programs, and made contacts with students and professors from all over the country,” he said.
According to Williams, the level of undergraduate presentation – a relatively unusual component of a professional conference – was impressive. Ten students, including six from Middlebury College, presented their research related to their senior theses. “Although many graduate students present their work at professional conferences, undergraduate presentations rarely occur – it’s almost unheard of, in fact,” said Williams, who has promoted undergraduate participation in the NECLAS conference for the past two years. “The experience is uniquely educational for undergraduate students, who are exposed to a new level of academics across a broad selection of leading institutions. They interact with other students and faculty in a professional milieu, and get to observe what the profession of academics is.”
Milena Flament is another Middlebury student who presented research at the conference. An international studies major, her presentation, “The Carioca Life in Brazil,” was based on her experience at São Martinho, a nongovernmental organization in Rio de Janeiro. “The conference addressed widely varied topics, from identity to politics to gender studies, all of which, as it became particularly clear to me during the course of the day, are interrelated” she said. “The feedback I received helped me further understand my own topic.”
Nine Middlebury faculty members also participated in the conference. Associate Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Cason served as chair for an opening session titled “Responses to Neoliberalism,” in which he discussed “Lula as a Moderate in Latin America’s New Left,” and Assistant Professor of Economics John Maluccio gave a talk titled “Coping with the Coffee Crisis in Central America: The Role of the Nicaragua ‘Red de Protección Social.’” Associate Professor of Anthropology David Stoll chaired another session “Migration Experiences,” and gave a talk titled “May the Lord Open the Spigots of International Aid! The Moral Economy of Corruption and Emigration in Nebaj, Guatemala.” Williams served as moderator for a roundtable discussion titled “Latin America’s ‘New Left,’ Democratization, Neoliberalism, and the United States.” The other five Middlebury faculty at the conference also gave talks, including several in Spanish that covered such topics as architecture, theatre and popular culture.
