Newswise — Moravian College will host the Fifth Annual Undergraduate Conference in Medieval and Early Modern Studies on Saturday, December 4. The interdisciplinary conference explores and celebrates the literature, history, art, and philosophy of the periods ranging from 500 CE to 1800 CE. More than 100 students from thirty-plus colleges across the country will present papers and performances.
In addition to the student presentations and performances, the day’s schedule will feature a plenary presentation by musicologist Emma Dillon of the University of Pennsylvania, a performance by the early music ensemble Cambiata (free for conference registrants), a visual arts exhibit and artisan demonstrations, and a reception.
The daylong event is free and open to the public. On-site registrations begin at 8:15 in the Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, where the conference will be held.
The conference is one of the nation's few undergraduate conferences focused on the humanities and was the first to feature medieval and early modern studies. Student participation has remained consistently strong, and continues to grow, since Professors John Black, associate professor of English, and Sandra Bardsley, associate professor of history, initiated the event in 2006.
"The conference draws attendees from all over the country. It says something about interest in the field, which is interdisciplinary by nature," said Professor Black, co-organizer with Professor Bardsley. "To think about a piece of literature, for example, not in isolation but within its cultural context is very appealing.” Recent popular interest in the period and the works of J.R.R. Tolkein also have helped boost conference participation, adds Black.
For more information, visit the conference website (http://www.moravian.edu/medieval/), Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. Anyone who anticipates needing any type accommodation or who has questions about the physical access provided should contact Kathi Roman at [email protected] or 610 625-7880.
Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college. Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.
RSS