Mini-Grants Recap: Annual Multidisciplinary Conference at Harvard University

Students reflect on the opportunities provided to them by the Rockefeller Center's Mini-Grants program through this ongoing series. The Mini-Grants program funds registration fees for students attending conferences relevant to the Rockefeller Center's mission as well as the costs of bringing speakers to the Dartmouth campus.

The view from outside the conference center.

Recently I attended the Annual Multidisciplinary Conference at Harvard University, where I presented my research on Hemingway as a political philosopher. This conference was a very valuable experience to me because I really got to see a full range of perspectives on issues, not to mention some really interesting feedback on my work. The Annual Multidisciplinary Conference was incredibly diverse, with many scholars from all over the world. I was able to meet people from Nigeria, Turkey, Romania, Italy, and more and discuss their findings and passions. It was so fascinating to see the array of perspectives. One scholar, for instance, was studying the portrayal of women across various countries' media circuits. It was so interesting to see how waves of feminism vary and coincide across nations.

Megan Bogia prepares for her presentation.

Later in the conference, I presented my work on Hemingway, namely perspectives on patriotism in his novels. Afterwards, I talked with professors about how notions of patriotic choice versus obligation compare to rising rebel groups in Egypt, whether they qualify as patriotic, and if so in what forms. Overall, I had a fantastic time not only applying my research and engaging with my work via new lenses, but also doing the same with research from around the world. I'm very grateful to the Rockefeller Center for the experience.

-Written by Megan Bogia '15