Pop culture has always been an essential part of college life for many students, but it is only in recent years its incorporation into academia has become widely accepted. The incorporation of pop culture as a valid source of research and knowledge has led to many fascinating interpretations of what it truly is and what it encompasses. This newfound enthusiasm towards this phenomenon has turned wonderful activities such as The Pop Culture Conference at the Univerisity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez into a reality. Its title, “From Imagination to Creation: How Popular Culture Redefines and Restructures our Reality” fully explains the reasons why pop culture is studied and why it is relevant to today’s society.
The conference, hosted by the Pop Culture Student Association (PCSA) took place on March 13th through March 14th and consisted of panels that students, professors and visitors could attend. The variety of the conferences was seemingly endless and the talent of each presenter hosting the panels was evident. From panels on cosplay and anime workshops, to panels on the importance and reasons behind why Pop Culture is studied, there was something to pique everyone’s interest during the conference.
During two days our campus was the source of heated debates about the representation of the queer community in film, how gender roles affect society as a whole, how racial stereotypes are perpetuated in the Puerto Rican classroom, as well as the trials heroes face in their stories and how mentors can become master manipulators. Professor Nancy Vanessa Vicente even presented how she utilizes Star Wars as a tool in her college writing classes in order to provide meaningful life lessons.
The conference showcased the magnificent talent and knowledge that students and professors of the UPRM have to offer as well as the opportunities that studying pop culture brings. You can find a link to the whole schedule of the conference here, complete with every panel and the names of each presenter.