Study Abroad Photo Contest

And the winners are…

Honorable Mention

Katie D’Angelo- Nicaragua. “Hanging by a Thread”: This picture was taken on the top of a volcano in Nicaragua, called Cerro Negro, on March 15, 2012. Cerro Negro is the youngest volcano in Central America and the most active cinder volcano in the world. As a group, we traveled a few hours to get to the volcano in Leon, Nicaragua, and then

hiked up the volcano for one hour. The hike was extremely difficult, and it was very windy. There were no man-made paths, just ledges, and steep incline next to you. Once we got to the top of the mountain, we boarded down

on our boards, which were essentially pieces of wood. (I went the fastest in my group: 55 km/hour!) We came across this rock, which was slightly over an edge, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take pictures (and rest!).

Carrie Tulino- Amsterdam, Netherlands. “Canal view”: A friend and I took a ride/tour on a canal boat to explore the city. I think this is an interesting view which captures the Dutch charm of the canals, buildings,

and bicycles that a part of the culture.

Heather Voss-Hoynes- Dublin, Ireland. “Castle View”: This is a photo of Temple Bar, a popular destination, taken from the steps of Dublin Castle. The glowing lights and a whir of activity at the crosswalk captured in the photo

epitomize life in Dublin: inviting and exciting. The bus pictured is of significance to me, too, because I took a similar one to get to dance class each week; the women in my class became a family to me.

Catherine Raber- Séléstat, Alsace, France. “Haut Koenigsbourg”: The photo is of Haut

Koenigsbourg, located in the Vosges Mountains outside the small town of

Séléstat, Alsace, France. Restored by Wilhelm II in 1900, Haut Koenigsbourg was first

mentioned in 1147 as a castle. The castle belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine, who in

turn leased it to the Ratsamhausen family for two centuries. I took this photo, as was

Emperor Wilhem II’s intent, to celebrate the qualities of medieval Alsace, and one of its

many changes in nationality. The mountains that can be seen in the horizon of the photo

are the Black Forest in Germany.

Matthew Wells- Okayama, Japan. “Zazen (座禅 )”: During my time in Japan, I spent a month living and training in a Zen monastery in Okayama, Japan. This was from February, 2011 until March, 2011. My time in the monastery included waking up at 3:30 A.M., meditating from 8-14 hours per day in the freezing cold, and essentially every

other typical aspect of monastic life. I chose the photo because my time at Sougenji (the monastery) was one of the most life-changing experiences I have had. Also, very, very few foreigners are ever allowed to train in a monastery in

Japan, so it was quite an honor to be given such a privilege.

Nicole Chiu- Athens, Greece. “Aesthetic Athens”: This photo was taken as I was exploring the Acropolis of Athens (just after walking past the Parthenon!), thanks to a friend studying abroad in Athens. The weather was warm

despite the winter month, the sun highlighted the honey stains on the white columns, and I was taking a break in the shade when I noticed the perfect straight lines of ancient columns. Structures in Athens are impossibly old, and

this photo is proof of the flawless Greek architecture, despite age and time.

Sharif Sabe- Costa Rica. “Sunset at Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica”: I feel that this photo best captures the beauty of the Costa Rican foliage, sunset, and the overall awe that the natural landscape in Costa Rica elicits.

Kelly McCready- St. Petersburg, Russia. “Hermitage Silhouettes”: Outside the

Hermitage on the cobbled streets of St. Petersburg, my classmates and I worked on

our Russian stage movement exercises.

Elliot Schwartz- Turkey. “Biking”: Biking with friends in Turkey’s Saklikent Gorge.

Jessica Taylor- Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia. “Irukandji”: One of the many activities you can do on Magnetic Island is ride horses through the bush and into the ocean. Many locals are quite skeptical of the ocean

that tourists are so drawn to. During our bareback horse ride, we were required to wear stinger suits to reduce the risk of being stung by any of the several lethal jellyfish species found in these waters. Moments after I took this

picture of my friend, she was stung by an Irukandji jellyfish on the one part of her body that wasn’t covered – her toes. The venom from these tiny creatures induces severe pain, restlessness and a feeling of ‘impending doom.’

We rushed Lauren to the local emergency clinic where she was carefully watched for several hours while receiving morphine for the pain. Though this won’t keep us from enjoying the Great Barrier Reef, we are much more careful

and aware of the dangers that await us in the water.

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Elliot Schwartz- Madrid, Spain. “Guernica”: Picasso’s most famous painting in Madrid

Third Place

Jinny Ye- Guilin City, Guangxi Province, China. “Scenic Route”: Bamboo rafting down the majestic Li River provides one of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of Yangshuo County. Yanghuo County and the rest of Guilin is known for their picture perfect and unique, rounded mountains. This photo shows the wondrous backdrop for

not only a ride my friends and I took but also of the local people’s imagination as they described the animal shapes some of the mountains had.

Second Place

Peter Knutson- Amsterdam, Netherlands. “Relaxing with Friends”: I chose this photo because it shows several aspects of Dutch life in Amsterdam, yet Leidseplein is an area filled with tourists. In the foreground, part of a tram

track can be seen in the middle of the cobblestone road. The middle ground is filled with hundreds people (tourists and locals alike) sitting outside, enjoying their friends' company and a drink on a nice day. Bikers also whip by,

weaving between pedestrians. The background shows some of the buildings that enclose the square, which contain mostly restaurants and cafes.

First Place

Kelly McCready- Moscow, Russia. “The Painter of St. Basil’s”: This was taken on the bridge just by Red Square in Moscow. The colors were so vivid, and the painter perfectly encapsulates what I remember about Russians;

passionate, messy, creative, and talented.