2020 Elon Global photo and video contest nominations

We received more than 300 photos and videos to the 2020 contest — below are the top 42, selected by GEC staff.

Video

7 – Ridley Randolph ’23
“This video chronicles my study abroad experience in Italy with other members of my Elon Honors ’23 cohort. Our course focused on the complexities of the Italian identity in the context of Italian history. It was one of my most formative experiences I have had, and I wish I could experience it all over again.”

8 – Jesse Will Newman ’21
“A few moments from my semester studying Film Production at FAMU in Prague.”

Photo

: 159 – Evan Bauman ’22 – Global Engagement – “To me, global engagement means coming together with strong, motivated individuals and making some kind of positive impact in the world no matter how big or small. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with environmental scientists at Kenai Fjords National Park and help them collect ice samples from a glacier. Their work had something to do with examining the effects of climate change on glaciers. Even though I didn’t do anything with the samples, I helped individuals who did do something. They may even educate the rest of the world with the results of the study, but in the end, I contributed to a small web of amazing people who can make a positive impact in the world by possibly spreading the word about climate change, developing new tests and reasoning, and slowing down the impact of climate change.” – Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, USA

: 201 – Elli Knowlton ’22 – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – “This photo was taken at the base of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano that is sacred to the Hawaiian people. Members of the Hawaiian community and more have camped out at the base of the mauna to peacefully protest the construction of a massive telescope on the summit. These flags capture the inclusive spirit of the movement, where people of many different backgrounds have come together to fight for the protection and respect of the land.” Program/Location:Hilo, Hawaii Study USA Program, Hawaii: Nation or State?

: 182 – Catherine Stallsmith ’22 – Global Engagement – “To me, global engagement means stepping out of my comfort zone to see things from the perspective of those I wish to learn about. The desert hike that my class took walked a route that migrants would take to cross the border. We left water and supplies for them at various stops along the route. While the desert was beautiful,, but I couldn’t stop thinking of all the pain and fear endured there. I think it was so important for us to experience that together, helping each other up when we fell, sharing water. This was the most impactful experience of the J-term course and I know that many of my classmates can say the same.” Program/Location: Arivaca, Arizona Arizona US/Mexico Borderlands: Culture, Environment & Immigration

: 227 – Bobby King ’16 – Alumni – “I was atop Leicester Peak in Freetown, Sierra Leone which overlooks the city. I was there to conduct research on the legacy of the Sierra Leonean Civil War within the country.” Program/Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

: 56 – Jillian Torrente ’21 – Striking Scenes – “Reflection in Nyhavn” Program/Location: Copenhagen, Denmark DIS Copenhagen

: 36 – Hana Previte ’20 – Striking Scenes -“Cinque Terre are five fishing villages along the Italian Riviera coastline and are connected by hiking trails. This photo was taken at the final destination of our 7 mile hike in Riomaggiore. ” Program/Location: Riomaggiore, Italy Florence, Italy

: 160 – Billy Reynolds ’21 – Global Engagement – “While I was in Cambodia for a month, I participated in a traditional Cambodian wedding. In Cambodia, weddings bring whole villages together and are a time of unity, excitement, and wonderful food. It was a delight to experience an event and to converse with numerous Khmer people.” Program/Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

: 137 – Carly Blau ’20 – Resilience – “This photo, taken at the White Temple in Chiang Rai, shows the resilience of the people of Thailand. During my time in Mae Chan, an underprivileged village north of Thailand, I learned of the strong resiliency of the people. Despite a lack of money, resources, and opportunity, the people that I met in the village were some of the most compassionate and joyous people I have ever met. They taught me that money does not buy happiness, but rather the joy and love that people bring you does.” – Chiang Rai, Thailand

: 287 – Alina Prengel ’20 – International Community -“As a student in the business dual degree program, I came to Elon my junior year. This photo marks the last day of finals and the last day I was at my German university. Looking back at that day now, I remember the excitement and how much I was looking forward to come to Elon. Today, I could not feel prouder being part of Elon’s international community as well as of other clubs and organizations. Elon gave me a home far away from home and I know whenever I come back, it will always feel like that.” – ESB Business School Reutlingen, Germany.

: 252 – Doug Purnell, Database Architect – Faculty & Staff – “The public transit in Germany was amazing. From subways to buses, your options were endless when commuting through town. Left to right: Tucker Reilly, Will Biron, and Will Sadler.” Program: Great Composers of the World — in Munich, Germany.

: 128 – Robert House ’77 – Resilience – “Study Abroad – 1977 – England. On a bitterly cold day on Salisbury Plain, the Elon history group visited Stonehenge. This was the last year the public could walk among the stones of the monument and we had a detailed extensive tour. The poor guide misread his schedule and thought he was giving a talk to students of ETON College instead of ELON College.”

: 126 – Jesse Will Newman ’21 – Resilience – “I traveled to Berlin during my semester and had the opportunity to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This memorial is on a slope. As visitors walk through, their perspective of the cement slabs changes, leaving one to consider the overwhelming impact of the Holocaust as massive blocks (resembling coffins) tower overhead.” Program: CET Prague — in Berlin, Germany.

: 293 – Nan Yang ’20 – International Community -“Chinese New Year Meal” I invited Elon international students and local Chinese friends to an authentic Chinese meal to celebrate the Chinese New Year on Jan 25th 2020. ” Location: Burlington, North Carolina, USA

: 122 – Gillian Zankel ’22 – Resilience – “Lulambai was the first village health worker for the Comprehensive Rural Health Project who provided life-saving primary care to people in her village. She overcame immense adversity, oppression, and discrimination throughout her life, and still shares the most powerful smile. She educated herself with the help of CRHP and worked to empower others in her community. She continues to inspire other village health workers today, as well as all who work with CRHP to improve public health outcomes in Jamkhed.” Program/Location: Jamkhed, India

: 273 – Jack Norcross ’21 – Study USA – “Joe Biden speaks with students inside a cafeteria at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa as Elon Local News waits to ask the former Vice President a question.” – GBL 207 Iowa: The Trail Starts Here

: 119 – Macy Kaul ’21 – Resilience – “This photo was taken at the end of a difficult hike up to the top of a stunning waterfall. We had just heard the news that many study abroad sites were being shut down around the globe and we knew we would be getting word of the status of our program soon. This picture represents grit because in the midst of uncertainty and fear, I looked out over a beautiful landscape and did my Superman pose because I felt strong. I was ready to be knocked down and I was ready to fight.” – Iringa, Tanzania

: 153 – April Post – Elon Faculty – This was the first day in Havana, Cuba for the Periclean Scholars Class of 2020. The scholars and I had studied Cuba/US relations for 3 years and on this day we were exploring Havana Vieja (Old Havana) and learning about the history of the city. We got to meet Zenaida Iglesias who works with the Integral Development Group and interview her for our documentary project Sin Embargo: The Many Faces of Cuba which has been shared on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SinEmbargoStories/ – Havana, Cuba

: 32 – Albert Waters ’16 – Striking Scenes – “The Milky Way rises above the glow of the dinner fire in a rockshelter at the Spitzkloof site in the arid northwestern Namaqualand region of South Africa. The Spitzkloof site was once inhabited by Stone Age nomads who made temporary dwellings of these same shelters. This same scene would be very recognizable to them, many thousands of years ago. Shot on Sony a6400 with Sony 18-135mm lens.” – Namaqualand, South Africa

: 148 – Hana Sedivy ’21 – Global Engagement – “My class and I were in the midst of studying Muslim identity when our kind and brilliant interlocutors fed us biryani, among other dishes. Our interlocutors lived in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.” Program/Location:Madurai, Tamil Nadu (South India) India’s Identities

: 57 – Sophie Eng ’20 – Striking Scenes – “After climbing thousands of steps to the top of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to see the Yunnan Glacier, we trekked back to the bottom and took a moment to admire the beautiful scenery. From the crystal clear glacier water to the snow-capped mountains, it all looked like a real-life painting.” Program/Location: Lijiang, China WT China: The Flying Dragon

: 280 – Meagan Gitelman ’19 – Study USA – “I interned at AfterBuzz TV when I did Elon in LA the summer before my senior year in 2018. I was able to get to know my role model, AfterBuzz’s CEO Maria Menounos, and work on her Sirius XM show- this photo was taken when she let me cohost my senior year! Since graduating in 2019 I’ve been able to continue working as a host at the AfterBuzz networks while being mentored by Maria and her staff.” – Elon in LA

: 285 – Laura Rossi ’20 – Study USA – “‘Views from the office:’ window views from the very tip of my Financial District internship office, overlooking the edge of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.” Elon in New York City

: 203 – Jesse Newman ’21 – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – “While I studied at FAMU, the 5th oldest film school in the world, I had the pleasure of working with several extremely talented young women. Disappointingly, as of 2015, women make up only 4% of cinematographers in the American Society of Cinematographers. Filmmaking has always been a male-dominated industry. While progress has been made, there is a great deal of change necessary in moving to close this gender gap.” – CET Prague

: 213 – Albert Waters ’16 – alumni – “Setting up photo targets on the walls of a rockshelter at the Spitzkloof dig site in Namaqualand, South Africa. These targets were used to create a 3D photo-realistic model of the shelter to be presented at the Society for American Archaeology’s yearly meeting, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.” – Namaqualand, South Africa

: 198 – Zachary Charles’21- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – “Street art is a huge forum for expression in Córdoba, ranging from historical murals to militant veganism. The big black writing reads, in English, “Educate for freedom” and the small yellow to the left, “Your apathy. Your individuality. Your selfishness. Your indifference. Your discomfort.” Two messages left by two different hands that are inextricably tied. Indifference and apathy are enablers of persecution and segregation, crimes that have fo… See More — in Córdoba, Argentina.

: 291 – Andrew Sommer ’17 – International Community -“The Secret to Flight Don’t flap your wings so hard. It only exhausts you. Close your eyes. Lean into the currents, say yes. Let the wind raise you higher and higher. So easy. That’s what Eagles do. Oh, this is the secret to life as well.” – Kamal Ravikant” Location: Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

: 92 – Catherine Stallsmith ’22 – Striking Scenes – “Some of us opted to go for a sunrise hike one morning and enjoyed the beauty of the desert.” Program/Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA Arizona US/Mexico Borderlands: Culture, Environment & Immigration

: 78 – Becca Hurd ’16 – Striking Scenes – “This was taken on a hike in China. I caught a couple below taking wedding photos in truly the most beautiful place on earth I’d ever been. The climb was most definitely worth it.” Program/Location: Yangshou, China

: 6 – Carson White ’20 – Striking Scenes – “Sunrise at 19,000 feet” Program/Location: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania WT Tanzania: Wilderness Therapy

: 176 – Jesse Will Newman ’21 -Global Engagement – “One of the many joys of studying in a different country is meeting new people and learning from each other. This is Daniel, a Czech photography student who I shared an apartment with. He recently purchased a 35mm film camera and shot some of his first photographs on it with me. Throughout the semester, I had the opportunity learn from him as well as share my own knowledge and experience. It was a wonderfully collaborative relationship.” Program/Location: Prague, Czech Republic (shot in Česky Krumlov) CET Prague

: 247 – Rebecca Neiduski, Dean, School of Health Sciences – Faculty & Staff – “Who says therapy isn’t fun?! If your patient loves horror movies, you re-enact a scene right in the middle of therapy, and ask mom to join in the fun! Photo taken at the Moore Pediatric Center in Guatemala City, Guatemala during the October 2019 Guatemala Healing Hands Foundation Medical Mission. Photo permission granted by all persons photographed.” — in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

: 101 – Derek Dzinich ’20 – Resilience – “This photo was taken at an out of town performance of the Belgrade Philharmonic as part of my final journalism project for the SIT program. Additionally, this photo was taken with a 35mm camera on black and white film. In the photo, the viewer can see a violinist warming up before the concert at the synagogue. It was the expression on her face that led me submit this photo for the theme “resilience.” The life of a musician is often difficult, filled with years of practice and sometimes difficult living conditions. To me, it seemed like I could read those years of hard work on her face, yet I never got the impression that she had even the slightest intention of giving up.” – On SIT “Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans” in Novi Sad, Serbia.

: 114 – Billy Reynolds ’21 – Resilience – “Every face you see in Cambodia is a face of resilience. These grandmothers are smiling and ecstatically making a Cambodian dessert for a wedding. They have survived French Colonization and the Khmer Rouge, one of the darkest periods in human history.” Program/Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia

: 106 – Abby Gibbs ’21 – Resilience – Prague // Czech Republic “On the eve of the 30 year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, an estimated 200,000 Czechs of all ages gathered in Prague’s Letna Park to protest the anti-democratic policies and demand the resignation of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and President Miloš Zeman. The demonstrators (pictured) were members of the Milion chvilek pro demokracii, or a Million Moments for Democracy movement. This movement symbolizes resilience— a nation’s ability to fight even when corruption attempts to curtail democracy 30 years later.” Program/Location: CIEE Prague

: 213 – Kirsten Cusack ’18 – Alumni – “Locals patiently prepare an intricate alfombra on the busy cobblestone streets of Antigua, Guatemala. This vibrant carpet of sawdust will soon disappear in tradition under the forthcoming Semana Santa processions. ” Program/Location: Antigua, Guatemala Semester at Sea

: 52 – Natalie Salerno ’21 – Striking Scenes – “This photo was taken just as the sun was setting over the Sahara Desert. We all sat together, watching the beautiful colors stretch over the sandy hills. One photo could not encapsulate the raw and natural beauty of the desert; it was breathtaking.” Program/Location: Merzouga, Sahara Desert, Morocco SIT Multiculturalism and Human Rights

: 124 – Elli Knowlton ’22 – Resilience – “While visiting a heiau, a sacred site for Hawaiians, rays of sunlight brilliantly shone through the clouds above. This photo reminds me of the strength and resilience of the Native Hawaiian community and their fight to reclaim their culture and land. ” Program: GBL 206 Hawai’i: Nation or State? — at Hawaiian Islands.

: 179 – Nan Yang ’20 – Global Engagement – “‘How I am outside when COVID-19’ This global event – COVID-19 taught me how to take the responsibility to protect my communities.” Program/Location: Burlington, NC

: 172 – Gillian Zankel ’22 – Global Engagement – “I had the life-changing opportunity to engage in community-based participatory research within the villages around Jamkhed, India. Working with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project, we were welcomed into the home of villagers who shared their experiences with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in order to gage how well the public health model was working to improve community health outcomes. This experience proved to me that community-based public health work is definitely the path I am meant to be on.” Program/Location: Jamkhed, India Public Health Practicum

: 215 – Emily Buehler ’13 – Alumni – “After graduating from Elon, I taught English for two years in a small rural town in Hokkaido, Japan. One of my favorite memories was participating in the annual ‘mikoshi’ festival, an all-day event of carrying a shrine from one end of town to the other while chanting and making stops to eat and drink. I loved the strong sense of community pride I felt walking with my neighbors, students and co-workers during this festival.” – Akan, Japan

The full submission set can be viewed from nine Elon Global Facebook albums:

Learn more about the Elon Global photo and video contest.