Global Images: 2020 - Life at Colby - Colby College, Waterville, ME

Photo Contest 2020: winning photos from students abroad in 2019-20

Landscapes & Streetscapes

A landscape or streetscape that reveals or symbolizes your vision of the place you visited and provides a sense of the place in which it was taken. What about this image makes it meaningful for you?

“H’Mong Village in the Northern Vietnamese Mountains” by Hannah Richelieu ’21This woman’s portrait was taken on Fadiouth, a small island nestled in the coast of Senegal that is made of tiny clam shells that have been collected by the residents for hundreds of years, piling up to create the island. In her hand, the woman carries a hand broom, coming out of her compound to sweep the area outside. Even without proper waste management systems in place, female residents take pride in keeping their homes clean, but as is evident in the photo, the trash can pile up and consume a space, distracting from the beautiful history and current culture that is present on Fadiouth. (Joal-Fadiouth, Senegal) — **“H’Mong Village in the Northern Vietnamese Mountains” by Hannah Richelieu ’21**
This woman’s portrait was taken on Fadiouth, a small island nestled in the coast of Senegal that is made of tiny clam shells that have been collected by the residents for hundreds of years, piling up to create the island. In her hand, the woman carries a hand broom, coming out of her compound to sweep the area outside. Even without proper waste management systems in place, female residents take pride in keeping their homes clean, but as is evident in the photo, the trash can pile up and consume a space, distracting from the beautiful history and current culture that is present on Fadiouth. (Joal-Fadiouth, Senegal)

Portraits

A portrait of a person or group of people you encountered abroad. How did this encounter occur or what was your relationship with this person(s)? How does this portrait capture or illustrate, for you, the way of life or cultural context of the people among whom you lived during your studies abroad? What does it tell you about the people of this country?

“Shell Island” by Lena Hanschka ’21I took this image on my last day of case study interviews in the rural, H’Mong villages in northern Vietnam. We had hiked from our site in Lac Village for about 40 minutes to get to this village, and I remember being in awe as we arrived. Villagers came out to greet us, despite our unannounced arrival, and welcomed us inside of their modest homes to offer us herbal teas. By complete luck, I realized I had walked into the home of the village healer. Through translation, he told us stories of calling spirits back down to Earth to heal his fellow villagers and explained some of his most important rituals. Coming from the United States, which encourages the biomedical hegemony, I was amazed and grateful to have been gifted with his stories. For me, this photo captures the mystery, modesty, and beauty of the H’Mong village, and reminds me of the intense spirituality I experienced while there. (Mai Châu, Xã Pà Cò, Vietnam) — **“Shell Island” by Lena Hanschka ’21**
I took this image on my last day of case study interviews in the rural, H’Mong villages in northern Vietnam. We had hiked from our site in Lac Village for about 40 minutes to get to this village, and I remember being in awe as we arrived. Villagers came out to greet us, despite our unannounced arrival, and welcomed us inside of their modest homes to offer us herbal teas. By complete luck, I realized I had walked into the home of the village healer. Through translation, he told us stories of calling spirits back down to Earth to heal his fellow villagers and explained some of his most important rituals. Coming from the United States, which encourages the biomedical hegemony, I was amazed and grateful to have been gifted with his stories. For me, this photo captures the mystery, modesty, and beauty of the H’Mong village, and reminds me of the intense spirituality I experienced while there. (Mai Châu, Xã Pà Cò, Vietnam)

The Global Classroom

Select a photo which represents an academic aspect of your off-campus study experience, indicating the name and type of program on which you studied. The photo should:

Show a learning experience you had either in the classroom, during a course-related excursion, a cultural event/activity, or while engaging with local culture
Illustrate the process of learning (and how it may or may not be different than learning at Colby), or
Depicts a product, outcome or achievement which is a result of your academic experience

“Cricket Cricket” by Grace Horne ’21E.O. Wilson calls insects “The Little Things That Rule The World.” Yet, arthropods are often overlooked in favor of charismatic megafauna. Insects constitute a vital trophic link between plants and larger animals. This wide-eyed katydid, the armoured ground cricket, has a fascinating life history. Both sexes engage in reflex bleeding, a defensive process whereby the insect hemorrhages a distasteful liquid to dissuade would be predators. Round River Conservation Studies encourages students to explore the floral and faunal worlds around them in myriad ways, emphasizing how we can learn about people and the environment through the species we interact with on a daily basis. (NG41 Mababe, Botswana) — **“Cricket Cricket” by Grace Horne ’21**
E.O. Wilson calls insects “The Little Things That Rule The World.” Yet, arthropods are often overlooked in favor of charismatic megafauna. Insects constitute a vital trophic link between plants and larger animals. This wide-eyed katydid, the armoured ground cricket, has a fascinating life history. Both sexes engage in reflex bleeding, a defensive process whereby the insect hemorrhages a distasteful liquid to dissuade would be predators. Round River Conservation Studies encourages students to explore the floral and faunal worlds around them in myriad ways, emphasizing how we can learn about people and the environment through the species we interact with on a daily basis. (NG41 Mababe, Botswana)

Environment

A landscape or streetscape that reveals or symbolizes your vision of the place you visited and provides a sense of the place in which it was taken. What about this image makes it meaningful for you?