Study Abroad Photos on Display at Global Campus

Peace in Paris by Jisoo Bae

Ripple and Reflection by Carolina Ferriera

Opera at Night by Chris Ryan

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A display of winning photographs from the 2009 contest sponsored by the Study Abroad Student Association at the University of Arkansas will open Monday, April 5, in the lobby gallery of the Global Campus at 2 E. Center St., on the historic downtown Fayetteville square.

Visitors can view the three winning photos and 24 notable entries from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout April. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Officers of the student association selected winning photos taken by students who studied abroad within the past two years, and winners were announced Nov. 20, during the annual International Education Week. Contestants were encouraged to capture all or a part of their study abroad experience through photography, and judges considered subject matter, technical quality and photographers’ written descriptions. The Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange at the University of Arkansas supports this annual event and the photo contest.

Jisoo Bae, an international business and Spanish major, captured first place with her photo of an architectural object near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Bae studied in Alicante, Spain, in fall 2009.

“As I was getting closer to the Eiffel Tower, I found an architectural work that had the word ‘Peace’ in different languages, and it happened to have the words which fit perfectly with the order of languages that I have learned,” Bae said in describing her photo. “My native language is Korean, and I learned English when I moved to United States when I was 11 years old. Now, I am learning Spanish, traveling around Europe. I thought it was a perfect illustration of my life at this point.”

Carolina Ferreira, a Spanish major, won second place for her photograph taken of a pond at the gardens of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The palace is famous for its Islamic architecture and Moorish history. She studied in Madrid, Spain, in summer 2009.

“My favorite part of this photo is the ripples in the water from the fish,” Ferreira said. “It reveals exactly what photography does to the world: replicates and distorts.”

Chris Ryan, a biology/pre-med major, won third place for his photo of the Sydney Opera House. Ryan studied at Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia, in fall 2009.

“Uniqueness permeates the country and the people, and is unmistakable,” Ryan said in describing his photo. “It is a continent of spectacular, original beauty and home to one of the most diverse cultures in the world.”

Hundreds of University of Arkansas students study abroad every year in Latin America, Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand through programs offered by the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange. More information about programs and scholarships is available at 479-575-7582 or on the Study Abroad Web site.