All around campus, I hear muffled noises that can be identified as foreign places – “Greece…Budapest…Ecuador…Croatia…Thailand…” – you get the idea. Oles who recently returned from an Interim or semester abroad are still chattering about their indescribably amazing times (rightfully so).
It seems every time I open my Facebook News Feed, I find more photos in an album titled in this format: inside joke, colon, destination and year. While socializing and social networking is a great way to reminisce, a more productive way to express sentiments about your abroad experiences might be to enter St. Olaf’s photo and literary contests.
As an avid writer, I encourage you to apply to the literary contest. This year’s contest is in its 12th consecutive year, and accepts entries in any form. For example, the application mentions short stories, poems, journal entries or essays. If you are either extremely motivated or have a copious amount of time on your hands, you can enter a maximum of three pieces, each one 700 words or less.
We all know the American tourist prototype: an exhausted-looking, inappropriately-dressed-for-the-weather, camera clasping person who may or may not have a fanny pack on. If nothing else, at least this look ensures that nearly every student has a plethora of pictures to fondly remember their trip by. But, these treasured photos may be good for more than simply googling at when bored. They can serve as entries for the Gimse Photo Contest here on campus! Each student is allowed to submit up to five photos, so choose wisely.
Entry forms for both contests can be found in the Office of International and Off-Campus Studies in Tomson Hall, on their website, or by e-mailing Jodi Moen at moenj@stolaf.edu.
For inspiration, you can visit the website of last year’s photocontest at: http://www.stolaf.edu/international/photocontest/2010photocontestwinner/index.htm
and read the winning entries of the 2010 literary contest at: http://www.stolaf.edu/international/literarycontest/2010literarycontestwinners/2010index.html.
The deadline for these contests is coming up fast, so don’t delay. Photo contest submissions are due Monday, March 7, and the literary entries a week later on Monday, March 14. Good luck and happy writing and photo picking!