By Andrea Fernandes
Features Editor
For the past few weeks, the Bona community has been forced to deal with an overload of snow and undesirable temperatures. However, an upcoming photography contest in honor of continuing Thomas Merton’s 100th birthday celebration will encourage students to take advantage of the weather.
Merton loved all that nature had to offer year-round. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to do the same. Students tend to get involved outdoors only during the warmer seasons. Kevin Vogel, a biology professor, suggests that since a majority of the time students spend on campus is in the cold wintery weather, they should get outside and make the best of it.
To enter the contest, students simply have to capture the beauty of campus. The idea is to get people outdoors so that they can see and appreciate the beauty of winter, especially on campus, Vogel said. There will be prizes for those who have the best pictures. The students who do not win first or second place will still have to chance to enjoy their masterpieces displayed on campus.
“The campus ought to think about a four-season approach to recreation,” Vogel said. “We want to promote winter as a season everyone should appreciate.”
Students can take up to three pictures of winter beauty on campus, upload them to Twitter and hashtag “bonabeauty.” Vogel and a group of 10 students and faculty will vote on their favorite pictures before the midterm break. During the break, the winning pictures will be hung up in the walkway between De La Roche and Walsh. When students get back on campus after break, they’ll be able to see the winning pictures. They will then be able to vote for their favorite picture. According to Vogel, directions for voting will be displayed near the photographs. The student whose picture gets the most votes will win a tablet. The second prize will be a “Fair Trade” item that has not been decided yet. Students have until Sunday, March 1 to take and upload their pictures.
“We want the pictures to come from a wooded area,” Vogel said. “The pictures should be submitted with a caption or title, along with where exactly on campus the picture was taken.”
Vogel added that students should avoid taking pictures of buildings and selfies with a winter background. There are plenty of places where students can take more creative pictures, such as the Allegany River Trail.
fernanal13@bonaventure.edu
