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| THIRD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
ESSAY CONTEST |
This spring, the International Committee of
the Alumni Association
Board held their third annual photo/essay contest to encourage
alumni living abroad and those who have spent time abroad
to share their intercultural experiences. The theme of this
year's contest was humor. This year's judges' panel included
Professors Dave Mason, Ruth Kolarik, Marianna McJimsey and
award-winning photographer David Burnett '68 and writer/photographer,
Steven Trimble '72, as well as last year's winners Ethan Huff
'96 and Georgianne Preskar Rollman '73.
The winners received $100 gift certificates to CC's online
bookstore. For those of you who missed this year's contest,
watch for our next one which will be announced in early 2004!
Ann Pfeiffenberger, '83
International Committee, Alumni Association Board |
The winning essay:
Karin Bazant Johnson '95 - Germany
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Second Hand Rose?
It was my junior year at C.C., and I had decided to study
abroad in Germany on the Luneburg program. So now I was in
the heart of Luneburg, exploring the winding medieval streets,
and acquainting myself with the town layout and shops. At
that point, my German language skills were still pretty rudimentary,
and communication involved a lot of smiling and gesturing.
This didn't seem to be a problem, though, and I happily browsed
my way through the cobbled alleys, listening to my Walkman,
passing in and out of the shops, smiling and "Guten Tag-ing."
Eventually, I came to a shop whose storefront display caught
my eye. There was a beautiful dress hanging in the window,
and I could see that there were racks of second hand clothing
further on in the shop. I couldn't resist, and went in to
see if I could find anything to add to my wardrobe. After
a short while, a clerk approached me and said something. I
had my headphones over my ears, and with my fledgling German
was still reluctant to engage in much interchange. I smiled
and nodded, responded with a "Guten Tag," and returned
to perusing the racks.
The clerk, however, didn't leave. I glanced at him again,
smiled, and kept on looking through the clothes. That didn't
satisfy him, though and I noticed that he was still standing
there and was apparently trying to communicate something beyond
a greeting to me. A sale? Special offer? I took off my headphones
and resigned myself to trying to use my newly acquired German.
The poor man kept on talking at me, and it was only when he
pointed out the steam cleaners and irons in the back that
I finally understood. I was in a dry-cleaner's, pawing through
other people's cleaned clothing, and not a second hand store!
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The
winning photo
Jonathan DuPont '90 - China
During our apartment
hunting in Taipei, Taiwan, my wife and I came across
this banner. Taiwan is encouraging Taiwanese to become better
in English.
Mandarin Chinese is the dominant language. Upon seeing the
sign, I
immediately called the number, after all it is in English.
We now live in a
wild fourth floor apartment only a block away from our teaching
jobs at
Taipei American School.
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