Summer 2024 Bing Overseas Studies Photo Contest Winners

Photo Contest Winners, from top

1. Jizo by Katrina Liou

Academic Pursuit Winner. Japan Seminar 2024 "This is a photo of Japanese Jizo, which is a deity who protects the souls of children who had passed too early or were unborn babies. This was a really meaningful part of the trip because these statues were a physical representation of our new understanding of how religion and spirituality plays a role in medicine, neuroethics, and healthy policy in Japan."

2. Floating Lights by Katrina Liou

Photo Favorite Winner. Japan Seminar 2024 "This is a photo from our trip to the Team Lab Borderless art exhibition. This was my favorite experience on the trip because of how beautiful and immersive the interactive art pieces were. The visuals made us contemplate what brain death would look like visually, and they ultimately expanded our understanding of neuroethics in a unexpected and untraditional way though art."

3. The Titan by Joseph Civantos

Bing Trips Winner. Japan Seminar 2024 "This is at Todaiji, a Japanese temple in Nara which is the largest wooden building in the world. As I was approaching the temple during a BOSP program outing, I was upset about the rain until I realized that the cloudy skies made the temple stand out strikingly, like a titan of ancient myths gazing down on the earth. To the titan, we are all just mortals, it was there before we were born, and it will be there after we die."

4. Act of Sankofa by Amari Porter

Bing Trips Runner Up. Ghana Seminar 2024 "Murals light up the busy streets of Osu, with resonant themes painted with vibrant colors. As I took this from the window of an Uber ride, this man wanted to make sure he did not photobomb me. But, he did exactly that. And more. He jogs to the side of the mural where his ancestors are illustrated enduring the tortures of Transatlantic Slave Trade. Their resilience and strength painted to not be forgotten. Their bright clothes are saturated to represent beauty despite pain. The man runs back. He goes back, and gets it. He is Sankofa, the act of going back to your roots and reclaiming them."

5. Ganesh Festival at Sunset by Malina Calarco

Cultures, Customs, & Traditions Winner. India Seminar 2024 "My favorite day of the BOSP India program was one we spent in Mumbai, which aligned with a Hindu festival celebrating the god Ganesha. To witness the festival, we made our way through the huge crowd on the beach, where we watched the immersion of dozens of Ganesha statues into the Indian Ocean (as shown in the picture). The atmosphere felt so warm and welcoming; locals struck up conversations with us and even invited us to participate in their religious traditions. That evening, we spent hours dancing with a local community as they celebrated the festival, throwing red gulal powder into the air. It was a beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll never forget!"

6. Sharing is Caring by Anna Edmonds

Cultures, Customs, & Traditions Runner Up. India Seminar 2024 "This photo captures a vivid moment at a bustling fish market in Mumbai, India. A woman, dressed in a vibrant sari, is selling shrimp from her small, isolated stall, separate from the other vendors. What struck me most was the duality of her actions—while loudly calling out to customers to purchase her shrimp, she was simultaneously tossing pieces to a cat at her feet. The contrast between her fierce determination to make a sale and her quiet care for the cat was touching, reflecting the balance between survival and kindness. It reminded me of the idea that "sharing is caring," as even in a challenging environment, she found a way to share what little she had with another living being. This experience reflected the interconnectedness of people, animals, and livelihoods in ways that transcend cultural boundaries and economic struggles."

7. Garden Alleys of Seoul by Carissa Cheng

Urban Natural World Winner. South Korea Seminar 2024 "We went on a walking tour near the Gyeongbokgung Palace to see how older architectural remains of Seoul are hidden and integrated within the dazzle of its hypermodern urban landscape. My favorite moment was exploring these traditional alleyways, where residents tend small gardens which incorporate old stone floor heating slabs which used to keep homes warm in the winter before heaters were commonplace. There is a remarkable sense of peace and natural beauty in the most unexpected place, the heart of bustling Seoul."

8. 900 Steps to the Top by Kohi Kalandarova

Urban Natural World Runner Up. Jordan Seminar 2024 "This was taken during our trip to Petra where some of us chose to hike up around 900 steps to the Monastery. On the way we passed a bunch of stands selling various objects and people offering us rides to the top. It was an interesting experience and the scenery was beautiful."