• This photo was taken in Glasgow, Scotland. Ashton Lane is a famous street near the University that locals go to all the time. I took this of my friend Clara when she was walking in front of me to capture the surreal beauty of this place and my adventures in Scotland.
    2017 Wang Center Photo & Video ContestSee the world from the viewpoint of PLU students through an interactive map of our contest winners.

Images From Around the World

Every year, hundreds of Lutes study away throughout the world in places like Neah Bay, Norway, Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, and Trinidad. As students return to campus and reflect on their time away, the Wang Center accepts photo submissions in our annual contest to showcase the value of global education.

The 12 winning photos from the 2017 Photo Contest are on display in the Anderson University Center. We hope you’ll take the opportunity to view these amazing scenes and learn more about the places our students have visited during their study away journeys!

Yasmine Haro’s photo, “Ashton Lane,” was awarded as the Wang Center Staff Pick.  The photo is on display in the Wang Center.  Come check it out!

You can see all of the winners through the interactive map of our 2017 contest winners.

Don’t miss Jesse Kenduck’s winning video, “Antarctica January 2017”!

Study Away Photo Contest & Video Contest 2017

The 2017 contest ended on Feb. 24th. The 2017 winning photos are on display in the AUC for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Wang Center’s staff pick can be viewed at the Wang Center.

Winning photos receive awards valued up to $50 and the winning video is awarded $200. Student photographers may enter 1 photo per category and student videographers may enter 1 video. Read the 2017 Study Away Photo & Video Contest Guidelines for details about the annual contest.

Videographers should check out PLU Marketing & Communications video tips for the traveling student or Denae McGaha’s ’16 travel video tips.

2016 Photo Contest Winners
  • We came, we saw, we loved. Standing atop of the ledge, we had the most incredible view of the entire city of Rome, from the Colosseum to the Altare della Patria. That day we wandered through the cobble stone streets eating our favorite gelato, excited for all the new things we might encounter. In just a few short weeks, this once unfamiliar place became our second home—we felt like a part of this great city.
    Wang Center Staff Pick – Vi Phung – Rome, Italy
  • While on a walking tour through the city a group of lutes found a book store and had to stop. The students wandered through endless aisles of books written in Spanish by Latin American authors and dreamed of the possibilities that could be found within. Even with all the excitement of traveling to a foreign land these lutes never lost their love for learning through a good book.
    1st Place – Global Classroom – Jennie Shockley – Montevideo, Uruguay
  • On the last full day of our trip a group of us decided to wake up early and snowshoe up a trail to see the village from a distance. Outdoor activities are a large part of the culture at Holden so we wanted to be sure we experienced a meaningful one. As we sat in the snow waiting for the sun to rise, we noticed a beam of constant light shining. It was a work light that stays on 24/7. This light reminded us of the topics we discussed in class including the conflict Holden faces because of their required interaction with a company that is tasked with cleaning up the old mine pollution. The main conflict stems from the fact that one of Holden's core values is being environmentally friendly and yet the company has no incentive to complete their work in such a manner
    2nd Place – Global Classroom – Victoria Sondall – Holden Village, Wash.
  • This photo is taken at one of the more successful wineries in the region. We visited this winery to learn about the wine making process, the economics behind the wine industry, and how the weather can influence the wine making process. The wine industry in Italy is so large and important that the government classifies wine into different categories. Wines with more prestigious categories are seen as more special and tend to have higher prices because they are more sought after. Many people have a hard time deciphering between wines in different categories but will still justify paying more for the higher distinction. This region of Italy has received very little snowfall this year which will have an impact on the harvest. It was also interesting to compare this winery to one we visited in Cinque Terre because the geography is so different. Geography plays a large role in how grapes are grown and harvested which ultimately influences things like supply and price.
    3rd Place – Global Classroom – Anna Jessen – Lasino, Italy
  • In the Galápagos, there are many islands that have marine iguanas scattered along the shore. Where the photo was taken, Punta Espinosa on Fernandina we had the pleasure of seeing what we dubbed as "lizard city." There was a group of three marine iguanas that we saw hanging in the sun, they looked like they were the best of friends, and so to prove that we were all great friends as well we decided to grab the gusto and join them in their morning sunbathing. Nailed it!
    1st Place – Lutes Away – Quoc Bau Huynh – Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
  • Here a majority of the class has gone off together to explore Ala Moana Bay. Earlier that day we had been at the Honolulu Art Museum studying the art of Buddhism. We viewed many statues of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and learned what their purpose is, as well as what symbolism they hold.
    2nd Place — Lutes Away – Emily White – Ala Moana Bay, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • For ten days our J-term course lived on the grounds of the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), where every day we volunteered to care for, and learn from, the animals for whom this place was home. UWEC is a cross between a wildlife refuge or sanctuary, and a zoo. All of the animals there are creatures from Uganda, like the cheetah in this photo. They were often orphans, like this young cheetah, whose parents had been killed by hunters. Every day, we cleaned cages, supplied food, and generally cared for the animals. More than that, we had amazing interactions with the creatures of UWEC: elephants, some 50 abandoned chimpanzees, two enormous and impressive rhinos, African grey parrots, even a very friendly giraffe. We learned first had from these animals about the increasingly imperiled circumstances of wildlife in Africa. Here, Peyton Schimdt-Teague is taking one of the two young cheetahs at UWEC for its daily walk. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on earth, and need exercise. Notice that they are walking outside the enclosures, on one of the roads through UWEC, and a zookeeper keeps a watchful eye on things. Through such close interactions, we gained an intimate knowledge of them as living creatures—their emotions, their intelligences, even personalities. We learned that each of these animals is a unique individual, and we grew very attached to these incredible African creatures.
    3rd Place – Lutes Away – Charles Bergman – Uganda Wildlife Education Center, Entebbe, Ugandas
  • On el día de los muertos my host mom invited me to her family’s celebration at the gravesite of her parents. The girl in the picture is her niece, who was directing the entire family on where to place marigold flowers and other decorations. The care and precision that she and her cousins showed decorating their grandparents’ graves was impressive. The mood was festive and bright, and I felt really lucky to have been invited into this remembrance for those who have passed, celebrated by those who are just beginning in life.
    1st Place –People & Culture – Maddie Smith – Oaxaca de Juárez, México
  • Christianity has a long tradition in Ethiopia, where it was established as the state religion in the fourth century CE. At the hilltop monastery of Panteleon above the city of Aksum, Abba GebreTsion Haile displays a centuries year old illuminated manuscript of the Gospels written in Ge’ez. Aksum is one of the holy cities of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and is believed to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.
    2nd Place — People & Culture – Megan Wonderly – Aksum, Ethiopia
  • During the hustle and bustle in the heart of Chengdu, you still see intimate moments between friends. I found that the people of China can be so inviting and willing to help. I thought this photo really showed the good natured spirit of the people we met during our study away experience.
    3rd Place – People & Culture – Erica Moen – Chengdu, China
  • Blue fog is a phenomenon that occurs sometimes in the Cascades during the winter. This photo was taken through prayer flags hanging over the porch of my Chalet, looking toward the center of Holden Village.
    1st Place – Scenes from Around the World – Maria Everett – Holden Village, Wash.
  • This photo was taken from the top of the mountain which overlooks the Leshan Giant Buddha, built during the Tang Dynasty. Just beyond Buddha’s face is the long trek down the mountain to the base of the Buddha, occupied by many visitors. Just beyond this, is the marvelous view of Leshan city that the Buddha oversees.
    2nd Place – Scenes from Around the World – Amanda Lutsock – Chengdu, China
  • The red-footed booby is found almost exclusively on Genovesa Island in the Galápagos, to the northeast of the rest of the archipelago. Boobies raise a single chick at any given time, and breed all year round. This breeding strategy, as well as the vulnerable placement of the nest in a low bush, is effective only because there are no native land-dwelling predators in the Galápagos. The parent is protective of its young, but shows little fear of me. This species, and its evolutionary adaptation to its ecological niche, will long outlast any threat I could possibly pose.
    3rd Place – Scenes from Around the World – Emily Steelquist – Genovesa Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
2015 Photo Contest Winners
2014 Photo Contest Winners
2013 Photo Contest Winners
2012 Photo Contest Winners