And the winners of the 2008 WIL Photo Contest are…

And the winners are…

First Place: Gala Milne

When Gala received her award and recognition of first place in the WIL Photo Contest, she was truly stunned. Having submitted her photo of Yabuli Sun Mountain ski resort’s groundbreaking ceremony in Northeast China on the final day of submissions, Gala didn’t really think about the chance of her winning. “I knew there would be a lot of competition and knew I entered the contest very late.” Despite her worries, Gala’s picture won first place among 260 submissions.

The winning photo depicts Chinese workers dissembling construction that took two weeks to prepare for the 20 minute opening ceremony in the late morning. Gala was in China on a self-directed international Co-op work term having heard from her brother-in-law that there was an opportunity to teach English to the mountain resort’s staff.

As first prize winner, Gala has the option between a Nikon Digital camera or a $1,400 Gift Certificate from SFU Microstore. When asked which one she will choose, Gala laughed, “I will probably take the camera and learn how to use it since I don’t really know how to take pictures.” For not knowing how, Gala has done well as she walks away with first prize.

Second Place: Cedric Yu

While on a half vacation and half volunteering trip in Laos, Cedric Yu became the unofficial photographer among his group of friends. The group headed to Luang Pra Bang to bring textbooks and other donated items to the monastery and then stayed to help set up a library. Education is hard to come by in the small country of Laos and those with the opportunity to study, study hard. The second place picture shows monks studying English in a small classroom late in the evening.

Cedric took it as a way to capture part of his journey and experience in the area. Cedric had not taken part in the contest before, and when he saw it on a promotional poster, decided to submit his brightly coloured and mystical photo. Cedric wins a Dell 24-inch widescreen flat LCD monitor or a $700.00 Gift Certificate from SFU Microstore.

Five other photographers made it to the final round of the contest and received an 8GB iPod nano.

The Honorable Mentions are:

WIL Fraser in the Workplace: Nathan Meszaros
 
Careers: Joshua Weissbock

Community Engagement: Emmanuel Krebs

Co-op Experience: Daphne Nieh

International Adventure: Daniel Shu

This year marks a change in the contest as it was open to all SFU students. SFU students responded, with 260 submissions representing each faculty. According to the judges (listed below), the results of opening the submissions to all students was an increase in perspective not seen prior. Judges also commended students on their creative submissions in terms of artistic merits across the categories. In particular, the seven finalists had unique and diverse perspectives and interpretations of the categories. For example, Joshua Weissbock’s photo depicting military training in Quebec under the career category gave a glimpse of what careers students are choosing, a career not seen previously in Co-op work terms.

The images will be used in print and web promotional material for WIL services, showcasing the experiences available for students taking part in the many WIL programs offered. Thank you to all the participants, staff, judges and sponsors who made the contest possible.

Tidbits

Sponsors:
Platinum:CGA Certified General Accountants Association of BC
Gold: SFU Microstore
Gold: SFU Document Solutions

Submissions from each Faculty:
Applied Sciences: 102
Arts & Social Sciences: 86
Business Administration: 37
Education: 4
Health Sciences: 1
Science: 33

Judges:
Jerrick Barroso: Coordinator, Partners in Employment Program, Certified General Accountants Association of B.C.
Raj Nadrajan: Director, SFU Document Solutions
Greg Ehlers: SFU Photographer, SFU Media Design
Steve Ray: Manager - Web Strategy, SFU Public Affairs & Media Relations
Nancy Johnston: Senior Director, SFU Learning & Retention, Student Services
Muriel Klemetski: Director, SFU Work Integrated Learning
Tony Botelho: Associate Director, SFU Career Services
Trina Isakson: Coordinator, SFU Volunteer Services and Service Learning
Amy Lee: International Co-op Coordinator
Jessica Doherty: Volunteer Services Co-op Student Assistant, SFU Volunteer Services
John Grant: Marketing & Communications Coordinator, SFU Work Integrated Learning
Jonathan Bantados: Marketing & Communications Co-op Student Assistant, SFU Work Integrated Learning