AUIP Photo Contest 2016: “Walk a Mile in Another’s Shoes”

Announcing
the 2016 AUIP Photo Contest

This year’s theme is “Walk a Mile in Another’s Shoes.”

AUIP’s mission is to “promote international cooperation and understanding by providing opportunities for Americans to experience first-hand the cultures and environments of the Oceania region.”

Studying abroad can be both eye opening and challenging, especially as many AUIP students are leaving the United States for the first time. The phrase “walk a mile in another’s shoes” refers to trying to understand another person’s perspective prior to passing judgment, something important to keep in mind when faced with new experiences.

The full idiom, “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes,” often incorrectly attributed to a Native American saying, is derived from an 1895 poem written by Mary T. Lathrap titled, Judge Softly:

Just walk a mile in his moccasins
before you abuse, criticize and accuse.
If just for one hour, you could find a way
to see through his eyes, instead of your own muse.

(Click the title for the full text.)

A survivor of the American Civil War, Lathrap was ahead of her time in many ways, such as writing for the local papers and sympathizing with people not of her race or socio-economic standing.

Taking her example as inspiration, AUIP encourages program alumni to submit photos in these two categories:

In Another’s Shoes (people)
Walk a Mile (places)

The 2016 AUIP Photo Contest opens August 1, and AUIP encourages all program alumni to enter photos by August 31 in accordance with the contest details and rules as follows:

Eligibility

The 2016 AUIP Photo Contest is open to everyone who has studied abroad on an AUIP program. Alumni who entered previous AUIP photo contests are eligible to enter again this year with new photos never previously submitted for an AUIP contest.

Rules

Photo submissions must be the entrant’s original work. Photos must have been taken abroad during an AUIP program. The contest contains two categories: In Another’s Shoes and Walk a Mile. Each entrant is limited to entering one photo in each category (i.e. one photo for In Another’s Shoes and one photo for Walk a Mile). AUIP reserves the right to exclude any photos it deems to be inappropriate. All photos submitted can be used by AUIP in a number of places in the future, including the AUIP website, posters, and slide shows. All photos must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

Submission

Two Categories:

In Another’s Shoes: photographs that feature people, the human experience, or viewing the world through someone else’s lens (NOTE: feet & shoes do not need to be focal points)

Walk a Mile: photographs that feature the landscape of the countries visited via an AUIP program (Antarctica, Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand) (NOTE: roads and feet do not need to be focal points)

Review the contest rules outlined above, and then upload a photo to the AUIP Facebook page (@AUIPStudyAbroad), tweet at AUIP’s Twitter account (@AUIPStudyAbroad), or tag AUIP’s Instagram account (@AUIPStudyAbroad), using the hashtag #AUIPWalkAMile. Where possible (Facebook & Instagram), include a caption with: the category being entered, photo title, your name, AUIP program and year, and your home university.

Caption example: Walk a Mile, Mt. Cook at Sunrise, Jane Smith, New Zealand Sustainability 2016, Frostburg State University.

Judging & Awards

Awards will be given for first, second, and third places, as well as People’s Choice Awards in both categories, In Another’s Shoes and Walk a Mile. For the People’s Choice Awards, the photo in each category with the most “likes” will win the prize. Entrants are encouraged to have friends and family “like” their entered photo(s) to increase the chances of winning this award. The photo contest coordinator will count the total number of “likes” for each photo entered on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. EST to determine the People’s Choice winners.

All winners will be announced on Monday, September 12, 2016.

A panel of judges will be appointed by the photo contest coordinator to evaluate photo submissions according to the following criteria: (1) originality, (2) creativity, (3) impact, and (4) artistic merit.

Prizes

The following prizes will be provided to each category (In Another’s Shoes and Walk a Mile):

First Place: $250USD STA Travel flight voucher donated by Dolphin Encounter in New Zealand, Stonestreets Coaches in Australia, and STA Travel