Magazine

I went to Milford Sound the weekend before I flew home early due to COVID, and had the usually bustling tourist attraction completely to myself. It felt cinematic, to say the least.Juliana Goldman ’21

In early 2020, due to the rapidly changing, unprecedented global situation surrounding COVID-19, 118 St. Olaf students who were participating in international and off-campus study programs at locations around the world were recalled to the United States. Students studying in countries affected by the early wave of COVID-19 outbreaks had already returned to campus. Most of the remaining students began the process of coming home, with International and Off-Campus Studies staff offering comprehensive virtual advising to each student. A few intrepid travelers completed their semesters abroad.

“It was a disappointing time for students who had saved and dreamed of international and off-campus study experiences, only to defer their plans due to health concerns and travel restrictions,” notes Jodi Malmgren ’92, director of International and Off-Campus Studies.
Although their programs were interrupted, these students, like so many Oles before them, took the time to document their experiences through photography and personal reflection. Many submitted their photography for the annual Gimse International and Off-Campus Studies Photo Contest, now in its 38th year. Eligibility to submit entries to the photo contest was expanded to include experiences by students taking St. Olaf courses remotely during the pandemic.

These haunting images were captured by students studying in Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, New Zealand, and Spain, and in California and Minnesota.

Sunrise in Wanaka, after an 11-mile, 3 a.m. hike.Juliana Goldman ’21

Ascending Roy’s Peak Trail, a difficult, 10-mile hike through the clouds, stellar views from the ridgeline take in most of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding peaks as hikers cross through yards of cows and sheep. The clouds part at the peak, opening up a 360-degree panoramic view of the remarkable landscape.Morgan Marxer ’21

After our first segment at the Oregon Extension, we took a backpacking trip to Lassen National Park. We were completely isolated for most of the trip and were rewarded with stunning views at every turn.Anna Leikvold ’21

After I was sent home from my study abroad program in Copenhagen, I had to quarantine in my basement. My sister woke up at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise with me, at a distance. It was a quiet, peaceful moment after the chaos of getting sent home.Tayler Paulsen ’21

We stopped at the Twelve Apostles on our way to Phillip Island and spent a mere snapshot of time with these great pieces of earth before moving along. Once there were twelve. We only saw eight. The ocean hammers away slowly and soon they will be no more.Marcel Hones ’21

The ocean was cold and harsh, the sea lions called out, and we watched, quietly.Marcel Hones ’21

This was taken after a hike down the mountain to catch a better view of the famous bridge in Ronda, El Puente Nuevo. I decided to take this iconic picture of the bridge with a twist by playing with the focus. I wanted it to be focused on the dandelion but still be able to make out the iconic bridge, allowing both the old and the new to coexist.Alexandra Smith ’21

A male lyrebird with its huge tail fanned out, sings at the top of its lungs and dances to attract the attention of potential mates. Lyrebirds are infamous for their mimicry abilities. Catch them singing songs of other birds or mimicking a loud chainsaw — the skies the limit for them (not really … they are ground-dwelling birds)!Yi Wynn Chan ’22

The South Island Takahē, New Zealand’s bulky flightless bird, was thought to be extinct in the early 20th century. They were rediscovered in 1948 in an isolated valley in the Murchison Mountains. It is believed that the Takahē retreated to these mountains as a result of their habitats disappearing and invasive predators encroaching. However, life in the mountain ranges was far from suitable for such a bird. Because they had nowhere else to go, some of the Takahē blundered in deep snow and died of frost.Yi Wynn Chan ’22

One of many street cats in downtown Cairo relaxing in the shade of the campus center at Tahrir Square.Adele Raymer ’22

An unlabeled artifact is prepared to be moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza.Adele Raymer ’22

An exquisite stairway alongside a hilly road in Poros.Emily Borkowski ’21

Street art found in Valencia. Eres Mi Mejor Amiga translates to  “You Are My Best Friend.”Emily Borkowski ’21

The sun sets behind my roommate as she does her homework by the warm glow of her lamp.Tayler Paulsen ’21

A swan floats peacefully on the water in Copenhagen.Emily Borkowski ’21

A lonely Wanaka tree.Grace Lanasa ’21

The year 2020 was the year of seeing double. It started off as a year of reflection for me, and that’s probably what started my passion for reflection photography. Although this picture was taken after it had rained, it was still like the calm before the storm as it was the last day before Seville shut down due to COVID, a very bittersweet moment. It was recently built (2011) and doesn’t quite fit the rest of the historical buildings in Seville, although ancient Roman ruins were discovered beneath it.Alexandra Smith ’21

At this premier hiking destination on the South Island of New Zealand, pools of mirror-like water reflect the nearby Mount Sefton and Mount Cook. The challenging Sealy Tarns track consists of staircases rising to 1,795 feet of elevation change, a seven-hour round-trip hike for far-reaching views over Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and the Southern Alps.Morgan Marxer ’21

Sea-carved sandstone cliffs, rock arches, and caves make this a unique part of Dunedin.Grace Lanasa ’21

Shoes along the Danube serve as a memorial that honors the thousands of people who were executed on the river’s bank in WWII. They were told to remove their shoes and stand at the edge of the river, and were shot so that their bodies fell into the water.Chloe Hanstra ’21

While backpacking, our group came across this majestic dead tree that stood tall over the rocky landscape.Anna Leikvold ’21

Box for offerings near the entrance to the A’mr ibn Al-A’as Mosque in Old Cairo.Adele Raymer ’22

As we went out whale watching, I was excited to capture photographs of the whales, only to realize that I would just be taking photographs of their tails as they descended to the depths of the ocean. I was lucky enough to chance on these dolphins synchronously jumping out of the water. Little did I know, these playful dusky dolphins put on a performance for us! The experiences reminded me that opportunities are everywhere — that they may just be hidden and not what they may first seem to be on the surface. Sometimes, all it takes is an open mind, and perhaps a glimpse on the other side of the boat!Yi Wynn Chan ’22