Leaders of the eclectic CC FLASH Photography Club have assembled a classy gathering for the “Great Gatsby” themed Fourth Annual Winter Photo Gala.
The gala will take place on Dec. 5 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Gates Commons, on the third floor of Palmer Hall. Students participating in the contest submitted pieces by Nov. 28 for “The Road Less Traveled” competition.
Senior economics major, Monica Mueller, and junior pre-med biology major, Lucy Sudekum, took on this three-block endeavor as the managers of the club.
“Photography Club is challenging you to capture all the new roads we pave as students,” according to the club’s Facebook publicity.
Sudekum said, “We want students to interpret [the theme] in their own way. Any student can submit up to three photos and there will be voting for the best photo as well as other categories.”
The finalists’ pieces will be displayed at the gala for students, faculty, and community members to peruse while they also enjoy a featured student band, classy hors d’oeuvre, and elegant libations as well as non-alcoholic drinks.
Gala attendees will cast their votes at the event. Once the votes are tallied, student photographers will potentially receive flashy prizes including lomography cameras, fisheye cameras, holga cameras, tripods, or SLR digital cameras. “The dress theme is ‘The Great Gatsby’ so I expect to see some waistcoats,” senior Stanley Sigalov said.
Mueller and Sudekum anticipate a significant turnout after the vast efforts they have poured into the event. These students began looking for a venue a couple of months ago and recently secured the Gates commons. On top of booking a venue, they had to coordinate a sponsorships through CCSGA and the Communications Office, attain proper licensing for serving alcohol, and most importantly publicize the event throughout campus.
“But we always have a dang classy time. The photography gala started as a way to give CC’s photography club more of a presence on campus. This is the fourth year and biggest yet,” said Mueller.
At the Photo Club gala in Dec. 2010, the theme was CC Life and the two grand prize winners were selected by a general vote and panel of judges. Senior Alex Ammons won the general vote with her memorable photo series.
“I thought the best way to do something that would stand out from all the other photos of people skiing and rock climbing and bike riding, was to take those pictures… but have the subjects be naked,” Ammons said.
Her winning photo was of David Blackett rock climbing in the El Pomar climbing gym. Blackett was a beloved student who passed away in Feb. of 2011.
“It’s a really special memory I have with him, and I feel genuinely lucky to still have this photo,” she said.
The quality and subjects of the photo submissions have been fundamental in making this annual event a hit. However, this year, Sigalov said he will measure success of the gala based on the turnout and the volume of submissions for the photograph contest.
“Ideally, we would like to present the campus’s best photography and would like everyone to see this artwork,” Sigalov said.
Sigalov claimed the CC photography club provides the ideal outlet to aspiring photographers around campus. The club seeks to offer advice on equipment, frame shots, and photographic presentation for students. Meetings for FLASH take place twice per block, either in Worner or over dinner at a member’s house. The group plans featured guest speakers, workshops, tutorials, and off-campus photography tours. FLASH is a club for photographers of all levels.
“Come [to the gala] dressed in your finest Classy Wednesday attire (we’re talking seriously classy), eat, drink, be merry, and appreciate your favorite photos,” Mueller said.
Meg McDermott
Staff Writer