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The First-year Photo Project 2010
What does it mean to be a Marquette freshman? A photo documentary of new sights, friends, classes and a new life, the First-year Photo Project is a story told through the eyes of eight freshmen — Ryan Ellerbusch, Max Kornfeld, Elise Krivit, Alex Lahr, Aaron Ledesma, Rosalee MacKinnon, Hannah Offermann and Kristen Steinfeld.
The First-year Photo Project is sponsored by the Office of Student Development.
Comment by Stacey Glowinski at Apr 13 2011 11:09 am
These pictures were stunningly beautiful and obviously taken by very talented photographers -- but are they really how a freshman sees Marquette? There were only a couple of pictures with identifiable faces in them. Like most of the rest of us, I am sure most freshman would say Marquette is about the people, and the memories will consist primarily of the lives that touched them, not the Milwaukee Art Museum from an interesting angle.
Comment by Julie Murphy at Apr 13 2011 02:59 pm
Stacey, thanks for your comments. I had the pleasure of working with the first-year students during this project, and I'd like to explain why there are so many photos of inanimate objects. The students were asked to take photos within five broad themes--My Community, My Home, My Faith, My Future, and Eye of the Beholder. These themes informed their choice of subject, as well as the discussions that they engaged in throughout the fall semester. The students were instructed to take photos that they felt best represented their transition to Marquette (within these themes). Some chose to photograph non-MU locations, especially for the "My Home" and "My Community" categories. And some of these locations represent for the students a richer back-story that unfortunately, we don't have room to share in this venue. You're absolutely right that MU is about the people--often, the students talked about their relationships with other students and community members as part of the context for the photographs, even of inanimate objects.
Comment by Aaron Ledesma at Apr 13 2011 03:21 pm
Stacey, I'd like to thank you for the comments as well. I was the one who took the picture of the Art Museum... it may not be of Marquette, but it is an amazing image of what Milwaukee has to offer and that is a huge part of my life now as a MU student. I chose to take pictures of my favorite places in the city that I will call home for the next few years. With these pictures you are truly seeing what we, the students, see and experience from not just any angle, but our angle. I hope you enjoy the slideshow!
Comment by Nicole Thompson at Apr 13 2011 08:54 pm
There are some really fantastic photos here! Have you thought about doing the same project with seniors? It could be interesting to see how things differ between freshman and seniors, how life is different off-campus, how we may begin to connect with different parts of the city as time goes on, etc. Just a thought!
Comment by Liz Pudas at Apr 14 2011 07:37 am
Beautiful photos, but I'll agree with Stacey. I think the problem is that this is described as "What does it mean to be a Marquette freshman?" and yet the assigend project was "to take photos within five broad themes--My Community, My Home, My Faith, My Future, and Eye of the Beholder." Those are two very different concepts. I would be very interested to see a similar phot documentary, with the main focus being "A Student at Marquette." As an alumna, I had expected a trip down memory lane - snowy campus, crowds of us crossing Milwaukee Ave, studying at the library, messy dorm rooms, Jesuits, as well as the beautiful architecture, the lakefront, and that sort of thing.
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