March 2011: SCC Photography Club
June 8, 2011 by crd_admin
2011-03 POM SCC Photography Club
For sponsoring a photo contest that promoted environmental awareness, the Somerset Community College’s Fruit of the Lens Photography Club has won the PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award.
The club organized the contest to coincide with the annual SCC Earth Day Celebration. The winners were announced at the event on April 17, which was attended by more than 700 people.
With the theme “Life in the Forest,” the photo contest encouraged amateur photographers to capture images that can be seen during a walk in a forest.
“We wanted the subject of the photos to be specific to this area and its beauty,” said Stuart Simpson, SCC Visual Communication Coordinator and faculty advisor for the Fruit of the Lens Photography Club, which brings together SCC students, staff and faculty who are interested in photography.
“We have so much natural beauty here, and this contest theme gave people an excuse to get outside to enjoy it,” Simpson said.
“This contest was a fun way to open our eyes to the beautiful scenery that surrounds us here in southern and eastern Kentucky,” said PRIDE’s Jennifer Johnson, who presented a plaque to the club members during their meeting Wednesday.
“The first step toward being a good steward is to realize the value of our environment, and this photo contest moved people in that direction,” Johnson said. “That’s why this project was a perfect fit with PRIDE’s mission to create awareness and personal responsibility for this region’s unique environment.”
“By posting the contest entries online at LakeCumberlandLiving.com, the club reached a huge audience with images that inspire a love for our local natural resources,” Johnson said.
“The photo contest was a great addition to the annual SCC Earth Day event, which has really stirred interest in caring for the environment,” Johnson added. “We thank the SCC students, faculty and staff who made the contest and Earth Day festival such a success.”
“We’re usually the ones giving out recognition, so this was a nice surprise,” Simpson said.
“I want to thank everyone who helped with the photo contest,” Simpson said. “Marisa Dungan, who graduated from the SCC Visual Communication program and now oversees
LakeCumberlandLiving.com, shared the photos online. The SCC PRIDE Club raised the funds for the cash prizes.”
“It is important to keep our area beautiful, because when it’s gone, it’s gone,” added Simpson, who has volunteered for PRIDE cleanup events.
The PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month program rewards creative, effective ways of promoting environment awareness and stewardship.
PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental cleanup and education efforts in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky.
