The dimly-lit Atrium exuded an alluring atmosphere on Thursday night as students bustled down to the nearly hidden doorway by the side of the Dining Hall to the Germanic society’s Erasmus photography exhibition. The entrance assumes a modest character, attracting attention only by the light of the ever-in demand-ATM. Yet on Thursday night, with music streaming down the hall and the din of excited students bouncing off of the walls, one could not help but be drawn into the pretzel-loving world of DU Germanic Society.
Ruairí Ó Siochrú, the chairperson of DU Germanic society, came up with the idea of “Through the Lens: Germanic Experiences Abroad”, in a bid to truly capture the heart of the experience of the German Erasmus-adventurer. Ó Siochrú laughed off the idea as “a bit notiony” but well-intended all the same. “We always talk about our time in Germany, but never actually show it”, Ó Siochrú explained. Ó Siochrú conceived of the idea in the belief that it granted the society an opportunity to give students a real flavour of all that Germany has to offer, while also providing a chance to reminisce on semesters well-spent and since treasured.
With an impressive 30 entries at hand, the society successfully managed to tap into the myriad of cultural, academic and social endeavours of Trinity students in the coveted Deutschland. The selection included the expected photos of Christmas market grottos and Beer Festival ventures, along with the more subdued, breathtaking scenes to be found at Neuschwanstein Castle, and of course, the Instagram-worthy sunsets by the Rhine.
Having allowed the German enthusiasts to mooch around the exhibition, the society organised for the attendees to vote for their favourites, the result of which produced the shortlist for the judges to deliberate over. With such a vast array of photos, the judges had a tough task at hand. Daniel Pust, DAAD-lecturer in the German department, along with two representatives from the Goethe Institute, were left with the unenviable task of picking the top three. Knowingly, prior to receiving the audience-picked shortlist, Pust revealed that the judges themselves had arrived at an entirely different set of contenders. If anything, this is only testament to the intrinsic value of each of the photos in capturing the essence of the German Erasmus programme. Nevertheless, based off of the shortlist voted in, it was Ciara O’Connor who stole away with the top prize, with James Ware finishing in a close second and Sarah McQuaid in third.
O’Connor’s awe-inspiring photo of a moment spent overlooking the Danube River could engender only feelings of envy and desire. With the stream lapping tranquilly beneath her, O’Connor looks out at the stretch of water, traversing the planes of Regensburg, opaque with startlingly green forestry. Talking to the judges, they all agreed that O’Connor’s portrayal of her German experience exemplifies what was most important to the society when staging the exhibition – bringing to life the personal experience of the students and their own connection to the country. With O’Connor’s figure commanding the foreground of the photo, she did exactly that by quite simply portraying the student “being in Germany”.
DU Germanic Society’s ambitious endeavour to stage the exhibition was undoubtedly a hit with students and the German department alike. With hopes to establish the exhibition as an annual tradition, the society believes that “Through the Lens” can provide indispensable, accurate portrayals of the German Erasmus experience and perhaps a safe space for those recently returned students, mourning the close of what was a most cherished time abroad.
Correction: 16:55, March 16th, 2018
An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the name of James Ware. It has since been corrected.
