Hot Off The Press Media Contest - WINNERS!
The prompt for this contest was to create a piece centered around the theme "2020 Years of Change." So much talented work was displayed and we are happy to be announcing our top 3 winners. We thank all those who submitted their creative pieces!
FIRST PLACE - "Humanity Down" written by Vidushi Chauhan
Wrapped up in all the human of tonight,
across tall, brooding grass,
our thoughts crawl and croon
Come light, we furl in all our brownian beads,
sweltering and sparkling against the future,
yet tied down by the endless swoon
Again and again, the crowds lie strewn
open at the table of the unknown - under the blinkless gaze
of the merciless moon, turning with a wound
Unattended, our Earth floats like forgotten algae
underneath a shaded pond. Yet, humanity will, as always,
flow into a spirited, electric river come noon
Sometimes, we concede - humanity down.
In the trade for tomorrow,
we curl in to configure our cocoons
A familiar, endless well to sink
all that we know must leave through us
before onward we move
Each time we fall,
you will find us come dusk,
well and back to the buzz, conspiring our tunes
Our souls fluttering, faltering, fumbling for now,
but we will make it through this,
and see you soon.
SECOND PLACE - "LIFE" by Michael Zhang
"This collage titled “LIFE” is my rendition of a modern-day utopia, depicting our current daily life, in a pandemic. The goal of “LIFE” is to bring a ray of light during this dark period of time where people are going through unprecedented and unforeseen changes due to COVID-19. “LIFE” is created to bring hope, not for the promise of returning to a previous lifestyle, but instead, seeing our current world from a new perspective. There is a lot of negativity surrounding the topic of COVID-19 and rightfully so, as it has caused pain and suffering to many people across the world. However, it has come to a point where we are no longer able to see a future ahead of us. We are constantly thinking of when things will go back to normal but fail to realize that this is now the current “normal”, and whether we like it or not, we must live like this for a while. If there is nothing we can do about a situation, we should not let it control us. The meaning of “LIFE” is to find a new source of joy in this bizarre world we live in, and to not let the negativity blind us from the positive things we still have."
- Michael Zhang
THIRD PLACE - "Sameold Sameold" by Kunal Chopra
"This short video strongly showcases a repetitive pattern a character follows. From waking up to taking the subway to work displays the notion of boredom which is exactly how I would describe the year 2020. Though we say 2020 changed everything, our day-to-day life and social life was put on hold. During the lockdown, we all woke up, attended class, watched shows, and went back to sleep. Like the character repeats a cycle, doing the same activities, every day in 2020 felt like a constant pattern/routine. Created with original characters and music, Same Old Same Old relates to every student’s life in 2020."
-Kunal Chopra