The University of Alabama

Through 100 Lenses Gives Students New View

The Crossroads Community Center recently unveiled a mural that displays photographs of life on and off campus taken by 100 UA students. The mural, which will be taken to different locations around campus in the coming months, is the culmination of a Crossroads project called Through 100 Lenses: A Depiction of The University of Alabama.

Through 100 Lenses utilizes the photo voice method, using photographs taken by amateurs to visually depict their daily experiences. Participants were given disposable cameras and asked to take honest pictures representing life on campus as they saw it. The photos were then developed at no cost to the students and placed on the mural.

Kelvin Urday, a freshman Biology major participated in the project to make a statement and to be part of something unprecedented. "Projects like these help show how our campus is viewed," Urday said. "It also helps us as students to be able to come together for a common cause and see how alike we actually all are."

One of the purposes of Through 100 Lenses was to assist Crossroads Community Center in understanding campus culture through the eyes of students from different backgrounds.

Tim Neunzig, a junior from Tuscaloosa majoring in Management, noticed some of those differences while carrying the camera around and snapping photos. "I learned that my experience at the University is not the same as other students on campus."

The Crossroads Community Center provides campus leadership and oversight in the areas of cultural programming and intercultural education. Crossroads seeks to:

  • Facilitate relationship building across cultures through innovative programs and initiatives.
  • Serve as a resource for students and student organizations regarding cross-cultural issues.
  • Provide leadership and coordination for professionals in multicultural student affairs roles.
  • Prepare students for demographic shifts and a global society.

The center is under the direction of Bettina Byrd-Giles and is a subsidiary of the Office of Community Affairs. Learn more about the Crossroads Community Center by visiting their Web site at crossroads.ua.edu.