The Pruett Gerontology Center’s “Images of Aging” contest, which opened on Oct. 5, will close on Feb. 19.
Suzie Macaluso, director of the Pruett Gerontology Center and associate professor of sociology, emphasized the importance of the contest.
“Aging is something that we will all experience and yet we hold negative stereotypes and images of what it means to get older,” said Macaluso. “The contest seeks to reshape the way that we think about aging and to see the beauty in aging.”
Students are submitting digital black and white or colored images of subjects who are at least 60. A panel of judges will determine two winners in each category, and they will each receive a $100 prize.
The top ten images will be displayed at the undergraduate research festival. In 2020 a new category was added for “social media favorite.” Honorable mentions can be named according to the judge’s discretion.
Leslie Anderson, sophomore psychology major from Malakoff said the contest gives students the chance to appreciate the elderly on a camera.
“The contest shows a level of activity for elderly people,” said Leslie Anderson, sophomore psychology major participating in the contest, “People don’t think about the elderly as being active a lot of the time.”
In the last two years, the contest has drawn around 6o participants. It is expected to have a lower number of submissions this year, due to COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines.
