Arcadia England

When students come to study with us, we like to think we give them a chance to experience inspirational opportunities. This was certainly the case when, Ruby Zenteno, a FYSAE student at the London Center went to a presentation by photojournalist, Nick Danziger. As you read through Ruby's brilliantly written account of events, you realize she is very happy to have the chance to meet one 'personal heroes'.

I didn’t get hit by a bus yesterday evening, and that’s an accomplishment. I completely fumbled my way to King’s Place, where Photovoice was holding an event, and managed to find the building by the skin of my teeth. I’m also almost positive I freaked out the receptionist, because I was half-hysterical and gesturing wildly while mumbling alien phrases sounding vaguely like “Nick Danziger,” and “where is?” However, he seemed to understand my Klingon and pointed me in the direction I needed to go, so once I said hi to my Professor (the esteemed Veronique Mistiaen), I sat down promptly to have my mind completely blown.

Nick Danziger is an extremely accomplished photojournalist, and while I can write a mile-long stack of papers about everything he’s ever done and what kind of award he’s gotten for it, what interested me the most was his genuine passion for what he does. This man got the travel bug at a young age, and disappeared from his parents for a week in Paris at 13 and survived on almost nothing, without a passport or even a real way to get there. He has also made his way into Afghanistan, Iraq, and China during tense times on foot, with only the generosity of the people he met and his own drive to keep moving forward (which often was illegal since he didn’t have the proper permits). His determination also gained him access to HM the Queen, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Dalai Lama, and even former President George W Bush for photos. Despite not knowing who he was initially, I was more than ready to add him to my scant list of personal heroes at this point.

Danziger’s personal history may have had me at the edge of my seat in wonder, but the stories of his photos succeeded in completely driving me over. When I asked him what motivated him to go to the places he chooses, he responded that it was the people that drew him there, and they serve as his motivation to continue reaching out. This sentiment shows in his photos; never had I seen such flashes of human life that are as beautiful as they are heartbreaking.

Danziger took great care in explaining the people behind the photos, and it felt like a privilege to witness something so raw and private. He’s met vulnerable men and women across the planet, who most of us Westerners would go our entire lives without hearing about, and helped tell their stories with flashes of less than a sliver of a lifetime. And while the photos themselves may not immediately tell you everything about the situation, the emotions they capture are able to unite you with these other humans under the blanket of universal suffrage, despite being thousands of miles apart.

It was truly an amazing experience to go see this presentation, because I personally think it’s a frightening thing to do something so big, so massive, that it changes the world. And then I think, “If a man, who only had a camera and compassionate streak for humanity, can do so much for it, why shouldn’t I?”

I walked away with a heavy heart, and a spark of something I couldn’t really identify.

I think it might’ve been hope.

For more accounts of students study abroad experiences head to Student Life -Student Blogs.