This past December, senior Rachel Scierka was awarded third place in the fifth annual photo and video contest hosted by West View Water Authority. The winners were presented with cash awards ranging from $500 to $1000. 

West View Water Authority asked that each project be categorized under the given themes of water, the environment, or school spirit. Scierka’s photograph depicts a Nightwing action figure standing in water surrounded by plastic bottles, overlooking the destruction. The caption reads, “A hero stands in water before the biggest challenge he’s ever faced – Garbage.”

The contest itself was introduced to Shaler Area high school students through the GATE program, encouraging students to push their creativity and work towards a prize. As posted on the GATE Google Classroom page, West View Water Authority was looking for students to showcase their talents while also having fun competing. 

Scierka spoke about how she used the resources close to her by taking the photo in her backyard. 

“I didn’t really have any inspiration. I was out in my backyard taking pictures of animals and plants to see what would look cool. Then I saw the small body of water that was there and the idea just hit me,” Scierka said. 

The contest afforded the students an opportunity to find easy ways to compete with fellow students. Though the photo and video contest may not have taken extreme amounts of time for everyone, it was a good chance to include an additional award on any scholarships or college applications. Scierka’s effort was greatly rewarded, as her creativity led to her win. Although, the winning photo wasn’t immediately “the one.” 

“There were actually two other photos other than the one that I submitted that I considered submitting, but after looking at them next to each other, the one that I submitted ended up being the best out of the bunch,” Scierka explained.

Even when examining the final photo, there was hesitancy in the decision to use the Nightwing action figure. Depending on regulations, it is sometimes frowned upon to use copyrighted media in photos and videos. This was one factor Scierka had to consider prior to submission.

“I had it before the contest, since Nightwing is one of my favorite superheroes. I actually didn’t want to use it at first because I wanted something more natural and I was scared I was going to get in trouble since Nightwing is a copyrighted character. However it was the only figure that I was willing to put into the muddy water, since it is entirely plastic. Right after I took the photo, he fell right into the water,” Scierka said.

Competitors also had to consider what message to share with judges. Students had to present their photo or video with a related message about their chosen topic. On the West View Water Authority website, it is stated that “all photos must be educational, informative and appropriate or they will not be considered.” 

Scierka talked about the significance in taking the right steps toward fighting water pollution to help the future of our planet.

“My intended message was that pollution, specifically involving water, can be a huge threat, but people can step up and be the hero if they are willing to work for a change,” she said. 

In the end all of the thought and effort was worth it, as it resulted in her winning $500. 

“When I saw that I won, I was super excited. I thought that I didn’t win since there was a long period of time without response from them,” Scierka said. “When I got the email, it was right before English class started, so I had to keep myself composed, but I literally started shaking out of excitement when I saw it.”