Merrill College-Photojournalism: December 2025

Friday, December 19, 2025

Parsley, Photo Essay

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D2AX50yMRUXolfjKL5px0jnnoBSfz1uHwVC3P5vu3hA/edit?usp=sharing

Please note: the written essay is interspersed among the slides. Thank you!

Jesse Levine Photo story

Hello Professor,

Please open the file I sent to you with Microsoft office, otherwise you will not see the captions I wrote under the slide, although one picture has the caption under the photo as that was my mistake.

Thanks

Jesse Levine

Photo Essay, Ring

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KL5FMooTCnMFWsOjw0NdSgy1jfOaWUxXdvssZJ8jXYI/edit?usp=sharing

Final Photo Story -- Lawrence

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pC7RqshDlRrRYKZvVaMFx5W5EplL-sEwwg4SHKSLpb0/edit?usp=sharing

Final Photo Essay, Torkamboor

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11lpnuG5BVbvAoItVbEVerrAWcX6IgrPTwUi6CsOEe7c/edit?usp=sharing

Photo Story, Parks

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16UnAVu6g_EYBMl_FUiBbPcsT0Q1yRt0q-fiirooD30Y/edit?slide=id.g3b00ec90b19_1_8#slide=id.g3b00ec90b19_1_8

Photo Essay - Bengtson

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XEvNuD11UXvmjibCkDWTcUZzRdMy9brpY0Z_jyD3l74/edit?slide=id.g3b20182ba50_0_55#slide=id.g3b20182ba50_0_55

Photo Story, Trendell

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14hmNFPbSramf2rTv1b3CuYH1EiZ3WL8WnNPoCwJa8Hc/edit?usp=sharing

Photo Story, Hromalik

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zR2jm_FfdTkudmLJkByANFmXHkQR5ge82WfpWcw8KwY/edit?usp=sharing

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Photo Essay, Speace

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LxBpThBlwDO80kSiqYYAs087-MwVYuXuRxlQkBUa59g/edit?usp=sharing

Photo essay- Jesse Levine

Hello professor,

I was unable to post on blogger so I emailed you my photo essay project.

Thanks

Jesse levine

Photo Essay, Gonzalez

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Oo3M3AqGMM5yEWjLThv_ORfVojemh80-ahCnyZ43DlM/edit?usp=sharing

Photo Essay, Garcia-Terrazas

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fS_YNY6OYKPrqMyN_qiyJ8WzoYQnS_zdDH1nRcltVtM/edit?usp=sharing

Photo Essay, Hernandez-Piña

The Jewel of Florida: The Everglades

Attached below are the PowerPoint slides:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IthulomnS9MsIc99cr2VD8sbe1eExkT5QBeTRzbWno4/edit?usp=sharing

Essay:

The Florida Everglades is a vast wetland that stretches across South Florida and is one of the most distinctive landscapes in the United States. Often described as a “river of grass,” the Everglades is known for its slow-moving water that flows from Lake Okeechobee in central Florida to Florida Bay. This gradual movement of freshwater shapes the region’s sawgrass marshes, mangrove forests and wetlands, creating an ecosystem unlike any other in the world.

Congress authorized Everglades National Park in 1934, recognizing the area’s exceptional environmental value. At the time, the Everglades covered nearly 11,000 square miles. Decades of drainage projects, agricultural expansion and urban development that began in the early 20th century significantly altered that landscape. Canals, levees and roads disrupted the natural flow of water, shrinking the Everglades and changing how it functions.

Despite these changes, the Everglades remains a critical natural resource. Its slow-moving waters support rare plant life and a wide range of wildlife that evolved specifically to live in the wetlands. Cypress domes rise from shallow marshes, while mangroves protect coastlines from erosion and storm surge. Seasonal floodings and drying cycles create habitats that sustain fish, birds, reptiles and mammals, many of which rely on the Everglades for survival.

The Everglades also plays a crucial role in Florida’s water system. The wetland acts as a natural filter, improving water quality as it moves south. Millions of Floridians depend on the aquifer recharged by the Everglades for drinking water. When the ecosystem is disrupted, the effects extend beyond wildlife, threatening water availability, public health and the state’s economy.

Preservation efforts have grown as awareness of the Everglades’ importance has increased. Everglades National Park was dedicated and opened to the public in 1947, becoming a symbol of conservation at a time when environmental protection was still not common. Today, the park is recognized internationally as a World Heritage Site and a Wetland of International Importance.

Restoration initiatives have aimed to reverse decades of damage by restoring more natural water flow and improving water quality. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan is one of the largest environmental restoration projects in U.S. history. The plan includes dozens of projects designed to reduce pollution, store freshwater and redirect water to areas that have been deprived for decades.

Progress has been slow and costly, and challenges remain. Population growth in South Florida has demanded for more land and water, while climate change poses other threats. Rising sea levels have allowed saltwater to move farther inland, threatening freshwater supplies and effecting delicate habitats.

Even so, scientists and conservationists emphasize that protecting the Everglades is essential. The ecosystem’s health is closely tied to Florida’s environmental stability and economic future. Tourism, fishing and agriculture all depend, directly or indirectly, on a functioning Everglades system.

More than 90 years after it was designated a national park. The Everglades stands as both a cautionary tale and a symbol of resilience. Its history reflects the consequences of unchecked development, while ongoing preservation and restoration efforts highlight the potential to repair damaged ecosystems. As pressures on natural resources continue to grow, the Everglades remains a powerful reminder of the need to balance human activity with environmental stewardship.

Photo Essay, Cobb

https://www.canva.com/design/DAG7468Ks5g/el3HYuVvu6bbrFZo-LvDAw/edit?utm_content=DAG7468Ks5g&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Ramos, Photo Essay

University Boulevard East

Link to Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1g4mGapDO3O3Mnb41YhT7l4vmnEnyBod21bEdhZRsL2E/edit?usp=sharing

The intersection of University Boulevard and Adelphi Road marks the end of the eastern corner of the University of Maryland. University Boulevard, though, isn’t limited to the area around campus; the roadway is one half of Maryland Route 193 and runs for approximately 26 miles through Montgomery and Prince George’s County.

A portion of University Boulevard is the site of the incoming Purple Line, a new 21-station metro further connecting the two counties. The Purple Line will run through approximately three and a half miles of University Boulevard East – a section of the road close to UMD that bears little resemblance to the pristine campus. Instead, it embodies a personality all its own – diverse, urban and always moving.

Ripped signs advertising the imminent metro flutter in the wind, small construction teams work on segments of the rail and construction sites on every corner look almost deserted and unfinished.

Construction has completely taken over the stretch of University Boulevard East, encompassing Adelphi, Langley Park, Chillum and Takoma Park. It has obstructed entrances into apartment complexes along the road and backed up traffic near active work areas. Impacted residents and businesses are concerned about pedestrian safety. Officials from the Purple Line discussed the development of “safety messaging” in a community engagement meeting that the construction project hosts biannually.

Pedestrian safety is not the only long-term concern for University Boulevard East. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s Land Line Magazine published an article in 2023 discussing efforts to preserve affordable housing along the Purple Line Corridor. The unintended consequence of new transit systems, writes Jon Gorey, is an increase in property value and rent that forces out residents who can’t withstand higher prices.

The community around University Boulevard East shows signs of poverty in subtle ways. Octapharma Lab is located on the corner of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard East in Langley Park Plaza. Octapharma Lab is a plasma center where anyone looking to make relatively quick money can donate plasma.

An article from the Journal of Sociology and Welfare found that urban areas with a high percentage of the population Black, Hispanic or in poverty have a greater probability of hosting a plasma center. In Langley Park, 28.2% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to Census Reporter. That’s more than double the rate in Maryland and the DMV metropolitan area.

According to Census Reporter, the combined population average of the four suburban neighborhoods straddling University Boulevard East is close to 50% Hispanic. Evidence of Hispanic communities is apparent all along University Boulevard East, such as street vendors selling tropical fruits, signs posted completely in Spanish and a plethora of Central American restaurants.

Pedro Fernandez, a modest elderly man who only speaks Spanish, lives in a small room in a house whose yard proudly displays flags from Italy and Guatemala. He’s lived there since his wife died eight years ago.

Walking down the street doesn’t feel particularly unsafe, nor any less safe than downtown streets in Washington, D.C. The website Crime Grade gives a combined crime rate of 26 per 1,000 residents for the four neighborhoods. The areas of Langley Park that intersect with University Boulevard East, however, show bright red on their online map, indicating high crime.

It’s helpful to speak Spanish. People loosen up when you greet them in their native tongue, such as the man who smiled and asked me to snap a photo of him after we spoke in Spanish. Most people walking along University Boulevard East are just going about their day – selling flowers on the corner, chatting with a street food vendor, walking back from the grocery store or waiting for the bus.