Mark Semple's winning photograph "Tear Down This Wall" represents the difficulty that today's youth have empathizing with the troubles of the past.

While working abroad at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern in Germany over the summer of 2010, Mark Semple had the opportunity to explore the country and learn more about its culture, people and history. Mr. Semple explored the remains of the Berlin Wall while taking a language course in Berlin. This is where he took the photo “Tear Down This Wall,” winner of the 2011 Queen’s University International Centre International Photo Contest.

“To me, this photo represents the difficulty that today's youth have empathizing with the troubles of the past,” says Mr. Semple, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student. “I think that the hand prints on the wall symbolize the Berliners who suffered during the Cold War era, and the subject represents those who are too young to remember there ever existed an East Germany.”

Mr. Semple is a volunteer photographer for Queen’s Yearbook and Design Services. He particularly enjoys travel photography and the opportunity the art gives to capture thousands of moments with ease.

QUIC is now accepting submissions for this year’s International Photo Contest. Visit the QUIC website for more information.