The 2022 Maryville College Photos of the Year
Dec. 20, 2022
By Brennan Checkalski
MC Multimedia Specialist
Since moving to East Tennessee from Wisconsin and beginning my work at Maryville College in the early spring of 2021, I have had to adjust to Tennessee life.
The weather here is hotter, the accents are harder to understand, and the game “bags” is known as “cornhole” (something that I will never truly understand). The greatest challenge that I’ve found though, has been telling the story of Maryville College each and every day.
It is not so much that there isn’t anything to talk about; on the contrary, there is an abundance of events that take place at MC every day. As the campus photographer, it is my job to capture these moments, share them with the wider MC community, and preserve them for future use. Having taken over 20,000 photos this year, I thought a walk through my 12 favorite photos could recap the year that has been 2022 at MC.
January
I was born and raised in the snow and colder weather, so early snowy mornings are a welcomed sight. The campus is empty, the snow is fresh, the air is crisp, and each breath is a cloud of steam. The cold is not for everyone, and snow can be a hazard, but seeing how seldom we get snowfall, I am especially giddy to see flakes falling from the sky.
Starting the year off with a snowy stroll through the Maryville College Woods and the sidewalks of our campus is peaceful. The architecture of our magnificent buildings are each accentuated by the sun-kissed, dazzling snow. The strong and sturdy pillars of Pearsons and Thaw, Anderson Hall’s iconic silhouette, and the Clayton Center for the Art‘s large glossy windows were all caked in snow.
These road signs are an often unnoticed part of the College. Rarely does anyone give them a second look, but they are things we all pass every day as we enter MC, even though they are quite easy to overlook. I thought to myself, “There is a shot here; I need to incorporate these signs.” Using the flag of Anderson to center the shot is, in my opinion, a unique and fun way to show off a little detail of MC that others might not fully appreciate.
February
The socks! This campaign was my favorite project of the year. These little socks played a significant role in the most successful Tartan Tuesday that Maryville College has ever seen! In January, my partner in crime — Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Steve Wildsmith — and I were tasked with creating a marketing campaign to promote the Tartan Tuesday donation drive. Tartan Tuesday is an annual event held every April to encourage financial support from alumni, friends of the College and more. The socks were used as an incentive for gifts, the first 700 donors who gave $75 or more were given a pair of these candy cane style tartan socks with the College logo stamped on the side. We wanted to create a “hype video” to promote them.
The video ended up being one of our most-viewed videos of the year across social media, but this photo, of the socks against the iconic Anderson Hall, with the flag against a blue sky filled with white clouds, captures the energy we were going for. We spent half a day literally running around campus (I ran; Steve filmed) and recording “guest appearances” from College “celebrities,” and the end result was the first of several videos that were a complete 180 from more formal requests for donor pledges. Did they work? Well, Tartan Tuesday 2022 raised more than $1.1 million for the College, the largest amount ever.
March
In my very short tenure as the MC photographer, I’m not sure if I have taken a more iconic photo than this one of the groundbreaking of the Austin Coleman Piper Memorial Track in early March. The circumstances surrounding this groundbreaking event add more to the story: the sudden loss of a beloved member of the MC family, Austin Coleman Piper ’68 (for whom the new facility is named); the reintroduction of a Track and Field program at MC after a decades-long hiatus; and the momentous occasion of officially beginning construction.
Every event I cover has a different flow. Some are quick and straightforward, while others have moving parts and keep you on your toes. In the chaos of it all, it can be hard to plan specific shots to capture before arriving at an event. Oftentimes I let the event unfold and allow time for the shot to reveal itself. In this particular case, I was aware a group photo was going to be required. I positioned myself in my spot early and as luck would have it, I found myself in the right spot at the right time to snap this memorable photo of the Piper family and MC President Dr. Bryan F. Coker turning over the first shovelfuls of dirt: Cole’s daughter, Caroline Piper Flaherty; his widow, Sue Piper; Coker; and his brother, Tom Piper ’72.
April
Perhaps the most appreciable luxury that East Tennessee offers to locals and visitors is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The sight of them is truly breathtaking, and being so close and witnessing them every day is something that we all can take for granted.
I know that I do at times, but the various Division of Natural Sciences professors at MC utilize this park often, and I am lucky enough to spend some of my work days capturing hikes through the mountains, journeys through Cades Cove, and just enjoying the wonder that are the Smokies.
This particular field expedition was led by Dr. Drew Crain, a long-serving professor of biology here at MC. Listening to the encyclopedia of knowledge that Dr. Crain has about the park offers insights into the carefully balanced and thriving ecosystem that exists there. In one of the slower moments of our trek, we found time to search through the waters for tadpoles and other underwater creatures. The love Dr. Crain has for our students is painted onto his face while the rest of the class gathers around to catch a glimpse of what is underneath the surface.
I love everything about this photo.
May
Lloyd Beach, a large and lush green plot located across from Lloyd Hall, has many practical uses. You can find our students usually tanning in the sun, laying on a blanket reading a book, or having a picnic, and it’s a place for students and staff alike who want a little serenity. However, some days aren’t as serene as others. Some days, in fact, Lloyd Beach is used as a landing pad for LIFESTAR, an aeromedical transportation service based out of the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Having never spent much time around helicopters, I was particularly excited about this photo-op. The sound is deafening, the wind generated from the propellers is enough to expose my already poor hairline, and the speed at which the chopper travels is astounding. The purpose behind LIFESTAR’s grand arrival on campus was to aid students majoring in Outdoor Studies and Tourism, especially about wilderness rescue that may require medical evacuation.
The three medical professionals aboard the helicopter walked students through a load-in simulation, patient handoffs, and gave a tour of the helicopter and its equipment. Overall, it was a unique experience that not many get to have at work and something that made my day, and ultimately my top 12 photos of the year.
June
Perched upon a hilltop in Rockford, Tennessee, is Scots Ridge Farm, the de facto headquarters for MC’s Equestrian Team. From time to time, I am asked to head out to the farm to snap team photos, the facility, and our student-athletes doing what they do best: competing! It is always a treat to wander the rolling green grounds and let the shutter on my camera loosely fire off.
Sitting in the far back corner of the farm is an old, picturesque barn. Directly to the right of the barn is a smaller fenced area where a few horses roam freely. Upon my arrival, this lightly colored, strong, impressive beast trotted up for an inspection. Towering over me, the horse gently and slowly lowered its head to my level and gazed upon me with the deepest, most striking blue eyes. My camera found its way to my eye, and just as fast as I clicked a shot, the horse glided back down into the valley below.
July
Constructed in 1970 as an athletic facility and physical education building, it would be another 24 years before the central hub of MC athletics was christened as the Cooper Athletic Center. The postmodern design is unassuming, and the building’s age means that renovations are a regular part of maintenance and upkeep.
Over the summer, the courts where the Scots play basketball and volleyball were given fresh coats of paint on the ceiling and the bleachers, and for several weeks, the normally bustling facility was wrapped in black plastic, draped in scaffolding and filled with paint supplies. The illumination of the Athletics logo on the wall, with a spray paint bottle in the foreground, tells the story of so many things that go on behind the scenes, after hours and when classes aren’t in session, to make the MC experience more enjoyable for students and members of the community alike.
August
Working in higher education, some months can be busier than others. In the summer months, June and July can trudge along, but August presents an abundance of assignments, all competing for my time and attention. This past August, I waded the Little River to photograph our incoming Scots Science Scholars fishing; attended a kickball game at the MLK community center between some of our student leaders and the kids; welcomed the incoming first-year class at the Covenant Stone ceremony … and took a trip to the Ocoee River.
Mountain Challenge, Maryville College’s outdoor adventure provider, is known for supplying our students with memorable experiences outside of the classroom. Having never seen the Ocoee River, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and considering I was going to be driving all day, I thought I would make the most of the trip. I loaded up my car with my camera gear, snacks and water, and my wee 9-month-old Aussiedoodle puppy named Arlo (and yes, he is as cute as his name suggests). We hit the road at 5:30 a.m. toward Southeast Tennessee and pulled into the trailhead of Benton Falls bright and early. Our 3-mile hike into the Cherokee National Forest consisted of long and narrow paths with tree limbs draping down overhead, the sunrise ballads of the morning birds alerting the forest that it was time to wake up, and the sound of rushing water as it snaked its way through the forest. The falls were amazing.
After spending our morning trekking through the woods and swimming in the lake, it was time to find the Mountain Challenge group. Finding the group proved to be quite the challenge considering there is no cell phone service, there are hundreds of people and groups daily, and all the life jackets and helmets look the same. I located them just as they were putting their inflatable rafts into the water.
The plan was to follow along the road with my car and to pull off to the side of the road, climb down to the river bed, and get my shots. I enjoy having to hunt for my shot sometimes, and out of the hundreds of pictures I took, this one was my favorite. Catching the moment when they are plunging into the rapids yielded the best facial expressions — a mixture of terror, glee and excitement. What a day — not only a special and memorable experience for our students but for me as well.
September
Not every photo can be as exciting as whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River or having a helicopter land on campus. Oftentimes a photo can present itself out of the most ordinary circumstances.
On this particular afternoon, our international students were having an ice cream social out on the lawn of Anderson Hall. An impromptu game of soccer — or “futbol,” as the rest of the world calls it — began. I have never played an organized game of soccer in my entire life. Up in the frozen food section of the United States, we play hockey, football, and basketball, but there is not much soccer to be found. Watching the game unfold did remind me a bit of hockey, just without all the pads, ice, sticks and skates.
Carla Guenzi, an international student from Spain, was in the midst of battle when I snapped this photo. Usually, whenever I am in the midst of competition, my favorite sport to play is basketball, my face is sweaty and red, my soaked hair droops over my eyes, and I don’t look nearly as elegant as Carla. The smile, the flowing hair highlighted by the golden rays of the sun, and just the sheer bliss in one frame speaks volumes. This photo serves as a reminder that sometimes the little things in life, like an impromptu game of soccer, can provide the greatest amounts of joy.
October
I remember gazing upon the Austin Coleman Piper Memorial Track for the first time and not believing that it was actually, finally done. Strolling around the track on the flexible rubber, running my hand through the smooth sand from the jump pits, and laying on the green turf only to feed bewilderment. How is this track done? It all came together so quickly, and now was primed and ready for action!
Instead of using an incredibly tall ladder, or climbing to the very tip of Anderson Hall, the drone was the only way to achieve the shot. I put my pilot hat and shades on quite frequently on campus, as I am sure the student body, staff and faculty could tell you. You have to actively try not to notice the drone, because it sounds like a flying lawnmower.
Only after consuming an unhealthy amount of Casey Neistat YouTube videos was my interest sparked in drone photography and cinematography. With countless hours of flight time under my belt and a few broken tree branches, I have no fear of soaring the skies to get any shot MC needs.
November
In my role, I interact and work with nearly every department on campus, whether I am descending downstairs to work with Admissions, heading over to the Clayton Center to work with Fine Arts, or hustling over to Cooper to assist the Athletics department. However, whenever I see that my schedule has me going to the Sutton Science Center, I know that I am in for something photogenic.
Many of the events that I attend on campus follow a similar itinerary, so a lot of the time I am shooting the same type of photo. I have to find a different way to shoot the same thing over and over, but if the subject matter is naturally interesting, it makes my job a bit easier. On this occasion Dr. Joy Buongiorno, assistant professor of environmental biology, was in the lab dissecting starfish with her class, an assignment that seemed easy enough … until you consider my disgust with scientific dismemberment.
I remember my sophomore year of high school, my biology class was dissecting frogs. I strapped the goggles to my eyes, pulled the gloves over my nervous fingers, and grabbed my scalpel. As I made my way down the frog, the room began to spin, my eyes were fluttering, and sweat was pouring down my forehead. I didn’t last more than a few minutes before I excused myself for fear of passing out. Dissection is just not my thing.
Luckily this time was different. Starfish are far less graphic than frogs, and I was able to stomach it and shoot away … although it didn’t make it any less gross in my mind though.
December
A perk of working at a smaller school and being the primary point of contact for photos and videos is that you get the opportunity to interact with all areas on campus. Over the past two years, I have dedicated a large amount of time to Athletics. I wanted to help get them the highest quality photos possible, and above all, I do enjoy it. When an exhibition game between MC Men’s Basketball and Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was taking place, I was quick to ask if I could document the game.
Action photos are always the predictable choice, and I could have easily just picked my favorites from the game, but again, I want to get the image the audience isn’t expecting. Just before the tip-off, I was heading back to the locker room when I spotted, at the end of this long and narrow hallway, MC’s head basketball coach Raul Placeres ’06 (right), and MC’s assistant basketball coach Jeff McCord ’04 game-planning. The conversation fell silent when Jeff posed a question to Raul, and in a moment of thought, Raul slightly tipped his head up towards the lights, and I had my shot.
The overmatched Fighting Scots went on to have an impressive showing against MTSU, pulling within 8 points with 7 minutes remaining. The back-and-forth affair was full of excitement and thrilling, but I find it quite amusing that the shot I gravitated to was much quieter than the game itself. It was, in a way, the calm before the storm.