Documenting Hampshire: Graduating Student Photographer Alysha Ras 22F Reflects on Her Experience

What attracted you to Hampshire?

I was interested in Hampshire’s freedom and legacy, but what really convinced me to attend was Dean of Admissions Fumio Sugihara’s kindness. Especially for a transfer student, he made the admissions process so simple and helped me when I needed it most, giving my case personalized attention when no other admissions office would. Thank you, Fumio!

What takes up the most of your time on campus?

Making pictures. Taking pictures. Editing pictures. Scanning pictures. Printing pictures. Looking at other people’s pictures. Hanging around the photo building. Looking at photo books. When I’m not doing something photography-related, you’re most likely to find me working out at the Multisport Center, climbing the rock wall in the Robert Crown Center, or getting breakfast with friends at the Kern Kafé.

What are you studying?

I study photography (duh), with a little mix of whatever else is interesting to me. I was surprised to find that even the classes that initially felt totally unrelated to photography, such as CARE: Doing, Knowing, Being (here at Hampshire) and Race, Sex, and Tourism (at Smith College), played a big role in influencing my thought processes and ideologies within my photographic practice.

What projects are you working on?

I just finished my Div III, “We Will Go Right Down to the Sea,” which was a documentary photography project on the tourism gentrification happening in Aruba. I was able to get the funding I needed through grants available to Div III students and also to exhibit my work in the Hampshire College Art Gallery (thanks, Lorenzo! [gallery director]). I’m really grateful to have been able to undertake a project so close to my heart.

I also worked on a number of other projects, including doing a photography internship with a service dog–training program. I pursued many interesting final projects for classes both at Hampshire and within the Five College Consortium. The only school I missed was Mount Holyoke College: I’ve taken a number of classes at Amherst, Smith, and UMass.

What’s something unexpected about your time here?

I didn’t realize just how many new things I would be able to experience. One summer I did a short-term course in Paris, where I practiced my photography, visited museums, and met many incredible contemporary artists making work there. I just got back from a spring break canyoneering trip with Outdoor Program Recreation and Athletics (OPRA) to Utah, my first time out west! I’ve been whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and ice climbing, all for the first time and all through OPRA (HUGE thanks to Leigh and Michelle!).

I started rock climbing, glassblowing, and tennis while I was here; went to my first Holi; celebrated my first Mid-Autumn Festival, complete with mooncakes and lantern lighting; tried many new foods; met so many different people; and much more. All were incredibly enriching to my college experience and created memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

What's next?

That’s a great question. I feel solid about the independence and sense of responsibility I was able to foster here at Hampshire. It’s been really important to the trajectory of my life to learn how to learn, how to organize, and how to set myself up to accomplish the things I set out to do. My plan right now is to focus on making some money and gaining some work experience. I want to end up in New York City sometime soon. At some point, I’d like to continue my formal education, whether that be in the form of a master’s degree or some other program. But right now, I’m taking it one step at a time.